One for all

“It always feels a bit like Christmas,” says Manuel Niederstätter. Together with his workshop manager Martin Steiner, the managing director of one of Italy’s leading crane and construction machinery service companies greets an old friend at the company’s Bolzano site: the L1-32. With a maximum hook height of 21.30 metres, a lifting capacity of four tonnes and a radius of up to 30 metres, it is made for smaller construction sites. But Manuel Niederstätter and Martin Steiner know all that. There’s a surprise in the crane’s interior that brings Christmas tingles: a new control system for next-level crane operations.

“Something we’ve examined from all angles in many theoretical conversations with Liebherr can now be experienced live for the first time. This is really exciting,” says Martin Steiner, while the crane is unfolding step by step.

"Is this going to be a completely different crane operating experience? Or are the innovations details that only insiders will notice?" Construction always comes with a bit of scepticism towards innovations, especially among “old hands,” according to Manuel Niederstätter. “Our technicians approach every innovation quite critically and don’t allow themselves to be lured in by high-sounding advertising claims. But that is exactly what is needed if a test is to be successful.”

Once the crane is up and Martin Steiner sets it in motion with the remote control, he’s amazed. All movements are harmoniously coordinated, the hook makes no pendulum or sudden movements – a textbook crane operation. “Everything’s really easy,” Martin Steiner notes. “What a successful surprise.”

The latest generation of control software made by Liebherr, the new Tower Crane OS, makes the work significantly easier. The developers especially focus on continuous improvements for operating cranes. This also includes the assistance systems that have to prove themselves during Niederstätter’s extensive practical use: the intelligent Sway Control, Sway Control Plus, Side Pull Control as well as the so-called Hook Carrier for a controlled, safe movement of the load hook.

When testing such tools, it’s convenient that the Niederstätter employees have been familiar with Liebherr technology for quite some time. For almost half a century, the family-run company has supplied construction machines and provided services for construction companies. Its crane fleet is one of the biggest in all of Italy and is composed of only fast-erecting and tower cranes by Liebherr. To Liebherr, Niederstätter is a highly experienced and competent partner in testing innovations. Together, they are working to ensure that the new technologies work efficiently in practice.

“The field test will take place at one of our customers in Brixen. The construction company is working on the renovation and extension of a residential building – a typical field of activity for a fast-erecting crane”, says Manuel Niederstätter. “In such construction projects, the crane is often used by different trades: from bricklayers to carpenters to painters. The easier and less complicated the crane controls, the higher its handling capacity and the safer its operation.”

What Martin Steiner found to be a “foolproof crane control” during the first trial run on the Niederstätter site could prove to be a real comfort and safety gain. The integrated “Sway Control” reduces and suppresses the pendulum movements of the hook and the load in slewing- and trolley travel direction. “This means that the lifts can be carried out safely and almost completely pendulum-free even with little crane experience after a brief instruction, and that with a high handling capacity,” says Manuel Niederstätter. In the extended version Sway Control Plus, additional sensors (the so-called inertial measurement unit, IMU) measure the acceleration and angular velocity of the crane hook. The system completely eliminates any pendulum movements that occur. “This is high-tech, the likes of which have never been seen on a crane before,” states Manuel Niederstätter.

“The customers who work with the crane on their construction sites can best judge what the system actually achieves in everyday use”, says Daniela Niederstätter, managing director of the second generation of the family-run company. “It’s important to us that in the field test, the crane is used on everyday construction sites and not on spectacular out of the ordinary ones. In the coming weeks and months, together with Liebherr, our main concern will be to get honest feedback from the crane operators. This enables us to take their concerns into account in all upcoming innovations and further optimisations of the assistance systems.” The test is intended to provide insightful answers to questions from the field: Will crane operators see these assistance systems as added value? Will they really want to work with them in the future? Are the assistance systems suitable for counteracting the shortage of skilled workers? And are they also suitable to significantly further reducing the risk of accidents and damage on the construction site?

As in previous field tests, for example with the L1-24, Niederstätter has always found the cooperation with Liebherr in challenging development projects to be very trustworthy and mutually appreciative. “This leads almost automatically to a good, constructive exchange between the dealership and manufacturer,” says Daniela Niederstätter. “This creates a win-win situation for everyone. Innovation topics are extremely important to our company. In order to keep our consulting and service quality at a high level, we want our technicians to always be up to date and know the latest technology inside out. And we want to make the Liebherr-quality on the crane available to our customers, because it can offer real added value and additional safety.”

Manuel Niederstätter points out that innovations are not an automatic success: “New technologies first have to prove and assert themselves.” For example, there are often reservations about the possible risk of failure of additional electronics. “And then it’s always also about the crane operator’s honour and the conviction that a software can never be as good as one’s own many years of experience.” It’s just like driving a car, says Manuel Niederstätter: “In the beginning, the lane centering assist and adaptive cruise control were ridiculed by some. But experience shows: Once you get used to it, you don’t want to do without it.” He also expects this to happen with the digitally improved L1-32 prototype. With the assistance systems in the field test, the crane operator remains the “boss in the ring”: “To get the operators’ acceptance, it is of great importance that the autonomously performed movements must always be actively released.”

“It’s a pity that the L1-32 is leaving again so soon to take up its duties in Brixen,” says Martin Steiner, Niederstätter AG’s workshop manager. “The feeling you get when a crane operation is perfect is simply uplifting. Maybe we should also ask in the test how happy they’re feeling,” he says with a wink. The happiness scale could perhaps range from "normal" to "Christmas". Martin Steiner and Manuel Niederstätter would probably already know which box to tick.