Shuttlelift Set to Unveil its Largest Rubber-Tired Gantry Crane

Shuttlelift will unveil a new gantry crane for its dealers when they arrive in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, this week for the annual dealer meeting. On site will be the largest rubber-tired, double-beam, fully traversable gantry crane the manufacturer has ever built—the Shuttlelift DB 200.

More than 54 ft. tall, 68 ft. wide and just under 44 ft. long, the new DB 200 is by all accounts a gargantuan machine, and it can handle loads that are up to a whopping 400,000 lbs.

Kurt Minten, Shuttlelift’s director of industrial sales, said: "What makes this machine unique is that a 200-ton load can move from one side of the crane to the other. This is the largest full-capacity, fully traversable crane out there."

In other words, the crane can lift a full-capacity load on one side or the other, not just on its centerline. "The DB 200 is a new design, which we specifically tailored to suit the customer’s requirements," Minten added. "We're all very enthused about it."

The new DB 200 will be undergoing product testing during the dealer meeting, so Shuttlelift's team of experts will be demonstrating all of its customized features to the group. Later next month (November) the machine will be delivered to its new owner, a large power supplier in Canada.

"The local dealer, Cropac Equipment, will be heavily involved in setting up the crane with our technicians and overseeing its operation through the one-year warranty period," said Minten.

Not only is the new DB 200 the largest crane of its type in the market, this particular model comes with an array of important features. One is all-wheel electronic steering; since all four wheels at all four corners of the crane are able to turn, the operator can employ several different modes of steering—2WS 90° Front, 2WS 90° Rear, Crab, Transverse and Coordinate—which means maximum flexibility, maneuverability and precision handling.

The machine has a wireless remote control, an option that improves visibility of the load by allowing the operator to be anywhere around the load or work being performed. The crane also has an electronic load readout which provides indication in the cab of the load weight being lifted.

A special addition to the new DB 200 is the custom operator's cab. This particular cab is elevated so the operator's eye level, in a seated position, is 351⁄2 ft. from the ground for optimal viewing of the load. And, instead of the standard ladder, a series of stairs and platforms offers easy access to the cab.

A proximity sensor and ultrasonic shutdown system is also a key feature. Minten explained: "If there's an obstacle up to 19 ft. out from the machine, the system will sense that there's something in that zone and it will stop the machine."

The new DB 200 has hoists mounted low for easy inspection and routine maintenance; and greaseable fittings on sheaves and pivot points that flush out contaminants, increasing the life of the bearings.