Link-Belt Hosts 2021 CraneFest at Its Lexington, Ky., HQ

Wed October 27, 2021
CEG

Link-Belt Cranes held CraneFest 2021 at its world headquarters in Lexington, Ky., Sept. 27 to Oct. 1. The event was staged in two-day sessions with representatives from the company's dealer network, rental houses and end users in attendance to learn about Link-Belt's historic beginnings, manufacturing capabilities and lineup of world class cranes.

On day one, Link-Belt hosted a reception and dinner at the Kentucky Headquarters of North America's oldest Thoroughbred auction company, Fasig Tipton. The reception and dinner provided an excellent opportunity for attendees to network with peers and spend time with Link-Belt representatives.

On day two, the Link-Belt executive team welcomed the group with opening remarks followed by video presentation which outlined Link Belt's history, development and accomplishments. Attendees were then bussed to the Link-Belt Company world headquarters for a tour of the manufacturing facility. After the tour, attendees were led to an outdoor staging area for a live presentation of Link-Belt's product line, a key highlight being the introduction of four new cranes.

Link-Belt introduced its new 85-ton (75-t) 85|RT rough-terrain crane. Powered by a Cummins Tier IV final QSB 6.7 270 hp (201 kW) diesel engine, the 85|RT transports under 105,000 lbs. with full counterweight and under 86,000 lbs. without counterweight.

The 85|RT comes with a full power, five-section formed boom 38 to 142 ft. (11.6 to 43.3 m) and an available two-piece Link-Belt SmartFly (35 to 58 ft. [10.7 to 17.7 m]) expands the flexibility and range.

The company also introduced the new 65|HT, a 65-ton (55-t) capacity truck crane, which is equipped with a new four-section 36.5 to 115 ft. (11.2 to 35 m) full-power boom reaching a maximum tip height of 125 ft. (38.1 m).

For greater maintenance efficiency, the new 65|HT has an all-new formed boom with Link-Belt's Teflon wear pads, eliminating the need to grease the boom. The 65|HT is powered by an EPA 2021 certified Cummins L9 engine delivering 260 hp (194 kW) at 2,000 rpm. Three optimized boom extend modes and a maximum counterweight of 18,700 lbs. (8,482 kg) offer outstanding capacity on the job site, according to the manufacturer.

Link-Belt's CraneFest also saw the launch of the 120|HT the company's new 120-ton (110-t) base rated hydraulic truck crane. The four-axle 120|HT incorporates design elements of Link-Belt's 175|AT all-terrain crane with a wider single occupant cab.

Ride quality is a key ingredient for the 120|HT which comes by way of an all-new air ride suspension design, which was the result of Link-Belt's design collaboration with suspension manufacturer Hendrickson International. The 120|HT's air disc brakes, which improve performance and reduce maintenance time, are another new innovation Link-Belt has introduced to the hydraulic truck crane market.

Link-Belt Cranes new 55-ton (45-t) TCC-550 telescopic crawler crane featuring a full-power 36.5 to 115 ft. (11 to 35 m) four-section boom with two boom extend modes (EM1 and EM2) equipped with Link-Belt's Teflon wear pads. Fly options include a 28.5 to 51 ft. (8.7 to 15.6 m) two-piece bi-fold lattice fly, stowable, capable of 2, 20 and 40 degrees offset and with a maximum tip height of 165.5 ft (50.44 m).

Following Link-Belt's presentation of its crane lineup, CraneFest attendees were treated to lunch, after which they had an opportunity to review the cranes up close while spending time with Link-Belt company representatives for a full run down on each of the models. CEG

(All photographs in this article are Copyright 2021 Construction Equipment Guide. All Rights Reserved.)

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