Konecranes has mounted its popular CXT electric overhead travelling crane on a steel frame and two standard ISO shipping containers to create a powerful, adaptable, fully mobile industrial crane.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for our customers to improve their lifting operations efficiency and safety on the field. This new product category brings the quality and safety of lifting from the factory building to remote site conditions” says Olli Kuismanen, general manager, Konecranes Business Factory.

The CXT Explorer is a standard industrial crane that can be taken almost anywhere. The punchline is its patented design: it can be assembled, ready to lift, in just a few hours. With a lifting height of 5 m and a span of 5 m, there is plenty of room for most field lifting needs. Yet its compact size allows easy travel. On leaving, the crane can be dismantled quickly, and the shipping containers that form its base double as storage for the crane components, service tools, equipment, and spare parts.

Sometimes an industrial crane is needed in a location for only a short period of time. A typical short-term use is vehicle maintenance in a location where a fixed overhead crane would be too expensive, take too long to install, and require a major redesign of the work space around it. In some cases, such a crane could not be installed at all, as it is needed where there is no power, or even no building. In prolonged use the crane represents a cost-efficient investment.

To make an industrial crane mobile, the Konecranes CXT crane was refitted to a new structure. But the CXT Explorer is more compact and flexible: all the user needs is enough space for two ISO shipping containers, room to access them, and a full maintenance workshop, assembly station or logistics hub becomes available. Outside, it easily adapts to different environments, including places with little or no infrastructure, and can run on a generator if there is no source of electricity. It includes thermal and weather protection for use in extreme climates and on difficult terrain. The whole crane area can be covered with a special tent to shield the users from the weather. The units can also be tethered together to provide a longer system.

As the CXT Explorer’s strong and wide container base provides full support, and operation is from the ground, it’s more stable than a standard mobile crane. True vertical lifting helps maintain safety during lifting, with less chance of damage or collision. It can be used by anyone permitted to using an industrial crane. All of its components have been made specifically for cranes and require fewer repairs. The idea of the CXT Explorer is all the benefits of a standard industrial crane in a fully mobile unit. Even when the crane is used in a remote area, Konecranes provides on-call maintenance in order to keep the crane running and minimize downtime.