Shuttlelift Celebrates Anniversary of SB Series

Last year, Shuttlelift, Sturgeon Bay, Wis., broke ground with the launch of a new series of cranes designed to provide state-of-the-art material handling solutions and a broad range of cost-saving benefits. The new SB Series rubber-tired gantry crane provides users with a highly economic solution in a competitive marketplace. Driven by superior engineering innovations and inspired by Shuttlelift customers, the company’s gantry cranes remain one of the premier lines in the machine handling industry.

The newest SB series offers additional lifting solutions proven to be effective in the fabrication’s SL and ISL mobile gantry crane series.

The Shuttlelift SB series offers an effective solution with several lifting scenarios from 15- to 100-ton cranes, and is a productive alternative to overhead cranes, boom cranes, reach stackers, forklifts, crawler cranes or rough-terrain cranes. It can also be used in conjunction with a customer’s existing conventional rubber-tired gantry crane, regardless of brand.

Another distinctive application of the Shuttlelift SB gantry crane is as an alternative to permanent overhead bridge cranes.  The SB single-beam gantry offers superior economic benefits compared to the expense of overhead bridge cranes or retrofitting a building for greater crane capacity. The SB gantry crane only requires the door to be of sufficient size, with adequate headroom, to operate anywhere within the confines or outside of the building. Possibly the best feature of all is that if a company outgrows its current facility, or it decides to relocate, the crane can be disassembled and moved to a new location.

“As always, we are constantly looking for ways to accommodate the needs of our existing customers’ and offer new customers a thoughtfully designed and integrated solution for their lifting needs,” said Kurt Minten, director of industrial sales. “We are particularly excited with the SB Series concept and believe we are delivering value for money, again.”

Another vital feature in the SB series is wireless remote control.  It provides additional safety for the operator, equipment and facility, as well as reliable control for easy maneuvering around indoor or outdoor products or structures. Wireless remote control will enhance your gantry crane’s operation by allowing the operator to walk with the load, reducing the number of ground personnel and spotters required. The remote control increases operator visibility of the entire work area and reduces blind spots, ensuring maximum maneuverability. To maintain consistency and provide an additional efficiency and safety, the wireless remote-control unit is laid out in the same format as the controls in the operator back-up cab. In addition, it comes equipped with a spare battery and a charger, and Shuttlelift provides important mechanical back-up if the remote control would be lost or damaged.

Shuttlelift also included standard features to its mobile gantry cranes, such as powder-coated carbon steel hydraulic tubing and zinc plated bolts and pins. Their fasteners are designed to resist corrosion and oxidation due to exposure to the elements.  Bottom beam mounted winches provide visibility and safety for operators.  Cordura covers protect hoses from damaging UV rays and abrasion for longer service life.  Shuttlelift’s articulated pivot trunnion allows the crane’s frame to articulate while it travels over uneven terrain without causing structural damage or risking the safety of the load.

“The SB Series will improve material handling and operational efficiency while reducing manpower and operator risk,” said Minten. “We can provide increased safety because there are no load charts to misinterpret, and there are no stability issues because the weight is directly below the crane’s frame. Plus, the SB cranes are designed for high-duty cycle and will help increase productivity, and you’ll benefit from a much tighter turning radius and increased maneuverability when tandem picking thanks to the single-beam design.”

In addition, the engineering team works with customers to design lifting solutions that meet their needs. And that’s as true down the road as it is at the time of purchase.