Customer case

Strenx® performance steel has the right strength for world’s No.1 4,000-ton crawler crane

October 12, 2021 6 min read

Case details

Country China
Company Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co.
Industry Lifting

Tension bars in Strenx® 1100 E make a safe choice in XCMG’s record-breaking 4,000-ton crawler cranes.

This lifting giant is the world’s largest crawler crane. The XGC88000 has a maximum rated lifting moment of 88,000 ton-force meters, which translates to a maximum lifting capacity of 4,000 tons. Strenx® 1100 E has been the high-strength structural steel of choice for the Chinese company Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., known as XCMG.

Tension bars are components made to withstand high tensile forces and help maintain overall stability in structures such as cranes, buildings, bridges and more. In the XGC88000, tension bars are used to secure a rigid connection between the crane booms and the counterweights on the ground.

Crawler crane, the XCMG’s 4000-ton model

Tension bars are key components in crawler cranes. Here is a XGC88000 crawler crane performing a hoisting operation of a DHT (diesel hydrogen treatment) reactor weighing 970 tons at the Duqm Oil Refinery of Oman.

Case details

Country China
Company Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co.
Industry Lifting

"When we design and launch a new product such as the XGC88000 crawler crane, only the most reliable materials are used to ensure lifting equipment safety, stability and customer satisfaction."

Technical spokesperson at XCMG

Lifting equipment safety

It takes a mighty machine that can lift massive loads to operate where other types of cranes can’t. Crawler cranes are often ideal for lifting large loads at great heights and distances in tough industries like construction, oil and gas, and agriculture. And lifting equipment safety is, of course, paramount.

As a steel with high yield strength, Strenx® structural steel is designed to work under high load stresses without causing equipment failure, while providing maximum strength at a lighter weight. The reliable, consistent mechanical properties of Strenx® steel fulfil all the strict demands from customers and regulatory bodies. Strenx® 1100 E has been used in the XGC88000 crane from the beginning, and the tension bars are cut from plates at the SSAB Kunshan facility according to XCMG’s own design. Before the product was put into production, SSAB gave advice on material selection and handled all the pre-production testing.

Strenx® 1100 E has a minimum yield strength of 1100 MPa. With such a strong steel, the tension bars can be made thinner, reducing the weight for easier handling and lower transportation costs. The consistent properties, guaranteed dimensional tolerances and high surface quality of Strenx® 1100 E make cutting and machining easier and more predictable. The stable workshop performance gives maximum yield and a cost-efficient production process. XCMG knows that all tension bars live up to the same high standards for strength and safety.

“XCMG is one of the leading companies in this industry,” says a spokesperson from the company’s technical department. “When we design and launch a new product such as the XGC88000 crawler crane, only the most reliable materials are used to ensure lifting equipment safety, stability and customer satisfaction. Strenx® performance steel is definitely the perfect choice. It has all the qualities we expect from an SSAB product, and the support we get from SSAB is very valuable.”

High-quality tension bars for XCMG’s crawler cranes

High-volume production of high-quality tension bars for XCMG’s crawler cranes is made possible thanks to the consistent properties of Strenx® 1100 E.

Customer benefits

• High yield strength steel can work under high load stresses without causing equipment failure, while providing maximum strength at a lighter weight

• Thinner tension bars can improve handling and help lower transportation costs

• Consistent properties, guaranteed dimensional tolerances and high surface quality for workshop efficiency and high-quality, high-volume production

• Strenx® steel helps to ensure lifting device strength, safety and stability


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