The ultimate machine on eight axles!

Of course, the LTM 1650-8.1 carries the same concept as its predecessor in its genes – maximum performance on eight axles. The result is impressive – it will be able to complete hoisting work in the 700-tonne class or even higher with ease. It therefore has a nominal lifting capacity of 700 tonnes. Depending on its equipment package, the new crane is between 15 and 50 percent more powerful than the old one. Technical progress has made this possible since, after all, a great deal of work has been done in this respect since the development of the LTM 1500-8.1 20 years ago.

The new crane has also inherited something else from the LTM 1500-8.1 as it is also available with two telescopic boom lengths. 54 metres or 80 metres. Customers can also buy both lengths and interchange them easily by replacing telescope section 3 including the roller head with telescope sections 3 to 5. The concept has proved to be a successful one.

Our designers also used the time-tested technology from the LTM 1500-8.1 for the Y-guying on the new LTM 1650-8.1 – and although they upgraded the single-rope system to achieve better performance, the benefit of easy handling was retained. The experts from Ehingen focused on achieving an easy, fast and safe set-up process during the design process.

We now have two modern 8-axle cranes in our product portfolio. At the Bauma 2016 trade fair, we caused a stir with an 8-axle mobile crane designed to deliver maximum flexibility and fast set-up times – the LTM 1450-8.1 travels with its 85 metre telescopic boom and all four supports on public roads with an axle load of just 12 tonnes. In designing its new 8-axle crane, we focused on achieving maximum load capacities. The LTM 1650-8.1 travels with an axle load of 12 tonnes complete with its 54-metre telescopic boom and the front outriggers. “To minimise the set-up time, however, the rear outriggers are installed as complete support box in a single hoist and connected using quick-release couplings, an idea we had some years ago”, says Hans-Dieter Willim, who helped design crane technology at Liebherr for four decades.

As with all new developments over the last few years, our engineers ensured that we can offer the LTM 1650-8.1 with a very wide range of transport weights and axle load versions to ensure cost-effective global mobility for axle loads both above and below 12 tonnes.

High performance normally requires a large ballast radius. But often there is simply not enough space on building sites. This means the ballast radius must be as small as possible. We meet this challenge with our VarioBallast® innovation. The new LTM 1650-8.1 has adopted this time-tested system from the LTM 1450-8.1 – the ballast radius can be infinitely adjusted using a simple hydraulic slewing mechanism – between 6.4 and 8.4 metres on the LTM 1650-8.1.

This article was published in the UpLoad magazine 01|2019.