Navigation
Related

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane
Model KMU 18TX20M

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 18TX20M with a six-section boom provides an outreach ranging from 2 to 20 m and a lifting capacity from 18 to 41 t. The design ensures 360° continuous slewing and allows the boom to be lowered below deck level for efficient cargo handling.

Configuration

Drag to rotate · Hover over marker

Loading model

0%

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 29TX13M 3D Model Structure Housing

Structure housing

(highlighted in grey-green)

The crane housing with an integrated slewing system provides 360° continuous rotation driven by two hydraulic motors. The design includes mounting brackets for the cabin and protective covers for the slewing ring gear.

Slewing system

(highlighted in grey-green)

The slewing drives provide 360° crane rotation and ensure precise positioning. Slewing brake valves securely lock the equipment in any angular position, maintaining full load control and operational safety.

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 29TX13M 3D Slewing System
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 29TX13M 3D Operator Cabin

Operator cabin

(highlighted in grey-green)

The cabin, mounted on structural brackets, ensures stable positioning without deformation under high loads. The design provides comfortable operating conditions through thermal regulation, thermal insulation, and moisture resistance.

Luffing section hydraulic cylinder

(highlighted in grey-green)

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

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 29TX13M 3D Luffing Section Hydraulic Cylinder
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 29TX13M 3D Luffing Section

Luffing section

(highlighted in grey-green)

The luffing section enables adjustment of the boom outreach and achievement of the maximum lifting height. It is articulated to the column and serves as the mounting base for the telescopic extension cylinders.

Telescopic section extension cylinders

(highlighted in grey-green)

The telescopic section extension cylinders ensure boom outreach adjustment. 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 29TX13M 3D Telescopic Section Extension Cylinders
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 29TX13M 3D Telescopic Sections

Telescopic sections

(highlighted in grey-green)

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

Telescopic section cylinders

(highlighted in grey-green)

The hydraulic cylinders provide sequential and reliable extension of the telescopic sections. The braking system design ensures safe load holding in emergency and abnormal operating conditions.

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 29TX13M 3D Telescopic Section Cylinders
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 29TX13M 3D Winch

Winch

(highlighted in grey-green)

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

Hook block

(highlighted in grey-green)

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.

Судовой кран-манипулятор с шарнирной стрелой КМУ 29ТХ13М грузоподъёмностью до 29 т и вылетом стрелы до 38 м 3D модель подвес
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane Model KMU 29TX13M 3D Boom Rest

Boom rest

(highlighted in grey-green)

The boom rest securely locks the crane in the stowed position, preventing structural oscillation and unintended slewing under vessel motion and wind loads.

Standard configuration and options

Click for more details

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

About

Click to read more

Arctic Workhorse: Design and Operation of a Knuckle Boom Marine Crane

Imagine the following scenario: the ice-class vessel «Ivan Papanin» is operating in the frozen waters of the Arctic. Outside temperature is –40°C, gale-force winds are blowing, and there is no land in sight. Under these conditions, the crew must receive a 20-ton container with supplies or equipment from another vessel. How can this be done? Certainly not manually. This is exactly why an electro-hydraulic knuckle boom marine crane is installed on deck — a true offshore workhorse.

Why It’s More Complex Than It Seems

Designing a crane for port operations is already a demanding task, but engineering one for marine use is an entirely different challenge. In a port, a crane operates on solid, stationary ground. At sea, its foundation is constantly moving with the vessel. Heel up to 15 degrees, pitch motion, strong winds whipping spray off the waves, and saltwater corrosion all create an extremely harsh environment. Under such conditions, the crane must not only survive but perform reliably. The primary task of this crane is to carry out cargo handling operations in open sea conditions with wave heights up to Sea State 4, transferring loads from deck to deck with precision — like an experienced juggler who never drops a ball, even while standing on a moving platform.

What it’s Made Of

To withstand extreme loads and Arctic temperatures, the crane structure is engineered for maximum strength. Its main load-bearing components — the boom system and housing — are manufactured from special low-temperature-resistant steel that maintains toughness even in extreme cold. Imagine a massive modular system where the key components are the knuckle boom with telescopic extensions, and a heavy-duty column equipped with a slewing system. This setup allows for continuous 360-degree rotation, completing a full turn in just one minute. The entire structure, weighing dozens of tons, is mounted onto a barbette, integrated directly into the ship’s deck.

Power and Control: Hydraulics and Electronics

The crane’s movements are driven by hydraulic power. Imagine powerful muscles activated not by nerve impulses, but by oil pressure. Hydraulic cylinders lift and lower the multi-ton boom and extend its sections, while two hydraulic motors drive the slewing motion of the entire structure. This ‘musculature’ is governed by a sophisticated ‘brain’ — an automated control system. It processes data from dozens of sensors: a load pin at the boom tip monitors the load on the hook, inclinometers track the crane and vessel angles, and an anemometer measures wind speed to ensure it does not exceed the 25 m/s limit. All data is processed by a programmable logic controller (PLC), which determines whether lifting operations can be performed safely or if limits have been reached.

How It Is Controlled

Operating such a complex mechanism requires both precision and intuitive control. The operator is positioned in a specialized, sealed, and insulated cabin featuring heated panoramic glazing. Robust walls and sound insulation protect the operator from wind and sea motion. The primary control station consists of an operator’s chair with two side consoles equipped with joysticks. One joystick controls the boom movements (hoisting/lowering and extension/retraction), while the other manages the winch and slewing functions. For operations requiring even greater flexibility, a portable control panel is provided. It allows the operator to leave the cabin and maintain a direct line-of-sight with the load. Once the remote control is activated, the cabin controls are automatically interlocked. This ensures maximum safety during precision maneuvers, such as receiving cargo on a rolling vessel.

Safety Systems

Since the crane operates in an environment where the cost of error is immense, it features a multi-level safety system. The primary threat is overloading. The Load Moment Limiter (LML) prevents lifting a load that exceeds the rated capacity for the current outreach. To mitigate the effects of vessel motion, the anti-sway system electronically dampens acceleration and braking, preventing the load from turning into a giant pendulum. For offshore operations, a specialized ‘Constant Tension (CT) winch’ is provided. Its wire rope is secured to the receiving vessel, and it automatically pays out or hauls in the line, like a leash, compensating for the vertical deck movement. This allows for safe landing of the load even when vessels are tossing on the waves.

What if power is lost? The crane is equipped with an emergency mode for such events. A dedicated hand pump allows the operator to release the brakes and lower the load smoothly, while an auxiliary diesel generator provides the power needed to slew the boom. The crane is designed to never fail its operators, even in the harshest Arctic conditions.

3D crane simulation

Dimensions

Marine Knuckle Boom Crane 29t13m Drawing
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane 29t13m Drawing
Marine Knuckle Boom Crane 29t13m Drawing

Technical specifications

ParameterValue
Application-Cargo operations at berth
-Cargo operations at sea, including ship-to-ship cargo transfer
-Handling of explosive and hazardous cargo
-Handling of 20 ft and 40 ft containers
Safe Working Load (port operations / no vessel motion)29 t / 13 m
Safe Working Load (operations at sea)18 t / 20 m
Boom outreach max., m20 m
Boom outreach min., m2 m
Boom luffing time, s120 s
Boom extension time, s90 s
Slewing speed, rpm1 rpm
Hoisting / lowering speed, m/minup to 20 m/min
Slewing angle, °360° continuous
Hook lowering depth (at min. outreach), mup to 30 m
Safe Working Load (manipulator mode)41 t
Power supply3-phase, 380 V, 50 Hz (no neutral / with local grounding / 2 feeders)
Power consumption, kW160 kW
Crane control-Operator’s cabin
-Remote control pendant
HPU locationUnder-deck compartment
Additional systems and equipment-Active tracking system with tracking winch;
-Anti-sway load control system with programmable logic control;
-Remote-release hook;
-Removable 41 t hook block for manipulator mode
Hoisting wire rope-Wire rope: 6×36 (1+7+7/4+14);
-Galvanized wire;
-Diameter: 34 mm;
-Wire grade: 1860 N/mm²;
-Min. breaking load: 902 kN.

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.

Additional requirements

  • The crane control system provides stepless speed control for all functions from zero to maximum, and enables simultaneous operation of the following movements:
    • hoisting/lowering of the hook and outreach adjustment;
    • hoisting/lowering of the hook and slewing;
    • outreach adjustment and slewing.
  • The crane cabin is sound- and heat-insulated, providing interface connectivity for helideck lighting and the ship’s PA/GA system. It is equipped with heating, ventilation, windshield wipers, a sun visor, an adjustable operator’s seat, a fire extinguisher, and an emergency exit via the window.
  • The hydraulic system allows component replacement without draining the working fluid and ensures continuous filtration. The return line filter is equipped with a bypass valve.
  • The knuckle boom marine crane is equipped with automatic safety and protection systems activated in the event of:
    • Hook overload exceeding 10% of the rated capacity;
    • Hook or boom reaching their limit positions;
    • Reaching the limits of the permitted slewing zone;
    • Slackening of the hoisting wire rope.
  • The crane design allows for degassing and decontamination of surfaces without disassembly, as well as component replacement at any time without restriction.
  • Crane operation is performed from a control station within the heated cabin, which ensures full visibility of the working area.
  • All mechanisms are equipped with normally-closed brakes, a Load Moment Limiter (LML), an emergency stop, an external isolator switch, and a soft-start system. All components are grounded, and the insulation is flame-retardant.
  • All electrical equipment has a protection rating of IP56
  • Painting scheme and color to be agreed with the Customer
  • Preservation coatings ensure indoor storage protection for 12–18 months.
  • Hydraulic system working fluid: AUP
  • Cleanliness class of working fluid: ≥ 12
  • Power supply cables are equipped with mating connectors
  • The equipment is supplied in packaging suitable for crane or forklift handling, road transport, and storage in open areas under cover.

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).