Sweden’s ELME Spreader launched a new product line for mobile equipment at TOC Europe in Hamburg in May.
Called the “Pioneer” series, the new spreaders are designed to deliver a standardised, well-designed solution for terminal operators that need more lifting capacity than a standard 45t spreader for a reachstacker or laden container handler.
Speaking to WorldCargo News at TOC Europe, Daniel Håkansson, Key Account Manager at ELME, said customers have been requesting a higher lifting capacity for handling items including very heavy containers, project and out-of-gauge cargo on flat racks, and 45ft containers.
Customers have also been asking for greater flexibility in the number of lifting positions for using the spreader to lift general cargo items with chains and slings. Furthermore, they needed a spreader that could better withstand frequent high-capacity lift cycles in these demanding applications.
At the same time, ELME itself has been investing in new production capacity, including a highly automated production facility in Sweden, where its goal is to build more modular products on a larger scale.
Coming together
The ELME Pioneer is a product of ELME leveraging its long-standing position in the market and its recent investments to meet these market requirements. The new ELME Pioneer 817 spreader for reachstackers is a 55t capacity design that is based on the same modular platform as ELME’s Vectrix line of crane spreaders. Produced fully in-house, the design of the Pioneer enables ELME to meet the demand for increased lift capacity while at the same time reducing outsourcing and making greater use of in-house robot welding.
The Pioneer 817 is designed for regular lifting cycles at the higher end of its capacity. The 55t rating applies to the end beams and twistlocks as standard, and the complete spreader is designed to U5 for 500,000 Load Cycles under FEM standards. The Load Spectrum rating is Q3, which is a “heavy” load spectrum rating indicating the structure is designed to regularly lift loads at maximum capacity, with an “equivalent” or average load of 63% of the maximum.
The Pioneer 817 can also be set to a maximum 45t capacity in the 20 and 40ft position. In this case, the mainframe achieves a U6 Load Cycle classification (1,000,000 cycles) with a Q3 load spectrum and a U5 (500,000 cycles) Load cycle classification with a Q4 load spectrum (where equivalent load is 79% of SWL).
For 45ft container operations with a 45t SWL, the Pioneer 817 has a U5 Load Cycle classification (500,000 cycles) with a Q3 load spectrum (63% of SWL).
Building a strong spreader
To make the Pioneer range more robust than ELME’s standard spreaders, the company has increased plate thickness and added reinforcement in key areas, including in the rotator plate. This does increase weight and height. ELME’s Innovation 817 spreader for reachstackers has a 45t capacity and weighs 7,700kg. By comparison, the Pioneer 817 with 55t SWL weighs 10,100kg and at 1625mm is slightly taller (1587mm for the Innovation 817).
Daniel Håkansson emphasises that with the Pioneer range, ELME is offering a product that meets a market need for a heavier-duty, more robust spreader for a particular segment of the market. The company is now taking orders for the Pioneer 817, with the first units expected to be delivered later this year. In 2027, ELME plans to introduce a Pioneer version of its 818 spreader for laden handlers, and a WTP (wide twistlock pattern) version of both the 817 and 818 for the North American market.
*This story first appeared in the June 2026 print issue of WorldCargo News.
