Altec has unveiled an offsettable telescopic jib that helps increase the flexibility of its AC45-127S boom truck.
The new two-stage telescoping jib, rolled out at the ConExpo-Con/Agg trade show this March, can be used at a length of 31 or 55 ft.; at offsets of 0°, 15°, or 30°; with the boom truck’s outriggers set at full or mid span; and with the crane’s boom telescoped to any length from 31 to 127 ft.
Dan Brock, market manager for Altec, says the offsettable jib helps crane operators set up closer to tall structures and reach farther across their tops to pick or place loads. “With the jib telescoped to 55 ft. and offset 30°, the crane gains more than 25 ft. of additional radius,” he says.
Maximum jib capacity on the 31-ft. length is 10,000 lbs. Maximum capacity on the 55-ft. length is 8,200 lbs.
Brock says one unique feature of Altec’s new offset jib is that the company has developed a complete set of capacity charts for it. “The new jib adds 12 capacity charts to the AC45-127,” he says. ”The charts are more like you’d see on a truck crane or rough-terrain crane, rather than a typical boom truck.”
Brock says having such complete charts gives operators lots of flexibility in choosing the best configuration for a lift. All capacity charts for the offset jib are in Altec’s LMAP (LMI). To use them, the operator simply confirms the crane’s configuration.
Fast and easy to set up, the jib stows alongside the boom until the operator swings the jib in front of the boom tip and pins it in place. The jib offset angle can be set easily by putting a pin into one of three large, easy-to-access holes in the jib base. Installation is also simplified by a wheel on the jib tip, and by a single-piece anti-two-block sensor that is moved easily from boom top to jib tip.
Brock did not give a specific cost, but he says the new jib is priced competitively.
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
