Swift swinging

Penny Hydraulics, based in the UK, produces vehicle-mounted load handling equipment. Products previewed on the company stand at the UK's Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show, in April, included new versions of the company's 500 kg and 1,000 kg Swing Lift cranes.

“A totally new frame design and inclusion of hydraulic slew and hydraulic boom extension should make these cranes among the most compact and powerful in their respective classes,” comments the company.

The Swing Lift range, with capacities up to 2,000 kg, is widely used by commercial vehicle operators who need to handle loads efficiently and eliminate manual handling, the manufacturer says. At the top end of the Swing Lift series, are the two V-Range models, with 1,500 and 2,000 kg capacities.

The company forecasts sales of about 200 V-Range cranes and around 2,500 of the various SwingLift models each year, says Richard Short, sales director.

He explains the decision to introduce fully hydraulic cranes came in response to increased customer demands. They wanted equipment that does not require operators to approach the crane or climb on the vehicle to make adjustments, for example, to boom inclination or boom extension. “Eliminating these actions help users comply with increasingly stringent health and safety policies. As far as we know full hydraulic performance is unique for the FV500 and unusual, possibly unique, for the FV1200.”