The crane service provider Scholpp and the steel fabrication firm Erich Mächler GmbH are a well-coordinated team, having worked together since 1984. In their time, they’ve mastered many a challenging project – like the recent lift of a steel pedestrian bridge in Bad Rotenfels. But this time the team had a new member: the brand-new Tadano AC 4.080-1 all terrain crane. Scholpp had only recently acquired the machine, complete with all the bells and whistles.
Prior to the lift, the Scholpp and Mächler employees involved in the project jointly inspected the construction site and saw right away that it was going to be a tight fit. “That’s why, for this job, we opted for our new AC 4.080-1. With its compact dimensions and its stepless Flex Base outrigger system, it was the right choice for the on-site conditions,” says Scholpp field team member Kai Schwarz.
The crane professionals from Stuttgart were already more than happy with this crane. “For us, this machine is the gold standard for all four-axle cranes on the market today. It’s compact, it’s equipped with IC-1 Plus and 360° Surround View cameras, it features a boom length of 60 meters, and then there’s the optional boom head camera system,” Jan Meißner, Scholpp’s regional manager for the Rhine-Neckar region, says, reeling off the highlights of the AC 4.080‑1. In fact, the people at Scholpp were so happy with the machine, they ordered another three right away, taking the Tadano contingent of their fleet to a total of 19 cranes. For the experts at Scholpp, Tadano cranes just can’t be beaten on performance, quality, and reliability.
Consequently, they were expecting great things of their new AC 4.080‑1 on its outing in Bad Rotenfels. And they were not disappointed. Scholpp transported the 5-tonne, 16.5-meter-long, 2.3-meter-wide and 3-meter-high steel pedestrian bridge from the Mächler GmbH fabrication works to the construction site, using its own truck. Once at the construction site, it was time for the AC 4.080-1 to shine. “We configured it as a taxi crane, with a partial counterweight of 9.3 tonnes,” explains crane operator Martin Zimmermann. “That was enough for this job because the Flex Base outrigger system meant that the AC 4.080-1 didn’t require any more counterweight, despite the heavy 5-tonne load.” In other words, for this lift, the Flex Base system allowed Scholpp to spare itself the expense of using an additional transport vehicle for the crane. For the lift itself, the team had to limit the slewing radius because of an obstructing container and adjacent buildings. After that, everything was ready, and it was time for the lift. “In a textbook lift, our crane operator used the AC 4.080-1 to hoist the bridge safely and accurately into position on his first attempt,” explains Jan Meißner. He speaks for the whole team when he says the AC 4.080-1 was absolutely the right crane for the job.
