(L-R) are Oliver Lieb, crane operator, Merkel; Günther Merkel, general manager, Merkel; and Thomas Keckeis, sales manager, Terex Cranes.

The very first unit of the brand new Demag AC 45 City crane delivered in Germany went to crane service provider Merkel from the Franconian town of Schlüsselfeld. The crane was handed over at Merkel's premises by Terex Cranes Sales Manager Thomas Keckeis. General Manager Günther Merkel and crane operator Oliver Lieb were there to receive their seventh Demag crane in the company's extensive fleet.

"We have plenty of experience with its predecessor, the AC 40 City, which we have been extremely happy with for years, especially because of its outstanding reliability. That's why deciding on this new and improved machine was a matter of course for us," Günther Merkel said.

Merkel is particularly excited about the IC-1 Plus control system on his new Demag AC 45 City and the way it allows the crane to be operated in any outrigger position. Another advantage that for Merkel was crucial to his decision is the crane's compact design. In fact, the machine's dimensions of 28.5 ft. (8.69 m) in length, 8.3 ft. (2.55 m) in width, and 10 ft. (3.16 m) in height are unrivaled in its category, according to the manufacturer.

"And don't forget that it only weighs [37.4 tons] when fully equipped, meaning that it remains well below the [13.2 ton] axle load limit. This makes it an especially cost-effective option for us as we don't need to use additional transportation vehicles," Merkel said.

The new City doesn't sacrifice performance for compactness: It comes with a 102.7 ft. (31.3 m) main boom and offsettable main boom extensions of 23.3 or 42.6 ft. (7.10 or 13 m). The 4.2 ft. (1.3-m)-long runner for loads of up to 27.5 ton (25 t) is an ideal tool, especially for indoor job sites – the predecessor could only lift 16.5 ton (15 t).

In addition, the telecylinder is reinforced. The maximum loads that can be telescoped are now 21.7 ton (19.7 t) — more than doubled compared to the AC 40 City. Even with an extended boom length of 65.6 ft. (20 m), the crane can still handle 15.4 ton (14 t).

With its six forward gears and one reverse gear, the Demag AC 45 City crane's drivetrain leaves nothing to be desired: The 260-kW MTU motor meets Euromot 4 requirements and, together with the crane operation start/stop function, ensures cost-effective and environmentally friendly operation.

About Merkel Autokrane GmbH

Merkel Autokrane GmbH is a medium-sized cranes service provider headquartered in the Franconian town of Schlüsselfeld. The company also operates branches in Bamberg, Burgkunstadt and Nuremberg. Merkel Autokrane operates a fleet of mobile cranes with lifting capacities of 33 to 275.5 ton (30 to 250 t). It provides a wide range of lifting, transportation, and assembly services and rents construction and material handling equipment as well as heavy-duty vehicles.

For more information, visitwww.merkel-krane.de

For more information about Terex, visit www.terex.com.

This story also appears on Crane Equipment Guide.

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