Get FinancingLink-Belt’s TCC-2500 Dodges Trains, Makes Long-Distance Picks At An Illinois Ag Chemical Plant
Crane manufacturer Link-Belt is rightly proud of its 250-ton (227-metric ton) TCC-2500 telescopic crawler crane lately, and specifically of its mobility and ability to lift heavy objects far, far away. A particular TCC-2500 got the chance to demonstrate these capabilities—which saved a customer an estimated $800,000—at a crowded chemical plant site in Illinois. Here’s how it happened.
Pick & Move, Pick & Move
The Kelly Group of Decatur rented the Link-Belt crane from The ALL Family of Companies to tear down old corn tanks and move new vessels into renovated areas. The TCC-2500 worked approximately 1,650 hours over seven months in the agro-refinery complex.
One problem: The crane had to operate in the railroad discharge section of the plant, with trains coming and going every day.
“When the trains came in or went through, we retract the boom, walk it over the train tracks to the other side, let the train cars come by, and then go back to the work location,” said The Kelly Group’s Crane Superintendent, Ron McCoy. “We walk it in, set up, boom out, do the picks, pull the boom back in, and walk it out several times a day.”
Quite A Stretch
Another challenge: The crane and vessel hauling machinery couldn’t get anywhere near the actual work sites.
While dismantling an old corn tank up to 265 feet (80.8 meters) away, with sections weighing up to 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms), for example, the TCC-2500 had to stretch to the limit. It was set up with a fully extended, 223-foot (68-meter) boom plus 117 feet (35.7 meters) of 45-degree offset jib in order to have enough reach.
“Anything else was not really feasible,” said McCoy. “A big crawler crane did not have the space to be erected and lay it down when needed. With a truck crane, it would have to be a much larger capacity rig, over 500-ton (454-metric ton) capacity.
“We could have retracted the boom, and lift up the outriggers, but then have to tear all the counterweights off (to reduce ground pressure thus losing time), then move it across the tracks. This would be at least twice a day,” said McCoy. “So the TCC-2500 was extremely helpful.
“We figured out that we saved over $800,000 during this project just because of that crane, and that is a conservative estimate.”
The TCC-2500, By The Numbers
The Link-Belt TCC-2500 has a seven-section formed telescopic boom that uses a pin and latch system. Its minimum retracted length is 43.7 feet (13.3 meters). With extensions, the crane’s maximum tip height is 351 feet (107 meters). A Cummins QSL 9 engine powers the crane with 320 horsepower (239 kilowatts).
Source: Link-Belt