The world's leading water sports trade fair, “boot 2025”, presents the “crème de la crème” of sailing and motor yachts at the Düsseldorf exhibition grounds. To lift the “big fish” into their final position, Wasel GmbH, the company tasked with setting up the boats for the show, used up to four AC45 City mobile cranes with Allison fully automatic transmissions simultaneously in a quadro lift.

DÜSSELDORF, Germany, March 2025 - In January every year, the Düsseldorf exhibition grounds are transformed into a paradise for water sports enthusiasts. Attracting over 200,000 visitors from more than 100 countries and 1,500 exhibitors from 67 nations, “boot” is the world's largest trade fair of its kind. However, before the luxury yachts can dazzle in the halls, a logistical masterpiece is required. One of the most challenging tasks is the positioning of the valuable boats with millimeter precision in the confined spaces of the halls. This is where the Tadano AC 45 City mobile cranes from Wasel GmbH with Allison fully automatic transmissions come into play - often in synchronized tandem or quadro lifting.

Narrow halls, big challenges

The confined spaces combined with low ceiling heights require cranes that are maneuverable and precise. With an overall length of just 8.68 meters (28.70 feet), a width of 2.55 meters (8.40 feet), and an overall height of just 3.16 meters (10.37 feet), the AC 3.045-1 City is one of the most compact cranes within the 45-tonne lifting capacity class. The three-axle vehicle is powered by a 260 kW (349 hp) MTU six-cylinder engine (OM 936) in combination with the Allison 3500 Specialty Series™ (SP) fully automatic transmission. Even in the tightest spaces, it can be maneuvered effortlessly and the Allison 3500 SP fully automatic transmission ensures smooth and precise handling even under load. With a maximum weight of just 34 tons, the crane is fully roadworthy.

“The unique qualities of this crane are evident when working indoors. And here at the “boot”, it's even more of a challenge, because every little scratch on a yacht worth millions of euros incurs huge costs. Absolute precision is required,” explains Gunnar Filges, branch manager, Wasel GmbH. “We have four of these AC 45 City cranes in our fleet especially for this kind of work. Thanks to the torque converter transmission they are ideal for this application.”

Quadro lifts: four cranes, one job

The ships arrive at the exhibition grounds with special heavy-duty trucks and have to be positioned with pinpoint accuracy. Quadro lifts, in which four cranes lift a yacht synchronously and place it on prepared supports with millimeter precision, are particularly demanding. One impressive example is the Contest 49 CS, a 16.10 meter (52.82 feet) long and 21 tonne sailing yacht from the Netherlands. Also on the list to be hoisted is its big sister, the 20.54 meter (ca. 66 feet) Contest 63 CS, which cost around four million euros.

“Sometimes it's only a matter of millimeters,” says crane driver Dieter Morgenfrüh, who has been working at the “boot” for 20 years. "Thanks to the Allison transmission, we have full control at all times. Especially in stressful situations, this is a significant advantage. On construction sites and particularly in exhibition halls, I can't think of anything better than a torque converter transmission. Maneuvering is much easier - and most importantly, the smooth start-up means there is no swinging and swaying on the hook.”

The setting up of the “boot” is in full swing. The exhibition halls are filling up gradually and more and more boats are being delivered by heavy goods vehicles. Professional signaller Uwe directs the truck carrying the Contest 49 CS into Hall 16, where the four Tadano AC 45 cranes are already in position to hook the big fish and raise it from the trailer. It's a tight squeeze, with just 20 cm of room to the next boat. The four mobile cranes cautiously position themselves around the sailing yacht and get ready for the quadro lift. With great concentration, the experienced crane drivers slowly hook up the valuable cargo and lift it centimeter by centimeter. The truck moves forward and the cranes lower the boat safely and carefully onto the waiting supports.

This is precision work and the spectators are holding their breath during these maneuvers. But Gunnar Filges remains calm. “Our cranes are top notch and our drivers are top notch.” The interaction among the crane drivers is critical during such maneuvers. The yachts can only be moved safely with absolute synchronization and a delicate touch.

Tailor-made technology for maximum vehicle control

The Allison 3500 SP fully automatic transmission enables jerk-free starting and smooth maneuvering, even under load. Where manual or automated manual transmissions can cause the load to oscillate due to jerky gear changes, the Allison fully automatic transmission offers permanent power transmission without interruption tractive force. This provides a very comfortable driving and operating experience, which pays off especially in confined spaces.

Alongside the transmission, a number of other technical features of the cranes contribute to their performance. The automatic levelling system enables the crane to balance itself when the outriggers are extended, which is a great help during set-up. The IC-1 Plus control system allows the outriggers to be infinitely adjusted, allowing the crane to be perfectly adapted to different space conditions and load requirements. The erection jib with hook traverse allows loads to be raised to just below the hall ceiling, often gaining those crucial centimeters. The Flexbase stepless outrigger is an additional valuable feature, not only because of the increase in lift capacity, but also for safety reasons, as the crane driver can always see on the monitor how much lifting he can still do at any time with the respective outrigger base.

Specialists even for tight construction sites

Wasel operates an extensive fleet of vehicles that can handle virtually any lifting project. Due to its proximity to the exhibition grounds, the Wasel branch in Düsseldorf is especially well-equipped with indoor cranes. Already the predecessor model, the AC 40, also with Allison fully automatic transmission, was indispensable in the Düsseldorf fleet of Wasel.

“The Tadano City cranes with Allison fully automatic transmission are predestined for working inside buildings or in narrow streets, but we also use them for standard construction site projects. And that's what makes these cranes so special. They are compact, easy to operate, quick to set up and incredibly versatile,” says Gunnar Filges. “The transmission’s torque converter makes the crane very easy to maneuver. You can feel that the engine always delivers full power. Moving with a load is also great. There's no swinging and no swaying on the hook.” He adds: “We need vehicles that are robust, reliable and economical. We can't afford breakdowns and high maintenance costs. We have been operating these cranes for over 20 years, first the predecessor model AC 40 and now the four AC 45s, and I have to say they pay for themselves.”

Mobile cranes often move at a walking pace. They need to maneuver with centimeter precision in the tightest of spaces and sometimes in rough terrain, while constantly being set in motion from a standstill. This puts maximum strain on transmissions with dry clutches, which can overheat and burn out. Allison fully automatic transmissions are different: instead of a dry clutch, they use a torque converter to start up. The torque converter not only acts as a hydraulic clutch, it also multiplies torque and maximizes engine power. In conjunction with the uninterrupted power transmission to the driveline, this results in a very comfortable driving and operating comfort as well as increased productivity. These features makes a huge difference in the field for crane drivers and crane operators.

Allison 3000 Series™ fully automatic transmissions have proven themselves in a wide range of applications around the world, including agriculture, construction, distribution, energy, fire and rescue services, mining, municipal services, port services and refuse. Also long established in the crane market, they are highly appreciated by customers for their reliability. In Germany, Allison Authorized Distributor DGS Diesel- und Getriebeservice GmbH in Mainz, is responsible for sales and OEM support for City cranes, including project planning and configuration.

Andreas Wolf, Sales Engineer at DGS, confirms: “The AC 45 City cranes are the only ones in their class that have a fully automatic transmission and consequently offer the best driving performance on site. The hydrodynamic torque converter facilitates smooth but also swift maneuvering - a significant advantage over semi-automatic transmission solutions.”

See the Tadano AC 45 City cranes in action during the construction of the “Boot” show

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