Industry Innovation
Manitowoc’s VPC improves safety and lift capacity for barge-mounted cranes Manitowoc’s unique and patented Variable Position Counterweight, or VPC, remains one of the most significant innovations and contributors to crawler crane safety in recent times. It is unique in its ability to automatically position the counterweight to suit a required lift and it promotes safety by limiting listing, minimising ground pressures and ensuring stability. Among its many benefits is its ability to allow increased capacity for lifts on barges. The standard VPC and optional VPC-MAX technology is included on Manitowoc’s MLC300 (350t) and MLC650 (650/700t) models, and automatically positions the crane’s counterweight to match lifting 26
LIFTING MATTERS
MARCH 2019
demands. The counterweight moves along the rotating bed and automatically adjusts its position based on changes in boom angle. Because the counterweight attachment of the VPC-MAX never touches the ground, higher capacity lifts are possible, while set-up time is reduced, and transportation is easier and more economical. One customer that took advantage of the VPC-MAX capabilities for a barge-mounted lift is Cianbro, a US-based construction firm that needed a crane to work atop a barge to help replace two aging transmission towers on the James River near Charlese City, Virginia.
