Arabian Consolidated Trading Est. (ACT) has become the first company in Saudi Arabia to take delivery of a Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 mobile crane.
The company previously reported positive experiences with its predecessor model, the Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1. The LTM 1650-8.1 outperforms its predecessor by 15 to 50 per cent in terms of load capacity, depending on the equipment. ACT opted for the full equipment package including both telescopic boom lengths, 54 and 80 metres, at the time of purchase.
Hassan Mohammed Rashid Al-Naimi, founder and president of ACT, says: “The LTM 1500-8.1 is a proven crane within the ACT Group that has also impressed our customers. We wanted to have Saudi Arabia’s first LTM 1650-8.1. ACT has always been a pioneer and has set standards in the crane business in Saudi Arabia. And we have now done this once again with the new 700-tonne crane.
“We need a fast crane, a so-called taxi crane. The LTM 1650-8.1 is easy to mobilise. This is important for emergency maintenance work in the refineries, where we only have four hours to set up for shutdown work. The new 700-tonne crane is the best choice here.”
The LTM 1650-8.1 can be equipped with a 54 or 80-metre boom. To switch between them, only the corresponding telescopic sections must be changed, rather than the entire boom. This option allows the advantages of both boom variants to be exploited. The 80-metre boom offers large hoist heights and radii, making ACT’s new 700-tonne crane suitable for jobs that fall between the capabilities of the LTM 1500-8.1 and the LTM 11200-9.1. The 54-metre telescopic boom offers advantages in terms of mobility, allowing the crane to travel on the road with the front supports and a twelve-tonne axle load. To minimise the set-up time, however, the rear supports are installed as complete support boxes in a single hoist and connected using quick couplings.