EFFER 2255 coming soon to KMB - Director Jiří Šubrt visited Zinc Nutzfahrzeuge
EFFER 2255 coming soon to KMB - Director Jiří Šubrt visited Zinc Nutzfahrzeuge
This week the director of KMB STAVEBNÍ SERVIS s.r.o. Jiří Šubrt met with the director of ZINC Nutzfahrzeuge, Andreas Zinc. At ZINC, they are currently finishing the installation of an EFFER 2255 hydraulic arm on a five-axle VOLVO truck with an exclusive special finish focused on large-format glazing in the smallest detail.
ZINC was founded on 24 July 1903, when Alois Zink registered the trade "blacksmithing and vehicle construction" with the Landsberg trade office. Today the company is run by the 4th generation, Susanne and Andreas Zink. KMB's managing director, Jiří Šubrt, first met Andreas Zink in 2023. Jiri decided to fulfil his dream - to buy a truck with a hydraulic arm. He started by choosing the right hydraulic arm, and working towards the biggest one possible, he chose the Palfinger 22002. Long negotiations with Palfinger eventually ended in a dead end, so Jiří took a different route and contacted the Italian company HIAB/EFFER. During a visit to their Italian manufacturing plant, he chose the EFFER 2255 hydraulic arm. This choice marked a significant milestone as the Effer 2255 will be the largest hydraulic crane of its kind in the Czech Republic and boasts remarkable capabilities. The EFFER 2255 hydraulic arm model is EFFER's new flagship crane, designed to deliver unparalleled performance and get where others have to stop. In fact, thanks to KJ's technology solution, the hydraulic arm can be reconfigured from 8s to 10s for a vertical reach of nearly 35 meters vertically. In its maximum configuration (8s+KJ2s+Jib L6s), the 2255 crane reaches a height of 55 metres, guaranteeing exceptional performance. Jiří made the selection but has not yet purchased the hydraulic crane, everything was still in the planning stage.
The next task was to find a suitable truck and a company that assembles hydraulic loading cranes on trucks. Two companies, both based in Germany, made an offer to Jiri. ZINC emerged victorious from the duel, both because of the professionalism, solidity, and quality of the work, and because of the professionalism, solidity and personal qualities of the company's owner, Andreas Zink. Another plus, we can also call it luck, was the fact that when Jiří first arrived at Zinc, there was a new Volvo truck standing on the company premises. Later, during a meeting, it turned out that it was "free" and that Jiří could have it right away. The standard waiting time for such a truck is over 1 year. Jiří told Andreas that he had looked out for the EFFER 2255 when he visited the Italian HIAB/EFFER plant, that he had seen it standing there in their factory compound and Andreas said "Well, that's my "hand", I'm waiting for its delivery, it will be here within a week". For the record, the standard delivery time for this hydraulic arm is 24 months.
So Jiří, who thought he would have the truck with the hydraulic crane in two years at the earliest, plus he was counting on the assembly time, which could be another six months, was faced with a situation where he could have both the truck and the arm literally right away. It's nice when your dream can come true almost immediately, but Jiří had planned to make this investment, which amounts to around 1 million euros, several years down the line. Now he was faced with a dilemma. Can we do it financially? Can we prepare for the expansion of our customer base? Are we ready for it? YES, WE ARE AND WE CAN HANDLE IT. Jiří later recalled the early days of his negotiations with Andreas and said, "He (Andreas) was the only one who asked me WHY I WANTED THIS MACHINE, WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO WITH IT." And that was crucial. Jiří then introduced our business to Andreas, that we specialise in large format glazing in addition to lifting work of all kinds. And Andreas showed him drawings and photos and said, "Look at this truck with the hydraulic arm. We spent three months with the owner, my friend Thomas, working on the details and equipment of the car and he's doing the same job you are." And that was it. Why invent what's already been invented? Jirka says, that's what I want, copy-paste, please. DEAL DONE.
Jiri and Andreas "hit it off", they have a lot of similar qualities, they've each been running their businesses for a couple of decades, they're both very hardworking, you can see the results behind them, and they're also incredibly humble.
Last week, Jiří visited Andreas Zinc in Landsberg am Lech, where ZINC company is based, to see the work in progress. For it's not just about fitting a hydraulic load crane to a truck. First, the truck frame had to be completely "stripped". This was followed by special, very strong, reinforcement of the truck frame; a front support foot was attached to the front of the cab and two cylinders were welded in, which rest in an extremely strong shell to prevent them from bending or otherwise being damaged when the hydraulic arm is working over the cab and the pressure exerted on the front of the truck is high. The visit also included the creation of a drawing and subsequent manufacture of the adaptors that will be fitted to the last part of the fly jib. Different types of vacuum lifters will then be attached to the different types of adapters as the orders are placed, with a load capacity of 4 200 kg using the last part of the fly jib.
It is more than clear that Zinc's employees are consummate professionals equipped with great technology and techniques. Andreas Zinc carries out the installation of Italian Hiab and Effer hydraulic cranes on trucks, starting from 30 Tm size. The Effer hydraulic crane promises safety, economy, and reliable performance. Industry-leading technology drives its outstanding performance and efficiency. First-class safety features ensure operator safety and control and minimize risk to individuals or the environment. State-of-the-art design and manufacturing are backed by Hiab's/Effer´s service and maintenance contracts that guarantee a long lifetime investment. These hydraulic arms are easy to mount on vehicles, meaning fewer certifications and better city passes than larger telescopic or tower cranes would require. This reduces costs and increases flexibility. Win-win situation. The EFFER 2255 hydraulic loading arm we chose is a top-of-the-line piece of professional equipment that will give our company the flexibility to handle any loading, lifting or glazing challenge that comes its way. ZINC has taken the whole machine to the next level by equipping it to the smallest detail for glazing needs. Another small crane, the HIAB T-HIDUO 039, with a capacity of 995 kg, will be installed on the Volvo truck to position the footings. These will be stored on the truck platform next to the crane. A magnet is installed in the centre of each pad, so feeding and positioning by the crane is very simple. The car spaces are perfectly utilised and filled with boxes of various sizes for tools, vacuum jacks and for everything the operator needs for glazing and lifting work. Around mid-May, Andreas Zink will arrive with the new truck and Effer crane arm and give our operators and mechanics a five-day training session. Another important element is remote diagnostics. This means that in the event of a problem Andreas is able to connect to the hydraulic arm and diagnose the problem remotely.
Andreas Zink's expertise in the installation of Italian hydraulic cranes/hydraulic arms, together with the superior capabilities of the Effer crane, promise safety, efficiency, and reliability. The Effer 2255 crane represents the pinnacle of professional equipment and offers our company unparalleled flexibility to tackle a variety of loading, lifting and glazing tasks.
As we eagerly await the arrival of the truck in mid-May, accompanied by Andreas Zink for operator and mechanic training, we are confident that this collaboration will enhance our capabilities and strengthen our commitment to providing excellent service to our clients.
Stay tuned for updates on our expanded operations and capabilities as we incorporate the Effer 2255 crane into our fleet. We express our sincere thanks to Andreas Zink and the entire team at Zinc Nutzfahrzeuge for their outstanding partnership and commitment to excellence. Together we look forward to reaching new heights of success.
