Strong. Long. Light. The new Tadano ATF 60G-3

By MEq May 12, 2018 00:41

After 4 years of development and its launch at bauma 2016, the time has come: the new ATF 60G-3 is now available for sale. Its advantages are obvious: it is strong, long and light, and the latter is made possible by an innovative drive concept which optimises weight distribution.

The Tadano ATF 60G-3 is the result of German and Japanese engineering and the willingness to consistently rethink crane development and to question existing concepts. With its high lifting capacity and extensive range, the crane can effortlessly perform the classic range of applications required of a modern 60-tonner. But that’s not all: crane operators can use its 10-tonne axle load configuration, as well as compact 9.5 m basic boom and unrivalled telescopic loads to be deployed in a wide range of other applications, including, for example, tasks with weight-restricted access and jobs with limited ceiling height, i.e. in halls or refineries.

The Tadano designers were obliged to optimize the weight distribution in order to produce the ATF 60G-3 in a light 10-tonne axle load configuration. This required a total redesign of the classic drive concepts in terms of the axle layout and placement of the engine and therefore, unlike other 60-tonners, the ATF 60G-3 has two front axles and one rear axle. What is more, the undercarriage and superstructure are also driven by a rear engine installed on the superstructure. This enables a more efficient weight distribution on the axles of the strong and thus top-heavy main boom while shifting the weight to the rear.

Dr. Uwe Renk, Marketing Manager at Tadano FAUN, says: “Due to the rapid growth of legal axle load regulations in an increasing number of countries and a deteriorating road infrastructure, it was logical for us to design a 10-tonne axle load configuration, even though this represented significantly greater development costs and time. This is the only way for the ATF 60G-3 mobile crane to remain mobile in the future and therefore remain economical for our customers. Crane operators will also receive authorisations much more quickly, easily and for longer periods.”

The ATF 60G-3 is equipped with a 20-tonne hook block in its 10-tonne axle load configuration, which enables it to lift up to 17.1 tonnes taking into account the maximum hoisting winch traction. In addition to a light 10-tonne axle load configuration, the 3-axle crane has been optimised for axle loads of 12 tonnes, 13 tonnes and 16.5 tonnes.

The new drive concept of the ATF 60G-3 not only has advantages in terms of the deployment planning and degree of utilization of the vehicle: crane operators will be delighted to hear that the engine is installed at the rear of the superstructure, therefore greatly increasing the ease of operation. Firstly, because the front cab is extremely quiet, with a noise level of only 71 dB(A), which will ensure that operators will be much more relaxed and safer, particularly during long periods of driving to the construction site. Moreover, crane operators will at no point be exposed to harmful pollutant emissions during the crane operation, as the engine and exhaust system are mounted behind the superstructure cab, and always pivot along with the superstructure. This also reduces the noise pollution compared to installation of the engine in the undercarriage. The crane operator can therefore work with higher levels of concentration and safety. A large negative angle of the main boom of up to -5° guarantees increased safety during the reeving of the hoist rope and the mounting of the jib from the ground.

With a 48-m long main boom, the ATF 60G-3 achieves a sheave height of up to 51 meters; an increase of 5.5 m compared to other 60-tonners, and a radius of up to 44 meters, six meters more than its similar competitors. The lifting capacities speak for themselves. A comparison of the maximum lifting capacities per radius with the variable main boom or jib length shows that the ATF 60G-3 can lift up to 46% more on the main boom and up to 62% more on the long jib than its competitors in the 60-tonne load class. Even with a reduced outrigger base, the lifting capacities of the ATF 60G-3 are unrivalled owing to the asymmetrical outrigger base feature installed in all ATF models with Euromot 4 engines. In earlier models, the Tadano AML crane control system calculated and released the loads for each crane side whereby, for safety reasons, the respective shorter outrigger arm determined the maximum lifting capacity, whereas today the control system does this separately for each single outrigger. Unnecessary load losses are therefore avoided, and the lifting capacity is significantly increased.

Its lightness, strength and range make the Tadano ATF 60G-3 an all-rounder and specialist in one. It is ideal for classic applications including, for example, in urban areas, in steel constructions to lift façade sheeting, in the construction industry for assembling concrete components and in the towing sector for the recovery and transportation of trucks involved in accidents. It is also a perfect vehicle for special applications in halls and refineries, where a compact design and a substantial telescopic lifting capacity are crucial.