Zoomlion’s advanced lifting and concrete pumping technology

Zoomlion is a world leader in concrete pumping and lifting technology, with an array of highly sophisticated solutions – Mike Woof reports

Compared with other global manufacturers of construction machines, 1175 Zoomlion is a comparatively new entrant to the market as the firm is just over 20 years old. However, Zoomlion is now recognised as a world leader in the lifting and concrete pumping markets, developing innovative machines that push the boundaries of technology. The company has grown both organically and through acquisition. But perhaps its most notable purchase has been of Italian concrete pump manufacturer 2203 CIFA, a deal which went through in 2008.

Geoffrey Tao is vice general manager of Zoomlion Overseas Branch Company and he said, “We are very active on the global market.”

Tao explained that Zoomlion has a strong focus on new product development and for example, manufactures a tower crane with a 110m boom, the world’s longest. It also offers the largest capacity truck crane on the market. At 5930 Bauma China last year, unveiled its 300tonne class ZE3000 mining shovel, the biggest hydraulic excavator yet developed in China. Meanwhile Zoomlion’s D1250-80 tower crane set a world record by lifting a 5.5tonne load at a radius of 100m.

The firm has very high number of patent registrations/year and Tao said, “We invest 5% of turnover into research and development.”

However, one of the machines of which the Zoomlion group is most proud is its innovative 101m boom concrete pump. This is a record holder as it offers the longest reach of any concrete pump in the world.

The key to the machine is that the top four boom sections of the 101m concrete pump are made from carbon fibre, which reduces its weight considerably. The machine runs on a seven axle truck chassis but had conventional high carbon steel been used, a 12 axle chassis would have been required. It is worth noting that while one competing manufacturer builds a concrete pump with a boom reach of 86m, this has steel in its construction and the machine runs on a nine axle chassis.

Zoomlion has patents covering the use of carbon fibre in the boom and in fact, the company took out over 100 patents on the 101m machine. While the use of carbon fibre was originally conceived by Cifa in Italy this was developed from a basic concept into the actual machine in China by Zoomlion. In theory it might be feasible to build more boom sections from carbon fibre and provide even greater reach. But the special materials are costly and Zoomlion believes that a reach of 101m is more than sufficient for the market demand at present. Because the boom is so long, it features a novel anti-vibration system that provides boom damping. Another key feature is the special concrete delivery piping that is double-skinned, with a lightweight aluminium exterior giving structural strength and a ceramic liner that protects the ductile metal from the abrasive concrete. According to Zoomlion, this type of piping should last twice as long as the conventional pipes used on other machines while weighing 15% less. And carbon fibre is used in some other components while an additional record-breaking specification is its ability to pump 245m3/hour.

While the company has so far built only one 101m reach pump as a flagship machine for the concrete pump line-up, it has seen increased interest in its smaller models featuring similar carbon fibre technology. Tao said, “Our product with the 80m boom is now more and more popular.”
The 80m pump runs on a six axle chassis while there is a 64m pump using a five axle chassis and a 50m unit with a three axle truck. These machines also share the firm’s innovative carbon fibre boom, low weight delivery piping and vibration damping technology. Tao said, “This is the most sophisticated technology in the industry.”

The 101m boom concrete pump has been used successfully on a tower construction project and has considerable potential also for bridge construction projects as its reach will allow tower construction or bridge deck pours that would not have been possible previously. This could allow consulting engineers to try further advances in bridge design and contractors to adopt different construction methods. And it is worth noting that Zoomlion’s machines have already helped push the boundaries of bridge construction technology. The company’s D5200 tower crane played a key role in the project to build a new bridge over the Yangtze River. Zoomlion carried out the research and development work to produce the D5200 tower crane to meet a specific requirement from contractor 890 China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group. The construction company realised it needed this large machine as it would provide the most efficient method of building key components for the bridge project.  This massive tower crane features a maximum load of 5,200tonne-metres, with a lifting height of 210m. Its lifting capacity is 250tonnes while it has a maximum working range of 50m.

Zoomlion does not just rely on cranes and concrete pumps though. The company is run on a matrix basis and the various business units make their own decisions. The firm manufacturers close to 800 products in 86 different product ranges and these are sold in around 80 countries and Tao said, “In China we are the company with the most comprehensive product line.”

He continued, “We have been very successful in the concrete business but we are still young with regard to excavators and earthmoving we see as an area of great potential for growth.”

Exports are crucial to the company and Tao said that the cultural similarities between China and other South East Asian countries have helped the firm’s sales in the region. He continued, “We see very high potential from Russia and Latin America. In South America we have high growth and there is potential for infrastructure investment.”