Lampson Carves Niche in Crawler Remanufacturing
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Lampson specializes in remanufacturing Manitowoc 4100 cranes |
June 17, 2015 - Last year, Lampson International dedicated a chunk of its mega-crane manufacturing operations to re-manufacturing Manitowoc 4100 cranes. The move turned out to be a profitable one for the Kennewick, Wash. company. The Lampson Millennium came about because the company saw a need for the beloved old workhorses and found it had more than 100 of them in its rental fleet.
So far, Lampson has completed 14 of the remanned crawlers, and reports it has enough work to keep a team on the job for the next decade. “We saw a need in our industry for a crane with modern-day technology and operating conveniences combined with the stamina of the old Manitowoc workhorses,” explained Kate Lampson, director of strategic communications.
“Once we started working on the design and remanufacture efforts, we realized that we could rent these cranes to our customers for a fraction of the price that they could buy a new one. They have been a great machine for us and our customers love them. We have many of these cranes in our fleet and as the demand continues, we will continue with the Millennium conversions,” she added.
Modern conveniences
The six-week remanufacturing process begins with a complete replacement of the operator cab. A new cab is molded out of aluminum and decked out with a computerized control system and updated joystick controls. Larger than the Manitowoc cabs and sporting bigger windows the Millenium cabs offer enhanced operator comfort and visibility.
In the reman process, all components are sandblasted to bare metal and visually inspected. In addition, all structural welds are mag-particle inspected to ensure quality, reports Randy Stemp, Lampson’s head engineer. The 4100’s housing is replaced with a new engine and updated hydraulics. In fact, the entire VICON system is removed and replaced with a gear box that drives three hydraulic systems. The travel and hoist drums are on a combined open-loop system, while the swing and boom hoist are independent closed loop hydraulic systems.
The hoist winches are replaced with larger-capacity drums with integrated planetaries, and the travel drive is replaced with a low-profile 90° planetary that drives the original vertical travel shaft. The hydraulically-driven planetary offers more finite control but the steering modes remain the same, said Stemp.
The open-loop hydraulic load hoist system has load sensing capabilities to enhance machine performance. The entire hoist drum system is new, and features Lampson-manufactured larger drums with higher line pull. The drums, driven by twin planetaries, have either fixed or variable displacement motors depending on the individual requirements for each crane. Each planetary has an integrated brake capable of holding more than 1.5 times the maximum load. There is no free-fall capability with load lowering controlled by use of counterbalance valves, he explained.
“We have increased the single-drum line pull by 70% with two line size choices—1 1/8-in. and 1 ¼-in. diameter,” said Stemp. “The maximum line pull for both the main drum and the auxiliary drum is 55,000 lbs. with a spooling capacity of 2,200 or 1,800 ft., depending on which line size you use. The line speeds are similar to other hydraulically-driven drums that do not have free-fall capabilities.”
The Manitowoc hydraulic boom hoist system is remanufactured and reused, and the controls are converted from air to electronic. The original swing drive is completely removed and replaced with a planetary drive with integrated brake. The result is swing performance similar to the original crane, Stemp explained, adding that both free swing and auto-stop modes that can be selected to suit the individual operator’s style.
Lampson integrates an eco-friendly Cummins QSM11 Tier 3 engine into the Millenium model, and offers a Tier 4 F engine as an option. Parker IQAN modules are used for the base of the crane’s control system, which is all electronic and uses readily-available components. The system is custom programed by Lampson, but is not a proprietary design, Stemp noted. “Using the IQAN system allows for worldwide maintenance support that does not require factory training,” he explained. “The control system allows tandem drum operational abilities for situations requiring endless reeving.”
Further, he said all Millennium series cranes are equipped with LSI load monitoring systems to further enhance safe lift operations. The LSI can be configured as an LMI with all applicable load charts depending on the requirements of the individual customer. The LSI system provides monitoring of load hoist, jib hoist, high and low boom angle, anti-two-block, and has optional levelness and anemometer sensors. The crane’s capacity chart remains the same, because Lampson does not change any of the structural integrity of this machine, he said.
“The 4100 Millennium has been updated to have equivalent safety features with all of newly-manufactured equipment with the durability and versatility of the original 4100,” Stemp pointed out. “We have eliminated free-fall capabilities on the load and jib hoists and increased available line pull to enhance durability. Operator access has been enhanced over the original 4100 with walkways and handrails.”
Demand grows
Lampson has seen “tremendous” demand for the Millenium crawlers for use in a variety of applications, including power-plant construction, barge work, and use at refineries to name a few. “These cranes are also popular as they have no free-fall capabilities and are non-friction rigs, so they are allowed on almost every jobsite,” she explained.
Demand is growing for the remanufactured machine, too, as customers realize the crane’s versatility and the ability to use both Manitowoc Tower and Ringer attachments, she said.
By Lucy Perry