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GH AND GH
Page 56
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Watkinson Lifting
and Transportation's mighty Cormach 8800-E ASC crane is the first of its type to appear in the UK.
Bryan Jarvis reports.
To cope with growth in its business of delivering and installing escalators and travelators at airports, shops and office complexes,Watkinson Lifting & Transportation has added a new Volvo FH12 460hp 8x4 tractive unit to its 12-strong fleet of heavy lifters.
Plated at 150 tonnes GCW for heavy haulage, the new unit is equipped with a mighty 88tm Cormach 8800-E ASC crane.
The first of its type in the UK, the crane has an enormous outreach, but is easily capable of handling the average escalator at a reach of up to 10m.
With characteristic twin turrets, twin lifting rams and straight-line boom profile, it can lift over two tonnes at 16m and, with a Ilyjib attached, it can take half a tonne to 32m.
The 8800-E uses a slew ring for continuous rotational movement and, like most heavy cranes, maintains a reserve of power. Working at full speed it delivers just 90% of load capacity, but exceed this and speed is reduced proportionately and automatically.
Another greatly appreciated feature is the radio remote control's manual selector, which slows all movement, allowing the operative to position loads precisely.
Racking up around 300 installations a year, the Keighley, West Yorkshire-based haulage specialist has operated at places such as Harrods, Heathrow, Gatwick and, more recently, the new Robin Hood airport at Finningley, near Doncaster.
Company founder and chairman Keith Watkinson strongly favours Cormach cranes' in-line design and is highly complimentary about both the chassis supplier, Crossroads Commercials, and Colchester-based Ernest Doe, which imports and installs the Italianmade cranes.
"Our business is growing rapidly," he explains,"and with the rocketing crane hire charges and insurance rates, we urgently needed another mobile lifter, but one with a much greater capability."
After identifying the new 88t/m unit, he approached all the truck builders, to find that only Volvo could supply the short-wheelbase chassis just when he needed it.
Worth the wait
Ernest Doe then began reinforcing the chassis, adding four 18-tonne outriggers and mounting the crane, a package that added around 12 tonnes of weight. Working with Volvo, it integrated the crane's complex electronics within the vehicle's engine management system and even had a Trakker security device added. Phoenix of Dewsbury, which does most of Watkinson's livery work, took care of the paint job and signwriting.
"We've ploughed around £186,000 into this vehicle, with the crane costing £80,000 alone, but it's a superb package," says managing director John Watkinson. "Despite the six months wait for the finished article, I'm satisfied that the delay has been extremely worthwhile." •