The Swiss Army has taken delivery of four new Liebherr LTM 1055-3.2 mobile cranes.
The bulk of the cranes’ construction was conducted at Liebherr-Werk Ehingen in Germany. Engineers then put the finishing touches to the units at the manufacturer’s site in Reiden, Switzerland.
The cranes were ordered by Armasuisse, the purchasing division of the Swiss Army. The deal also included minor supplements such as snow chains, cameras, and additional equipment for building steel girder bridges.
One of the main uses of the LTM 1055-3.2 mobile cranes will be to build temporary bridges for the Swiss military. The process involved in the assembly of these structures is complex, but effective.
Firstly, consoles are installed onto partially extended sliding beams. A 2.5t girder is then placed onto these and secured. A connecting yoke is also fitted to the girders to facilitate vehicles driving onto the bridge.
Once packed in this way, a mobile crane is driven onto the steel girder bridge, and is used to fit required elements to piles which have previously been driven into the river bed. The crane is then driven back onto land and loaded for the next cycle. A wheel loader is then used to lay the road surface.
The handover of the latest units was conducted at the German manufacturer’s Reiden site. The trainers of future crane drivers attended for induction training.
In total, the Swiss Department for Defence, Civil Protection and Sport has purchased 10 Liebherr cranes of various lifting capacities during the last two decades.
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