European launch for Kobelco G-series

The Kobelco G-Series range of medium-sized crawler cranes is now available in Europe with CE marking. Kobelco first announced the seven CKE and BME models from 60 to 250 tonnes capacity at the ConExpo exhibition, Las Vegas in March 2011.

The first public showing in Europe will be at Intermat. They will include the 250 tonne Kobelco CKE2500G with joy sticks and all available options and the 80 tonne capacity Kobelco CKE800G with joy sticks and crawlers with flat track shoes.

Designed as flexible machines suitable for all relevant applications, the updated series also boasts three green energy saving functions, referred to in the G-Series name. According to the manufacturer, up to 25% reduction in fuel consumption can be achieved. At the same time carbon dioxide emission can be reduced by up to 25% and emissions of oxides of nitrogen by up to 50%.

The Auto-Idle-Stop (AIS) automatically stops the engine after about 10 seconds of idling. Benefits include a reduction in fuel consumption, decrease in fuel cost, reduction in wear and deterioration of engine components.

The G-Winch offers higher line speed without raising engine speed, says the manufacturer. The hook can be raised or lowered at maximum line speed without raising engine speed when lifting the hook without a load or with a light load.

The third energy saving feature is the G-Engine, which keeps the engine running with limited maximum engine speed. At the same time pump capacity is controlled to maintain maximum winch speed for running or lifting. This improves fuel consumption by 10%, said Kobelco.