Cool design

The third generation of the LICCON control system, plus a modern crane design and a bundle of innovations. These are the visual and technical highlights of the pioneering machine. And there is something else new about the LTM 1110-5.2: For the first time, the ten machines in the pre-series of this crane type are being monitored daily by our test department using telemetry. This helps us to respond quickly and purposefully in the event of any problems. Enormous heat and icy cold are also parameters that we have to take into account when designing and configuring our high-tech cranes. Extreme temperatures can otherwise lead to difficulties or even erroneous error messages. That is why we are monitoring an LTM 1110-5.2 in Sicily, where it works in summer at temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius. Its counterpart has been rolling through the fjord landscapes of Norway to its construction sites since November. We watched our “cool unit” at work in November as winter set in. On site as well as from our plant in Ehingen.

Daniel Rössner and his team receive the data packets from the field test machines every night. The test engineer is responsible for this field test with the LTM 1110-5.2. Via UMTS routers, these ten cranes distributed throughout Europe send everything that their internal data loggers have recorded throughout the day: load cases, crane configurations, error messages. “A field test like this is nothing new for us, as we have already successfully completed it for an engine project. The challenge in this case is the entire vehicle with all its subcomponents,” explains Rössner, who regularly analyses the automatically generated reports with the relevant colleagues from the control and design departments.

And Rössner also receives all the information about the work of the LTM 1110-5.2, which our business partner Sunnmøre Kranservice AS, based in Volda in the Vestlandet region of Norway, has received. One of the first jobs takes our “cool unit” past seemingly endless fjords and on the deck of car ferries to one of the many islands in the west of the country. The pier of a shipyard in Larsnes is to be extended and large prefabricated concrete parts have to be installed. “This is the perfect crane for this construction site,” explains crane driver Harald Klepp, “because I don’t have much space in some places and will have to move it a lot here.” Harald had already set up his machine on the shipyard grounds the day before. “To do this, we not only had to ballast, but also install the four beams of the crane outriggers beforehand. We transported them separately because there are strict weight limits on the route here, which we would have exceeded with the supports installed despite the crane’s low axle load of less than ten tonnes.”

“The ability to drive without support beams – and therefore with a total weight of less than 41 tonnes – is crucial for us,” agrees Mads Indresøvde. Mads is the Managing Director of Sunnmøre Kranservice AS. “Because here in western Norway we have countless bridges and small roads with weight or axle load restrictions. This crane now makes it much easier for us to reach our customers. With larger cranes, such as our LTM 1250-5.1, we often have to remove the telescopic boom so that we are allowed to use certain routes. That’s a huge effort every time, which we no longer have to do with the 110-tonne crane and its powerful, 60-metre-long boom.”

“When we got our first look at the new machine and the modern control system a few years ago, we immediately decided to order the LTM 1110-5.2 for ourselves and to be the first in Norway with a LICCON3 crane. It took some time, but it’s finally here. A really beautiful crane with a great design,” says Mads, praising it. “Especially in our colour and with our beautiful logo,” he adds with a wink. He makes two trips to the shipyard to discuss the new machine with crane driver Harald on site. Also because errors occurred a few times in the new crane control system. “But we are always able to sort it out with the support from Ehingen. They usually update online from there and the problems are resolved, which means we are quickly up and running again.”

“This is exactly what we had in mind,” explains Daniel Rössner. “We have designed the architecture of the field test telemetry so that we can create error diagnostics from here. In particular, if we notice that identical messages are appearing on several of the monitored cranes, major serial damage can be avoided in a targeted and effective manner. For example, we were able to identify a problem with a new type of sensor. Based on the feedback from the field test, we then began replacing this component at an early stage. This test is the ‘dress rehearsal’ before series production, so to speak. This ensures that our business partners’ cranes are stable and reliable and that our service is not affected by serial damage wherever possible.”

“Normally,” says Rössner, “we test our new cranes for around a year before they are delivered. We put the LTM 1110-5.2 through its paces for a full three years due to the LICCON3 control system that was used for the first time. However, we will never be able to simulate all applications on our test site as they will occur in real-life use. And this field test helps us enormously.”

But back to the coast of Norway and our “cool unit” at the shipyard. Work is in full swing here and one of the great strengths of the 5-axle mobile crane is that it can move from one location to another incredibly fast. Harald, our crane driver, only needs a few minutes to reposition the crane. “The crane really can be moved unbelievably quickly,” he shouts from his cab. He has a large concrete slab hanging from the hook and no time for a chat at the moment. His crane is positioned between stored components and scaffolding elements. The variable VarioBase® support system enables him to place the supports here or close to unpaved areas. Later, during a short break, we hear a little more from him: “The new LICCON3 system works very well for me. Of course there are a few teething troubles, but they are manageable. Otherwise, many of the crane’s features are very user-friendly: the display in the superstructure, the light on the boom that follows the hook block, the well-lit working area around the crane and the heaters in the superstructure and chassis. Engine pre-heating is also part of our crane’s winter equipment.”

Since the job at the shipyard, Sunnmøre Kranservice has used its LTM 1110-5.2 many times. “The crane has done a lot of work in the shipping industry in particular. It was also used for the construction of a huge new bridge and modular houses. We are happy with the machine.” Managing Director Mads is more than satisfied with his new acquisition. Incidentally, with Liebherr in general too: “If there are any problems with our cranes, Thomas Bohlin and his company Ing.Hans P. Øen AS are available around the clock as Liebherr service partners for Norway. If it has to be done quickly, a service technician even comes by plane so that we have as little downtime as possible.”

Crane driver Harald would not want to do without his new Liebherr mobile crane either: “Everything in the driver’s cab in the chassis has been redesigned and improved. You almost feel like you’re in a modern truck. And with its three driven axles, the crane makes good progress. He climbs up mountains or over passes.”

This article was published in the UpLoad magazine 01 | 2024.