Hird completes a world’s first lift with Maeda’s latest crane
It was crane number K0001 and Hird became the first company in the world to carry out a lift with the new MK3053C ECO – Maeda’s first knuckle boom spider crane.
The battery electric crane has taken its place in a new generation of mini cranes that combine game-changing lifting capabilities with new standards in sustainability and safety.
Hird placed an order for the first MK3053C ECO spider crane off the production line and it proved its worth on its first lift at a large events arena in the north of England.
‘Excited by advantages’
Hird Managing Director Phil Hird said: “The Maeda MK3053C ECO is a game-changer for us. It gives us new capabilities that extends the range of lifts we can carry out.
“The mini crane proved ideal for the lifting challenges at the Arena. We’re excited by the practical advantages having the crane gives us, our spider crane hire customers, and their clients.”
Hird supplied the Maeda MK3053C ECO mini crane with an operator to lift elements of a steel beams to a mezzanine deck above the arena entrance.
A key element of the spider crane’s advanced capabilities was put to good use during the lift.
The knuckle in the crane’s boom allowed a three-section telescoping negative-angle jib to boom out over a safety rail on the mezzanine deck, delivering loads precisely to where they were needed.
Excels in constrained space
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 jib, which can be hydraulically articulated to lift loads in a range of constrained spaces, including under low ceilings or structures. It can also be removed, if necessary.
For the First project, the spider crane lifted a maximum load of 150kg to a height of 12m and a radius of 6m, with the jib boom extended, which was well within its capabilities.
Hird’s Maeda MK3053CB ECO also has white, non-marking tracks so it could be moved into the foyer of the arena, which has a capacity of more than 13,000 spectators, and set up with no risk of leaving track marks.
One button set-up
The spider crane has many other features that will assist Hird’s mini crane hire customers and the clients they carry out lifts for.
Its proportional controls are operated via a wireless remote control unit, so the operator to be positioned in the best location to manage the lift. The unit also has a full colour digital screen providing live monitoring data.
The Maeda MK3053CB ECO has stepless variable outriggers for carrying out lifts in constrained space. The crane’s onboard computer sets safe lifting limits based on how the outriggers are positioned.
In unconstrained conditions, the outriggers can be automatically deployed, and the mini crane set up and levelled, for lifting with the touch of one button.
At just 780mm wide and 1945mm high when stowed for tracking, the mini crane can be moved through most single doorways. It was certainly not a problem tracking the crane through the arena’s main entrance
Fully proportional wireless radio remote control helps an operator position themselves optimally for sight of the load.
Step into the future
The spider crane’s tracks can also be widened to 1050mm to provide additional stability when tracking across uneven ground.
The Maeda MK3053CB ECO knuckle boom crane’s reliable lithium battery delivers long-lasting and sustained power. It can be fully charged in just five hours and can be topped up while operating.
As an all-electric spider crane, it helps clients meet NetZero 2050 commitments. The mini crane is also ideal for working in low-emissions zones and where near-silent operation is essential, for example near schools, hospitals and care homes, as well as at night.
Phil Hird said: “The Maeda MK3053CB ECO is a step forward into the future of mini crane lifting. We’re the first crane hire company in the world to be able to offer it because we aim to stay at the forefront of spider lifting capabilities.”
Find out more
Talk to Hird about the Maeda MK3053CB ECO knuckle boom crane, which is one of a wide range of Maeda spider cranes available for hire, a growing number with the same advanced lithium battery power.
All our Maeda spider cranes are available for hire, with or without an operator, anywhere in the UK, supplied via Hird’s’ three operational hubs. Hird can also provide CPCS-accredited A66 Compact Crane (A) training, if it is needed.
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