IN FOCUS / ACTIVE CRANE DECKS
A HIVE OF ACTIVITY ACTIVE CRANE DECK HIRE Active Crane Deck Hire launched its range of hydraulically operated crane decks with the November/ December issue of Cranes and Lifting. The market’s response has been quick and positive. HERMANN BUCHBERGER PROVIDES AN update on the Active Crane Deck product and explains how you really do get what you pay for in an industry where quality and safety are paramount and inseparable. “We are now manufacturing between 10 and 12 decks per month and this exactly where we thought we would be. We have budgeted for between 100 and 120 decks per year. This means we have 40 decks in stock, and we have forward bookings for 30. These will be delivered to projects in the next two to three months. “So, to date our supply is meeting the demand but we expect the demand to increase as our marketing of the product increases. We are happy with the launch of the product and how the market has responded so far. The next phase will see the decks tested in the market,” he said. As with all new concepts and designs there have been some minor issues with the hydraulic decks but this to be expected and were easily fixed says Buchberger. “We had one or two minor issues relating to hydraulic fittings, which were quickly resolved. We are aware that there will be constant refinements made to the product and we were expecting this. “The response from the guys using the product has been quick and extremely positive. Because the system is so simple, we haven’t had one question about the operations of the decks. “We take care of the installation, so the customer basically gets handed the finished product. As we do with our cranes, we visit the site and measure everything. We get the decks to site, 100 / CAL January 2022
install them and hand over everything to the client. It takes half an hour to install a deck. We have also produced a special induction video which takes three minutes to view and a safety induction video which takes two,” said Buchberger. Many of the competitive crane loading decks are manufactured in China and with the increases in freight costs, the locally manufactured crane decks are proving to be more competitive. “A 40 foot container, out of the Chinese factory to the Chinese port, shipped to Botany and then transported to Somersby has gone from $5K to 25K. If you only get six to eight decks in the container, by the time you are landing the decks and factoring in the increased
rates of shipment they are costing roughly the same what we make our decks for. “Of course, we are more expensive than the manual decks on the market but there are numerous benefits to having automated extendable and retractable decks. I doubt any local manufacturer would be able to match our quality and pricing. “I say this because my colleague and business partner Gerd Altmeyer, has a vast international network of suppliers in the manufacturing sector and I know he is sourcing the best products and components at the best prices. Also, we have set up a facility which is second to none for this type of manufacturing.
Active Crane Decks Hermann Buchberger and Gerd Altmeyer. www.cranesandlifting.com.au
