Spierings finally unveiled the production version of its long awaited hybrid three axle City Boy self erecting tower crane, at a 30 year anniversary launch event for customers and suppliers last Thursday evening.

The crane - the SK487-AT3 City Boy - has been totally redesigned from the City Boy concept the company first revealed seven years ago and again at the company’s 25th anniversary celebrations in 2012. 

Spierings claims the City Boy is the first hybrid crane and has been designed in response to the number of cities around the world looking to ban diesel and petrol engined vehicles.

Performance wise the City Boy has a maximum lift capacity of seven tonnes to a radius of 11.96 metres and maximum radius of 40 metres with a capacity of 1,700kg. Four tower heights - 21, 24, 27 and 30 metres - and jib luffing angles of 15, 30 and 45 degrees for a maximum lift height of 55.45 metres.

Gross Vehicle Weight is 36 tonnes with overall stowed dimensions of 13.1 metres long, 2.5 metres wide and four metres high. A new tower head design allows a high erection curve with the jib being unfolded through full 360 degrees.
There are many excellent features on the crane. including a new patented outrigger design which allows a greater spread from the 2.5 metre chassis, with fixed widths of 4.5, 5.7 and a whopping 7.25 metres - an increase of 950mm over existing designs. 

The single cab functions as both the driving cab on the road and as the crane cab when erected. The 970mm wide cab is 1.67 metres high and 3.13 metres long and has an electronically controlled sliding door with passenger seat behind the driver's seat (if required). The cab - connected to the tower- is rotated through 90 degrees when it is raised with the remote controls, cab is then raised to the required height with a cable system, and held in place on the tower by an electro magnetic system.

The main slew ring is offset to the right of the chassis to make room for the tower and cab arrangement. This means that the load chart is skewed with maximum lift of 1,700kg available in a 210 degree segment to the rear on left side of the crane with a reduced 1,350kg maximum over the front and and front right outrigger.

The crane can be operated in fully electric, hybrid or diesel modes, with all wheels steered and axles one and three driven by electric motors with a standard 42.5kWh lithium ion battery pack, and the option of a larger 85kWh pack. Charging by cable is 400V/25 amps with an on board 50 metre spring cable reel. The Stage IV John Deere diesel is connected via a oneway clutch to a 170kW generator with hydraulic pumps for all crane movements.

The crane was very well received by those attending the launch including M. Verschoor Sassenheim, Netherlands which has purchased the first machine seen along with UK crane rental companies including City Lifting which has the world’s largest fleet of Spierings cranes, NMT Crane Hire and John Sutch Cranes with deliveries starting around next May.

Also at the event owner Leo Spierings also announced that his nephew Koos Spierings has taken over his 100 percent ownership of the company which the family regained last September ‘to ensure that the 'family stays in the company and it is in good hands’. Leo Spierings will remain as chief executive and retain a major influence on the development of the company over the coming years.