The European market is focusing on regular improvements to lifting technology to keep growth steady

 In a mature market such as Europe, the lifting equipment supplied and used has reached a level where it is generally reliable, safe, and efficient. Pushing the technology forwards, then— and particularly in a sector where the basic physics of lifting are understood and not subject to change—requires innovations that improve convenience or meet the demands of specific, bespoke projects. Aldo Carozzi at Misia says: “Customers want more customised solutions. In the past, less than 5% of our business was in developing equipment for special projects, and it’s now around 20–30%.”

For Misia, which produces around 3,000 wire rope hoists a year, customised solutions can include hoists with long rope falls, curved monorails, special painting to meet IP66 demands, special outlet ropes, and more.

“Our customers are mainly crane manufacturers,” says Carozzi, “Any of whom could manufacture their own hoists. So we need to provide either the best price, or the ability to meet the requirements of their specialised projects.

“Many of these specialised hoists are used with standard bridge cranes for applications in engineering, such as underground construction, mining, and dams—all of which require long rope falls. “We can get tailored parts beginning from standard products, we modify motors and the body work of the hoists, which help us to produce specialised hoists. This process has been getting easier thanks to the experience we have gained in our long period in the hoisting market”.

Planeta has enjoyed a strong market so far in 2018, says Ralf Ullrich, sales manager at the company, with general growth across the industry driven by more investment in projects.

One of the company’s most interesting products is the JibFlex crane, which it distributes in Germany on behalf of the Danish manufacturer. It is made of a series of connecting lightweight aluminium sections that enables the operator to move the crane arm around obstacles.

“It’s designed for the offshore industry,” says Ullrich. “We can supply models up to 7m long. The capacity for a 7m unit is 150kg, increasing to 500kg for a 3m model.”

The company also showcased its aluminium mini lever hoist at Logimat, designed to be compact enough to fit in any tool case, says Ullrich. Models from 250kg capacity up to 3.2t are available, along with drill-powered hoists in 250kg and 500kg models.

Finland-based Erikkila is receiving an increasing number of orders in a market that is strong and growing, says Sanna Lempiäinen, sales and marketing director, with the German automobile sector being one of the big players for the company. Demand has been driven partly by new technology developed by the company, including its inverter-controlled crane. Not only does the inverter offer smooth acceleration and deceleration and reducedswing capability, when the crane is stopped, it becomes fully manual.

“Customers love it,” says Lempiäinen. “The electrical drive was developed in-house, and it can be used for fine tuning of positioning, or for manoeuvring empty loads.”

The company, which produces light cranes available in capacities up to 2t, has also developed an internal conductor option for its aluminium jib cranes. The advantages of this, explains Lempiäinen, are offering a safe system that can’t get stuck, as external equivalents can do, and doesn’t limit the movement of the crane. The light weight of the internal conductor rail also reduces friction.

Vetter has developed its Ergoline crane system—a flexible, modular system with adjustable pillars, to enable the user to make final adjustments to counter uneven floors. The pillars are made of steel and the runway and beam are aluminium, with the system available with capacities up to 1t. The runway and Cardanic bearings allow the operator to walk with the load running slowly behind them, says Bert Van Den Bril, area export sales manager at Vetter.

The launch of the Ergoline at Logimat followed a boom in business, says Van Den Bril, particularly with customers in the Middle East—with Vetter’s ATEX range of products selling especially well. Belgium and the Netherlands were also doing well, although have been calmer since February.

SWF Krantechnik, based near Mannheim, north of Stuttgart, showcased its Nova Silverline and Nova Blackline electric wire rope hoists, alongside its Chainster electric chain hoist, and explosion-proof hoists. The Nova Silverline range is designed for loads up to 80t and combines a range of features, including optimal hoist approach distance, a rope drum with extralarge diameter to reduce rope wear, low headroom, minimal lateral hook movement, and minimal load swing thanks to the use of frequency inverters. The Nova Blackline offers a more basic version of the Silverline but with the same advantages, and is available in capacities from 2t–20t.

The European market is focusing on regular improvements to lifting technology to keep growth steady