New Liebherr Lattice-Boom Crawler Crane Packs 770-USt Capacity in 660-USt Footprint
Feb. 16, 2021 – Liebherr’s new LR 1700-1.0 lattice-boom crawler crane puts 770-USt lifting capacity and reach in about the same footprint as the company’s 660-USt LR 1600/2.
The capabilities of the new LR 1700-1.0 set it up to replace both Liebherr’s popular LR 1600/2 and the next larger model, the 825-USt LR 1750/2.
The LR 1600/2 has been in production for 12 years, and the LR 1750/2 has been a staple in the Liebherr product line for nearly 20.
Liebherr plans to start delivering the first units of the LR 1700-1.0 in the middle of this year, about the same time as the last units of the LR 1600/2 units will be delivered.
The new LR 1700-1.0 combines the economical transportation of 660-USt crawler cranes with the performance of 825-USt rigs. It also features all the innovations introduced on Liebherr crawler cranes in recent years.
Easy Transport
Liebherr has designed the LR 1700-1.0 based on the dimensions of the LR 1600/2. The new crane’s overall track stance is slightly larger, at 28’6”, and the crawlers are a bit longer at 37’3”.
The optional Quick Connection system lets the LR 1700-1.0’s slewing platform (without SA frame and winches) transport at about 46.2 USt.
Each crawler frame weighs in at 47 USt, complete with 4-fold drive and 6’6” wide crawler pads.
Component width also affects transportation cost, so all shipping modules for the basic LR 1700-1.0, including the pivot section, are no more than 9’10” wide.
Only the main boom’s H lattice sections are wider, and they can be used to transport smaller boom sections to reduce the number of trucks. For customers in countries where transport widths cannot exceed 3 m (9’10”), Liebherr can supply the boom with all sections measuring less than 3 m wide.
To help owners of the LR 1600/2, many components from that predecessor crane can also be used for the new LR 1700-1.0. They include the S sections of the main boom, the luffing jib, the 660-USt boom head, several winches, hook blocks, ballast slabs, and the runner.
Highest Performance
The new 770-USt LR 1700-1.0 delivers 10% to 15% more lifting capacity than the existing 660-USt LR 1600/2. Also, the 3.5 m (11’6”)-wide H lattice sections at the bottom of the LR 1700-1.0 main boom significantly improve the lateral stability of the entire system.
That makes the new LR 1700-1.0 the new benchmark in the 660- to 825-USt class for lattice boom cranes. It can raise boom-and-jib combinations reaching up 649’ (334’7” of boom + 314’11” of luffing jib). Maximum length on just the main boom is 531’6”.
For erecting wind turbines, the LR 1700-1.0 can have up to 541’4” of main boom by using additional H sections. A fixed jib up to 49’2” long be attached to the top of that boom. The new crane’s lifting capacities in this area are on a par with the LR 1750/2 equipped with the SX boom system.
Minimizing crawler wear is becoming ever more important in traveling cranes, particularly in wind-farm work. Liebherr engineers have addressed that need by making the crawler structures stronger and by using larger rollers. Also, 4-fold travel drive comes standard on the LR 1700-1.0.
A Liebherr six-cylinder, 544-hp diesel engine powers the LR 1700-1.0. It can be configured to meet either Europe’s new stage V emissions directive or regulations for other countries, for example the U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final requirements, or stage IIIA for lower regulated countries.
Newest Derrick System, Modular Ballast Trailer
The V-frame and VarioTray have more than proven themselves on the LR 1800-1.0 and LR 11000 crawler cranes. That’s why Liebherr is also using them on the LR 1700-1.0. VarioTray is a small ballast pallet that can be unbolted quickly and easily when the extra ballast isn’t needed. Its design avoids the need for time-consuming stacking and unstacking of ballast slabs.
The V-frame ballast system is a hydraulically adjustable folding frame that lets the operator adjust ballast radius infinitely adjusted between 42’8” and 68’11”. A rigid ballast guide system is therefore no longer required for large radii.
Liebherr’s newest innovation for auxiliary ballast — the modular “M-Wagon ballast trailer — can be used on the new LR 1700-1.0, as well as on the LR 1800-1.0 and the LR 11000 crawler cranes. Since ballast trailers are generally used quite rarely, the M-Wagon’s ability to be used on several models paves the way for significant savings.
The LICCON2 control system takes charge of the sensitive control for circling, towing, and parallel movements of the ballast wagon. It also delivers extended set-up facilities and monitored erection for the LR 1700-1.0.
