The weatherman smiled on the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) in Louisville, Ky., from October 4-6, and the mood of the 800 exhibiting companies and 16,000 attendees reflected the sunny skies and warm temperatures.
The 2011 edition of the biennial show drew the second largest attendance in show history, according to the show’s producer, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. The large attendance was gratifying, considering that the ICUEE show, aimed largely at the utility construction and maintenance industry, followed only six months after the huge ConExpo-Con/Agg construction trade show in late March.
Several exhibitors showed off products they’d introduced at ConExpo or at the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference in June, but some rolled out brand new offerings for the first time at ICUEE. Here’s a brief rundown of some of the new products or product improvements displayed at ICUEE. Check back over the next couple of weeks for more details about these and other products exhibited at ICUEE.
Terex
Terex, Westport, Conn., had one of the larger and more impressive displays at the show, with some 35 pieces of equipment in the booth, plus more than 20 units in other exhibitors’ booths, as well. One highlight of the Terex display was the brand new 45-ton-capacity Crossover 4500 boom truck. The Crossover 4500 continues the concept of mating a truck crane upperworks with a commercial truck chassis to provide high lifting capability plus roadability while giving customers a choice of commercial truck chassis.
Terex boom-truck sales director Dave Kuhlman told Lift and Access, “Customers can choose from any of the major chassis, Freightliner, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Western Star, or others that fits their preferences.” The crane requires a chassis with about 64,000-pound GVW.
One key feature is that the crane clamps to the chassis with high-torque threaded rods and that all load reactions are distributed through a central hub to four outriggers positioned in an X-pattern. Transferring all the reactions through the hub eliminates any torque from going through the truck chassis, says Kuhlman. The length of the front outriggers permits 360° crane rotation without using a front-bumper stabilizer.
Said Kuhlman, “Customers told us the front jack was always a potential problem. It’s easy to forget to put down before lifting, and it’s also easy to forget to raise before driving. On top of that, it is in the way for engine servicing. Eliminating it is a plus all around.” Kuhlman also notes that eliminating the front bumper jack cuts 18 inches to two feet off the vehicle’s overall length, helping it meet bridge-travel requirements.
The Crossover 4500 features a 105-foot, four-section boom with optional 39-foot to 49-foot lattice jib. Maximum main-boom tip height reaches 110 feet. Maximum height with 49-foot lattice jib is 155 feet.
The cab’s inside comforts include an eight-way adjustable cloth seat with lumbar support, headrest, and built-in heater; 18 inches more leg room than the previous cab; retractable sun screen, diesel-fueled heater, 12-volt DC outlet for cell-phone chargers, and even a cup holder.
The cab’s electrical and control system includes a PLC crane controller, CANbus communication, both hand and foot throttles, a Hirschmann LMI with seven-inch color display that has two inputs for video camera feeds. The display can be split to show operating information in one panel and a video feed in another.
The new cab was mounted on a 50-ton Manitex 50128 boom truck with 128-foot boom. Manitex west regional business manager Randy Robertson said that the new 128-foot boom fills in the product line, giving customers of the 50-ton Manitex boom truck a choice of 96-foot, 110-foot, 128-foot, or 155-foot booms to meet their specific needs. Combining the four boom choices with three counterweight options and three subframe options, Manitex can offer customers 36 different configurations to tailor the boom truck to a specific need, says Robertson.
Elliott
Elliott Equipment Co., Omaha, Neb., rolled out its new M43 and M85 HiReach truck-mounted “Maintenance Series” aerial work platforms/material handlers; displayed a number of boom trucks, including a track-mounted model; and announced a lifetime structural warranty for its HiReach and boom-truck products.
Aimed at the lighting, sign, and service industries the M43 and M85 HiReach units are mounted on trucks that do not require a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to drive. The M43 features 48 feet of working height, 36 feet of side reach, 30”x 54” EZR rotating and removable work platform, and 500-pound platform capacity. It mounts on a 19,500-pound GVW chassis.
The M85 HiReach material handling aerial work platform offers 87-foot vertical reach, 60 feet of side reach, 750-pound capacity, 30”x 54” platform, and optional 500-pound-capacity material-handling jib. The platform can be rotated 180° to stow parallel with the boom for easier road travel.
Elliott’s newly announced structural warranty for HiReach and boom-truck products covers essential components, including the boom, turret, and subframe for the entire life of the machine.
North American Lifting Equipment (Effer) NALE, the exclusive North American distributor for Effer cranes, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, introduced the Effer 365 knuckleboom crane at ICUEE. The unit at the show was the first in North America. The 365 is a 36.5-metric-ton model that can be equipped with from three to eight boom sections. Its maximum capacity is 26,240 pounds at a 7’9” radius, and its maximum tip height is 86’6”, according to a NALE representative at the show. The unit mounts on a 54,000 GVW truck chassis and comes with radio remote controls and Effer's data-monitoring-unit (DMU), which monitors outrigger pressure and limits operation when it senses one or more outriggers getting “light.”
Oil & Steel
At the Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based PM North America booth, the Octopus 150 0 Evo compact track-mounted aerial lift from Oil & Steel made its debut to the utility industry. Offering a maximum platform height of 42 feet, the unit also has an outreach of 22.9 feet. The unit weighs 4,600 pounds. Platform capacity is 440 pounds. The aerial lift section features a sturdy structure and double pantograph boom. The unit can be fitted with a fixed or optional rotating hydraulic jib. The fixed jib has a vertical range of movement from -85° to 60°, while the rotating hydraulic jib performs the vertical movement plus a horizontal rotation 45° to the left and right, making it possible to go around corners or work in a wide working area.
Outriggers can be positioned in three different positions: completely open, open on one side, or partially opened. The Octopus Evo automatically calculates the work area to limit operation only in the safest working areas. To position the machine, the unit is standard equipped with a hydraulically extendible tracked base, which makes loading and unloading from the truck via ramps and driving through rough-terrain easy and safe.
The Octopus 1500 Evo will be reviewed in-depth next month at the Lift and Access Showcase & Symposium.
Trelleborg
Trelleborg, Fairlawn, Ohio, introduced its new C-Series tire product line designed for the construction industry. The C-Series line includes off-road tires and rubber tracks. Among the products are telehandler and boom lift tires that offer a large footprint for increased stability. The durable nylon construction provides strength and resistance to impact damage. Other features include a flat profile with deep lugs, long-lasting treads, and good flotation on soft surfaces.
The T-412 tires are intended for truck-mounted forklifts used in light industrial applications. The wide profile design provides stability, while the open tread pattern offers self-cleaning and traction.
According to Ydo Doornbos, managing director of Trelleborg Wheel Systems Americas, the construction industry is one of the company's key focus areas. “Our goal is to provide the various industries and markets we operate in with premium products that help reduce downtime and provide the best total cost per hour," he said.
Fabco Power
Fabco Power, Chester, N.Y., recently launched the Eagle 6-in-1 power station. The hydraulically driven power station combines six functions, including an AC generator, DC welder, rotary screw air compressor, jumpstarter, CC & CV, and battery charger, in one complete package.
Requiring hydraulic power of 25 gpm @ 2,500 psi, the unit weighs only 500 pounds but allows users to weld up to 300 DC amps and use up to 6,000 Watts of electric power while welding. The power station enables 12-, 24-, or 36-volt batteries or vehicles up to 400 amps to be charged or jumpstarted. It also will connect wire feeders to the 36-volt to the CV or to CC. All of this can be performed at the same time with some limitations. An optional Super V Cooler is available. The unit is designed to pull high velocity air through a "V" cut-out section in the reservoir to remove heat from the surrounding oil flow.
Other manufacturers rolling out new or improved products at ICUEE included Tracked Lifts, Time Manufacturing; Tadano Mantis; Posi +, and Socage. In addition, the NCCCO announced updates to its Certified Rigger program and its crane inspector certification program, slated to start November 1.
Check back with www.liftandaccess.com over the next few weeks to find out more about these introductions and updates from ICUEE exhibitors.
Manitex
Manitex, Georgetown, Texas, introduced a new European-style boom-truck cab that will become standard on Manitex equipment starting in 2012. The new, modern-looking cab features outstanding visibility, thanks to a large front window that runs from floor-to-roof in a continuous, consistent arc to eliminate distortion. In addition, large windows on the sides of the cab give excellent lateral vision. The cab tilts up to 20° degrees to give the operator excellent high-boom vision with less fatigue. The cab door is an automotive-type sliding door similar to a mini-van.
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