UK based crane and vacuum lifting equipment distributor GGR has come up with an interesting option to overcome the current fuel price spikes and potential energy shortages – Pedal Power.
It has equipped one of its Unic URW 547 spider cranes with two bicycle frames with the wheels connected to high efficiency generators. With two people pedalling, the crane can operate at roughly 50 percent of the usual speeds, while retaining the same lifting power.
The crane is operated from the usual remote controller. The original power pack remains in place and can even benefit from top ups from the generators in order to conserve power.
The unit is naturally only at the prototype stage at the moment, and according to GGR’s Gill Riley, it will require further refinement before it becomes commercially viable. It is currently going through initial trials and testing, which is showing surprisingly positive results so far.
One side benefit, says Riley, is that it has the additional benefit of keeping employees fitter and healthier, which not only helps them, but healthier employees leads to lower absenteeism and greater productivity.
Vertikal Comment
It is nice to see companies thinking out of the box on issues such as this, rather than just whinging about the cost of fuel etc… but there is a catch here, we feel – the cost of three people to operate a single crane will significantly outweigh the extra costs of the original energy. Unless you can charge gym fees for the peddlers? Wondering about this feature? Check the date. Next year we will be earlier. Have a great day.
