Liebherr crane configuration codes: what do they actually mean?

Have you ever wondered what is the logic behind the crane configuration codes used by Liebherr?

How could an unintelligible code such as “SL13DFB” being interpreted?

There is a logic behind the letters used – it has to be found in the German roots of the company.

The letters most frequently used in wind farm construction to define crane configurations are:

SL (“Schwer / Leicht”): This code means that the main boom of the crane is made of two different types of sections, “Heavy” (with a standard area) and “Light” (with a somewhat smaller area, used in the last segment of the boom). Between the “heavy” and the “light” sections s transition element is used

D (“Derrick”): The crane has a secondary boom, called “Derrick”.

F (“Feste Gitterspitze”): The crane use a jib (an auxiliary element assembled on the top of the main boom).

W (“Wippare Gitterspitze”): This is a different type of jib (a luffing fly jib). “WV” is the heavy version.

HS (“Hilfspitze”): This is one more jib configuration specifically designed for wind turbine assembly.

B (“Ballast”): The crane use a suspended counterweights system.