Having over the years become the recipient of several ‘firsts’ in terms of new Liebherr crane models in South Africa and even in Africa, Allied Crane Hire, a South African-headquartered mobile crane specialist that operates across sub-Saharan Africa, has taken delivery of the very first Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 mobile crane on the continent.
Allied Crane Hire officially welcomed a new addition to its ever-growing Liebherr mobile crane fleet, the LTM 1650-8.1 – the first of its kind in Africa. The milestone marked yet another ‘first’ in the history of the company, having previously been the first in Sub-Saharan Africa to receive an LTM 1110-5.1, an LTM 1150-5.3 and an LTM 1230-5.1.
André Engelbrecht, General Manager Africa at Allied Crane Hire, says the company is proud of the latest milestone. “The goal, however, is not necessarily to always be the first recipient of every new model. In most cases, these new models become available at exactly the moment we were looking for a crane that fits certain job requirements, which is an important criterion in every procurement decision,” says Engelbrecht.
Several reasons to decide on for the LTM 1650-8.1
Commenting on what was central to the buying decision, Engelbrecht says the company has proudly owned an LTM 1500-8.1, the predecessor model to the new LTM 1650-8.1, since 2012. In addition to that, there have been increased enquiries for a crane in this performance class in the market recently. However, says Francois Pretorius, Sales Manager Mobile and Crawler Cranes at Liebherr-Africa, the LTM 1500-8.1 has been discontinued, with production ending in 2020. Produced for over 23 years, the model saw some 626 units shipped to customers globally, making it Liebherr’s best-selling large crane of all time.
“To fulfil customer requirements in the mining, wind, petrochemical, and construction industries, we went into the market not only for a similar model to the LTM 1500-8.1, but also a crane that could give us more lifting capacity in line with customer requirements. After some market research, we established the LTM 1650-8.1 as the perfect candidate,” says Engelbrecht.
The LTM 1650-8.1 fit the bill for Allied Crane Hire on several fronts. Firstly, the model comes with a rated capacity of 700 tonnes, a significant upgrade to the LTM 1500-8.1, which offered a 500-tonne lifting capacity. Depending on its equipment package, the new crane is between 15% and 50% more powerful than its predecessor. Technical progress has made this possible since, after all, a great deal of work has been done since the development of the LTM 1500-8.1 over 20 years ago.
The new crane, which Liebherr refers to as the “The maximum on 8 axles”, has also inherited something else from the LTM 1500-8.1. Customers can buy the two different telescope boom lengths and interchange them easily by replacing telescope section three, including the roller head with telescope sections three to five. The concept has proven to be successful. The LTM 1650-8.1 is available in lengths of 54 metres and 80 metres.
In addition, says Engelbrecht, the LTM 1650-8.1 comes with proven Liebherr technologies such as VarioBallast®, VarioBase®, as well as the new NK System, a hinged luffing jib assembly system designed to significantly reduce the space required for erecting long luffing jibs in confined spaces. Pretorius explains the benefits of VarioBallast®: “High performance normally requires a large ballast radius. But often there is simply not enough space on building sites. This means the ballast radius must be as small as possible. We meet this challenge with our VarioBallast® technology. The ballast radius can be infinitely adjusted using a simple hydraulic positioning mechanism – between 6,4 and 8,4 metres on the LTM 1650-8.1. The variable support base VarioBase® delivers higher load capacities and a larger working range. “The greatest increases are achieved during crane operations with partial ballast,“ adds Pretorius.
Delivering beyond expectations
Since its arrival in early September, the LTM 1650-8.1 has largely been deployed in mining. “The crane has performed beyond expectations. We have been particularly impressed by the quick assembly time and the functionality of the crane as a whole,” says Engelbrecht.
Speaking of functionality, Pretorius explains that the automated luffing jib has been one of the standout features for the operators. “During the familiarisation training, I asked the operator what else stood out for him apart from the crane design. Without hesitation, he replied ‘the automated erection of the luffing jib’. With this function, the operator only needs to move the joystick and then the magic happens. The straightforward handling takes the strain off the crane operator and enhances safety,” says Pretorius.
Well ahead of the handover, the crane was already pre-booked for a lift for a well-known South African mining company. The very next week after its delivery, the LTM 1650-8.1 was deployed to lift a heat exchanger weighing in at 70 tonnes. The crane handled the task comfortably with 125 tonnes of counterweight, at a radius of 15 to 16 metres.
Longstanding partnership
“The latest LTM 1650-8.1 purchase,“ says Engelbrecht, “is a culmination of 25 years of a longstanding business relationship between Liebherr and Allied Crane Hire, demonstrated by the large number of Liebherr mobile cranes within the mobile crane specialist’s fleet.“ The company’s fleet currently consists of 20 Liebherr mobile cranes. These include two LTM 1160-5.1, one LTM 1500-8.1, one LTM 1070-4.2, two LTM 1200-5.1, three LRT 1090-2.1, two LTM 1230-5.1, two LRT 1100-2.1, one LTM 1110-5.1, one LTM 1150-5.3 and, of course, the newest member, the LTM 1650-8.1.
Aftersales support, says Engelbrecht, is a principal factor in any of Allied Crane Hire’s purchasing decisions. As a company that services production-driven businesses that work on tight deadlines and are sensitive to any form of downtime, Allied Crane Hire puts reliable aftersales support at the centre of its operations. Parts, technical support and prompt response, are of utmost significance to the success of its business.
“We have built a very strong business relationship with Liebherr and we appreciate the service and support that we receive from various parties at Liebherr-Africa, all the way from the sales teams to management as well as the technical and parts departments,” says Engelbrecht.
Erik Benz, General Manager Mobile and Crawler Cranes at Liebherr-Africa, hails the longstanding partnership with Allied Crane Hire, which he says is built on trust, respect, and a shared commitment to staying ahead in terms of technology, quality, and reliability. “We are proud to be the supplier of choice for quality, reliability and advanced technology to Allied Crane Hire. We are excited to witness the next ‘first’ with this remarkable client,” concludes Benz.