New alternative – fast telescoping using rope pull technology for Liebherr LTC 1050-3.1 compact crane

The development of the TELEMATIK single-cylinder fast cycle telescoping system at the end of the 90s not only won Liebherr a series of innovation awards, but also revolutionised the crane market. TELEMATIK provided the basis for the development of multi-section and therefore ever longer telescopic booms with increased performance. The system operates using just one hydraulic cylinder and an internal locking system for the individual telescoping sections. The telescoping sections are extended easily and automatically to the required lengths using the hydraulic cylinder and are then pinned.

Lightweight single-cylinder extension system: powerful and long

This lightweight single-cylinder extension system delivers high lifting capacities with long booms and large radii. But even with the booms not fully extended, TELEMATIK delivers higher lifting capacities as the individual telescoping sections can be extended in any sequence and independently of each other.

As a result of its many benefits, Liebherr used TELEMATIK on the LTC 1045-3.1, which was launched in 2010, and its successor, the LTC 1050-3.1, which replaced it as from 2015.

Boom with rope extension mechanism - familiar and fast

Crane contractors who chiefly use the Liebherr compact crane inside buildings and mostly do not need the full length of the 36 metre telescopic boom see also benefits of a boom with rope pull technology – the telescoping process is faster and many operators of mobile cranes in the lifting capacity class up to 50 tonnes are familiar with rope pull technology.

Liebherr uses a hydro-mechanical telescoping system on LTM mobile cranes whose telescopic boom consists of the pivot section and a maximum of three telescoping sections. The integral rope pull technology enables the telescopic boom to be extended to the required length particularly easily and quickly.

After in-depth discussions with customers, Liebherr decided to develop a boom with a rope extension mechanism as an alternative for the LTC 1050-3.1. This is 31 metres long and consists of a pivot section and 4 telescoping sections – one less than the TELEMATIK boom. The telescoping sections are extended and retracted using a dual-action 2-stage hydraulic cylinder. Stage 1 extends telescoping section 1. Stage 2 extends telescoping sections 2 to 4 synchronously using a 2-way pulley block. The new boom also delivers high telescoping lifting capacities, an important feature for use inside buildings.