Tadano ATF-220-5.1 in two-winch operation

Hack Schwerlastservice recently purchased a Tadano ATF-220-5.1 to expand its extensive fleet.

If the situation calls for turning prefabricated parts as well as lifting them, a second winch can be worth its weight in gold. After all, it can save deploying an auxiliary crane. This is just one of the advantages that Hack Schwerlastservice GmbH benefited from while working on a project in Mayen, Rhineland-Palatinate. 

Hack Schwerlastservice is a well-established company offering services across Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. Its head office can be found near Koblenz at the Neuwied am Rhein site. With a large team to call upon, Hack has been offering the full range of crane and heavy-duty services for more than 60 years, from heavy goods vehicles to salvaging work and lifting tasks.  

Hack Schwerlastservice recently purchased a Tadano ATF-220-5.1 to expand its extensive fleet. The typical Tadano qualities made it a convincing choice, as Hack project manager Andreas Höller explains: “The 220 is exceptionally reliable and low-maintenance, just like all Tadano cranes. We know from experience that the machines from Lauf an der Pegnitz will not let us down.” And that is precisely why the crane was called into action for a demanding project in the Eifel region.

The factory premises of the Brohl Wellpappe needed having 22-tonne fire barriers lifted and erected for one of its industrial halls. The construction company in charge commissioned Hack Schwerlastservice GmbH to lift the prefabricated concrete parts, each of which were 12 m long. This provided the 220 with the ideal opportunity to demonstrate its extraordinary capabilities in two-winch operation immediately after delivery. The combination of this equipment with the 5.8 m boom extension that can be angled hydraulically meant it was possible to carry out the job with only one crane.

The ATF-220-5.1 started by picking up the huge fire barriers horizontally with the main winch and lifting them from the heavy goods vehicle. Once the hoisting cables of the second winch had been attached to the top of the construction piece, the crane operator was able to turn the part to be lifted vertically in the air, thereby bringing it into the installation position. With the help of the sensitive Tadano control system, the components could then be lifted to their destination with millimetre precision over a radius of 18 m and assembled there. As project manager Andreas Höller explains, “two-winch operation poses a real challenge for crane operators, but that was no problem at all on this job. The combination of the Tadano crane and our crane driver Michael Köhler was a match made in heaven. In addition, we also had support from Tadano during the planning phase. This is a welcome service, especially for two-winch operation. Tadano's service team worked through the load case with us to make sure we could lift the parts within the load capacity".

The success of the operation can also be attributed to the 220’s radio remote control, which is intuitive to operate and offers a very wide range of functions. It allows the boom extension to be angled and the lift to be controlled remotely with two winches without having to read off additional values in the superstructure cabin. This is because the overload and outrigger protection is always visible on the display of the remote control. 

But it is not just the radio remote control that is intuitive to operate, as Andreas Höller points out: “The 220 is very easy to operate on every level. The dashboard in the carrier is self-explanatory, and the cockpit in the superstructure is perfectly designed for an optimal lift. All of the functions are easy to identify and organised in a user-friendly way. Our crane operator Michael Köhler was thrilled. He never wants to give the crane back, he says.” 

The other drivers at Hack Schwerlast GmbH will also be pleased to welcome the ATF-220-5.1 to the fleet, as it allows a total of five individual driver settings to be saved. This means that every crane driver can benefit from their own, customised working environment.

But back to the job: without the second winch, the 22-tonne fire barriers would have had to be aligned using a second auxiliary crane. This means the second winch saves on both fleet and personnel resources, as it frees up another crane – and driver – to take care of other projects. With this in mind, a second winch pays for itself in no time for the crane rental company and very quickly becomes a real bonus in terms of economic efficiency. As Andreas Höller sums up, “the 220 really is as good as it gets for drivers and owners alike.”