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Marine Knuckle Boom Crane
Model KMU 1TX10M

Knuckle boom cranes represent the most versatile and compact type of deck cranes. The folding boom design, equipped with telescopic sections, allows for maximum workspace coverage and enables lifting operations that are beyond the reach of other crane types.

This equipment is supplied in a wide range of configurations, differing in the number of telescopic sections, lifting capacity, and control options. This approach ensures the crane design is optimally tailored to meet specific customer requirements.

Model KMU 1TX10M with a four-section boom provides an outreach ranging from 1.5 to 10.3 m and a lifting capacity from 600 kg to 1 t. The design combines a low crane weight of 2.3 t with continuous 360° slewing.

Configuration

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Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 1TX10M 3D Model Base

Base

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The robust welded base provides secure mounting of the crane slewing system. The structure is bolted to a ship foundation, ensuring operational stability and safety.

Slewing system

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The driven slewing system enables continuous 360° crane rotation. The system integrates a gearbox, brake, and hydraulic motor, ensuring precise positioning and reliable operation.

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 1TX10M 3D Model Slewing System
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 1TX10M 3D Model Column

Column

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The robust welded column is mounted on the slewing system and serves as the primary support for the luffing section and hydraulic cylinder, ensuring overall structural stability.

Luffing section hydraulic cylinder

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The luffing section hydraulic cylinder ensures precise adjustment of the boom outreach. Equipped with a counterbalance valve, it ensures reliable load holding under all operating conditions, including lateral loads. Manual operation of the counterbalance valve allows safe emergency lowering of the boom under its own weight in the event of power loss.

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 1TX10M 3D Model Luffing Section Hydraulic Cylinder
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 1TX10M 3D Model Luffing Section

Luffing section

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The luffing section enables folding of the crane into its stowed position, adjustment of the boom outreach, and ensures maximum lifting height. It is articulated to the column and serves as the mounting base for the hydraulic cylinder, telescopic section, and telescopic extension cylinder.

Telescopic section extension cylinder

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The telescopic section extension cylinder ensures boom outreach adjustment and deploys the crane into its operating position. Equipped with a counterbalance valve, it ensures reliable load holding under all operating conditions, including lateral loads. Manual operation of the counterbalance valve allows safe emergency lowering of the boom under its own weight in the event of power loss.

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 1TX10M 3D Model Telescopic Section Extension Cylinder
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 1TX10M 3D Model Telescopic Sections

Telescopic sections

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The three-section telescopic design (one fixed section and two movable sections) provides adjustment of outreach and hook lifting height. Dedicated mounts for two hydraulic cylinders ensure precise and reliable extension of the sections.

Telescopic section cylinders

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The hydraulic cylinders provide sequential and reliable extension of the telescopic sections. The cylinder design with counterbalance valves ensures safe load holding in emergency and abnormal operating conditions.

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 1TX10M 3D Model Telescopic Section Cylinders
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 1TX10M 3D Model Winch

Winch

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The winch equipped with a geared motor and a normally closed brake provides safe hoisting operation. The design includes a pressure roller for proper wire rope spooling and a rope payout limit switch, ensuring reliable operation.

Hook block

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The hook block ensures secure load attachment via a wire rope thimble and a hook equipped with a safety latch and swivel. The robust structure ensures durability and operational safety.

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 1TX10M 3D Model Hook Block

Standard configuration and options

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Standard configuration:

  • Column
  • Boom assembly
  • Platforms (set)
  • Winch with wire rope
  • Boom luffing hydraulic cylinder(s)
  • Hook block
  • Hydraulic power unit (HPU)
  • Electrical equipment
  • Hydraulic equipment
  • Local control station

Optional:

  • Cranes may be supplied without a column or with a column height customized to the customer’s requirements
  • Cranes may be supplied with an integrated HPU, a remote HPU, or without an HPU
  • Local (operator cabin or platform), remote (pendant or radio control), or combined control
  • Explosion-proof (tanker) design
  • Man-riding design
  • For explosive cargo handling
  • Auxiliary hoisting winches
  • Heave compensation
  • Floodlights
  • Custom paint color

Documentation:

The following documentation provided with the crane:

DocumentQuantity
Product Data Sheet1
Installation and Operation Manual1
Onboard Test Program and Methodology1
Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) Report1
Spare Parts and Tools List1

3D crane simulation

About

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The Marine Powerhouse: How a Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Works

Picture a busy port: massive vessels, containers, and constant activity. But not every location is equipped with towering shore cranes. What happens when a vessel needs to discharge cargo independently in a remote bay — or take heavy scientific equipment on board in the open sea? This is where compact yet extremely powerful units come into play: marine knuckle boom cranes. One of these “marine powerhouses” can lift a vehicle and precisely place it on deck — even with waves rolling around the vessel.

A Mechanical “Arm” for Heavy-Duty Operations

The primary function of this equipment is cargo handling — loading and unloading to and from a vessel. Structurally, it is a true steel “arm” capable of reaching down to the waterline, submerging to depths of up to 35 meters, or lifting loads to heights of up to 11 meters. The maximum outreach exceeds 10 meters, allowing the vessel to operate without coming alongside a quay or to handle cargo directly in the hold. Despite having a mass of over two tonnes, the crane is compact in its stowed position and occupies minimal deck space.

Why It’s More Complex Than It Seems

Marine operations differ significantly from onshore lifting. It’s not enough to simply lift a load — the system must account for vessel motion and wind forces. To address this, engineers have defined two lifting capacity modes: in harbor conditions (calm sea), the crane has a rated capacity of 1,000 kg, but in offshore conditions (sea state up to 4), the safe working load is reduced to 625 kg. This reduction is essential because vessel motion generates dynamic loads that can significantly exceed static forces, and the crane structure must withstand them without any risk of overturning or structural failure.

What it’s Made Of

To endure salt spray, storms, and Arctic temperatures, the crane structure is fabricated from specialized shipbuilding steel (grade E36 or equivalent). This is not ordinary steel: plates ranging from 4 to 25 mm in thickness, along with heavy-duty tubular sections (e.g., 530 mm in diameter), are welded into a structure designed to resist corrosion and structural fatigue. Surface coating alone is not enough — material selection is critical.

Anatomy of the “Steel Arm”

The crane resembles a robotic skeleton in design. It starts with a base, rigidly welded to the vessel deck. Mounted upon it is the slewing system (acting as a «hip joint»). Driven by a worm gear and hydraulic motor, it enables continuous 360° rotation, limited only by the cable length.

Above it rises the column, supporting the main boom system. A hydraulic luffing cylinder provides the raising and lowering of the boom, but the most notable feature is the telescopic system. It consists of four nested sections extended by three hydraulic cylinders — functioning like a powerful steel telescope. Boom extension directly affects the safe working load (SWL): when the boom is retracted, the crane can lift up to 1,000 kg, but when fully extended, the capacity is reduced to approximately 600 kg. This adjustment ensures structural integrity and prevents overload throughout the entire outreach.

The Heart and Brain of the System

All movements are powered by a high-pressure hydraulic system where hydraulic fluid, under pressures up to 280 bar, acts as the driving force for the cylinders and the winch. The winch itself is a precision-engineered assembly featuring a drum for spooling the steel wire rope and a dedicated pressure roller that ensures even winding, layer by layer. To prevent excessive unwinding, a lower limit switch is integrated to stop the mechanism automatically.

The wire rope terminates in a hook block assembly, consisting of two steel side plates and a hook with a safety latch. The hook is mounted on a swivel to allow free rotation, effectively preventing any twisting of the wire rope.

How It Is Controlled

The crane features dual control, consisting of a main control cabinet installed on deck, which houses the hydraulic and electrical systems, and a portable remote control unit equipped with joysticks and push buttons. The remote control can be carried via a shoulder strap, allowing the operator to position themselves at the optimal vantage point for maximum visibility and safe operation.

Two Modes: Stowed and Operating Positions

The crane has two primary configurations. In the stowed position, all cylinders are fully retracted, the boom is lowered, and the hook is securely bolted to the boom to prevent it from breaking loose during a storm. In this state, the crane is engineered to withstand wind loads up to 2000 Pa (approximately 30 m/s or 108 km/h) and temperatures as low as -45°C.

In the operating position, the unit is deployed and the hook is released, enabling full functionality, including hoisting, slewing, and luffing. Operation follows a strict sequence: power on, start the hydraulic power unit (HPU), deploy the crane, and perform a function test before commencing lifting operations. Once the job is complete, the process is reversed to secure the crane for transit and ensure it is ready for the next voyage.

Dimensions

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane 1t10m Drawing

Technical specifications

ParameterValue
Safe Working Load (SWL) on Sea State 0
max., kg
min., kg

1000 kg; (1.5–5.0 m outreach)
600 kg; (2.02–10.0 m outreach)
Safe Working Load (SWL) at Sea State 4
max., kg
min., kg

625 kg; (1.5–5.0 m outreach)
280 kg; (2.02–10.0 m outreach)
Boom outreach, m 1.5 m…10.3 m
Hoisting / lowering speed, m/min≥ 18 m/min
Lifting height, m11 m
Lowering depth, mup to 35 m
Winch drive typeHydraulic
Wire rope diameter, mm12 mm
Slewing angle, °360° continuous
Slewing speed (no load), rpm≥ 1 rpm
Slewing drive typeHydraulic
Crane control-Local control station
-Remote control pendant (wired: 15 m)
Power supply3-phase, 380 V, 50 Hz
Crane weight, kg2300 kg
Operating conditions– Ambient temperature: –25 °C to +50 °C
– Heel: up to 5° (either side)
– Trim: up to 2° (bow or stern)
– Wind pressure ≤ 400 Pa
– Vessel-induced vibrations
– Periodic exposure to seawater spray and splashes
Operating conditions (Stowed Position)– Ambient temperature: –45 °C to +50 °C
– Heel: up to 15° (either side)
– Trim: up to 5° (bow or stern)
– Wind pressure ≤ 2000 Pa
– Vessel-induced vibrations
– Periodic exposure to seawater spray and splashes

About

Кран-манипулятор ИМ150 коллаж

Model KMU 1TX10M

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General requirements and standards

  • The equipment complies with the «General Provisions for Technical Supervision» of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) and is supplied with a Type Approval Certificate.
  • The equipment complies with the requirements of the Technical Regulation on the Safety of Maritime Transport.

Regulatory compliance

The equipment complies with the following requirements:

  • General Regulations of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS);
  • Technical Regulation on the Safety of Maritime Transport (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 620 dated August 12, 2010);
  • SP 2.5.3650-20 (Sanitary and Epidemiological Requirements for Transport);
  • Other applicable requirements of Russian legislation, including sanitary and veterinary regulations, occupational health and safety requirements, and industrial safety requirements;
  • The equipment also complies with all amendments and supplements in force as of the vessel’s keel-laying date (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 719);
  • Supervision of installation and commissioning services;
  • Confirmation of industrial product manufacturing within the territory of the Russian Federation (Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 719 dated July 17, 2015).