New LTM 1450-8.1 in operation: Krandienst Schulz focusses on efficiency and flexibility

“For me, our new LTM 1450-8.1 truly is a fast-erecting crane.” Markus Solms, Technical Field Sales at Krandienst Schulz, has already used the Liebherr crane that was delivered last year on several occasions for construction crane assembly projects. Most recently it was used on the dismantling of a 70-metre-tall tower crane used in the construction of a new waste-to-energy plant. “The on-board telescopic boom with a length of 85 metres means the setup and deployment times are very short, even for the assembly of tall construction cranes. In around three hours, we were ready to go again for the dismantling of the next crane.”

“In some parts as powerful as the 500-tonne class”

“What's more, the crane is so powerful, it can in some places achieve the lifting capacities of the LTM 1500-8.1”, says Solms. ”And because, thanks to VarioBallast®, the minimum radius can be set to five metres, and therefore less than that of the 300-tonner, we’ve been able to use the new crane very effectively on several occasions, even when space has been really tight in the centre of Hamburg. Coupled with the advantages of the adjustable VarioBase® support, the appliance is already really, really flexible.”

The powerful 8-axle mobile crane is based at the new branch in Braak, near Ahrensburg. However to be able to reach its numerous customers and partners in the Hamburg region, the company also operates from sites in Bönningstedt to the west of the city and Stade to the south. Just under a year ago, Krandienst Schulz relocated to just outside the city of Hamburg. The company is now perfectly placed, with a brand-new building spanning 17,000 square metres and featuring a filling station, a washing station and partially covered crane parking areas, as well as plenty of space with ideal connections for traffic.

900-square-metre workshop bay

The centrepiece, and owner and Managing Director Günter Sichward’s pride and joy, is the impressively dimensioned workshop bay, which is located in the annex to the office building. “It offers us practically everything we need to maintain our fleet as efficiently as possible. With our 16-tonne gantry crane, we’re even able to dismantle the telescopic booms from our mobile cranes. The 900-metre, bright workshop even includes a brake testing station, which serves both the company’s vehicles and as an official TÜV testing station.

The company, founded in 1998, currently employs 80 people and is a well-known crane services provider in the Hamburg region. Alongside 16 heavy goods vehicles and tractor units, as well as its own BF3 vehicles, the fleet encompasses some 30 mobile and mobile construction cranes. In April, the arrival of a Liebherr MK88 Plus will mark the entry into service of the fifth crane of this series. “16 years ago, we were the first in Hamburg to use an MK crane - the MK100. Here, we have enough construction sites to be able to truly make the most of the advantages that these cranes bring. For Hamburg, the MK is therefore ideal since, often, only parts of the roadway need to be closed off for a mission. I estimate that 95 per cent of these missions are purely MK jobs that could not be carried out with a conventional telescopic crane.”

Meantime, Günter Sichward has switched his entire crane fleet to Liebherr. Alongside the high resale value and the excellent service, the company owner lists numerous reasons for his decision to focus on the Liebherr brand: “The advantages on the one hand are that our workshop fitters only have to be trained for one manufacturer, and our drivers are able to switch easily from one crane to another. On the other hand, we like to have several identical cranes of the same type in use in order to simplify approval procedures or to be able to replace a spare part immediately if necessary. Generally speaking, however, the parts needed from Ehingen are there the next day. As are the fitters from Liebherr, if needed, even during the night.”