Wasel modernises its crane fleet with innovative and powerful Liebherr cranes

In October, WASEL GmbH took delivery of one of the first LTM 1110-5.2s delivered by Liebherr with the new Liebherr LICCON3 control system. The second type with the new control system, the LTM 1100-5.3 (presented at Bauma 2022) will be delivered to the Bergheim-based company very soon. Managing Director Matthias Wasel explained: "Wasel was and remains a pioneer of new technologies. We can't afford to ignore innovations, because they ultimately move our industry forward. Control technology plays an important role in this. Especially if the basis for future developments is laid in the process."

WASEL was also among the first companies to place an order for Liebherr's first electrically driven mobile crane, the LTC 1050-3.1E. "Alongside occupational safety, sustainability is one of our main goals and is also increasingly demanded by our customers. The electric version of the compact Liebherr 50-tonne crane is an important step for us in this respect." During crane operation, either the combustion engine or electric motor can be flexibly selected depending on the operating conditions. The newly developed power unit featuring an electric motor develops 72 kW and therefore enables the crane to be operated without restriction, in other words with almost the same performance as using the 6-cylinder engine. Only the electric motor and a distributor gear as well as the required control equipment was added to the conventional LTC 1050-3.1 model to transform it into an electric version.

"We already have twelve LTC cranes in use and work with them a lot indoors, where the issue of exhaust fumes and noise is becoming increasingly important. We also plan to use the LTC 1050-3.1E for indoor jobs, especially for set-up and dismantling work at trade fairs," says Wasel.

WASEL also relies on Liebherr whenever it needs large and extremely powerful cranes. Its LTM 1750-9.1 was procured for a long-term project for one of WASEL's customers. Developments in the wind power sector heavily influenced the company's decision to acquire another LR 11000 crawler crane. Matthias Wasel explains: "As the wind turbines get bigger, we are seeing a growing need for crawler cranes in the 1,000-tonne class. For this reason, we are expanding our fleet with three LR 11000s within two years. And our investments in modern mobile and crawler cranes will continue in 2024 – despite rising interest rates and cost increases. 20 new Liebherr cranes are already scheduled."