Hitting the high notes – knuckle boom crane perfect for piano lift

Hird’s new Maeda knuckle boom crane has certainly struck a chord with customers.

The mini crane hire company was the first company in the world to take delivery of the MK3053C ECO – Maeda’s first knuckle boom spider crane.

Hird then became the first crane rental business to send it out on a job – to one of Britain’s biggest live music venues.

Just days later, the hugely versatile mini crane was sent out on another musical emergency, this time to lift six pianos out of a school window.

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Horizontal boom position

Steve Stockdale, Hird’s Central Depot Manager, said: “Our new MK3053C ECO mini crane has been in high demand since we took delivery of it.

“It’s special capabilities are already proving to be game-changing. It can lift large loads in and through the most confined spaces that would not be possible with a conventional spider crane.

“You could say, it is hitting all the right notes with our customers.”

The project to lift the pianos from a second floor window at Wakefield Grammar School made the point perfectly.

The lithium battery electric MK3053C ECO spider crane’s articulating jib boom allows it to carry out lifts with the boom positioned horizontally just above the load.

Extending lifting possibilities

This was essential to lift the pianos out of the window with just inches to spare on all sides.

Steve Stockdale said: “Another spider crane hire company looked at the lift and had to admit they didn’t have a crane that could do it.

“But, thanks to our Maeda MK3053C ECO, a Hird team completed the contract lift with ease, much to the delight of the customer.

“It was aided by the fact that our crane operator had the use of a hand-held wireless remote unit so could stand in precisely the best place to control the lift.

“In fact, the precision achieved with the new Maeda knuckle boom crane is incredible. In an instant, it extends the possibilities of lifting with mini cranes.”

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Working under overhangs

The Maeda MK3053CB ECO has a 2.98t maximum safe working load (at 1.8m), a maximum lifting height of 16.95m and a maximum working radius of 14.3m.

Up to 4.9m of that radius is provided by the hydraulic jib, which is pivotal to the crane’s extended capabilities for operating in constrained spaces.

Another project that demonstrated this was the lifting of glass panels under a covered walkway on a building at Sheffield University.

The panels needed to be placed right under the deep overhang – a task the Maeda MK3053CB ECO was designed specifically to complete.

The mini crane was paired with a Kappel DSKL2 glass vacuum lifter, a slim-line glass lifter with a short lift arm that’s idea for lifting under overhangs.

The combination of the Maeda MK3053CB ECO and the DSKL2 glass lifter meant the glass panels could be presented directly to apertures, minimising manual handling and accelerating the glass installation process.

Steve Stockdale said: “The project typified what Hird always strives to achieve – combining the right lifting equipment to simplify lifts, maximise safety and do the best possible job for customers every time.”

Maeda MK3053CB ECO has many other features that will assist Hird’s mini crane hire customers and the clients they carry out lifts for, including:

Reducing carbon footprints

One button automatic stepless outrigger deployment and self-levelling.
Variable outrigger set-up for lifting in constrained space – with the crane’s onboard computer setting safe lifting limits based on outriggers positions.
Ultra compact design – just 780mm wide and 1945mm high when stowed for tracking, the mini crane can be moved through most single doorways.
Tracks can be widened hydraulically to provide extra stability when tracking across uneven ground.
Fast-charging lithium batteries (fully-charged in 5 hours) that can be topped up while operating, allow low-noise operation in sensitive areas, and contribute to carbon reduction strategies.