Böcker innovates in performance and sustainability

At the beginning of April, Böcker Maschinenwerke GmbH will be presenting three major new developments at the 360° Height Days at the company’s headquarters in Werne, at Dach+Holz International in Cologne, Germany.

The AHK 36e is believed to be the first battery-powered trailer crane that can be charged directly while the crane is in use at a conventional 230V household power socket. The Junior 24e is the first inclined lift with battery and 230V charging technology as well as a new chassis. The new AK 42 truck crane with outstanding working speed, is the first crane in its class to offer an innovative mast geometry with 180deg position of the joint and tower crane function. Visitors to Bauma, Munich, will also be able to see these new products.

AHK 36e – battery-operated trailer crane with 230 V charging technology

In addition to an environmentally friendly and independent operation due to its electric drive with energy storage, the 230V charging technology permits the AHK 36e to be set up and operate  anywhere. Where 400V high-voltage current was required in the past, the AHK 36e is thought to be the first trailer crane on the market to be charged at any conventional 230V household socket – in a parallel operation while the crane is in operation. Independent of any external power supply, the crane moves to the optimum installation site by means of its manoeuvring drive and the set-up is also powered by the battery. The power consumption of the AHK 36e is optimised to minimise energy consumptionand is signifivantly less than comparable cranes with combustion engines. The battery capacity permits more than three hours of operation or eight standard working cycles without an external power supply.

Due to modern lithium-ion battery technology, the AHK 36e can operate permanently in plug-in mode without any loss of capacity. In stand-by mode, the battery can be charged from 20 % to 80 % in less than one hour. During operation, the crane is charged parallelly at a high-speed guaranteeing a constant battery charge level with all crane functions continuing smoothly. To minimise energy consumption, a sustainable stop-and-go automatic system limits power consumption and activates the electric motor only when necessary. The low power draw maintains the battery charge level and extends the operation time without an external power supply.

In addition to making load lifting operations more sustainable, the new AHK 36e lifts up to 2400kg with low emissions and low noise, and reaches extension lengths of up to 36m with a GVW of 3.5t. It is equipped with foldable swivelling outriggers, auto levelling, rotation and erection angle limitation of the mast package, and go-home function. The Easy-Lock system allows the new battery-operated trailer crane to be converted into into a work platform very quickly. The crane can also be used for fall protection in the personal security mode.

Junior 24e – Trailer-based inclined lift with battery drive and 230 V charging technology

The Junior 24e battery-operated electric lift will in future get charged at any Schuko socket and, due to the powerful battery, will also work in places without any power connection. With its electric engine and state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery technology, the construction or furniture lift transports loads of up to 250kg not only at a very low noise and emission level, but also in an extremely environmentally friendly manner to heights of up to 24m. Without an external power supply, the battery-powered inclined lift reliably transports any materials at a high speed with at least 25 upwards and downwards cycles including set-up and folding of the machine upon operation. To minimize energy consumption, the automatic stop-and-go system additionally limits power consumption.

AK 42 – Truck crane with, 180 degree joint position

The new AK 42 truck crane works faster than ever and, due to its innovative mast profile made of ultra-high-strength fine-grained steel, scores with a high lateral stability for heavy loads, especially in the 1t to 3t range. With a maximum lifting capacity of 6t and extension lengths of up to 42m, the crane, for example, lifts 1.5t to a range of 18m at a height of 24m. The powerful hydraulic system has been increased by up to 70% so the AK 42 operates at a significantly improved speed and is quickly ready for use and several crane functions can be controlled simultaneously at a constantly high speed.

For the first time a truck crane of this class can raise its mast completely vertically at a 90deg angle to the vehicle. This is an advantage not only when working close to the facade. This innovative mast geometry is made possible by the newly developed telescopic mast system with an aluminium jib that can be extended hydraulically to a length of over 14m at a high speed. Another absolute innovation is the 180deg position of the jib, which straightens up as a 180deg extension of the base mast with the joint fully straightened. Ideal for picking up loads close to the crane or for working in platform mode on the vertically positioned mast in tight set-up situations. The straight boom position gives the crane additional height to reach distant locations across the building. The endless slewing range of the AK 42 opens up a circular working area within which the crane approaches any point at the shortest route.