Mobile and crawler cranes

5 minutes - magazine 02 | 2024

The legend grows

At Bauma 2004 in Munich, we presented the LG 1750 lattice boom mobile crane, which combined the advantages of a mobile crane with the lifting capacity of a 750-tonne lattice boom crane.

But history repeats itself!

Painted red and white, it stood on display at the trade fair and was then sent to Nolte Auto-Krane in Hanover. Exactly 20 years later, the same customer has received the successor model, an LG 1800-1.0, with the same licence plate number. The driver has the same surname as back then: Rainer Schlesner is the son of the former driver Detlef.

State-of-the-art lattice boom crane technology - V-Frame® and VarioTray offer maximum flexibility and economy for applications with derrick ballast.

Company owner Dirk Nolte tells this wonderful story: “Detlef Schlesner is now enjoying his well-deserved retirement. His son Rainer has been a crane driver with us for 17 years. Itʼs really something special that he is now driving the successor to his fatherʼs crane.” Over the years, Nolte has purchased several LG 1750, at times operating three of these 750-tonne cranes at the same time in its fleet. “The licence plate of our first LG 1750 had become free again in the meantime, so we can now use it for the new LG 1800-1.0,” says Dirk Nolte, delighted with this charming detail. “Mobile lattice boom cranes are ideal for the assembly of wind turbines. Our LG 1750s spend around 70 per cent in this area. The LG 1800-1.0 is even more powerful and we can now install wind turbines with hub heights of up to 180 metres. Like its predecessor, the new crane is also well suited for industrial applications.”

Over the course of two decades, the LG 1750 has become a legend in the crane market. As the new 800-tonne crane clearly exceeds its performance, we have created the slogan “The legend grows” for the LG 1800-1.0. The new crane also features state-of-the-art crane technology such as V-Frame®, VarioTray, ZF Traxon Torque transmission with ECOdrive and WindSpeed Load Charts.

Like father, like son - Detlef Schlesner drove the first LG 1750 delivered 20 years ago. Today, his son Rainer is at the controls of the first LG 1800-1.0.

Suitable for all markets thanks to flexible driving modes

A highlight of the new nine-axle LG 1800-1.0 is its unique chassis. Thanks to the special arrangement of its axles, this lattice boom crane is suitable for all markets worldwide. With an axle load of just ten tonnes, the crane can drive on public roads with all four supports and a total weight of 90 tonnes. Alternatively, transport is possible with only two supports and a total weight of 70 tonnes, as well as completely without supports at around 50 tonnes.

In contrast to its predecessor, the 8-axle LG 1750, the folding beams on the new 800-tonne crane are not telescopic. The required support base of 13 x 13 metres is sufficient for the LG 1800-1.0 to achieve enormous load capacities with the derrick system, and very good erectable lengths without it. The benefit: fixed supports are more stable and save weight. They are also easier to assemble and disassemble – we have installed a quick coupling system to make this job even faster.

Bauma 2004 - Liebherr presents the LG 1750 lattice boom mobile crane for the first time.

Proven prowess on its very first job

The new Nolte craneʼs first job took it to the northernmost end of Germany. In Wanderup, not far from Flensburg, the entire rotor of a 6-megawatt wind turbine had to be removed in order to replace the defective rotor shaft. “At 147 tonnes, the rotor star alone was extremely heavy. But the wind conditions were such that we were able to lift it without any problems,” reports crane driver Rainer Schlesner.

Robust on supports - Maximum performance on a support base of 13 by 13 metres.

The 800-tonner was equipped with 129 metres of main boom and a 12-metre lattice type fixed jib for a hook height of 144 metres. The necessary counterweight was provided by 170 tonnes of ballast on the slewing platform and 130 tonnes of suspended ballast. “With the VarioFrame®, the lift was carried out without any problems. We removed the rotor with a ballast radius of 15.6 metres and the suspended ballast was extended to 24.5 metres to place it on the ground,” reports Schlesner. “I was able to adapt to the new crane very quickly. The controls on all Liebherr cranes are highly standardised, from small to large machines.”

This article was published in the UpLoad magazine 02 | 2024.

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