Link-Belt Cranes has unveiled its new lattice crawler crane, the 99.79-t (110-USt) 218|V (five). It represents the fifth generation of the company’s 218 series.
“Larger cranes often get more publicity for making eye-catching big lifts, but the daily, versatile workhorse in the industry is this size of machine,” said Brian Elkins, product manager for crawler cranes at Link-Belt.
A new 30.4-cm touchscreen LMI operating system offers better visibility with improved sightlines for the 218|V. Also, ergonomic foot pedals are closer to the cab floor to give better unobstructed views of ground level.
The new display features an operator interface with new counterweight sensing for live readout of stacked counterweight, live groundbearing, swing angle indicator, list and trim indicator, engine RPM monitoring, improved diagnostics and more. The crane operator is assisted by on-board high-resolution winch-view, back-up, and non-cab side swing-view cameras with night vision to enhance jobsite visibility from within the cab.
A new optional lighting package also adds LED light on the cabside upper, below the upper and on the front cab for jobsite settings that require additional early morning or evening cover.
The 218|V is fitted with a Cummins QSB 6.7 Stage 5 engine that delivers 281 hp of efficient power to a Kawasaki pump and motor package for fast, responsive, fingertip control, thus providing simultaneous operation wherever it is needed. The crawler crane can be run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), which is fully mixable with regular diesel fuel.
Greater fuel economy is just one of the benefits offered with the 218|V’s eco winch system, resulting in lower operating cost, less engine RPM under load, fewer emissions, and all the line pull users need with 28 mm rope. When activated by the operator, Eco hoist provides maximum line speed with lighter loads all with the engine under 1,000 RPM.
Furthermore, standard equipped is operator-selectable ‘auto-engine shutdown’, allowing the engine to shut down automatically after extended periods of inactivity, so long as critical operating criteria are met. The hydraulic oil service interval has been extended to 4,000 hours (previously 2,000 hours).
The 218|V comes with the same reputable and bulletproof undercarriage components and two-speed travel as the previous 218 HSL, but is now equipped with quick deploy swing-out axle extenders. New car body counterweights (front and rear) feature hook and pin design that fits neatly between side frames, allowing access to side frames for extend and retract. The front car body counterweight has an attached toolbox for extra storage.
The 218|V self-assembles with 30,844 kg of upper counterweight and 13,698 kg of lower car body counterweight. Counterweight removal system is common to Link-Belt’s telecrawler lineup and comes with a remote control for single person operation. An additional 5,443 kg of counterweight provides a 5% average capacity gain over the 218 HSL.
There is also a new, quick reeve boom head with button style termination for easy setup for block and ball removal from a 26 mm rope. Lattice boom extensions on the 218|V are common to 218 HSL. Maximum main boom length is 70 m and maximum fixed-jib length is 22.8 m. Maximum boom-and-jib combination gives the 218|V a maximum tip height of 85 m. Main boom for the 218|V will come with new pendant storage brackets for secure pendant storage when transporting any section of main boom, with optional boom floodlights.
Other new standout features include: new access ladders and steps to the upper work platform; main load transports under 45,359 kg; 48.7 m of boom on three 15.2-m trailers; and power pack lug mounting brackets standard.
