Hird pick and carry cranes pressed into service for factory lift
A machinery moving team from Hird has used two powerful Valla pick and carry cranes in a tandem lift to remove two large press machines from a factory building.
Combining the lifting capabilities of the Valla 250EC and Valla V210RC mini cranes was the ideal solution to move the presses from the building and place them on low loader trailers.
Highly manoeuvrable – ideal mini cranes
Hird Appointed Person Jack Cooper, who planned the lifts, said: “Using our Valla pick and carry cranes together allowed the presses to be lifted and moved smoothly and safely within a restricted industrial space.
“The mini cranes are highly manoeuvrable and allowed our machinery moving team to control these heavy and bulky loads with millimetre precision and in complete safety.”
Hird was commissioned to move the presses at the factory in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, a process that began with Jack Cooper carrying out a free site survey to assess the optimum machinery moving plan.
One of the press machines weighed 26t, and was 5.4m long, 2.6m high and 1.4m wide. The other one weighed 13.5t, was 4.9m long, 2.2m high and 1.2m high.
The Valla 250EC pick and carry crane selected for the lift has a safe working load (SWL) of 25t, while the Valla V210RC has a SWL of 21t. Working in tandem, they provided a lifting capacity appropriate for the project.
Working in unison to move presses
After Hird’s lift supervisor had delivered a toolbox talk to brief his lifting team and site personnel, the route selected to move the presses from the building was checked confirmed to be and the mini cranes set up.
Both Valla cranes were operated with a jib length of 3m and a maximum radius of 2m. Lifting each press in turn, slings were attached to the hooks of both cranes and to lifting points on either side of the press.
The press could then be lifted 500mm off the ground. Guided by Hird’s slinger/signaller, the crane operators then worked in unison to carry the load out of the factory.
A low loader trailer was then reversed under the press, and the machine was lowered onto it. The process was then repeated to move the second press.
Flexible options for every lift
The Valla V210RC is one Hird’s latest V-Series Valla pick and carry cranes, which are available to hire as well as for use to complete machinery moving projects.
The all-electric battery-powered mini crane can be operated from its cab or by using a wireless remote control, allowing crane operators to always place themselves in the optimum position.
The crane has a maximum working height of 12.5m and a maximum radius of 8.1m, with an optional fly jib that extends the maximum working height to 15.2m and the maximum radius to 10.9m.
The Valla V210RC can also be fitted with hydraulic forks or a hydraulic winch and hook block. It can carry out lifts free on wheels or with a front stabiliser bar deployed.
Indoor and outdoor machine moving
The Valla 250EC pick and carry crane is also a battery electric crane, with a maximum working height of 13.2m and a maximum radius of 9.2m.
Like the Valla 210RC mini crane, it can also be fitted with hydraulic forks or a winch and hook block, and has non-marking tyres for indoor and outdoor lifting duties.
Hird operates the largest fleet of Valla pick and carry cranes available for hire in Europe, with SWLs starting at 2t, so can deploy these highly flexible cranes on a huge range of machinery moving tasks.
Find out more
Talk to Hird about our machinery moving services, available across the UK.
We also carry out contract lifts and machine moving projects that involve the deployment of spider cranes, crawler cranes and mobile cranes.
Telephone: 01482 227333.
Email: [email protected].