German Electric Truck Crane Achieves All-day Operation
Bauma product introductions aren’t the only reason Construction Equipment keeps an eye open as to what is happening in Europe.
German companies themselves can be cradles of innovation that eventually send improved technology our way. Liebherr and Wirtgen come to mind immediately.
Now, German truck crane and construction elevator specialist Böcker has manufactured a battery-electric telescopic truck crane that it says can work all day. And it’s large, with impressive specifications.
The AK 48e can handle payloads of up to 3.3 tons, with an optional 6.6 tons possible. Extension lengths can run from 160 feet up to the optional 170 feet.
The hydraulic system is built to enable rapid assembly, a hook speed of 197 feet per minute, and a high working speed.
The stable mast system of the AK 48 enables vertical erection of the mast, and 180-degree positioning of the jib and the tower crane function. The nearly 46-foot jib, which is hydraulically extendible under load using the radio control unit with color display, can carry a weight of up to 1.1 tons even in the horizontal and fully extended position, Böcker says.
The AK 48e is built on a MAN chassis, although variants with Mercedes, Volvo, or Scania vehicles are also available. The carrier vehicle is conventionally powered by an internal combustion engine, while crane work onsite is carried out purely electrically without a power connection.
Battery performance
Equipped with a newly developed efficient drive concept and a 30kWh battery, the electric crane is designed to work for an entire working day without a power connection. Its low energy consumption allows up to 150 lifts or more than eight hours of average usage time in battery mode, Böcker says.
The crane also uses the energy recovered when lowering loads to further increase efficiency and runtime. Thanks to fast charging times, the battery can be recharged from 20 to 80% in one hour and 35 minutes.
The crane can be charged at a 230V-household socket or with a 400V power supply and, in future, even at a wall outlet, according to the company.
High reach job
At a recent logistics center project in Werne, Germany, plans called for a large logistics hall with three additional office floors. The AK 48e took on central transportation tasks on the 68-foot-high flat roof of the four-story building.
First, the AK 48e lifted pallets weighing up to 881 pounds with large skylights onto the roof of the hall. These had to be set down as far out onto the roof surface as possible in order to reduce the logistical process at height.
The crane also made it considerably easier to remove materials from the roof. Using the tower crane function, it was possible to quickly remove empty pallets, metal buckets, and a concrete mixer from the roof.
About the Author
Frank Raczon
Raczon’s writing career spans nearly 25 years, including magazine publishing and public relations work with some of the industry’s major equipment manufacturers. He has won numerous awards in his career, including nods from the Construction Writers Association, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, and BtoB magazine. He is responsible for the magazine's Buying Files.