A Demag process crane of superlatives will literally play a leading role in the assembly line of the new Airbus A321XLR. With a travel path of 82 meters in length, its span is no less than 106 meters - the longest crane Demag has ever built. It spans the entire area of the hall.

Dr. Thomas Bönker, Senior Vice President Process Cranes: "Demag cranes are a permanent fixture in the Airbus production network. We are delighted that we will be building a process crane with a record span for this customer."

The double-girder suspension crane travels on six crane runways, which are mounted parallel to each other at intervals of 24 or 10 meters on the hall ceiling. The hoists of the double-girder process crane are just as unusual as its dimensions. On its trolley there is a slewing gear on which four Demag hoist units are mounted in a rectangular arrangement and which can be adjusted in the X and Y axes in relation to each other so that the crane can handle the different fuselage shells and sections of the Airbus A321XLR. The crane system therefore offers additional degrees of freedom: on the rotation axis and in the position of the four hoists in relation to each other.

Each of the four hoists has a lifting capacity of 6.25 tons, resulting in a total lifting capacity of 25 tons. The crane is operated via radio remote control. Depending on the selection, the hoists are controlled individually or synchronously. The trolley, crane and slewing drives as well as the lifting and lowering movements are infinitely variable. Synchronization monitoring of the four hoists with a low tolerance range ensures that the sensitive and large-format body shells are raised and lowered evenly without the risk of twisting. The implemented semi-automatic target positioning ensures gentle and safe transportation. The crane will operate in two shifts and assembly is scheduled for April 2022. The Demag project team is currently working on the detailed design and production preparation.

Matthias Berns, Application Expert Aviation at Demag Cranes & Components: "This new project reflects the long-standing and trusting cooperation with our customer Airbus. On this basis, we are setting another milestone in aircraft production and helping the new A321 XLR long-haul jet to take to the skies successfully."

Dr. Thomas Bönker, Senior Vice President Process Cranes: "We have been supporting the aviation industry with reliable crane technology for decades. More than every second passenger aircraft worldwide is assembled using Demag crane systems. Just like the airplanes, the cranes have become larger and more powerful and their degree of automation is increasing. With the crane for the new production hall, Airbus is relying on reliable technology in a new dimension."