Erecting a fly—requiring someone to climb a ladder and multiple workers to be on the scene—is a pain point for crane operations. Link-Belt has a solution called the SmartFly system.
SmartFly is a streamlined process for fly assembly that eliminates the need to climb a ladder to install pins and erect the fly. “You can erect the fly standing on the ground using a crank or an electric impact to run the screws,” said Gary Rice, District Manager for Link-Belt. “Plus, one person can do it, whereas, on other machines, it’s at least a two-person operation.”
SmartFly’s one-person operation is particularly beneficial for taxi crane operations, he added.
The system has a simple, logical design that ensures the correct fly length is being erected or stowed. Interlocking access gates keep the fly secure and guide the operator through the steps required to pin or unpin the fly.
SmartFly was introduced on the HTC-86110 telescopic truck crane in 2015. Link Belt has expanded the use of the technology to all cranes it has debuted since then, Rice said. The system is available on a variety of Link-Belts, including all-terrain cranes, rough-terrain cranes, telescopic crawlers and truck cranes. All Link-Belt cranes shown at CONEXPO 2020 featured SmartFly.
“The system is very user friendly and has been very well received in the field,” Rice noted. In fact, he recently demonstrated the system to a customer who had always removed the fly from their cranes because they were worried about installation. “Customers are amazed how easy erecting the fly is with SmartFly.”
The best way to understand the safe, easy operation of the SmartFly system is to see it in action. Call your Columbus Equipment Company sales rep for a demonstration of this outstanding, new safety feature.