Tower crane specialist Jaso has launched a new hydraulic luffing jib crane with a 18 tonne lift capacity, which the Spanish company says is the one of the largest on the market and the largest in terms of maximum load capacity aimed at urban or high-rise projects in cramped inner-city sites.

According to a statement from Jaso, the new J198HPA has a maximum capacity of 18t in a three-part line and a tip load of 1.6t at 55m. The manufacturer initially envisioned the project to make the crane as a restyling of its existing J168HPA model launched in 2014, which it said marked a turning point for the hydraulic crane market. However, Jaso finally chose to do a thorough redesign to make an altogether new model developed as part of its medium range of luffing cranes (200-350tm).

This model, using a standard 1.75 x 1.75m tower system with 12, 6 and 3m long sections, can reach a free-standing height of 38.1m, while much greater heights can be achieved when combined with 2.16 x 2.16m tower systems. In addition, for internal climbing applications, the crane can be mounted on 1.87m system towers, which gives a considerable advantage over other similar size cranes. Two types of cruciform bases of 4.5 x 4.5m and 6 x 6m are available, giving maximum free-standing heights of 38.9m and 44.8m respectively with a 30-metre boom.

Jaso explained that the J198HPA can run in Direct Pull only with a special Slim Line hook block, to achieve 1.8t load at 55m, and a maximum load of 6t. In addition, it provides multiple load chart options, boom lengths and maximum loads of 8t, 10t and 12t in 2-part line. Switching between the various configurations can be easily done on site.

As in other Jaso hydraulic luffing cranes, the hydraulic ram is kept at the rear end of the tower. In this way, the company says, when the crane is out of service, the piston is fully retracted in the ram’s strongest position, ensuring longer life to the ram.

The crane’s fully optimised boom starts at 30m and can be increased in five-metre increments to a maximum jib length of 55m and a minimum Out-Of-Service radius (OOS) of 8m. Jaso added that special attention has been paid to improving the assembly process, “which is easy, simple, safe and extremely fast thanks to weight optimisation and to the optimised pre-assembly”.

“In this new model, the hydraulic ram is completely pre-installed at the factory. It is part of a single, very compact assembly, consisting of the slew turret, tower head and jib pivot foot, with pre-installed mechanisms, using quick connectors, on both the electrical and hydraulic parts,” said Jaso in its statement.

It added that as a result of weight optimisation, the tower head/slewing table is the heaviest part, with a total weight of 12.1t. When there are access limitations for auxiliary equipment, the assembly process can be adaptable, thus reducing the component weight down to 6.8t.

The optimisation also has an impact on transport, as the upper part of the crane can be transported in three trucks. “In other words, only five trucks are required to ship the entire crane up to its self-supporting height,” the statement pointed out.

The hoist winch has been integrated into the boom, which allows to run the ropes on the ground, thus speeding up the processes of erecting and dismantling the crane and adding to the safety of the process.

“In addition, all platforms, as well as the handrails, are preinstalled and foldable, providing a cleaner design. All accesses are optimised and, among other advantages, it is no longer necessary to use a safety harness to access control cabinets and main access points,” says Jaso.

Swing radius with concrete or optional steel-framed concrete counterweights is 8.2m. With steel counterweights, the radius can be reduced to 7.9m and it can also be transported pre-assembled for a safer and faster assembly.

The J198HPA comes with a 45kW hoist winch that provides a maximum speed of 154m/min, and an optional 65kW winch for a fast speed of 227m/min. Hoist drum can be specified with Lebus grooving and an optional secondary brake.

The crane is equipped with the ECO Mode system. This system allows it to operate in three modes: Full Power; ECO Mode, which reduces energy consumption by 25%; and SUPER-ECO Mode, which reduces energy consumption by up to 50%. Thanks to this system, it is possible to use a bigger hoist motor, reducing its power consumption on sites with restricted power supply —without affecting the downward speed.

Other features and advantages highlighted by Jaso include:

● Moment and overload functions controlled by the LMI and redundantly by
electromechanical limiters
● Malfunctioning on the hoisting and luffing movements, such as overspeed and reverse
speed, are controlled by safety encoders, located on the drum shaft
● Reliable diagnosis of breakdowns in the LMI of the cabin and the black box
● Quick set up of the crane limiters made from the cabin
● Load levelling system
● Possibility of leaving the crane in Out-Of-Service (OOS) in case of loss of electrical power
● Mechanisms with frequency converter and potentiometer also in the slewing movement