June 22 - At its 2015 customer days in Ehingen, Liebherr unveiled the new compact 500-tonne capacity LR 1500 crawler crane, as well as its most powerful five-axle mobile crane: the 250-tonne capacity LTM 1250-5.1.
Liebherr claims that the new LR 1500 crawler has the load capacities of a 500-tonne model, while still upholding the dimensions and weights of a 400-tonne capacity crane. With a transport weight of 45 tonnes, the new crawler can be transported worldwide without restriction, said the crane manufacturer.
The standard base plates on the LR 1500 model are 1.5 m wide, which is wider than the base plates on the 400-tonne capacity crane, and is a great benefit due to the reduction in ground pressure, said Liebherr.
An 84 m luffing jib can be installed on a main boom of up to 84 m in length, while the 250-tonne jib head on the luffing jib can also be used for SL main boom operation. The derrick boom is just 30 m long with a derrick ballast of up to 260 tonnes. The derrick radius can be adjusted from 9 to 16 m.
Moreover, said Liebherr, the new crawler's lattice boom system has been designed to facilitate its transport and erection. The lengths of the boom sections are 6 and 12 m, and the guide frame from for the derrick ballast has been completely omitted from the design. The ballast for the new LR 1500 consists of the 10-tonne plates that are also used on the LR 1400/2 and LR 1600/2 models.
The other new machine unveiled was the 250-tonne capacity LTM 1250-5.1, which Liebherr claims is the "most powerful five-axle mobile crane in the world".
The new mobile crane model features Liebherr's innovative single-engine concept, as well as VarioBase and ECOmode - products which Liebherr says make the new crane more safe and efficient to operate.
The successor to the LTM 1220-5.2, the new model has a 60 m telescopic load boom and 50 m fixed hydraulic jib, with a folding jib that can be extended up to 36 m with 7 m sections.
The maximum ballast on the new machine is 88 tonnes, with a maximum width of 6.3 m. The 1-tonne base plate and 10-tonne ballast plate are the same width as the vehicle.
As well as these two product launches, the Liebherr customer days, which were held at the company's factory in Ehingen, Germany on June 17 and 18, saw two spectacular crane presentations, entertainment and fireworks. Around 1,500 customer and friends of Liebherr attended the event over the two days.
