Link-Belt provides sneak peek of all new 90-ton (81.6 mt) telescopic truck crane

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 2004 ) —
Link-Belt gave attendees to the Bauma show in Munich, Germany on March 29th a sneak peek of the completely new HTC-8690 90-ton (81.6mt) telescopic truck crane. This new crane model entry will expand Link-Belt’s highly successful truck crane design concept that has dominated the North American market for the last decade with outstanding roadability and jobsite performance features.

Several of the exciting new features include a patented boom telescope system that provides a very simple, reliable latching system for the 140 ft. (42.7m) five-section, formed boom. This patented Link-Belt design is for “a locking and latching system for a telescoping boom.” In addition there is a new Link-Belt-designed formed boom that requires no greasing at all, because of ingenious Teflon wear pucks impregnated in the full contact wear pad surfaces. And best of all, unlike other cranes in this class, there is no deduct in the capacity chart for telescoping any load. Maximum tip height is 237 ft (72.2m) with the additional (2) 16 ft (4.9m) lattice inserts that can be installed between the boom head and the fly. Onboard tip height is 205 ft (62.5m).

The HTC-8690 will also reveal the next generation cab that is not only bigger and wider but also has new expanded front glass for critical operator viewing from the new 8 way adjustable seat. A choice between dual axis or single axis joystick controllers along with the 540 Microguard Rated capacity limiter and optional air conditioning make crane operations smooth and effortless.

The standard modular style counterweight package of 11,500 lbs (5 216 kg) provides excellent roadability and there are options for 26,500 lbs (12 020 kg) and 32,500 lbs (14 742 kg) to further extend the crane’s lift performance. For highway travel, each of these counterweight packages are easily moved to optimize the weight balance between the front and rear axles. The system to raise and lower the counterweight is totally controlled from the comfort of the operator’s cab.

Powering the HTC-8690 is the 430 horsepower (323 kW) Detroit Diesel Series 60, 12.7-liter engine with 1,450 ft-lbs (1 966 J) of torque. It’s coupled to ZF’s AS-tronic “automated” transmission with 12 forward and 2 reverse speeds. This transmission provides all the benefits of a manual transmission but without a clutch pedal, for traveling up and down steep grades. In addition, it has all the smooth controllability features of an automatic transmission.

Air-ride suspension is standard on both the front and rear axles of the HTC-8690. This suspension not only provides a smooth highway ride and on-tire lifting capacities, but it also allows jobsite travel with all of the 32,500 lbs. (14 742kg) of counterweight.

The winches deliver 16,880 lbs (7 657kg) of line pull and 480 FPM (146.3m/min) of line speed — impressive numbers when compared to the truck and all terrain cranes in this size class. Spooled onto the winch drum is ¾ in (19mm) diameter rotation resistant wire rope.

The new HTC-8690 shares many proven features found on other Link-Belt telescopic cranes such as: CALC (Confined Area Lifting Capacities) lifting capacities, CabWalk, lightweight Stow-n-Go outrigger pontoons, full deck aluminum fenders and pre-paint.

“With the outstanding customer response received to date, it is clear that the HTC-8690 is on target to strongly impact this market segment,” said Rick Curnutte, telescopic crane product manager. “Production of this new rig will begin mid-year,” added Curnutte.