Lifting With Your SPYDERCRANE KBT 5.4 How to Read Boom Length Lifting With Your SPYDERCRANE KBT 5.4 Welcome to KBT 5.4, How to Determine Boom Length. This lesson topic covers the 095- and 200-Series SPYDERCRANE

Topic Overview and Contents This Lesson Topic (How to Read Boom Length) is designed to provide you with an understanding of how the length of the SPYDERCRANE’s boom determines, in part, how much the SPYDERCRANE can safely lift and how to measure the SPYDERCRANE’s boom length visually. You will learn about: How to measure the length of the SPYDERCRANE’s boom using BOOM STAGES It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to read and understand the user manuals included with your SPYDERCRANE and the warning decals posted on it This Lesson Topic covers all SPYDERCRANE Micro-Crawlers (094-, 095-, and 200-Series) This Lesson Topic covers how to read the length of your SPYDERCRANE’s boom, which is one of three critical pieces of information you will need to know in order to figure out your SPYDERCRANE Rated Load Capacity. This topic covers all SPYDERCRANE Micro-Crawlers.

Learning Objective(s) The learning objectives for this Lesson Topic are for each student to… DLO 5.4.1: Define BOOM SECTIONS and BOOM STAGES. DLO 5.4.2: Explain how BOOM STAGES refer to BOOM LENGTH RANGES. DLO 5.4.3: Explain how to identify each of the FIVE BOOM STAGES of the 095- and 200-Series SPYDERCRANE. DLO 5.4.4: Explain when to transition from one BOOM STAGE to the next. These are the learning objectives for this Lesson Topic

Boom Stages and Rated Load Capacity​     The amount of weight that your SPYDERCRANE can safely lift, for a given configuration is called the RATED LOAD CAPACITY.  The Rated Load Capacity for your SPYDERCRANE is identified in the LOAD CHART. As you move the boom of your SPYDERCRANE, its Rated Load Capacity changes; generally, the greater the working radius, the lower the Rated Load Capacity. Rated Load Capacity also depends on the BOOM STAGE of your SPYDERCRANE and its DEPLOYMENT STATE.      Basically, to be able to figure out your SPYDERCRANE's Rated Load Capacity you need to know three things:  The SPYDERCRANE's Boom Length (by Boom Stage) The SPYDERCRANE's DEPLOYMENT STATE The SPYDERCRANE's WORKING RADIUS       In this topic, you will learn how to read your SPYDERCRANE's boom and figure out its Boom Stage. 

Boom Sections All SPYDERCRANEs are equipped with telescoping booms Meaning that the length of the boom can be changed at any time, by the operator Telescoping booms are composed of BOOM SECTIONS Boom Sections nest within one another until they are extended, which increases the overall length of the boom     The telescoping boom of your SPYDERCRANE is composed of different-sized BOOM SECTIONS. These boom sections nest within one another when the boom is fully retracted.  When you command a BOOM OUT, the smaller boom sections telescope OUT from the larger sections until the boom is fully extended.     BOOM SECTION ONE is the largest and heaviest boom section, and is the part of the boom that is attached to the BOOM TURRET of the SPYDERCRANE. Boom Section One remains fixed to the boom turret and is sometimes referred to as the BASE SECTION. All of the other boom sections extend out of Boom Section One       The next smaller boom sections are SECTION TWO, SECTION THREE, and so on. The last boom section will have the highest section number and will contain the BOOM TIP and BOOM TIP SHEAVES. 

Micro-Crawler Boom Tips​    200-Series SPYDERCRANE Micro-Crawlers are equipped with JIB HOODS. The Jib Hood is a framework installed at the end of the boom tip to allow the mounting of a TILT JIB and other compatible accessory systems.      094- and 095-Series SPYDERCRANE Micro-Crawlers are NOT equipped with Jib Hoods. 

Measuring Boom Length​     There are TWO methods for measuring BOOM LENGTH. The traditional method measures the length of the boom using feet and inches. With your SPYDERCRANE Micro-Crawler, you don't need that level of accuracy and instead you a length range. First, we'll go over the traditional method, which is used for the vast majority of mobile cranes, including the larger SPYDERCRANE Mini-Crawler.        BOOM LENGTH is measured from the HINGE PIN to the SHEAVE PIN.  The hinge pin is the large diameter pin that links the Boom Base Section to the Boom Turret. The hinge pin serves as the axis that the boom rotates on when you command a BOOM UP or DOWN.  The sheave pin is located in the boom tip and acts as an axle for the BOOM TIP SHEAVES, which are the pulley-like wheels that the wire rope passes over when it spools out from the wire rope drum and down to the attached hook.     Since the hinge pin and sheave pin are on opposite sides of the telescopic boom, when you command a BOOM OUT, you are increasing the boom's length. On most cranes, there is a device that is used to measure this distance down to the inch, and that data is used to calculate the crane's Rated Load Capacity.     For you, to use the Load Chart of your SPYDERCRANE Micro-Crawler, you only need to know the BOOM STAGE and you can do that visually, without the need for any device. 

Reading Boom Stages​     Simply, to figure out what Boom Stage your SPYDERCRANE is in, you only need to count the number of EXPOSED Boom Sections.      Boom Section One, the largest section, is ALWAYS exposed. When the boom is fully retracted and ONLY Section One is exposed, the boom is in STAGE 1.     When you command a BOOM OUT, Section Two is the first section to extend out of Section One. As soon as you see the black of Section Two (as opposed to the red collar at the very end of the section) the boom is in STAGE 2.      Your SPYDERCRANE's boom is in Stage 2, even as you keep commanding a BOOM OUT UNTIL Section Two is fully extended. Once Section Two is fully extended.  This means that Stage 2 actually covers a RANGE of boom lengths: for a 095-, or 200-Series SPYDERCRANE, Stage 2 has a measured length of 8.4 feet to 13.3 feet.     At this point, the 4-Section Boom of the 094-Series and the 5-Section Boom of the 095- and 200-Series SPYDERCRANE will act a little differently.   

Boom Stages of the 094-Series​ Stage 1: 5.6 feet Stage 2: 5.7-9.8 feet Stage 3: 9.9-13.9 feet     After Section Two is fully extended, Sections Three and Four will extend together. When you look up at the boom and see the exposed sides of Boom Sections One; Two; Three; and Four, the boom is in BOOM STAGE 3.       If you continue to BOOM OUT, Sections Three and Four will extend until you can see the white HASH MARK painted on the sides of Section Three.  When you see the Hash Mark, the boom is in STAGE FOUR.  Stage 4: 14-18 feet

Boom Stages of the 095- and 200-Series​ Stage 1: 8.3 feet Stage 2: 8.4-13.3 feet Stage 3: 13.4-18.3 feet    After Section Three is fully extended, Sections Four and Five will extend together. When you look up at the boom and see the exposed sides of Sections One; Two; Three; Four; and Five, the boom is in STAGE 4.     If you continue to BOOM OUT, Sections Four and Five will extend until you can see the white HASH MARK painted on the sides of Section Four.  When you see the Hash Mark, the boom is in STAGE 5.  Stage 4: 18.4-23.3 feet Stage 5: 23.4-28.4 feet

General Rules for Reading Your SPYDERCRANE's Boom Stage​ SPYDERCRANE Boom Sections are painted black with red Section Collars at their ends SECTION ONE is ALWAYS exposed As soon as you see even the smallest amount of exposed Boom Section, you must count that section to the Boom Stage Confirm whether the white hash mark is exposed Remember, if a Boom Section is extended EVEN ONE INCH, then you must count that Stage.  Section One is ALWAYS exposed, Stage 1 is when the boom is FULLY retracted.  For SPYDERCRANE Micro-Crawlers, you ONLY need to know the Boom Stage.  For SPYDERCRANE Micro-Crawlers, you ONLY need to know the Boom Stage.