Improvements can be found in the seat, protective operator hood, crane column and hose routing.
The M-Series cranes have been given a complete redesign. The new crane seat is called Masterdrive, which provides horizontal and vertical suspension. It has high manoeuvrability, secure and stable seating, seat heating, weight adjustment options, and mechanically adjustable lumber support. Multifunctional arm rests place all controls at the operator’s fingertips. It makes use of hydraulic servo joysticks for precise operation.
The Epshood crane operator hood is a weather shield to protect the operator from rain, sun and wind. The hood is tinted for sun glare and can fold back when not required. The new crane column mounting ensures that the entire pillar mechanism is immersed in an oil bath. This reduces maintenance requirements and expenditure. The crane has internal hose routing which allows operators to easily access the hoses for maintenance. The internal routing reduces damage to hoses. The service opening makes hose replacement simple.
The crane can be configured with a double telescope (MZ model) to provide 10.5 m (34.4 ft) of reach, or a single telescope (ML model) to provide 8.3 m (27.2 ft) of reach. The crane also has new arm geometry to be more compact when travelling. It has an additional 100 mm (3.9 in) of ground clearance over its predecessor. Source: http://www.palfingerepsilon.com/en/international/