Wolffkran launches its first saddle job crane in 800m/ton class

Staff Report

20 Dec 2021

Offering high lift capacities, new 8076 Compact suitable for lifting heavy prefabricated part on building projects, with tip load capacity of 8.4t at 80m

Wolffkran has launched its first saddle jib crane in the 800m/tonne class, the new WOLFF 8076 Compact, which has a maximum jib radius of 80m and maximum lift capacity of 40t

The tower crane specialist said the new crane is the answer to market trends calling for higher capacity tower cranes for lifting prefabricated parts, which are increasingly being used in construction projects, with reports indicating that every third construction project in Europe now utilises them.

The latest member of the WOLFF pack, the new WOLFF 8076 Compact is Wolffkran’s first trolley jib crane in the 800-metre-tonne range and boasts of several useful features besides its high lifting capacity.

Wouter van Loon, product manager at Wolffkran, said: “We wanted to design a large yet economical crane and get the maximum capacity out of the steel structure. That's why we opted for a low-top design, which we call Compact.”

Despite a tower top around 10m lower than that of a WOLFF Cross model, the 8076 Compact offers a maximum lifting capacity of 40t and a tip load capacity of 8.4t at 80m.

"And that as a pure 2-fall crane, making the WOLFF 8076 Compact not only the strongest saddle jib crane in our range but also best-in-class compared to its competitors,” added van Loon.

Also new is the 4-chord design of the first three jib sections instead of the usual 3-chord design, and van Loon explained: “This allowed us to optimise the transfer of forces along the jib and reduce individual components weights, resulting in around 40% higher lifting capacity than with the 3-chord design.”

The WOLFF 8076 Compact connects to the 2.9m by 2.9m TV 29 tower system. Combined with the next-largest WOLFF TV 33 tower system, a freestanding height of up 100m can be achieved – a time-saving and economical solution for high-rise buildings or bridge projects where tie-ins are not possible, says the manufacturer.

The 132kW HW 40132 FU hoist winch allows for operating speeds of up to 95m/min, ensuring fast turnaround times even at great tower heights. The maximum load of 40t is also lifted at a fast 17m/min speed.

The jib of the WOLFF 8076 Compact can be extended from 30-80m in 5m increments. A hoist rope support on the jib reduces rope slack from 10 to only 1.5m, lowering the risk of another crane getting caught in the hoist rope when slewing. The counter jib can also be shortened from 30.3 to 22.3m, depending on the maximum jib radius. In combination with its compact tower top, the new XXL crane is therefore also well suited for construction sites where cranes operate close to one another, and the overall crane concept has to be kept low. For example, when fitted with a 55m jib and shortened counter jib, it offers a tip load capacity of 16.6t, making it an ideal crane even on multi-crane job sites requiring high lifting capacities.

Thanks to the compact tower top and 4-chord jib design, the WOLFF 8076 Compact can be erected using a standard 350t mobile crane. An auxiliary device on the tower top enables the erection team to align the tie rods of the jib and counter jib without a mobile crane. A wider access to the cab, a maintenance platform for the slewing drive, and galvanized Class-1 access to the trolley drive and hoist winch further increase safety and comfort during erection and maintenance.

The standard feature package is extensive as usual. It includes electronic overload protection with WOLFF Boost, an anti-collision inter-face, fine drive modes, automatic power optimization of the trolley and hoisting gear, and the WOLFF Link remote maintenance system with a real-time view of the crane display.

Wolffkran says new XXL crane is bound to get company sooner or later, and van Loon added: “We are evaluating a heavier lift version of this model, as well as one with a longer reach.” Both models will be designed around the same basic components of the new WOLFF 8076 Compact.