The first Liebherr LTR 1220 telescopic boom crawler crane in North America has started work in Kansas for Transportation Partners & Logistics LLC (TP&L).
With a rated lifting capacity 242 t and a 197-ft. telescopic boom, TP&L’s new LTR 1220 is currently the largest telescopic boom crawler crane in the Americas.
The crane arrived at the Port of Galveston on July 24 and arrived at TP&L’s rail distribution yard in Garden City, Kan., two days later where it is working on unloading wind turbine mast sections off rail cars and loading them onto trucks for onward road transport.
Telescopic boom cranes are usually on rubber tires, while cranes with crawler tracks usually have lattice booms that have to be assembled on the ground and then pinned onto the body of the crane. The hybrid telescopic crawler concept offers the advantages of quick-set up with the power of a crawler body. The low ground-bearing pressure of the tracks lets the machine access all areas while the telescopic boom can be extended or retracted in seven minutes.
No assist crane or team of riggers is needed to put it together, and the boom can stay on for transportation when the job is done.
“We needed at least a 200-ton capacity crawler to pick and carry 150,000-lb. loads and when Liebherr developed the LTR 1220, it fitted our needs perfectly,” said Jim Orr, president of TP&L. “The great thing about the LTR 1220 is we can retract the boom and move around a location where power lines or piping are obstacles. With a lattice boom crawler, you might have to take boom sections off to move the crane around, and that costs time and money to us and our customers.”
Versatile Boom System
The 197-ft. telescopic boom of the LTR 1220 comes from Liebherr’s LTM 1220-5.2 all-terrain crane. With the Liebherr Telematik telescoping system it can be extended automatically to the desired length. Additional reach can be achieved by adding a biparted swing-away jib, 40 to 73 ft. long, which can be lengthened with two 23-ft. lattice sections.
For an alternative boom configuration, a 23-ft. lattice section can be fitted between the telescopic boom and the swing-away jib, to raise the connection point of the jib. This can be luffed by up to 45°. As an option, the swing-away jib can also be adjusted hydraulically. Under full load, the jib can be moved between 0° and 45°.
Strong and Adaptable Base Unit
The LTR 1220 is powered by a six-cylinder 312 hp diesel engine, providing torque of 960 lb.-ft.. The hoist gears provide a high cable pull of 23,600 lb. force for fast line speeds and quick lifting.
For TP&L’s work installing wind turbines, the LTR 1220 ability to drive on wind park roads with a track-width of just 14’9”is key. It can then extend its track base hydraulically for lifting operations to an intermediate 19’3” or full width of 23’9”. The crane’s LICCON 2 computer has load charts for all three crawler widths.
As well as being able to travel over uneven ground, the LTR 1220 can lift with side inclination angles of up to four degrees with the LICCON 2 system keeping safe control of operations. The secondary hoisting gear for two-hook lifts is also suited for handling turbine blades.
The LTR 1220 weighs in at 198,400 lbs. The crawler tracks can be removed, reducing weight to 119,000 lbs. and load width from 16.4 ft. to 9.8 ft. By removing the transverse beams, weight get down to 103,600 lbs.. Once on-site, hydraulic jacks enable the crane to assemble itself without the need for an auxiliary crane.
Lift & Access is part of the Catalyst Communications Network publication family.
