56
CONSTRUCTION EUROPE
OCTOBER 2013
EQUIPMENT
X-rated speed kings
Hiab’s new X-series loader cranes boast new safety
features and almost double the extension speed of
their predecessors.
Laura Hatton
reports
H
iab’s new series of
cranes are said to be
almost twice as fast as
the previous model, while lifting
capacity has also been increased.
Hiab, part of Cargotec,
launched the new generation of
loader cranes in Berlin, Germany,
as part of the celebrations to
mark its 70
th
birthday.
The new X Series comprises
four new models – the X-CLX
178, the X-DUO 178, the
X-HIDUO 188 and the X-HIPRO
192 – while a key feature of all of
them is the fast boom extension
system. In fact Hiab says its new
cranes are almost twice as fast as
the predecessor, the XS 166.
The company also says the
X Series has increased lifting
capacity and improved precision
handling compared to previous
models.
The cranes are described as
mid-range models, with lifting
capacities ranging from 146kNm
to 178kNm and a maximum
outreach of 19.4m.
Hiab president Axel
Leijonhufvud said, “This new
generation is a big jump for us. It
is not just an upgraded version.
The whole crane is new, from
cylinders to steel structures.
Also, we have taken so much
customer input into it – we have
spent so much time with them.
“We have not been very visible
over the past few years, but we
are trying to take things forward.
This is not the only big release
we will make, there will be more.”
Leif Törnblom, Hiab product
manager for mid-range cranes,
said, “Our customers work in
very different sectors, with
different demands on the cranes.
However, regardless of the
sector, crane operators want
speed, precision and lifting
capacity. We have therefore
focused on improving these
factors even more.”
USER-FRIENDLY
Other improvements include
a safer and more user-friendly
stabiliser system, which features
a new sensor and joystick type
remote. Hiab has also reduced
the number of bolts needed
to mount the cranes to a truck
chassis.
Leijonhufvud said, “I would
say that what we are trying to
do here is help our customers
make more money. The new
cranes are faster, safer, and they
are more precise. That is the key
for us. We spent a lot of time
on the interface of the crane to
make it easier to use. The control
systems, the joysticks etc are
more logical so it is simple to use
and therefore safer.”
And the launch of the new
cranes is part of a wider initiative
by Hiab to be more visible to
its customers. The company’s
senior vice president and global
head of sales and markets,
Carl Gustaf Göransson, said,
“Our nature is to be low profile,
but we need to step up to get
people to understand that this
new generation of cranes is a big
difference. It’s not just a different
colour or a label, this is a new
crane series.”
He said, “What we plan to do
is push our brand and make us
visible. The product offering of
the X Series is a part of this. We
will also focus on our distribution
as well.”
ce
The launch of the X-Series
cranes in Berlin, Germany.
New safer and more precise
control systems are part of the
X-Series design
Hiab president Axel
Leijonhufvud
