FAQ >> Mobile Crane Tower Attachments

Mobile Crane Tower Attachments

Some older mobile crane models can be equipped with an optional front-end attachment composed of a fixed vertical tower pinned at the position on the superstructure where a boom is ordinarily mounted. A luffing boom is affixed at the tower top, and ajib is sometimes fitted at the end of the boom.

Towers and booms are made up of inserts of various lengths so that a number of tower-height and boom-length combinations can be assembled The manufacturer's instructions generally include an advice that the tower boom must be lowered and fastened to the mast when the crane is out of service (an exception is when very high winds are expected, in which case the mast must be lowered to the ground or guyed). Therefore, the mast should be longer than the boom. However, there are exceptions, in which case the crane manufacturer issues guidelines for securing a boom that cannot be fully folded down.

Most tower attachments require a small assist crane, commonly a telescopic machine, for unloading and placing tower and boom sections, and for assembling the rigging and the counterweights. Tower attachments utilize unique rigging and require many adjustments and the assembly of many special parts. Typically, assembly takes more than a standard workday for the larger models. Some models, the very tallest, may require a large assist crane to help raise the tower and boom off the ground.

A tower attachment is productive and versatile, but its niche in the market has been displaced by luffing jibs mounted on lattice booms. Set at a near-vertical angle, a boom on one of the latter serves the same function as a tower.

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