Press releases | 22/01/2015

Facelift: The new Liebherr 172 EC-B 8 Litronic Flat-Top Crane

Improved performance - increased lifting capacity
Trolley and load hook remain on the jib for transport - no assembly work
Improved erection of the compact head

Liebherr has given its successful 160 EC-B Flat-Top crane a facelift and will unveil its successor, the 172 EC B 8 Litronic, to the trade public for the first time at the Intermat 2015. The crane's lifting capacity has been increased to provide users with increased performance. The crane's erection process has also been simplified even further.

The design of the new Liebherr 172 EC-B 8 Litronic Flat-Top crane has been completely revised. This has resulted in a major increase in lifting capacity at the jib head by 15%. The new Flat-Top crane will now hoist 2,100 kg with a radius of 60.0 m at the jib head. This represents an increase of 250 kg at the jib head over its predecessor. The 172 EC-B reaches its maximum lifting capacity at 8,000 kg.

The modular concept and the compatibility of Liebherr tower systems among each other ensure that the crane is suitable for a wide range of uses. With Liebherr 120 HC, 170 HC or 256 HC tower systems, free-standing hook heights of up to 71.4 m can be achieved.

New erection concept for the jib and compact head

The new erection concept for the jib is another new idea from Liebherr for the 172 EC B Flat-Top crane. The load hook and trolley remain on the job pivot section during transport. This means absolutely no work for erecting the trolley which provides plenty of benefits, particularly for jib erection in the air. The hoist and trolley travel rope can be reeved easily with little effort. Improved quick-release fastenings on the cab and switchgear platforms now mean that the compact head can be split easily. If necessary this means that erection weights can be reduced with ease. The electrical plug-in connections ensure that the switchgear and cab can be connected quickly.

The standard equipment includes a 37 kW frequency converter hoist gear. A 45 kW frequency converter hoist gear is also available as an option. The frequency converter hoist gear is only used in 2-line mode. Hook heights of up to 328 m and empty hook speeds of up to a maximum of 177 m/min ensure that the crane is economical to use.

The new 172 EC-B 8 Litronic is supplied with the advanced Litronic crane controller. Functions such as redundant load moment measurement, manipulation-proof commissioning and the monitoring of hoist gear brake with managed lowering in emergency mode provide a very high level of safety. Individual settings by the crane driver such as slewing gear modes and the trolley speed can be adjusted easily using the electronic monitor system (EMS). In crane mode the new Litronic crane controller system also ensures improved operating properties. This provides the basis for sensitive and precision operations even at high speeds. This results in enhanced crane operation comfort and much greater safety on site.