Whyte Crane Hire Takes Liebherr Lattice Boom Mobile Crane

Whyte Crane Hire of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, has invested in Liebherr cranes since starting out in crane hire more than a dozen years ago. In a continued allegiance to Liebherr, the company has now taken delivery of a 750 tonnes capacity LG 1750 lattice boom mobile crane which has been specifically chosen for the increase in windfarm turbine installation and heavy-lift contracts for the oil and gas industry Whyte Crane Hire is currently enjoying. The LG 1750 joins around 40 cranes in their modern, varied and versatile fleet which includes numerous Liebherr LTM all-terrain and LTF lorry-mounted telescopics, together with specialist cranes featuring telescoping and extendable crane cabs specifically procured for Whyte’s cargo handling activities.

Whyte Crane Hire provides crane rental and cargo handling services throughout Scotland and northern England from depots in Aberdeen, Ellon, Grangemouth and Montrose. Serving a broad spectrum of industries, the company is well-established in such markets as construction, oil and gas, power generation, rail and transport, alternative energies such as windfarm turbine installation, logistics and port services. In parallel with these activities, Whyte also provides storage and distribution, specialist training and personnel services.

The LG 1750 combines the flexibility and lifting abilities of a 750 tonnes crawler crane with the mobility of a fast-moving truck crane and, featuring modular construction, employs the slewing crane platform, strut boom and fly-jib systems from the LR 1750 crawler crane, mounted on to a completely new and compact 8-axle 16X8X16 chassis. Four generously sized, hydraulically folding outriggers make up the K-shape support, which has a base area of 16m x 16 m producing optimum stability under load.

The LG 1750 taken by Whyte Crane Hire comes with top specifications and features a selection of boom, mast, fly-jib and counterweight options, offering a wide variety of lifting and reach capabilities for the different tasks required of this new crane. For precision and high lift capabilities for windfarm work, the crane has Liebherr’s 8L8HS configuration with 115.5 metres main boom and a 6 metres fly-jib. An additional SL9D2FB arrangement provides 136 metres of main boom, an 18 metres fly, with 42 metres derrick back mast and a ballast tray for up to 400 tonnes of counterweight. These features will allow the LG 1750 to carry out windfarm turbine lifts up to 138 metres hub height, with a lifting capacity of 120 tonnes at 26 metres working radius. The heavy lift equipment for, among others, oil and gas related contracts, comes in SDB, SD2B and SLDB configuration with a second hoist winch for using with a 600 tonnes capacity hookblock, allowing 400 tonnes to be lifted on to barges and pipe-laying vessels, for example.

The crane carrier and superstructure are both powered by Liebherr engines developing 500kW and 400kW respectively — and complying with 97/68/EG stage 3 and EPA/CARB Tier 3 exhaust emissions regulations. The carrier features a ZF TC-TRONIC automatic gearbox with 12 forward and 2 reverse speeds. Cabs are air-conditioned, comfortable and functional, with the crane cab itself capable of being swivelled sideways and tilted backwards for maximum site and load visibility. Liebherr’s own LICCON safe load indicator also features test and diagnostics programmes. The electrical system employs the latest databus techniques.

The LG 1750, as with all new generation Liebherr cranes, is equipped with the latest GSM module technology. This provides a direct on-board link between the customer and Liebherr’s after-sales engineers, both in the UK and the European factory, to assist in diagnostics and fault-finding should the need arise.