Van der Linde adds 70-tonne Sennebogen 670 E duty cycle crane

Van der Linde, active in construction for more than 130 years, works on inland waterways, in the Wadden Sea and around the East Frisian Islands, running its own fleet of machines and pontoons for civil engineering, pipeline construction and steel hydraulic engineering. Quay walls, port upgrades and coastal defences are getting heavier component by component, and the company says its cranes have to keep pace.

Replacing machines after three decades

The 670 E was acquired from the rental fleet of Gebrüder Willing GmbH and forms part of a long-term fleet renewal. It takes over from duty cycle cranes that have been in service for more than 30 years, and works alongside a Sennebogen 643 E telescopic crawler crane that joins the fleet at the same time.

“Structural components are becoming increasingly heavier, so we have to keep pace with changing requirements. Our previous machines have served us faithfully for more than 30 years. Now it’s time for them to retire and make way for the new generation represented by the Sennebogen 670 E, complemented by a 643 E telescopic crawler crane. Coastal protection is one of the most important safeguards for inland areas – and there is always plenty of work for these machines.”

— Jörg Hoppe, Managing Director and Head of Hydraulic Engineering, J.u.H. van der Linde

The relationship between the two companies is not new: a Sennebogen 612 M mobile crane has worked as the yard crane at van der Linde’s Emden facility for over 30 years, and that record of reliability weighed heavily in the purchasing decision.

Self-assembly without an assist crane

The first assembly at the company’s own yard showed one of the machine’s practical advantages. Thanks to its integrated counterweight handling system, the 670 E ballasted itself without an additional assist crane – a useful trait in hydraulic engineering, where cranes move frequently between sites and every rig-up on a pontoon or a tight quayside costs time and logistics. The self-assembly session doubled as hands-on familiarisation for the operators.

Work on land and on water

The crane’s programme covers coastal protection schemes, construction of new quay walls, modernisation of existing port facilities, steel hydraulic engineering, and lifting and positioning heavy steel structures, including duties on pontoons and inland waterways.

Source: Sennebogen — Photos: Sennebogen