Palfinger Cranes India Pvt. Ltd. displayed two cranes and two new aerial work platforms. The company’s main product is the hydraulic knuckle boom crane, claimed by C.K. Dhanasekar, Manager, After Sales, to be “renowned for its user friendliness and high efficiency, and with more than 100 models and a market share of over 30 per cent, Palfinger is the world market leader in this segment.”
Palfinger knuckle boom cranes can be mounted on any suitable truck chassis available in India. It is also known as ‘lorry loader’ that can load and unload the components in the truck by itself without the assistance of any manual labor. “The equipment is made of high tensile steel and is therefore very light and weighs around 2.5 tonnes,” added Dhanasekar.
Whether the Indian market has geared up for this type of product, Dhanasekar is quick to add that the company has sold around 300 units of knuckle boom cranes in India. One of the major reasons for the product popularity is its modularity feature where the hook can be replaced with different add-ons depending on the component being picked.
Another product on display was the 24 m (approx. 80 ft) aerial work platform on a very small vehicle – the Mahindra Loadking Zoom used for intra-city applications. One of the important safety parameters in the product are the stabilizers with interlock system. Explains Dhanasekar: “Unless the 4 stabilisers are properly fixed on the ground the machine will not operate. It is one function at a time.”
There are also features to provide 220 Volts AC power to the bucket through the base of the crane, in case the person wants to operate a drilling machine or any tool at the top. It also is equipped with water hoses and air compressor. Such products widely find application in construction projects like bridges and metros, electrical panel maintenance or maintenance of street lights. The same features can also be mounted on a small pick-up van like Xenon, but the aerial work platform height would then be around 40 feet.
Also on display was the 16-tonne crane with the Sany Palfinger brand. Stiff boom cranes by the Sany Palfinger JV have been proven products for the lifting and transportation requirements of India and other Asian markets. “It is equipped with one main boom and three telescopic boom and goes up to 10 m in height and can be mounted on any truck chassis after studying the structure for mounting,” explains Dhansekar.
Palfinger Cranes India Pvt. Ltd., established in Chennai in 2008, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Palfinger AG, with its headquarters in Salzburg, Austria. Established in 1932, Palfinger has since known for the most innovative, reliable and cost-effective truck-mounted lifting solution on commercial vehicles and in the maritime field.
Palfinger has its production and assembly sites across Europe, North & South America and in Asia. Today the product range include cranes for railways, maintenance & inspection, truck-mounted forklifts, truck-mounted aerial platform or access platform, tail lift & passenger lift for trucks, buses & vans.