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PROVIDING AN UPLIFT There is no sight more majestic in the world of construction equipment than a giant crane reaching up to the heavens with its wiry framework, its elegant boom or even its huge flat jib spanning across a job-site - ropes straining to pull up a load so large and heavy, it beggars belief that gravity could be defied this way. This is a sight that is very common in the Middle East, not only in its urban areas with the sinuous, spindly spires of tower cranes building the region’s beloved high-rises, but also out in the numerous oil fields, refineries and petrochemical complexes, where the giant all-terrain, rough-terrain and crawler cranes are hoisting impossibly large components atop cliff-like plants. But behind all this, there are the manufacturers, the dealers and all the other service providers in the sector. In this report, CMME brings you news and views of the crane sector, encompassing some of the heaviest lifting jobs in the region, components and technologies that make the sector run, some of the biggest names in the tower crane sector, and the various types of cranes making the sector run.
Anirban Bagchi Editor, CMME
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COVER STORY CR ANE REP ORT 2020
HIGH POINT
TOWER CRANE SPECIALIST WOLFFKRAN SHARES INSIGHTS INTO ITS MIDDLE EAST OPERATIONS, NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND PHILOSOPHY, AND HOW IT EMPHASISES PEOPLE AND LEARNING FOR GROWTH
I
t’s a difficult sight to miss, its fantastic futuristic façade covering an equally amazing shape, sitting prominently by the side of one of Dubai’s busiest thoroughfares. Residents of the emirate – and indeed frequent visitors – who use the city’s Sheikh Zayed Road will all have seen the upcoming Museum of the Future, the ultra-modern architectural masterpiece being built next to the twin buildings of the Emirates Towers. An icon coming up next to another. What’s equally difficult to miss, especially for those of us connected to the construction and equipment sectors, are the spindly, red latticed towers of the Wolffkran cranes building this new icon – certainly a feather in the manufacturer’s cap. Among many other such feathers. As Martin Kirby, managing director, Wolffkran Arabia, tells us, the crane brand has been associated with several such iconic buildings in the entire Middle East. “Over the years, we’ve seen considerable success in this region. We have our cranes at the biggest and the most iconic projects in Dubai and the UAE, and it’s the same in Saudi Arabia. In Dubai you can see our cranes building the Museum of the Future on Sheikh Zayed Road, whereas in Saudi we had 44 Wolff tower cranes on one of the Kingdom’s biggest and most important construction sites around the Masjid Al Haram in Makkah.
3 Wolffkran Arabia has provided tower cranes for some of the most iconic projects in the Middle East with both new units and its own rental fleet.
“You have to remember that the biggest customer of Wolffkran’s products is Wolffkran itself. We have one of the biggest rental fleets in Europe, so if we’re manufacturing cranes to be used in our own rental fleet, they’re made to bring in the best return on investment”
4
COVER STORY CR ANE REP ORT 2020
Meanwhile, in Jeddah we have two Wolff 355B luffers climbing internally on the job-site of the highest tower in the world, while seven more are on the podium,” Kirby tells CMME. Elaborating about Wolffkran Arabia, he explains: “Wolffkran Arabia is a joint venture of Wolffkran and the Kanoo Group for the UAE. We established in late 2006 and it’s been a very strong relationship between a big regional group with its local capabilities and over 120 years of experience, and a global giant such as Wolffkran, which too has been building tower cranes for about 120 years.” While Kirby heads Wolffkran Arabia, Mohamed Abou el Ezz, senior sales manager at Wolffkran IS, looks after the regional operations of the German tower crane specialist, covering the Middle East and South East Asia. Presenting a broad overview of Wolffkran, especially in the region, El Ezz says: “We’ve done some extremely prestigious projects in the Middle East. Wolffkran originally came over to the region at the request of some major contractors. We always had a very strong reputation for good health and safety while providing crane solutions in the UK, and some of the contractors we supplied to in the UK wanted our
Whether its tall towers or intricate architectural builds, Wolffkran’s mobile service vehicles ensure the lifting can go on nonstop.
experts to come into the region when they came in here. So that’s how we expanded into the Middle East, with one or two contractors, and built the business from there.” Building the business has meant paying the utmost attention to safety and efficiency, and in this Wolffkran Arabia has assiduously followed the lead of the manufacturer. As Kirby explains: “Anything that Wolffkran does,
we make sure we follow the same. If they recommend a certain way of doing things, we follow exactly what they do and implement it here quickly. That’s just safe and sound practices and allows us to sleep at night knowing we have done everything we can.” This has had a very positive impact on safety at the band., and Kirby elaborates: “The safety factors we put in are huge and so effective that our cranes can operate quite close, withstand very high wind speeds and can sometimes free slew. If we are not safe, I would rather not have a crane onsite - this is the philosophy we believe in.” Following Wolffkran’s lead at Wolfkran Arabia means not just pushing out products but engineering solutions. Explaining what this involves, Kirby says: “We look at what the demands of a project are; we look at what they are lifting, where they are lifting it and what the logistics are. An important thing is, how do you get a crane to the job-site and how you get it out, because there can be costly mistakes in this process. “We have had jobs where instead of using a 750t mobile crane to get it out, we have recommended knocking down a wall, so we can get in with a 160t crane and save up to $80,000. This is just one example of many things we do. We provide the full package and obviously the crane operator comes in standard these days as well.” El Ezz adds: “When you do a crane plan, you have to make sure that there is no overlapping and the cranes are be allowed to slew freely. A tower crane is only able to lift its highest loads when it’s free-slewing. If you have a crane that’s been suddenly held against the wind, a load is a huge pressure on the tower. But so as long your calculations are right – and that’s the engineer’s job - you will know exactly what you need to do. You might need to have different sections or put different ties in - all of these can be calculated. And we do all of this. “We provide the whole package so contractors can come in and focus on
5 looking after their own employees, bring material in and build things. And we can be responsible for the lifting.” Explaining further, Kirby adds: “We are a crane rental solutions provider. We are the only company in the region that not only has the support, but the backend and the partnership with the manufacturer, Wolffkran. So, that comes with a lot of advantages.” A big advantage of Wolffkran cranes is that they are designed with a modular system in mind. This means the tower sections can be changed around based on the requirements, he adds. “It’s not something standard, so having a modular system with the base and sections gives you more flexibility when you’re planning a project. And if you have a rental fleet, you are optimising your utilisation component as well, which is very important. But this also requires specific consultations from the manufacturer, which we offer our customers all around the world,” El Ezz explains. “We are not just a manufacturer; we are more. We operate; we rent; we have all-round expertise. If it’s any kind of consultation to Wolffkran Arabia in Dubai or to any other entity, we provide the entire technical consultation
Wolffkran operates in partnership with the Roots Group in Saudi Arabia and through its UAE joint venture with the Kanoo Group, named Wolffkran Arabia.
wherever our cranes are operating.” Service is another key aspect that Wolffkran puts lot of emphasis on. The company has the expertise to provide the highest levels of service and both Wolffkran Arabia and the Wolffkran Group count on this as one of the main competitive advantages of hr brand. “A tower crane is an electromechanical item, so it’s always
going to have some things to be looked after. Wolfkran’s overall quality is never an issue, obviously, as we manufacture to the strictest quality standards in Germany. The important thing is not that you don’t get issues with use, but that you get as few of them as possible, and when you do get any, they are tackled immediately. I think we are very good at this. “You have to remember that the biggest customer of Wolffkran’s products is Wolffkran itself. We have one of the biggest rental fleets in Europe, so if we’re manufacturing cranes to be used in our own rental fleet, they’re made to bring in the best return on investment. This means that our crane will last 24 years, will cost less to maintain; it means we can erect that crane in half a day and dismantle it in half a day, and climb it quicker than any other crane. All these things are more important in Europe where labour rates are very high. So, this is what the cranes are designed for. And these are the same cranes that other customers buy from Wolffkran – and derive the same benefits.” Kirby adds that being both the manufacturer and user, Wolffkran is at an advantage of being the first to discern any operational
WOLF LINK
LINKING THE PACK All Wolff tower cranes are equipped with Wolff Link,
is to reduce
diagnosis and solution.
the lead time
“Our main service centre
by trying to
the company’s electronic
which receives the data is
crane management solution,
located in Germany. Very
diagnose
says Mohamed Abou el Ezz.
often the service centre
the problem
“The idea of the Wolff
and find
itself can resolve the issue
a solution
Link is to give online
remotely through Wolff
access to all crane data and
Link. If it cannot and there is a
operational information, to
technical problem, the service
efficiently run your fleet or
centre directly communicates
tackle crane maintenance
with our nearest warehouse,
can
issues. Faults or problems
which sends technicians with
go and
are talking about here is how
are detected with the Wolff
the required spare parts to
repair the crane on-site.”
we can minimise downtime
Link and communicated to
the site. If no spare parts are
Wolffkran and the customer.
required, the service centre
customer is also kept in the
not sitting idle, but always
Customers receive real-time
can directly send the nearest
loop and information is shared
doing what our customers
alerts on any problem, its
technician an alert so that he
across the board. The point
want them to do – lift.”
before sending someone to the site.
Throughout the process, the
“The whole issue we
and ensure our cranes are
6
COVER STORY CR ANE REP ORT 2020
problems or issues. “This makes it quicker for us to adapt to market changes, because we are part of the market as well, not just providing the product.” When it comes to providing support for the product, Wolffkran needs to be on top of the maintenance and service game as both a seller and rental fleet operator. The company has
several strategies for that. One is swift on-site mobile service. “Our service vehicle is a standard unit that you can find with the same components in all places that we operate, whether you go to Germany, the UAE or the USA. The idea is to standardise service and to make sure that all the equipment required is available when our service team
Wolff cranes are an increasingly common sight in the GCC’s construction landscape, and the company makes sure its customers are well supported.
goes to a site, so it helps them to finish the work they need to do on time and to our stipulated quality standards. It’s not just having some tools and fooling around searching for the right parts – it has to be a very organised effort, otherwise you lose time and ultimately the customer. This is something Wolffkran feels very strongly about,” says Kirby.
COMING TO CONEXPO
WOLFFKRAN TO SHOW OFF THE 166 B US HYDRAULIC LUFFER After the successful
classical tower top and reeving
electrical standards and all
cylinder with load sensing
introduction of Wolff luffing
of the luffing rope, making both
US requirements regarding
control automatically regulates
and saddle jib cranes with
transportation and assembly
structural components, is called
the luffing speed according
middle to high lift capacities
more efficient. The hydraulic
the Wolff 166 B US - offers a
the load which results in a
for the US market, Wolffkran
luffing design also allows for
maximum load capacity of
remarkable luffing movement
is now following up with
a smaller out-of-service jib
12t in 2-fall operation and
from maximum to minimum
one of its smaller luffing jib
position, which is particularly
6t in 1-fall operation. The jib
jib radius in only 90 seconds
cranes, the Wolff 166 B.
important on constricted
line-up ranges from 25m to
with an economical 22kW
city construction sites.
55m and can be extended in
motor. The on-site connected
5mincrements. With a 50m
power requirements sit at
jib it achieves a best-in-class
a low 91kVA with 480V.
The company says that the crane’s impressive performance and an extremely compact design has quickly made it a bestselling model for reinforced concrete structure projects on space restricted inner-city job sites. Unlike conventional
The Wolff 166 B - whose US version, compliant to US
tip load capacity of 3.35t. Equipped with a powerful 60kW hoist winch the Wolff 166 B US offers a hook path of 500m and line speeds of up to 174 m/
Standard safety and efficiency features include the Wolff Link remote data transmission system, an anti-collision interface for all major anticollision systems, a working
luffing jib cranes
min in 1-fall operation
range limitation, electrical
with a winch driven
and can be built up
central lubrication of the
luffing gear, the Wolff
to a free-standing
slewing ring, a temperature-
166 B is fitted with
tower heighta of 93.2m
controlled switch cabinet
a compact hydraulic
thanks to the modular
with heating and ventilation
luffing mechanism
Wolff tower system.
and a low slip ring system for
which eliminates the
The hydraulic luffing
optimal signal transmission.
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8
INTERVIEW CR ANE REP ORT 2020
TOWERING PARTNERSHIP
IN A DOUBLE INTERVIEW WITH MANITOWOC’S POTAIN AND ITS DEALER NFT SPECIALISED IN TOWER CRANES, CMME GETS INSIGHTS INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO THAT HAS MADE THEM SEEMINGLY ONE FAMILY OVER THE YEARS, AND WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
M
anitowoc’s Potain brand of tower cranes and the Middle East’s home grown giant NFT Specialised in Tower Cranes are two inseparable brands, not just locally in the region but increasingly globally. Indeed, in the over 45 years that the two brands have been associated, NFT has grown to become the world’s largest dealer of tower cranes, specialising in the Potain brand. Over the decades, NFT has come to dominate the tower crane market in the Middle East and also branched out to supply Potains all over the globe. When the two companies cemented their relationship further by signing a partnership renewal agreement at the Big 5 Heavy in Dubai late last year, CMME caught with Nabil Al Zahlawi, CEO and managing partner of NFT, and Orlando Mota, senior vice president, Manitowoc, to talk tower cranes, ask where the relationship stands and what the future holds. From the point of view of the manufacturer, how does Potain
view its long relationship with NFT and is there any special significance of renewing your agreement at this time? Orlando Mota (OM): This longstanding relationship between NFT and Manitowoc not only makes NFT one of the oldest Potain dealers in the world but also the largest Potain dealer all across the world today. We are just putting on record this long-standing relationship that we’ve been enjoying for over 45 years now. There is nothing which really makes us do it right now apart from the fact that there is a moment in time when both companies just need to sign a piece of paper. But this is just an administrative aspect because this relationship is so much more than a piece of paper or any legal clauses. Both Potain and NFT have been working together for well over four decades now and we are practically one family. There is no reason why we cannot continue to grow this relationship for the next four decades and beyond. The Middle East market is still very interesting for both of us, and NFT also has the capacity to provide additional service capabilities for other regions.
9 We are very proud to have NFT as a partner with the outstanding value that they have provided to us and our customers and I’m expect that moving forward our relationship will be at least as good as it has been so far, if not better, because it has been a wonderful relationship between the two companies. The partnership is now more than 45 years old. As a manufacturer Potain must also have been enriched from NFT’s in terms of market knowledge? OM: Absolutely. NFT today is one of the voices of the market that we depend on. When we are thinking of a new project or a new model, a new specification for our cranes, we talk to NFT and listen to them very carefully to try to figure out whether what we are thinking from a manufacturer’s stand point makes sense from a market point of view. NFT has such a vision and understanding about the market that there is no way for Potain to develop something that we have not taken their input on before. Prior to us launching any new model or design, they are for sure one of the biggest and main contributors in terms of input and what the market is expecting from us and what we should be developing for the market. So, NFT’s is definitely one of the voices that we hear even before we begin developing any new product, specification or service. Is this only for Middle East-focused products or also for global ones? OM: It’s actually for all global products. Potain’s relationship with NFT is global in nature and the worldwide presence that NFT has today, makes it one of the voices that we need to listen to even when it goes beyond the products that they usually buy or markets traditionally operate in. Today, with the huge rental fleet that NFT has, and the range of Potain models that they have, not to forget the technicians and personnel with the highest qualifications, NFT can help all over the world. So, this benefits us
as Potain to create market share not only in NFT’s territory but also in other territories. And we appreciate NFT’s support in this aspect. Nabil Al Zahlawi (NAZ): We know that markets are getting globalised, so we have contractors moving from one country to another and now from one continent to another. And sometimes every other component of the business moves together with these contractors, such as the crane rental houses and dealers. I think this is a part of globalisation, and NFT has been a pioneer in this field. For many years now we have been expanding our boundaries, because markets are indeed getting very globalised and so today, a big project anywhere in the world may need, let’s say, a specific Potain model or specific service or a specific type of crane. When this happens the NFT name is on top of their list to procure their needs from, even if it’s not in the territory you’d traditionally associate NFT with. We have customers very often who say that despite the fact that they are not operating in a country where NFT is operating in as well, they have still been asking NFT to provide them quotes for a project and to supply that project. In terms of knowledge sharing and collaboration, is there any product that we can name which NFT had a big hand in developing with Potain? NAZ: Sharing information always leads to input on how to improve the equipment. Of course, Potain is always ready to hear what we have to say. What we mainly share is information to improve a product or to make it more suitable for a region. For example, we have a lot of highrises in the GCC whereas in Europe there aren’t so many of them. So, to make a crane more suitable for this region, we have to develop concepts with Potain according to what we have observed and identified as the needs of this region. These could be specific components and systems like bigger
10
INTERVIEW CR ANE REP ORT 2020
drum capacities and faster speeds, or entire cranes ranges such as suitable luffing jib or flat top models. So, this is something we share together in order to improve the products and have a better market for the products. In a nutshell, the concept is to improve the technical sides and the mechanism of the products in order to reply to market demand. OM: I would say NFT is constantly sharing some kind of information with our Potain technicians and engineers. For instance, just this week, this is the third day that we had a technical discussion. And we talk technically, commercially and strategically – we basically discuss everything. We discuss how to improve the products and where there are gaps in the market. At the end of the day, we need to have the best product in the market. Coming to Potain products, which ones do you think are the most preferred in the Middle East? NAZ: The preferences are evolving with the market. Five years back, you wouldn’t have found too many luffing jib tower cranes in the market. Today, most of the cranes are of the luffing jib variety. In a place like Dubai, some of this can be attributed to new rules
Orlando Mota (left), senior VP, Manitowoc, and Nabil Al Zahlawi, CEO and managing partner, NFT, extend the NFT-Potain partnership at the Big 5, Dubai.
put in place for Expo 2020, where builders are not allowed to over fly the neighbourhood and the luffing jib answers this problem. Also, using the luffers, you can put two or three cranes on the same tower build without a clash between them. We see a future for this kind of product with the market understanding what the luffing jib and flat top are, and their uses and
advantages. In Europe, nobody is using the luffing jib tower cranes whereas here we see them being used more and more. We’ve recently ordered large numbers of luffing jib tower cranes. We have the biggest rental fleet comprising every variety of tower crane, but specifically the luffing jib. I think in a small or big way, every product that Potain is developing has a certain contribution from NFT. Today NFT owns a huge fleet of Potain cranes comprising a very wide variety of models. So, on all products Potian is developing, there is an NFT input. How is the traction for the selferecting crane in the market today? OM: Just as you find many luffing jib cranes here, you find more of the self-erecting variety in Europe. If you have very expensive labour, people will use more machinery, but if you have cheaper labour - as is the case here - people will perform tasks more manually. So, you have less machinery being used here on small housing or private villas, which is where the selferecting tower crane is in its element. NAZ: At NFT, we are trying to encourage the use of self-erecting tower craned in this type of market
11 here. For example, we have a contractor building around 1,200 villas and we gave him a self-erecting model to try for a month free of charge. We went and erected it with the understanding that is the contractor is happy with it after the month is up, he will pay a rent and use it for another three months on rental. With our experience of the market and how the sector works, we’re sure that the benefits of the unit will convince many contractors to induct them into their fleets. Today we have 45 selferecting tower cranes which we are pushing in this market. There are many advantages of this in smaller projects: you don’t even need an operator, you don’t need any certification, and it’s available with us. Safety devices such as motorised operator lift systems are becoming mandatory in Europe. But the Middle East lags behind in safety measures. What is the NFT-Potian combine doing in this regard? OM: Some countries on northern Europe started with crane lifts last January and it has become mandatory in France on all cranes that rise above 30m in height. What we are also seeing is that some contractors are picking this up and saying that even though it is not mandatory in other countries but for safety reasons, they want their cranes to be equipped with the lifts. I expect that over time either by regulatory demand or by customer demand, this system will be developed further not just in Europe, but on other countries also. NAZ: As for the Middle East, we have some units here and we are the only ones who can supply it. But customers must understand this is not a luxury item; its important. We feel operators need to be given more importance here. in Europe or even in Asia, operators are often taken for testing and medical on a monthly basis. But here, operators are not though of as assets because they are cheap.
RISING AT CONEXPO
POTAIN DEBUTS HYDRAULIC LUFFER versatility and speed of our Hup cranes but
In Korea for example, the operator’s pay is often double the rent on the crane. But here, it’s the opposite; operators are paid a fraction of what it costs to rent the crane. This is the difference.
with added mobility. So, at CONEXPO customers can get a firsthand look at the latest technology for the high-rise and home building sectors.” The MRH 175 is the latest release in Potain’s line of hydraulic Potain has announced
luffing jib cranes, a
the new MRH 175 tower
product line the company
crane, a new hydraulic
has continuously
luffing jib crane that
developed since unveiling
will make its debut at
the MRH 125 a year
CONEXPO 2020. It’s one
ago. Combining the
of two Potain cranes
advantages of Potain’s
that will be on display at
MR luffing jib cranes
the Manitowoc booth
and MDT topless cranes,
during the show, where
Potain says contractors
the company plans to
find them particularly
showcase the latest in
straightforward
lifting technology for two
to assemble and
of the busiest sectors in
disassemble on
the built environment:
congested sites, making
high-rise construction
them ideal for urban
and homebuilding. The
projects, high-rise
other crane on show
construction or job sites
will be the recently
where space is limited.
introduced Hup M 28-22. Thibaut Le Besnerais,
Maximum capacity for the MRH 175 is 10t, while
Manitowoc’s VP, global
the maximum jib length
products for tower
is 55m. Tip capacity is
cranes, says the designs
1.5t with the full 55m
of both models give users
jib, or 2.7t if fitted with a
capabilities not available
50m jib. Maximum line
with other cranes.
speed is 215 m/min with
“The MRH 175 has our
the high-performance
latest hydraulic luffing
90HPL25 hoist. The fixed
technology: a design
counter jib and topless
we’ve been championing
structure facilitate fast
for the past two years.
erection and dismantling.
Meanwhile, the Hup M
Transport needs only four
28-22 harnesses all the
standard containers.
We know NFT is a champion of safety. How do you push the concept here? NAZ: We have extensive training for safety. We do on-site trainings regularly. And we do it in our yard for our people. Potain sends their engineers out to us every year to update us on all technical safety concepts and we have a safety department completely controlling and auditing our technicians. Safety is a very important component of NFT’s operations. NFT has created a book for operators on job-sites in this region. It is available in four languages - Hindi, Urdu, Arabic and English - and there are frequent conferences about safety on job-sites all around the Middle East and beyond. Please tell us about how NFT has branched out of the Middle East to now become a a global operator. NAZ: Being located in this region with access to the logistics infrastructure of the UAE, we are able to benefit from the low shipping costs of containers, which we use to ship our cranes to global locations. For example, we are able to avoid high costs when using a container to ship from here to Singapore because the container originated in Singapore and they need the empty box there. So whatever they can earn on the return leg is a bonus for them as the container was to return empty anyway. And so they charge very little. This is an advantage for us. And if we don’t have a crane available here, we buy it new. For example, today we bought a couple of new units, which we are having sent directly from the Potain factory to Singapore. We bought a Potain MCT 565 flat top crane. There is also demand for bigger cranes in the 32t-class and above so there will be some more cranes coming in.
12
INTERVIEW CR ANE REP ORT 2020
LOOKING UP
SPANISH TOWER CRANE SPECIALIST COMANSA HAS STEADILY EXPANDED ITS PRESENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, SUPPLYING ITS CRANES TO SOME IMPORTANT PROJECTS ACROSS THE REGION WHILE RAMPING UP SAFETY AND SERVICE OFFERINGS How does Comansa assess the tower crane market at present and what are your projections for the future? For Comansa, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have emerged as markets in which we have very good expectations. We also think of Iraq as a country to consider in the medium and long term. In the last two years, Comansa has found success in the regional market with sales of 10-15 tower crane units per year. We believe this is an encouraging performance and we’re putting our efforts into further improving our sales here. Please give an overview of Comansa’s product range in the Middle East. Which are your most popular models here and why? We offer our entire product portfolio in the Middle East., Our models such as the 21LC335 and 21LC550 are installed on various projects around the region. In Dubai, we have the 21LC550 flattop and the LCL280 and LCL165 luffing jib models working on some projects. These models are also the ones mostly asked for in Saudi Arabia. We have some 8t, 10t and 12t models working in general construction, especially in places like Egypt, whereas our 18t and 20t capacity models are serving on special projects The cranes we provide in this region are manufactured in our facility in China and are therefore competitively priced. Of course, they are all built to Comansa’s strict quality standards, no matter where they are made.
We have a wide range of flat-top models that are very competitively priced given their technical specifications. The 21LC large flat-top is among our biggest sellers and we are planning on expanding our flat-top model range further. What are Comansa’s special features and what advantages does it enjoy over the competition that customers should be aware of? Comansa has a long history of expertise in the tower crane business. We are the inheritors of the legacy of Linden, the original flat-top tower crane producer. In fact, we were known as Linden-Comansa for a long time. So, we have a background of innovation and quality in the business. Our cranes are built on modular system design principals, offering great combinations between our total range to suit various customer requirements. Our cranes also come with powerful tower structures, which are designed for low cost of transport without sacrificing strength, making transport and erection easy and cheap. We put emphasis on the quality of our mechanics, such as the hoist motor and trolley travel motor, which bolsters one of the most important features of our cranes: longer life. This also means that customers can sell the crane after years of use at a good profit. Over the years, the tower crane sector has had a few accidents. How does Comansa improve safety?
13 Spain’s Comansa offers its entire range of flat-top and luffing jib tower cranes in the Middle East and its products have worked on several key regional projects.
COMANSA’S NEW LAUNCH
A FLAT-TOP FOR HEAVY LOADS
Comansa recently launched its new flat-top tower crane, the 21LC1400, which comes in 50t and 66t versions with jib lengths of 85-90m and is designed for Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC), mining and allied applications. The 21LC1400 will also provide enhanced performance on projects involving lifting very heavy loads, such as in shipyards, mining and
Whenever any accident happens, Comansa has a protocol in which the reasons are studied in an atmosphere of transparent and close communication with our customer. Together, we try to find out what it’s necessary to improve, whenever and wherever applicable, so that such accidents do not happen again. This approach has enabled us to learn new things and constantly refine our products so that accidents due to mechanical and structural errors have been nearly eliminated. Accidents usually happen because of operator error or failure to follow the correct assembly or operation procedures. Comansa is constantly working on emphasizing the required steps and making customers and operators more sensitive about procedures. We do this through trainings and manuals, which we insist our customers and their operators follow. In addition, our quality and R&D departments are always working on new designs with a view to improving safety for our customers. In parallel, we are checking future remote technical assistance and advanced systems for maintenance.
other industrial sectors. The crane features a modular design counter jib to significantly reduce operating radius on small sites. A new single and highly compact trolley-hook has also been designed for the 21LC1400, which replaces Comansa’s single-double trolley system, standard in its other models. This is because the new 21LC1400 will work mainly in projects in which maximum capacity is required for almost every lift. The crane has two versions with maximum load capacities of 50t and 66t. It has a standard 85m jib, extendable to 90m, and a new cage designed as an extension of the range that includes the latest upgrades of cages previously available only for smaller cranes.
Please mention some Middle East and GCC projects where Comansa cranes are working or have worked. Two of our 21LC550 models and one 21LC450 worked in the Bahrain Airport project; in the Cairo subway project we have a 21LC750 and CM355 models whereas four of our 11CM160 cranes are involved in the ElCairo Residential project. In Saudi Arabia, we work extensively with Aramco on some huge oil & gas projects. We replaced 17 cranes in offshore oil rigs for Saudi Aramco in the Zuluf and Marjan oil fields using our 21LC and 16LC models. In Dubai Comansa tower cranes were involved in the development of the Paramount Hotel and our 21lc550s cranes are at work in the Wafi Mall extension project, while two LCL280 units are building tower blocks elsewhere in Dubai.
14
CRANE SAFETY CR ANE REP ORT 2020
SAFETY AT HEIGHTS
AMCS TECHNOLOGIES HAS DEVELOPED AND INSTALLED ADVANCED ANTI-COLLISION PRODUCTS FOR TOWER CRANES GLOBALLY AND IN THE REGION. THE FRENCH CRANE SAFETY SYSTEMS PROVIDER GIVES DETAILS OF HOW IT IS MAKING TOWER CRANES SAFER TO OPERATE
S
afety is important for all stakeholders in the global tower crane sector. Tapping into the latest technologies of today, French crane safety systems specialist AMCS has developed technology tools to aid tower crane operators and cut out some of the hazards of their job. AMCS’s two main flagship products sold in the Middle East are the DCS 60 anti-collision system and the SUP 61 job-site supervisor. The DCS 60 – the letters stand for driving control system – is a driving assistance product with an in-cab monitor, enabling tower crane operators to manage real-time risk of collision between crane elements in interference, for example rope to jib or counter-jib. It also helps in stopping cranes passing over prohibited over-flight areas such as schools, railways, roads, etc. Emmeline Grosjean, marketing manager, EMEA at AMCS technologies, tells CMME that the DCS 60 has three fundamental functions – zoning, anti-collision, and display unit and data logger. With zoning, three-dimensional prohibited zones
are quickly defined directly on the monitor screen of the DCS 60 by associating geometric shapes with the areas concerned. The anticollision system operates in real time and in 3D to calculate the distances between each part of the crane, as well as movement speeds. The system applies an adjustable safety coverage to all of the machines sections – jib, rope, etc – and enables action to be taken on equipped mechanisms to ensure complete immobilisation of the crane at a pre-set distance from a particular obstacle. The display unit and data logger continuously records and saves events related to prohibited areas and interference functions management, allowing direct viewing and download to a flash drive. An additional function enables the dynamic recording of certain information concerning system and crane status. “The system is universal. It easily adapts to all brands of cranes and can manage large-scale job-sites. The tower crane operator has all the information he needs to operate the crane, such as the position of his crane and of others at the site and their load, as well as their movements:
15 Anti-collision and zoning solutions from French crane systems specialist AMCS is vital for safe operations of tower cranes on urban job-sites.
slewing, distribution, lifting and travelling. He also has information about static obstacles and prohibited zones and the risk of collision with interfering cranes. Other useful information for productivity, such as load, range, wind speed and jib position, are also provided by the system,” says Grosjean. The SUP 61 is a system that a site supervisor can use to monitor and save data on a single screen from cranes on the sites fitted with the DCS 61-S and DCS 60 systems. Via a radio connection with the sites anti-collision network, the SUP 61
communicates real-time information on the positioning, movements and events of the cranes. “Whatever the complexity of a job-site, the performance and ease of use of these systems allow tracking of on-site activity, either from an office on-site or remotely from another side of the world. With a simple internet connection, users can have access to information linked to slewing, distribution, hook height, the position of the crane, the load lifted, weathervane mode and neutralisation for each crane on the job-site,” Grosjean says.
AMCS AT CONEXPO 2020
WORLD PREVIEWS FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES AMCS will reveal its latest
Operating on many sites
innovations on booth F101211 at
in France, the DCS 61-S can
Conexpo Las Vegas this month.
detect in real time the risk of
Among the novelties expected in
collision of all crane elements
2020 are the DCS 61-S, (Driving
in interference (for example
Control System Safety), the new
cable on jib, cable on counter-
anti-collision and zoning system
jib. Etc.) or the risk of entering a
now available internationally.
prohibited area, such as spaces
It is a complete safety system designed with a higher level of
over schools, railways, roads, etc. It intervenes on the controlled
requirement to ensure the safe
mechanisms of the machine
execution of orders to manage the
to ensure a slowdown and/
machines in interference, operating
or a complete immobilisation
in the area of the tower cranes.
of the lifting machine at a pre-
The device is in the process of
set distance from the obstacle.
being certified PLd in accordance
The system provides the crane
with the standard EN13849-1
operator with working comfort by
and SIL-2 in accordance with the
displaying all the parameters useful
standard EN61508 by an accredited
for operating the machine and
organization, in order to guarantee
allows him to programme delivery
a serious quality approach.
zones and targets more intuitively. It also gives the possibility of viewing in real time the position of the crane in its environment as well as the positions of the interfering cranes while guaranteeing high performance on site productivity. The company will also preview its own telematics called IoT Lifting with its mobile application which will be available during the second quarter of 2020.
16
LIFTING PROJECTS CR ANE REP ORT 2020
AL FARIS SHOWS ITS MIGHT CMME BRINGS YOU FOUR RECENT PROJECTS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST’S HOMEGROWN HEAVY LIFT AND MOVE SPECIALIST THAT SHOW OFF LOCAL EXPERTISE IN RAISING AND MOVING THE HEAVY STUFF
UAE PAVILION LIFT AT EXPO 2020
LIEBHERR CRAWLER AND MOBILE LIFT IN TANDEM GCC heavy lifting and transport
long working radius of 132m along
services major Al Faris recently
with strong winds, said Al Faris.
completed a project to lift and
The company added that
install heavy structural elements
selection of the right lifting gear
on the UAE pavilion build site
was of utmost importance as the
at the Dubai Expo 2020.
structures had to be lifted at a
Using a Liebherr LR 1000 crawler
given specific angle. Also, steel
crane with 156m main boom and
mats had to be fabricated for
Liebherr LTM 1750 9.1 mobile crane
maintaining ground pressure to
with S/L and luffer, the Al Faris team
meet the site requirements.
lifted 42 steel structural elements
“This project was completed in
in total at the falcon-inspired UAE
different stages. We provided our
pavilion structure, which they then
client with a complete solution for
placed and installed in their places.
lifting and installation of structural
“We were recently awarded
steel elements of length varying
the UAE pavilion project at the
from 24m to 46m. The weight
Expo 2020 site in Dubai and it
of each unit ranged from 8t to
was great to be able to support
55t. After careful consideration
the project with our engineering
and study, the 1000t Liebherr
and heavy lifting expertise,”
LR 1000 crawler crane was used
said an Al Faris spokesperson.
due to the long working radius
Some of the challenges that the project presented were a limited, congested area for placing the
requirement for the installation,” the spokesperson added. For the final stage of the project,
cranes due to adjacent ongoing
Al Faris used its Liebherr 750t
projects, the restricted time
all-terrain crane to lift and install
and area for the assembly and
the oculus structure at the centre
dismantling of the cranes and a
of the UAE pavilion’s roof top.
17
132m
The challe n working ra ging d of the projeius ct
18
LIFTING PROJECTS CR ANE REP ORT 2020
JORDAN WIND FARM PROJECT
COMPLETE LOGISTICS FOR REFINERY PROJECT
BREEZY LIFT FOR LEIBHERR LTM1500 ATC
GOLDHOFER MOVES HEAVY VESSELS
Among the feather’s in Al
and strength to cater to any
Faris’ cap around the wider
projects in the entire Middle
Middle East region of late is a
East region,” said Al Faris.
Jordanian project where the
The company added that all
company used a 500t Liebherr
surveys, planning, technical
all-terrain mobile crane to
support documentation,
assemble and erect windmills.
execution plans and schedules
The Dubai-based company
were prepared in-house
explained that it mobilised
prior to job execution,
a Liebherr LTM 1500 for the
which helped in organising
Jordan wind farm project
all activities smoothly and
which it was awarded and
kept delays to a minimum.
executed late last year.
“Execution was safely carried
“After careful consideration
out by our trained operators.
and calculations, the Liebherr
The loads varied from 64t to
LTM 1500, 500t all-terrain
90t. Our 550t mobile crane
crane was selected as the
was used with main boom
most suitable to safely carry
operations,” said Al Faris, adding
out the heavy lifts. The crane
that a strong commitment and
was mobilised to Jordan
focus was also shown to adhere
from our branch in Saudi
to the best HSE practices on-
Late last year, Al Faris
Arabia along three of our
site, which was discussed in
provided complete
well-trained staff members,
detail with the client prior to the
logistics services, from
stretch of Dubai’s main
showcasing our capabilities
commencement of operations.
loading to transportation,
highway, Sheikh Zayed
for more than 15
Road, was completely
oversized components
blocked for 30 minutes to
of an oil refinery project,
make way for the trailers,
which were moved from
which were accompanied
the Jebel Ali port to a
by 4-6 police escorts.
storage yard in Dubai
Al Faris obtained all
World Central in the UAE.
official permissions and
Al Faris used 12-axle
clearances for the move
Goldhofer hydraulic trailers as well as self-
studied all steps required. During the move, a
and route modifications. “For the offloading
propelled modular
process, a challenge was
transporters (PST/SL-E
the confined space Al Faris
trailers) to move the loads,
had to work in, along with
and finally offloaded them
the tight timescale and
using an Enerpac SBL900
lifting precision needed.
gantry. The refinery
Another challenge was
column’s three sections
engineering a customised
were up to 11m high, 32m
platform using steel mats
long and 10m wide, and
to reach the required
weighed up to 315t.
lifting height for the
The project’s biggest
gantry. The Enerpac
challenge was to find
SBL900 gantry system
a route practical and
was the perfect fit for this
feasible enough to
job, allowing us to get the
transport the loads. An
work done with utmost
elaborate route survey
efficiency,” said Al Faris.
19
MOVING SOLUTIONS FOR OIL FACILITY EXPANSION
SPMTS AND MULTI-AXLES TRANSPORT 19 VESSELS Using hydraulic multi axle
8m high; the 252t and 157t
to 68 axle lines of Goldhofer
to cross the Etihad Rail tracks.
trailers, Al Faris recently
dewatering separators; the
hydraulic multi axle and
Al Faris conducted an extensive
transported 19 different oil
210t slug catcher; 141t H2S
self-propelled trailers were
engineering study and
& gas vessels over a distance
stripper column; and 130t
used for transportation and
proposed a solution to design
of 150km for the expansion
second stage separator
Liebherr 1000t, 600t and
and fabricate a customised
400t crawler cranes were
temporary steel bridge.
was critical in nature due
used for offloading purposes
The bridge was analyzed
Completed in different
to close proximity to a live
at various locations.
for its load distribution and
stages over a period of three
plant, required specialised
months, Al Faris provided its
techniques and equipment,
strong focus of adhering
by Etihad Rail’s technical
client with a complete solution
as well as experienced staff.
to the best QHSE practices
team and stakeholders.
of a crude oil production facility in the Abu Dhabi.
for loading these vessels
The transportation, which
All road surveys,
Al Faris also ensured a
during transportation and
the proposal was approved
The crossing was executed
from different manufacturer’s
planning, technical support
when on site, which was
in a very constrained time
locations to the UAE’s
documentation, authority
discussed in detail with
frame, with a window of only
Hamriyah and Jebel Ali ports.
permissions, execution plans
the client prior to the
six hours provided for bridge
It then received the vessels at
and schedules were prepared
commencement of operations.
installation, crossing and
in-house by Al Faris prior
Mussafah port in Abu
to executing the
Dhabi and land transported them to the client site where they were off-loaded. A total of 19 vessels
293t
Weight of heav componen iest t transporte d in the project
were used to transport, in order of weight, the 293t first stage separator 32m long, 7.5m wide and
One of the challenges was to cross an ADNOC gas
then removal of the bridge. Other challenges included
job. This helped
pipeline which were at a
transportation on uphill and
organise all
depth of around 2m from
downhill roads, crossing
activities
ground level. An axle load
under electric power lines
smoothly with
of less than 08t/axle was
with restricted heights,
minimum
maintained for crossing with
manoeuvring extremely
delays.
all necessary permits and from
tight roundabouts and
Execution
the Department of Transport
bottle neck turns.
was safely carried out by the
and Abu Dhabi Municipality.
The crude-oil production
A maximum combination of
facility expansion will
up to 68 axle lines were used
allow production capacity
engineers and operators.
for crossing of the heaviest
to increase from 420,000
After careful consideration
load, which weighed 293t.
barrels to 450,000 barrels
company’s trained
and study of the loads, up
The other big challenge was
of oil per day this year.
20
CRAWLER CRANES CR ANE REP ORT 2020
HSC AIMS HIGH
AN ENTRENCHED PLAYER IN THE REGION, THE JAPANESE CRAWLER CRANE MANUFACTURER IS OFFERING VERSATILE UNITS WITH INNOVATIVE FEATURES, AND PLANS TO BRING IN NEW MODELS TO BOLSTER ITS MARKET PRESENCE
W
ith 10 lattice boom crawler crane models in various capacities in its range, and with a reputation for Japanese quality, HSC Cranes has always been a Middle East favourite. Speaking with CMME, Wim Aernouts, director, Middle East Crane Equipment Trading (MECET), the regional dealer of the brand, says the company is looking forward to a successful 2020. Aernouts’ outlook on the regional crawler crane market is one of cautious optimism, though. “The crane market is a little on the low level today in the Middle East. There is a definite pressure on prices of new cranes and margins are thin, even though, paradoxically,
there are a lot of jobs around for crawler cranes,” he says. “My contention is that the market is over supplied and that is putting pressure on prices. Of course, there is also a persistent problem with payments, where rental companies and fleet owners do not get paid on time by the contractors, who in turn are not being paid on time by their principals upstream. “This scenario is not conducive to people investing too much in new units. So they keep running whatever they have. Also, a contributing factor is that the older units are working well. A crawler crane easily has two or three lives, and when it comes to HSC, our high quality standards mean our machines just keep running and at minimal costs. Once you buy an HSC crane it can last you 50 years.
“We have a lot of cranes in this region that are performing well with 25,000-30,000 running hours on their clocks. At HSC we say we expect at least 25 years out of our cranes, but that is an estimation on the conservative side. The actual figure on the ground is easily a lot more than that.” HSC’s range in the Middle East comprises 10 models, all of which are available with MECET, from the 55t SCX550E at the low end to the 550t 6000SLX at the top. Aernouts says that while MECET sees more volumes in the lower and medium capacity models, such as the 120t-capacity SCX1200-3, they have sold a couple of units of the 550t-capacity 6000SLX, HSC’s largest available model. The units went to NMDC and Six Construct in Dubai. The model comes with an optional
21 A comprehensive model lineup, Japanese quality and expertise, and the backing of its dealer MECET has enabled HSC Cranes to become a leader in the region.
HSC SCX2800A-3
A BOOST FOR JOB-SITES HSC 275t-capcity SCX2800A-3 model
The Eco winch mode allows high
sports a powerful winch for steady
line speeds under light loads without
operations. An eco-winch mode
having to increase the engine speeds,
allows for streamlined operations
thus keeping the rpm count low.
and energy efficiency, while wider
This mode delivers high workability
shoes and reduction counterweight
in situations such as high-elevations
specifications enable it to meet a
construction sites and multiple rope
diverse range of job-site needs.
hanging operations, while limiting fuel
The 13.5t rated line pull winch enables quick and powerful hoisting and has plenty in reserve for more
consumption and noise due to engine speeds being kept at a minimum. The SCX2800A-3 comes with an
complex operations, says HSC. A
available option of wider shoes. The
wider winch drum design minimises
optional wider shoes are 140mm
damage to the winch rope.
wider than the standard ones and help to reduce ground contact pressure by around 8% to suit a broader range of job-sites. Another feature is the reduction counterweight specification, available as an optional extra to provide added flexibility for a diverse range of job-sites, such as locations within tight internal areas where operating weights are limited or restricted. The operator has greater ease of operations with a cab tilt mechanism that allows the cab to tilt back up to 18 degrees to make moving loads at heights easier. Enabling the optimum position suited to a job ensures the best possible operator visibility.
Superlift system to increase lift capacity. The system is a separate counterweight set-up that enables users to lift higher loads with the same crane. For the 550t model, the Superlift option would bump up the capacity to around 650t, giving it an extra 100t with a balance and A-frame extra to lift the higher load. Elaborating on the most popular HSC models in the region, Aernouts says: “The SCX2800-2 and the SCX1500A-3, with capacities of 275t and 150t respectively, are the most in-demand from our stable. The main reason is their versatility at the price point they come in. The 100t SCX1000A-3 is also among our popular models. It is mainly used in construction for foundation jobs. “Typically, you can find all these models in the oil & gas industry, in the refineries and
also in construction. There are also mining projects that use these cranes, as well as marine construction, infrastructure and dockside applications. Moreover, mounted on a pontoon, they are also used for offshore and marine lifting, coupled with a software that reduces lift capacity in three steps by up to 33% to keep the crane stable.” Coming to the smaller capacity models, the SCX550E, SCX700E and SCX800-2, which have capacities of 55t, 70t and 80t respectively, Aernouts says: “We call our smaller models ‘taxi cranes’. This is because they lift and move loads around on big job-sites, picking up a load at one end and crawling with it to another end of the site. And they also help in doing foundations. Because of this particular kind of usage, we make these cranes using
the undercarriages of excavators. So these models use tracks designed for crawler excavators, making them easier to move.” When it comes to engines, all new HSC models will now come with Cummins engines, Aernouts reveals. “Today we still have some models with Isuzu and Mitsubishi engines, but in the near future HSC will standardise the engines on its entire next generation range that we sell here to Cummins.” The near future will also see MECET bring in new HSC models to the region. “A couple of new units will arrive at the end of April, and will be stored in JAFZA, ready to be shipped to GCC customers in the GCC or brought into the UAE, as the case may be,” Aernouts says. For more details he advises CMME readers and prospective customers to watch this space.
22
NEW MODELS CR ANE REP ORT 2020
66M
th of Boom leng bherr LTM the new Lie first in , 1120-4.1 a nes ra c e xl 4-a
NEW LIFTERS
A NEW FOUR-AXLE ALL-TERRAIN CRANE FROM LIEBHERR AND A NEW ROUGH-TERRAIN MODEL FROM GROVE BOTH SEEK TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PERFORMANCE, VERSATILITY AND UTILITY THAT THEIR RESPECTIVE CLASSES ARE KNOWN FOR
W
ith the triennial CONEXPO-CON/AGG exhibition taking place in Las Vegas in the US this month, global crane manufacturers are taking the opportunity to present some new lifting equipment. In the mobile cranes segment, this includes two of the biggest names in the business, Liebherr and Grove, who debuting some important new models. Liebherr will be unveiling its new LTM 1120-4.1 in Las Vegas. The company says it is the most powerful four-axle all-terrain crane ever built. The new 120t machine breaks into a performance class which
has previously been the sole preserve of five-axle cranes. As far as boom length is concerned, it is on a par with 200t class cranes as its 66m telescopic boom is the longest ever to be installed on a four-axle mobile crane. Liebherr will start deliveries of the new LTM 1120-4.1 in autumn this year. Describing the thought and specifications behind the new model, a Liebherr statement says: “Delivering maximum performance on a four-axle mobile crane is a concept which has been traditional at Liebherr for decades. For example, when the current LTM 1100-4.2 was launched in 2009, it set new standards in the four-axle class with a lifting capacity of 10.2t on its 60m telescopic boom. The new 120t crane has added 18% to this value
at the same length. What is more, the LTM 1120-4.1 can extend its telescopic boom to up to 66m, an additional 10%. This means it reaches the same level of many 200t mobile cranes on the market.� The new LTM 1120-4.1 delivers high lifting capacity values, particularly with the boom fully raised. Its lifting capacity of 9t on the 66m telescopic boom makes it ideal for erecting tower cranes and radio masts. Lattice extensions enables the new 120t crane to achieve hook heights of up to 94m and radii of up to 64m. For this a 7m lattice boom extension is installed as well as a 10.819m double folding jib, which, as an option, can also be hydraulically adjusted between 0 degree and 40 degree angles. A 2m erection
23 jib and a runner, which can be swung to the side, round off the equipment list. The new LTM 1120-4.1 can tackle jobs which normally would require a five-axle crane, eliminating all the logistics work needed for the larger model. Because a four-axle crane delivers benefits in terms of licensing and route permits, it can tackle jobs faster and with greater flexibility. The design of a four-axle crane also enables it to work where there is insufficient space for larger cranes. On constricted sites, in particular, Liebherr’s VarioBallast and VarioBase innovations deliver enhanced performance, flexibility and safety for this new crane model. A six-cylinder Liebherr diesel engine in the undercarriage powers the crane, developing 449bhp of power and 2,335Nm of torque, ensuring ample power for the LTM 1120-4.1. While the engine complies with the new stage V emissions directive, it can also be built to comply with regulations in other territories, for example stage III for low regulated countries. Meanwhile, Manitowoc Cranes, owners of the Grove mobile crane brand, will display their latest roughterrain crane (RTC), the Grove GRT8120, in Las Vegas. The model is the newest Grove mobile crane to be unveiled by the company and is the latest in the GRT line of roughterrain cranes that have grown in popularity due to their reliability and versatility on job sites. It is one of six brand-new cranes that the company is introducing at the show, along with several others making their North American debuts. According to Manitowoc, the new GRT8120 features the longest boom and strongest load charts in its class, along with a new compact carrier design with flat decking for improved manoeuvrability, serviceability and job site access. Combined, these features make the crane ideal for work in the petrochemical, construction and wind power industries, among others. John Bair, product manager for roughterrain cranes at Manitowoc, says the crane’s features were largely driven by market demand, reflecting The Manitowoc Way, which is Manitowoc’s operating system that
focuses on a commitment to innovation and velocity that fulfils customers’ needs. “Many of our customers wanted to fill a void in the 120t class, and also increase their crane utilisation with easier transportability, greater reach and capacity, and improved access for serviceability,” he said. “We were able to accomplish this through an all-new carrier design along with several other new features debuting on this crane. We’re happy to say that the 60m boom length and strong load charts put this crane at the top of its class,” Bair states. Based largely off the success of the GRT8100, the GRT8120 has a capacity of 120t and a 60m main boom with 80.8m max height when equipped with the 17.6m bi-fold swingaway extension that comes in either manual or hydraulically offsettable configurations. Also new to the GRT8120 is the MAXbase asymmetrical outrigger system for ultimate versatility in job site setups. This feature, combined
120T
ity of the Max capac GRT8120 e v new Gro with a 60m main boom
with the lightweight, compact carrier and long boom, make this crane ideal for congested job sites that require maximum reach. A new, wider, full-vision cab with 20 degree tilt maximises operator comfort and visibility. From an operational perspective, the GRT8120 features the Boom Configurator mode that simplifies telescoping of the boom and provides on-board lift planning. The new crane has a full LED lighting package with new side-mounted carrier work lights, and the design improves upon previous crane models with increased storage and improved accessibility for servicing. Combined with its compact dimensions and its lightweight gross vehicle weight, the crane will have easy transport to job sites, need minimal job site preparation and provide exceptional manoeuvrability, which should increase utilisation rates for many users. On the job site, it has a 24.1km/h travel speed with full counterweight. “For the GRT8120 we were also able to add smart sensing outrigger cylinders in lieu of string pots that, along with nearly every component on the crane, were tested well past industry standards at our Product Verification Center to ensure reliability on the job site,” says Bair. “We’ve also added a wireless, handheld rigging remote for quick and easy set up on site. And of course, this crane is outfitted with the CCS Crane Control System that improves efficiency and reduces training time.”
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LAST WORD CR ANE REP ORT 2020
MOBILE S U L P 8 8 MK S ANE HELP R C N O I T C M BUILD CONSTRU A D E N I P L A IN QUICK
R E T F I L R R HE B E I L R O F T C E J O R P H HIG
herr mobile se the Lieb o o ch s to led him ial ropeway Two mater f epic site o e. n an n cr tio tio ra n ra io pe nstruct so in ope , a crane o ems were al r one co ast autumn nd all lifting syst required fo sm as ght of arou ith w ei w h s a n s proportio the site at re project ate u ve er ct o p u o ab tr to ly as fr le ct est in still ab . dire of the larg K 88 Plus is Switzerland e tower m. As the M er way in d 30 n 18m with th u a ly , n tly o re f en u o t ss curr re gh p ei e h didn’t k o tim ith a ho rizontal jib siderable needed w m-long ho Under con re 45 u ing. e ct th ew ru , sl d st g te retrac m base ays durin new 900sq of the ropew MK posing Lake e ay im th w e as ew w th n , e in er nset get age, howev o ructed for th nt st e va n th is ad co re at ve fo be si to Alps be pacity. M h The deci dam in the h handling ca g plant ig in h le ix bi s’s m o u e m Pl et Grimsel arch e 88 concr ate that th large-scale ains: “I estim % ring. pl 20 sp ex is to th of winter. A p u se ba n crane is built on the constructio bile G o A m er is due to be rd tig u da Fr an a st n company faster than with r Constructio obile crane Plus Liebher m 88 A K e. M an its cr had ve deployed ha n ane o would struction cr telescopic jib ion ns te mobile con ex de ic u r, at an altit e its telescop be us o ct to O of st t la site ed job. ited heigh ster lift spe r this Alpine e to the lim Fa fo du m 0 0 0 2, s f o s, 88 Plu ace.” ext six year of the MK the usable sp me Over the n rd e a b d n ill a gnificant ti w si st r g e am n ov us d Effecti ted lif s s e an enormo lu e n P th ra 8 c mobile the MK 8 Grimsel in s, g ke n vi La g sa at d built s, inclu in replace 1,600 load lps. It will d A n l e u al o es ar n sm , er d ld B e a r- o iners an in g 9 0 -y l steel, conta ra ku s ee ct n io ru -w th e e xi st o st at d tw un g its am. The fo hook durin g nse damaged d hinery, on its crete mixin n ac uring an inte m co “D . d n e re tio n tu n ra fu la pe p e o s e th u ur,” r th o u ho ea for ted n ng contin 15 lifts per be comple anage up to winter. lo f m o to t d se ha n plant had to o e the phase, w tion before until the his. with a dam’s loca uldn’t begin co n explains Mat io ct l. as provided ru st tia w n n s se co lu , P es er 8 as ev How for its twospeed w The MK 8 ne October, so pply on-site ra f C su o g er ile in b w n o in ing it po M s beg of the ntinuou tains, mean athis, head bvious. co in the moun o t as en w m For Reto M n gn tio si solu on-free. week as Frutiger, the s and emissi he tight Division at this job.” T also noiseles r as fo w ct fe n o er p ions “The MK is atial restrict as well as sp e am fr e tim
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