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THE MAGAZINE FOR CRANE TECHNOLOGY AS A PASSION 80 YEARS OF PALFINGER A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME AND ACROSS COUNTRIES CRANE PASSION PALFINGER No 08 | 2012 SPECIAL EDITION

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Page 1: The magazine for crane Technology aS a paSSion 80 yearS of

The magazine for crane Technology aS a paSSion 80 yearS of palfinger a Journey Through Time anD acroSS counTrieS

cranepaSSionpalf

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ern

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s p e c i a l e d i t i o n

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The first crane my father built was a so-called “stiff-boom crane” and had a rigid arm system equipped with a cable winch. This crane was introduced in 1959 and the first small batch production of a knuckle-boom crane with a hydraulic extension boom followed in 1968. Cranes were sold in Austria starting that year under the guidance of Mr. Söllner, who later became our general representative for Austria and Germany. Annual production in 1968/69 was 20 and 70 cranes respectively.

The first exported cranes went to Switzerland in 1971 to the company Häusermann, Kran & Hydraulik AG. There were tariff barriers across Europe to protect local manufacturers. Duties up to an amount of 40%, the dominating competitors Hiab and Atlas, the complete lack of a marketing structure as well as the fact that we were mostly unknown at the time were obstacles in dimensions that are unimaginable today. Nevertheless, there was dynamic expansion in Europe up to 1974 in which sales growth rates of 50% and more were perfectly normal.

The oil crisis in 1974 crippled the European economy. At the same time, Kasern was built. It was 2 - 3 shoe sizes too big for that time. Within two weeks, our retailers cancelled a complete year of production and simultaneously our principal bank at that time cancelled all overdraft provisions, which had been used excessively until then due to the extremely high rate of expansion.

palfinger PASSIoN PErforMANCEPoWEr PErfECTIoN

1942 Birth of huBert palfinger

1945 Move to salzBurg 1932 founding of the coMpany By richard palfinger

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1968 The craneS WenT inTo Serial proDucTion for The firST Time

Suppliers flooded us with goods until this problem solved itself due to “reasons of risk management”. The existence of our company literally hung by a very thin thread, and it was ultimately a large order from Syria that saved us.

We had to develop, build and deliver a product that was completely new to us in just 3 months. It was a “self-propelled stockyard crane.” It goes without saying that we planned, drafted and worked seven days a week, almost day and night and were completely motivated. After recovering from this tough situation, we focused on technology leadership on the one hand, and the latest manufacturing processes on the other.for a good three years, we were the only ones on the market to offer the double toggle joint system and hence achieved huge market growth with it. We were also the first to introduce CAD-CAM into manufacturing, and in the late 80s and early 90s licensed manufacturing was started and implemented successfully in New Zealand and Canada. In the mid 90s, we were the largest knuckle-boom crane supplier worldwide in the area of military transport logistics. This business had more or less a project-type of character. It brought in a great deal of money but was extremely risky due to the tendering process that is typical with the military.

With the currency crisis in 1994, our products became 25 to 30% more expensive than those of our competitors overnight. It was the second

time in our history it was touch and go whether we would survive as a company. Even our largest dealers no longer believed in a future with PALfINGEr in this phase.

We were able to make our way into the stock market with UIAG and recover the company. However, this was only because we relocated the majority of our manufacturing to locations in the east and sharply reduced our resources in Austria. That was a time I hope no one will ever have to experience. However, I suppose it is from that experience we were able to cope and work together to overcome this crisis.

The success factors of our company are still the same today. My highest priority is on securing highly motivated employees followed by a performance-oriented and equally highly motivated dealer network. Seeing eye to eye, reliability, trust and pulling together in the same direction – these are the guarantees for our successful future.

It goes without saying that technology and competitiveness are as important as they ever were, and that we can understand and interpret market developments, which means we have the right answers to the upcoming challenges.

Hubert Palfinger sen.

To be beTTer Than The oTherS.

righT from The STarT. our ViSion

1964 takeover By huBert palfinger; specialization in truck-Mounted cranes.

1959 The firST crane WaS builT

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1972 setup and expansion of the international sales organization

1973 patent for the jiB gripper. 1971 patent for hydraulic lifting MoMent control systeM

patent for cylinder placeMent on the extension BooM systeM

first export deliveries to switzerland and france

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02 / 03 eDiTorial To be beTTer Than The oTherS - our ViSion righT from The STarT 04 / 05 Table of conTenTS 80 yearS of palfinger 06 / 07 poWer link SySTem france – le Tour De france 08 / 09 palSofT auSTralia – far, far aWay 10 / 11 aoS The iTalian challenge 12 / 13 pal 50 – elecTronicS on The Truck-mounTeD crane Singapore - Technology ambaSSaDor in The counTrieS of The riSing Sun 14 / 15 cDp – The ruSSian bear 16 / 17 DpS – Dual poWer SySTem liVing in america 18 / 19 funcTional DeSign SWiSS preciSion Work 20 / 21 Sh / pal 150 germany – beauTiful anna 22 / 23 hpSc SWeDen – The Winner TakeS iT all

1974 start-up of the asseMBly plant in salzBurg/kasern

1976 expansion of Business in the pacific region

patent for foldaBle BooM

1977 patent for caBle druM gripper

80 yearS of palfinger a Journey Through Time anD acroSS counTrieS

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Paris is worth the trip. But the rest of france shouldn‘t be overlooked either. That includes the chic Côte d’Azur, the elegance of the Bretagne, the charm of the Provence or the thrill of the french Alps. Hardly any other European country has so many facets.

It doesn’t matter whether it is in industrial regions of the large cities, ports along the coasts, or at construction sites in the interior of the country. PALfINGEr is everywhere, because a dense sales and service network supplies the Grand Nation seamlessly with loading, lifting and handling systems of the same name.As one of the first export markets ever, france has always been a shoe-in for new opportunities and challenges. After establishing the truck-mounted crane, the first step in the direction of product diversification was taken by taking over the hook lift manufacturer GUIMA. PALfINGEr stepped into the hook loader market and pressed forward to become an attractive system provider.The development of Palfinger in france is closely connected to the name Vincent, or the family to be more precise. Armand Vincent, an old school pioneering business man, demonstrated handshake quality and good business sense throughout all the years. Today, his brother francois, niece Emilie fraisse, son Mathias and nephew Marco Mazzanti manage the business. “We grew up together. The working relationship with the different departments in the parent company such as research & Development, Sales and Service is very intensive. It is based on trust. That is how it was in the past, and nothing is going to change in the future. We are market leaders in france in truck-mounted cranes and hook loaders. To strengthen this position and continue to develop it, we will tour right across france with our “Caravane” once again at the end of the year and properly promote our products. We have already had a very successful trip with this concept in 2007.” (Mathias Vincent)

le Tour De france

1981 patent for coMpensated overload safety; patent for sequential console; entry into the Market in north aMerica

1978 enhanceMent of the patent for cylinder placeMent on the extension BooM systeM to include several BooM extensions

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A different type of Tour de france: once again, this year is completely inspired by a customer-oriented demonstration of system solutions following the motto of “as close to the customer as possible” - “made by PALfINGEr”.In cooperation with Palfinger france and Guima Palfinger, all PALfINGEr products - above all truck-mounted cranes and hook loaders - will travel through all of france making them “close enough to touch” for end customers. Set-up on seven vehicles from the most reputable commercial vehicle manufacturers, the products will demonstrate the solution competence that they possess, especially in industry-specific product combinations. The “moving show” will stop at a total of 38 destinations. The product demonstrations will be held at the facilities of the Guima and PALfINGEr Sales and Service Partners throughout france.

la caraVane 2012/13 palfinger proDucTS on Tour Through all of france

1984 opening of The planT in lengau

mileSTone in crane DeVelopmenT inTroDucTion of The poWer link SySTem

poWer linkThe (Double) leVer ThaT puT(S) eVeryThing inTo moTionMany laughed at the idea, and quite a few believed that PALfINGEr would design their way out of a market. But just the opposite was true. And the triumphal march of the double toggle joint system (= PoWEr LINK) began.

The toggle joint and knuckle boom were known. The new thing about the PALfINGEr Power Link was the use of the toggle joint on the main boom as well. That way, an equally high lifting torque and the constant velocity curve could also be implemented on the main boom. This was an advantage that was to revolutionize the truck-mounted crane world.

PoWEr LINK PLUS. This was also a PALfINGEr invention that years later increased the operating range of the knuckle boom even further.

paul reiTer DeSign & DeVelopmenT

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Longing for Australia. This continent has a special fascination about it, especially for Europeans. Who hasn’t dreamed of travelling around this country or even emigrating there? Perhaps that is the reason why PALfINGEr settled into terra australis (= southern land) as early as in the 70s. The first PALfINGEr crane was sold ‘down under’ in August 1977. It was the beginning of a consuming passion.

Steve Lloyd was there from day one - an original Australian and professing PALfINGEr fan: “PALfINGEr is a synonym for products with quality and technical features that actually make customers more successful in their everyday business. It is a great honour for us to be a sales partner and part of the worldwide PALfINGEr family.”

aWay.

far, far

1992 opening of the plant in köstendorf

patent for autoMatic swing-up staBilizers

introduction of the paltronic 100 electronics

introduction of return oil utilization on the truck-Mounted crane

start of siMultaneous engineering

introduction of “functional design”

1989 export rate exceeds 90%

Market presence in More than 70 countries

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commenT on The SiDe

It is interesting that this large country is

the biggest consumer of our smallest

models of crane, the PC crane series, with

several hundred purchases per year.

1992 inTroDucTion of pac (SofTWare for SuperSTrucTure anD STabiliTy calculaTionS)

anD paTiS (DigiTal Spare parTS caTalogue)

Calculations of loads, outreaches, axle loads and stability are part of the basics of the crane superstructure. At the end of the 80s, PALfINGEr took the first steps towards developing suitable software. Initially it was only used internally on the mainframe, however with the arrival of PCs, it was possible to make it available to dealers as well.

The first version of PCA, still on the DoS operating system at that time, arrived on the market at the beginning of the 90s. - Its depth of data and operating comfort was clearly superior to other commercial calculation aids. following further development in cooperation with well-known truck manufacturers, the third generation PACWin.NET is now in use. It is more user-friendly and attractive than ever. paul kübler one of The firST palfinger SofTWare DeVeloperSProfESSIoNAL for INTErfACES AND USEr INTErfACES

pacThe hour When palSofT WaS born

SerVice iS our SucceSSpalfinger offers a comprehensive and far-reaching scope of services that covers the entire product life cycle. therefore, there is good reason to say “service is our success” in australia. whether superstructure calculations, support in daily business with practical online support, or quick help for unpleasant downtime by extremely well-trained service technicians and a quick supply of spare parts - customers ought to expect first class service from the market and technology leader.

“the country is extensive. the land is often unpredictable. regardless of where and when our customers need help, we give it our best - with commitment and enthusiasm.” (steve lloyd)

1993 start of production in MarBurg/slovenia

patent for a range-optiMized storage systeM for cranes without a toggle joint

iso certification of the kasern plant

“the palfinger family is a global family. we are there for our customers on five continents whenever they need us - with the certainty that their concerns are always our highest priorities.”

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The iTalian challenge

And he was right on the money. Very quickly PALfINGEr cranes met the demands and good taste of Italian customers. Competitors soon recognized the merits of the cranes from Austria and unabashedly began to copy them. Many products that looked similar at first glance appeared on the market at lower prices.

“PALfINGEr stands not only for quality and reliability, but also for technologically leading truck-mounted crane concepts. This not only applies in the classic truck segment, but also for wood loading and handling recycled material. There was good reason for competitors to adopt one highlight or another after taking a good look at PALfINGEr. But only a PALfINGEr is a PALfINGEr. It is

PALfINGEr cranes in Italy. A great challenge since their first appearance in 1991 at the Samoter Verona. A multitude of domestic manufacturers battled for market share.There were more crane manufacturers in Italy than in any other country. furthermore, life was made difficult for international competitors through expensive and complex approval procedures. Nevertheless, orlando ferrari knew the market and was confident that quality would also prevail south of the Brenner Pass.

more expensive than competitors’ products at first glance. But after taking a closer look, it is the most cost-effective purchase based on its service life. Especially in economically difficult times, business owners are required to make clever, forward-looking and sustainable investment decisions. The same is true in Italy. There is wisdom behind the saying: “it is expensive to buy cheap.”

1996 innovation prize for coMputer-Based Method systeM for optiMization of welded structures

1995 construction of the plant in cadelBosco di sopra/italy

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palfinger iTalia official palfinger dealer since 1990

milena barToli charMing Business woMan who knows how to prevail in a crane world doMinated By Men.

“If something is methodologically doable, it must also be possible to implement it electronically.” Those were the thoughts of Erich Wimmer as he observed a test bench employee as he was able to stop the strong post-oscillations of the crane boom through skilful use of the hydraulic lever.

The benefits of the system are obvious. The AoS active oscillation suppression system reduces natural oscillations that occur, thereby reducing dynamic loading. Post-oscillations caused by rapid braking or a quick load change can be avoided. This increases the precision of load positioning and thereby increases the safety and fine controllability of daily crane work. The AoS active oscillation suppression system is patented. So far, no competitor has launched any comparable system on the market.

erich Wimmermanager of r&D elecTronicS ALWAYS MANAGED To TEACH oLD DoGS SoME NEW TrICKS

aoSonly aVailable from palfinger

1998 paTenT for The aoS acTiVe oScillaTion SuppreSSion SySTem

commenT on The SiDeAt the world premiere of the new PALfINGEr SH

crane series at the Bauma 2010, the public tipped

their hats to the new truck-mounted crane

concept. You don’t have to be a prophet to foresee

that competitors will once again pick up the

inspiration of one idea or another. That is a

compliment for the inventor. Competition

stimulates business and ultimately benefits the

user. only one thing is certain. PALfINGEr will

continue to raise the bar on its competitors in the

future as well.

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Beginning of the 90s. PALfINGEr recognizes the necessity for electronic control systems and develops the Paltronic (PAL 100). The new trend rapidly gains momentum in the railway business. The truck-mounted crane market initially shows its sceptical side and only warms up to the idea of electronic solutions slowly.

1999. PALfINGEr profits from its positive experience in the railway sector and brings the PAL 50, a system for overload cut-off for series cranes, to the market. The PAL 50 is still proving its worth today and controls numerous functions on the modern truck-mounted crane.

Wolfgang kinzSUCCESS fACTor IN CrANE APPLICATIoN ProGrAMMING

pal 50palfinger makeS elecTronicS Socially accepTable on a Truck-mounTeD crane

1999 palTronic 50 am SerieS crane 1999 ipo

100,000th palfinger crane leaves the plant patent for hydraulic overload safety device

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for The counTrieS of The riSing Sun

Technology ambaSSaDor

Singapore. Asian flair mixed with a European influence. International shipment centre between east and west. financial metropolis and port city. The head office of Wong fong Engineering is located in the “fine City”, one of the cleanest cities in the world and has taken the lead since 1996 in sales of “fine PALfINGEr Crane Technology”.

Pioneer work in the establishment of innovative crane solutions. As a forerunner in the use of knuckle-boom cranes, Singapore is also the showcase for the merits of these applications for the entire Asia Pacific region. In contrast to other Southeast Asian countries in which the telescopic crane still dominates the truck crane market, the knuckle-boom crane concept has been established here for a number of years.With an annual market potential of about 400 new cranes and a surface area of only 400 km2, the tiger state is among the countries with the highest density of cranes. Sixty percent of the cranes used in Singapore are attributed to the heavy-duty crane league. In the

segment of 85 to 150 mt cranes, Singapore is among the countries with the most users worldwide. Many years of industry and service know-how have contributed to making the PALfINGEr brand into a permanent part of the cityscape of Singapore.

Bestseller. The very successful product launch of the PK 50002 EH High Performance truck-mounted crane in 2010 is just one representative example of the typical preference that Singapore shows for high-tech large cranes. Twenty cranes were ordered just in the first three months.

“Innovations from PALfINGEr are always radical and trendsetting in the truck-mounted crane business. Whether it is Power Link Plus, CDP or AoS, we profit from it tremendously. It is easy to convince customers of the excellent performance of a PALfINGEr crane. That is motivating and makes us proud.”

Jimmy leWWong fong engineering

2001 power link plus (upwardly tiltaBle knuckle BooM) 2000 rap rapid process (order-Based Manufacturing)

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2002 inTroDucTion of caThoDic Dip painTing (cDp)

inTerlock ouTrigger SafeTy SySTem

Cathodic dip painting, a coating process that is state of the art for cars and trucks, is also making its way into the truck-mounted crane industry thanks to PALfINGEr. That’s good news for our customers, because CDP does more than just make PALfINGEr cranes look better. The abrasion-resistant and UV-resistant coating ensures lasting surface protection to guarantee value retention for years. A perfect look - for the life of the crane - and high resale values speak in favour of the sophisticated anti-aging program. Sixteen operations, a precision electrostatic coating and uniform paint application make PALfINGEr cranes clearly more fit and superior to others.

WalTer haberlmanager of DeSign & DeVelopmenT

kTlkeepS craneS young

Entering into the new, very promising market was set in motion in the mid 90s by Hubert Palfinger. It was a challenging task to cover the vastness of the country with good partners and products even in climatically difficult regions. Today there is a dealer network with more than 50 partners throughout the land. And, the PALfINGEr truck-mounted crane is no longer a stranger on russia’s roads and construction sites.

The ruSSian

bear

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bearThere is a good reason why the company’s headquarters are in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg - a city founded by Peter the Great as a “window to Europe”, a city that was built as a figurehead of the Tsars, and a city that presents itself as an important cultural and economic centre today.

“We market and sell PALfINGEr truck-mounted cranes with pleasure. We appreciate the high product quality, reliability and professional support from PALfINGEr in the areas of marketing and training. If you take the tough climatic conditions in vast parts of our country into consideration, then high-quality products that can stand up to these conditions for the product’s entire service life become tremendously important. The lasting surface protection from “CDP” responds to this need and is a significant competitive edge on the russian market long term.”

DmiTriy r. anDreeVmarkeTing manager palfinger crane ruS

commenT on The SiDeMany know that it is “VErY” cold in russia, especially in winter. However, not many know that the “white nights” in St. Petersburg are those nights in which you can ALWAYS leave the bars in daylight. Almost no one knows that the “snow” in St. Petersburg mainly consists of frozen spray water from the sea.

The russian Bear has awoken from its hibernation and we are excited about how everything will develop. The outlooks are very promising.The olympic Winter Games in Sotschi in 2014 and the fIfA World Cup in 2018 are decisive sources of inspiration for the construction industry. And PALfINGEr is there - live!

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Maximum outreach and maximum lifting power are the attributes of a perfect truck-mounted crane. Until now, cranes with a fly jib usually meant a reduction of the fly jib lifting power as of a specific outreach in order to protect the crane against overloading.

That had to be changed and posed a new challenge to the designers at PALfINGEr.Hence, the developers at PALfINGEr drew on some valuable knowledge from prior system testing and developed the Dual Power System Plus (DPS Plus). The system makes it possible to use the full lifting power through the use of two pressure ranges on the fly jib. With it, the full lifting power of the fly jib can be utilized even for crane-jib combinations with very large outreaches, if the crane’ extension boom is not fully extended.

Typical of PALfINGEr, the system engages and disengages fully automatically and is characterized once again by being very user-friendly for the crane operator.

eckharD Wimmermanager pre-DeVelopmenT anD calculaTionS25 YEArS WITH PALfINGEr

DpS pluSTop performance up To The Tip of The crane

2005 DpS – Dual poWer SySTem

america

2006 isc – integrated staBility control

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commenT on The SiDeTo PALfINGEr, the North American

area also includes Central America

and the South American countries of

Columbia, Venezuela and Ecuador.

The reason for this is that these

countries traditionally handle their

business with the “West” via florida.

liVing in

americaToday the North American area is PALfINGEr’s most extensively developed market besides Europe, with many different products and locations. Mark Woody has accompanied Palfinger Inc. in Niagara falls for 20 years. He has made a significant contribution to the “rise” of PALfINGEr in North America from a small dealer up to a large organization.

Specific applications call for specific crane solutions. for example, wallboard and drywall cranes (special cranes for basement and formwork construction and/or dry construction) are typical for the North American construction business.Service cranes also play an important role. The market is large and highly sought-after. PALfINGEr is currently represented with four models in the high-class segment. Their technologically high-quality equipment (radio remote control as a standard, cable winch incl. shut-off device) ensures that these models are in very high demand.

Attractive package solutions were successfully launched in the large crane segment with the “large crane project” as our own key account. Completely configured vehicles for specifically defined customer applications (e.g. petroleum industry) convinced customers of the merits of a knuckle-boom crane. Live demonstrations with demonstration vehicles won the hearts and minds of potential users.

“The geometric benefits of the knuckle-boom crane result mainly from the PoWEr LINK and the PoWEr LINK PLUS system. our customers appreciate the benefits of these systems. The use of the tried and proven double toggle joint system becomes even more efficient through the upward reverse linkage system. The 15 degree reverse linkage system makes it possible to do work in limited space with high precision. The crane also lifts loads through low windows and door openings. Cranes can be used easily in buildings.”

greg SneekproDucT manager, crane DiViSion norTh america

When PALfINGEr shipped its first truck-mounted crane across the Atlantic at the beginning of the 80s, hope was inspired by the endless possibilities of this country. And rightly so, as it turned out in the subsequent years.

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A truck-mounted crane is a high-tech product with an image. Design is a must-have. People at PALfINGEr have known that for a long time. Industrial designers have had a serious say in product development since the 90s. Good (industrial) design must fulfil a purpose. It must be simple, visually attractive and economical to implement. The art is to combine functionality and individuality in the choice of materials and the design of shapes, colours and solution details.Here is the basic principle: Something that looks good and contributes to more convenience will be a success.

heinrich kruginDuSTrial DeSignerhe has styled palfinger cranes for 20 years

funcTional DeSignMakes cranes beautiful and owners proud

2008 Market launch of the high perforMance generation of truck-Mounted cranes

Maintenance-free extension BooM systeM

Material optiMization

funcTional DeSign

opening of new hexagonal tuBe production in lengau

2009 dps-plus / power link caBle winch / single link plus

preciSion Work for

40 yearS

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Thanks to the optimized lightweight construction, the High Performance crane generation is primarily characterized by the optimum balance between its net weight and lifting power. our often quite meticulous Swiss customers really appreciate that everything is “very orderly” around the truck-mounted crane and that the cranes look attractive.

With the functional design, PALfINGEr has reduced a modern design and the highest level of functionality to a common denominator. refined detailed solutions and high-quality plastic coverings that not only look nice, but also serve their purpose, make a lot of sense.Ultimately, day to day work is simply more fun, and the company benefits at the same time by the positive effects on its image.”

rueDi SuTTermanaging DirecTor WalSer SchWeiz ag

As precise as a Swiss watch. That is how the team at the Swiss general agency works. And it has done so for 40 years. Walser Schweiz AG took over as the general agent of PALfINGEr in Switzerland in 1972 as the first export partner worldwide. Since then, the company has successfully sold the broad product range of PALfINGEr.

“PALfINGEr is the world market leader. We are proud of this. With the PALfINGEr brand, today we are certainly able to offer the most complete product range of high-quality lifting, loading and handling systems. Despite its role as a global player, PALfINGEr has never lost sight of the importance of staying close to its dealers around the globe. We still maintain an intensive partnership with our friends from the neighbouring countries.

PALfINGEr clearly confirmed its role as a trendsetter with the launch of the High Performance crane generation. The innovative crane concept became quickly established on the Swiss market. Today, all the technical features are indispensable for the very demanding and quality-aware Swiss customers. The SH crane series in particular, which is the crown of the High Performance crane generation, sells very well in Switzerland. Within just a few weeks, we were able to congratulate several customers on their purchase of a PK 92002 SH. It was a very promising start in the large crane segment with the new SH models compared to the size of our small country.

A successful partnership in Switzerland for 40 yearswww.walserag.chyearS

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www.palfinger-sh.de

Professionals knowwhat looks good!

The new intelligent cranes of the SH series

beauTiful “anna”Even after the first tests in practice, we knew that the new SH crane series could really be a hit on the market. The requirement was to successfully communicate the higher price compared to the competition.Therefore, a decision was made to have a market launch that went in a different direction than before.

The media image was to be simple but emotional. Something that would appeal to customers immediately. With the slogan “Professionals know what looks good!” and the face of “beautiful Anna” we wanted to visualise what our customers keep telling us: “Your units simply look great.”

This subject was published everywhere in German trade journals in the first six months of 2011. A separate website was designed and combined with a mailing campaign in order to be able to measure the response.

It is literally German thoroughness. The successful market launch concept of the new “SH crane series” is based on this thoroughness, and it is emotionally likeable at the same time.

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Sh / pal 150Truck-mounTeD crane TechnologynexT generaTion Keeping an eye on increasing automation in the industry, PALfINGEr freed up tremendous resources for the design of the new electronic control system. The electronics department grew to more than 20 specialists during the course of the intensive development period. The first thoughts about a successor generation of electronics - the PALTroNIC 50 – came up in 2002.

“Continuous improvement. our daily job.” A clear message placed boldly in the department was instrumental to the work of the entire team. The result was “SH”, a control system concept with a new level of functionality and safety.With the new PALTroNIC 150 as the centrepiece, a new era in truck-mounted crane technology began.

paul hanDlechner

manager of conTrol SySTem elecTronicSELECTroNIC ALL-roUNDEr

2010 Sh/pal 150

conVenience anD SafeTy iniTiaTiVe accorDing To en 12999:2011

beauTiful “anna”our customers were able to get into the new “SH site” with a personal code and learn about the new series. The opportunity to win a miniature model of the PK 53002 SH made the promotion even more attractive. The analysis that we carried out showed that we were on the right track. We knew who logged in and for how long and which features they learned about. Based on this information, nothing stood in the way for our sales force to efficiently address our customers.

In addition, all 200 of our partners were given intensive training on the products. An adequate dealer package took the campaign to the point of sale. To do something new, all foremen and assemblers were addressed during the course of the campaign. This group of people in particular have made an unbelievably strong contribution to the sale of a product. Not only the sales staff, but all employees should be thrilled by the new series. We also offered all employees the possibility to control an SH crane, i.e. to “understand it”.

“All our demonstration vehicles were equipped with the SH motif. This was so popular that several customers continued travelling with the motif even after the vehicle was sold, thus providing advertising for us on the roads nation wide.”

franz ebnermarkeTing manager palfinger DeuTSchlanD

“This is a highly sought-after market. Price pressure is increasing. But PALfINGEr is more than optimistic as it looks to the future. We score points through our edge in design and technology. And we also score points by focusing on industry segments and having a impeccable service network. With the “Best Price Deal”, we show our customers where their entire personal cost-saving potential is and where profitable business segments are.”

ThomaS mouckamanaging DirecTor palfinger DeuTSchlanD

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The requirements for the new stability control system “HPSC” were clear: The control system was to calculate the stability as realistically as possible for any support situation - and do it in real time.

When dealing with stability, deformation of the vehicle plays a dominant role. Hence, the theoretical, non-deformed structure cannot form the basis for an accurate calculation. Extensive simulations with the help of finite element programs, numerous practical tests and the development of a highly complex real data algorithm were ultimately the ingredients for what currently is the most intelligent stability control system.

alexanDer SchalbercompuTaTion engineer

2011 hpSc (high performance STabiliTy conTrol)

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“if you uphold your own standard, then customers will follow.” “The most important thing in a working relationship that spans decades or even generations is the certainty that you can always rely on your partner in day to day business. After so many years of having a business relationship with PALfINGEr, you are part of the family. People know each other. Personal and direct contact simplifies the working relationship and creates a relaxed atmosphere among partners. The people at PALfINGEr are well qualified for this. They know their business. They know what it is all about and take care of our concerns every day. And as long as the majority of the shares are held by the Palfinger family, we are confident and motivated for the future!

“To be better than the others” was the goal of PALfINGEr right from the start, and was certainly the basis for success on the Scandinavian market. Specifically, it was the cranes with the double toggle joint system that once revolutionized the truck-mounted crane market, and thanks to their

numerous innovations, they thrill customers time and time again. Just think about the lightweight construction, the overall crane performance and the perfect after-sales service. The list is long. All of this has made PALfINGEr into that what it is today - a premium brand with power, status and esprit. And it made us number one in Sweden! System partners in the industry notice this spirit and strength. Ultimately, they also want to work together with winners.”

magnuS hinzDirecTor of The managemenT boarD anD Vice general manager

The new stability control system “HPSC”, which by the way was tested for its practicality in an extensive field test in Sweden, is a guarantee for continuing on the road to success.

Love at first sight. Confronted with a PALfINGEr crane on the test bench, Bertil Hinz - at that time a highly qualified employee of a Scandinavian competitor - immediately recognized the advantages of “the red crane from Austria.” HINZ has sold PALfINGEr products successfully in Sweden since 1974. Today, Magnus Hinz is part of the second generation managing the fate of HINZ fÖrSÄLJNINGS AB in BorLÄNGE, Sweden. Born in 1973, he picked the PALfINGEr spirit up right from the beginning.

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2011 a neW generaTion in The SuperViSory boarD

neW eDiTion a cloSe look aT The proDucT life-cycle of a palfinger Truck-mounTeD crane.

“PALfINGEr is aware of its ecological responsibility. Therefore we focus on eco-efficient manufacturing and environmentally friendly innovations. In addition, we are also focusing on sustainable product areas and are strengthening our market position in the offshore and wind power sectors as well.”

hanneS palfingerMeMBer of the supervisory Board

“PALfINGEr is an Austrian company with an international profile. Expansion of existing dealer partnerships and joint ventures with the largest Chinese construction machinery and equipment manufacturer secure our position on the world market for the coming decade.”

huberT palfinger Jun. deputy chairMan of the supervisory Board

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