palfinger at a glance

Research, Development and Innovation
conSoliDateD MANAGEMENT REPORT / PERFORMANCE OF PALFINGER
> search Print
Timber and recycling cranes
The product line for timber and recycling cranes was rounded out. In the off-road area, production
of the 15-metre-tonne skidding crane was completed; the prototype of a harvester crane was made
available at the end of 2011 as scheduled.
In order to simplify the selection of modules and features and to optimize order processing,
a product configurator is being developed.
Transportable forklifts
In 2011, after having reviewed the CR series, PALFINGER focused on projects lowering the total cost
of ownership and enhancing product reliability. Using a modern 3D CAD system, PALFINGER can
now also apply the resources and expertise gained from crane design to this area.
Hookloaders
In 2011, considerable attention was paid to product enhancements in the field of hookloaders,
primarily regarding product reliability, long life-cycles and improvement of corrosion protection
within the meaning of the ISO-12944-C3 standards. With the introduction of Palfinger Origin
Protection (POP), PALFINGER has now met standards applicable in the automotive industry such
as corrosion protection for mechanical components.
The Synchron S17–S21 and additional telescopic devices were introduced and 8 and 10 tonne
models were added to the skiploader product range.
In the first quarter of 2011, PALFINGER set up an R&D department in China, which paved the way
for adapting hookloaders for the Asian markets and developing new products that meet Asian
standards. A new telescopic model that is characterized by a high level of reliability and can be
mounted on all common Chinese trucks has already been developed.
PALFINGER developed the T4-J model, which meets the Japanese automotive standards of JABIA,
specifically for the Japanese market. Other priority issues in this area included product standardization,
the creation of preconditions for producing custom-built models and local procurement.
For the North American market, PALFINGER developed the HAD500 model with new features, as
well as additional models of the ARL product line equipped with extendable tails to increase capacity
and a special version for Canada. In cooperation with developers and production experts, PALFINGER
is working on optimizing process design in order to be able to utilize synergies in production and
reduce its ecological footprint.
Telescopic cranes
The product line of fully hydraulic service cranes for North America was expanded in 2011:
Two new models are now ready to go into serial production, and two models have reached the
prototype stage. Equipped with tried and tested hexagonal extension booms, they feature an
outstanding lifting moment and are unrivalled in terms of speed.
A separate R&D team for service cranes in the USA has been given the function of improving the
transfer of know-how between the areas and thus guaranteeing compliance with proven
development processes, standards, quality and systems.
Following the introduction of a special telescopic crane for the Indian market in February 2011,
PALFINGER presented, in November of the same year, a second crane that had been fully designed
in India. The local R&D team places special emphasis on buying materials and components exclusively
from local suppliers. Priorities in this context include light weight, a high level of lifting power
thanks to a new design of the outriggers, the use of proven parts of knuckle boom cranes and
keeping the number of components small.
78 palfinger Annual Report 2011