Wind Today

Sturgeon Bay, WI--On Wednesday, July 14, Shuttlelift welcomed its North American dealers and members of the press to the official unveiling of its new SB Series.

This revolutionary new line of single-beam, rubber-tired gantry cranes is designed to provide state-of-the-art lifting solutions and a broad range of cost-saving benefits, and this one-day launch event gave dealers and industry magazine representatives a chance to learn about the vision and engineering behind the new machines, as well as an opportunity to watch a 70-ton SB crane in action.

Upon arrival at 8 a.m., attendees had an opportunity to demo the new SB crane, observing its sharp steering capabilities and the operation of its hoisting mechanism.

They watched as the crane traveled over a 10 x 10 timber; the trunnion flexed effortlessly, ensuring that the machine didn’t suffer any stress from the uneven terrain.

They also witnessed the sheer power of the crane, which can teeter on the block and still hold its load securely in place.

This kind of power allows the driver to put the tire up on the block and hold it — or even hold it halfway on the block — without risk to the load.

This was done to demonstrate the precision of the drive control.

After the morning demo, Shuttlelift’s engineering team provided an up-close look at the crane’s development, its features, how its many benefits will apply in the marketplace and a selection of possible applications.

A final afternoon demo allowed guests to drive the crane using its standard remote control pack.

“We wanted to give our dealers and media partners an opportunity to see for themselves how the SB Series will improve material handling and operational efficiency while reducing manpower and operator risk,” said Kurt Minten, Shuttlelift’s director of industrial sales. “These cranes will give their owners quite an edge.” In today’s marketplace, components are getting longer, tandem picks are becoming more common, and plant managers are looking for a more cost-effective way to do business.

The SB Series, Minten explained, is perfectly suited to that marketplace.

Traditionally, plant managers would purchase a traditional gantry crane with a long spreader bar to handle tandem picks.

Now, with the SB Series, they’ll pay roughly 35 percent less for two SB 50 cranes than they would for a single 100-ton gantry with spreader bar.

And that’s not all.

“We can provide increased safety, because there are no load charts to misinterpret, and there are no stability issues because the weight is directly below the crane’s frame,” Minten said.

“Plus, the SB cranes are designed for high-duty cycle and will help increase productivity, and you’ll benefit from a much tighter turning radius and increased maneuverability when tandem picking thanks to the single-beam design.” Yet even as Shuttlelift has provided a cost-effective solution, it has not compromised on quality.

The 70-ton SB Series crane conducting demos, as Minten pointed out, is not a prototype.

“We didn’t have to start from scratch,” he said.

“We simply took our core competencies and brought them to a new application.” In addition to the cost-effectiveness, reliability and efficiency that Shuttlelift cranes guarantee, plant managers also will benefit from the partnership the company offers; the engineering team works with customers to design lifting solutions that meet their needs.

And that’s as true down the road as it is at the time of purchase.

“We’re proud of the fact that these SB Series cranes can provide indoor and outdoor lifting solutions, so you don’t need to invest in expensive infrastructure like an overhead rail system,” Minten said.

“You can simply erect a shell building, which will cost less, will result in lower taxes and can be left behind.

"The crane can move with you. “But I also want to point out that we will continue to work with you as your business moves forward,” he continued.

“If you leave the first facility and move into a new one that has different dimensions, we can customize your crane and modify it to suit the new building.” Minten noted that as load weights and lengths continue to increase, customers with overhead systems may need to upgrade their facilities. And that won’t be cost-effective. “I’d encourage anyone facing a facilities upgrade to consider the new SB Series,” he said.

“These cranes really are the next generation in lifting solutions, and they’ll revolutionize the way our customers do business.”

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