Cranes and Lifting January - February 2023

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38 Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift TBHL&S manages major demolition project

42 Berendsen Fluid Power invests Berendsen Fluid Power’s investment in cylinder repair.

46 DPW Plant Hire Crane Connection is the ideal choice for DPW’s latest addition.

50 WATM WATM’s new CEO and renewed focus on service and support.

54 Sany Sany’s commitment to the Australian market

58 Tadano’s new all terrain

Tadano launches new 250t capacity all terrain.

62 Two Way Cranes Two Way’s three way Franna lift.

65 GMC First BG Spider crane has landed.

68 McLeod Cranes McLeod continue to invest in Liebherr.

72 XCMG

XCMG cranes working out in WA.

76 Melrose Cranes and Rigging on the Gateway Project Melrose completes heaviest lift yet on Gateway project.

80 Bullivants

Moving with the time with new Adjusta Sling.

84 Borger Cranes and Rigging Services Borger Cranes welcomes third generation into the business.

CICA wins Safety Award CICA wins award for articulated crane course.

134 Tadano

Tadano launches hybrid initiative.

136 UAA and Kinetic Consulting

How Kinetic and UAA streamline insurance claims.

139 Finlease

The Winds of Change are blowing through the industry.

166 Lif t of the Month

Melrose Cranes and Rigging deliver the goods on Sydney Gateway project.

FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM

WELCOME TO THE JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2023 SHOWCASE EDITION OF CRANESAND LIFTINGMAGAZINE.

THE TEAM AT CRANES AND LIFTING IS delighted with the response from the crane hire sector, which has taken the trouble to list the premier cranes in their fleets. This year, we received close to 200 entries, including a number of new listings from New Zealand.

In this issue we take a comprehensive look at The Crane Industry Council of Australia’s (CICA) National Conference and Exhibition.

Cranes and Lifting magazine is the sponsor of the CICA Lift of the Year awards and we were delighted to see the number and the high quality of entries this year. We congratulate the winners and plan to feature all lifts in coming issues of the magazine. Start planning your entries for the 2023 Lift of the Year.

I recently read an interesting report from Infrastructure Australia. Entitled the Infrastructure Market Capacity, the report finds improving risk management and proactively sequencing the major infrastructure pipeline will be key to managing the impacts of an overheated construction market, escalating input costs, labour shortages and productivity challenges.

The 2022 edition shows that risks to on-time and on-budget project delivery have increased in the last 12 months, with demand for major public infrastructure projects climbing by $15 billion in a year.

Key findings include:

• Th e five-year pipeline of major public infrastructure projects is valued at $237 billion - an increase of $15 billion in the last 12 months and equal to 6.7 per cent growth.

• Transport accounts for 63 per cent of spend. Investment is concentrated in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland (84 per cent of spend).

• Th e demand for materials for use in road construction projects is expected to grow to a peak of $7.6 billion in 2023−24.

• I ndustry reports delays of up to 45 weeks in delivery of large diameter concrete pipe.

• L abour scarcity is the single biggest issue faced by construction companies.

• Th e cost of construction materials has risen by an average 24 per cent in the last 12 months.

• A s of October 2022, public infrastructure projects, including small capital projects, face a shortage of 214,000 skilled workers.

• I n 2023, labour demand is projected to increase 42,000 to a peak of 442,000. This is more than double the projected available supply.

Having read the report, it is clear our industry is in for another challenging and busy year. The Cranes and Lifting team wishes everyone the very best for 2023 and we look forward to featuring the brilliant work you do in the coming issues.

Published by:

Simon Gould Editor, Cranes and Lifting

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Borger

Borger Cranes maintain a modern fleet of cranes and equipment and our fleet boasts two of the largest all terrain cranes on the east cost, the Liebherr 750 tonne and Liebherr 650 tonne all terrain.

With every job, our experienced and industry trained team delivers high quality performance and nothing but excellence. Borger Cranes getting the job done for you.

MODULIFT TESTS GIANT 2000T SPREADER BEAM AT 30 METRES

Modulift has recently finished testing of another impressive MOD 1100 / 2000t modular spreader beam. Currently the largest supplied standard beam in the Modulift range, with a lifting capacity of 2000 tonnes, the MOD 1100 has been ordered by a Belgian client for Offshore Monopile installations.

The 30 metre long beam comes complete with DNV GL type approval as standard. Fitted with optional extras including upper shackle supports to protect the synthetic top slings when resting and two 45t tugger points on each end. The Pewag PLDW 45t tugger points were supplied by Prolift UK.

The test was carried out in Modulift’s recently upgraded 2200t x 30 metre compression test rig and was third party witnessed by the client and DNV GL. The two drop links were tested in Modulift’s newly built 1500t tensile test rig.

The whole operation was successfully executed over three days with individual tests carried out at 19 metre, 20 metre and 30 metre spans.

For more information, visit www.modulift.com

“The whole operation was successfully executed over three days with individual tests carried out at 19 metre, 20 metre and 30 metre spans.”

ABOVE: The Modulift MOD 1100 / 2000t Spreader Beam

RIGHT: The MOD 1100 / 2000t Spreader Beam in the test rig

The maximum on eight axles

The LTM 1650-8.1

A lifting capacity of 700 tonnes with either a 54 or 80 metre telescopic boom. Global mobility and convenience thanks to Hillstart Aid, ECOmode, ECOdrive, VarioBase and hydraulic VarioBallast. Nothing more is possible on eight axles. www.liebherr.com

Mobile and crawler cranes

MANITOU LAUNCHES ITS HYDROGEN STRATEGY

Group has set off on an ambitious course, in line with the commitments of its low-carbon trajectory.

Following on from the recent electrification of its all-terrain platform and telehandler ranges, the group is also looking to hydrogen as a medium-term alternative for its users.

Manitou Group wants to see its electric and hydrogen ranges used side by side - depending on each user’s applications - aiming to market 43 per cent low-emissions products in 2030.

Manitou Group has new facilities for making its hydrogen development plan a success. By kitting its test centre out with a green hydrogen station, the group now has the means for testing its brand new prototype telehandler.

The first step of this plan involves guaranteeing range and reliability in real-life conditions, while testing the durability of components. The group

based this first prototype on an existing model from its range of construction machines, able to lift loads up to 14m.

This machine will be tested and sent out to construction sites by the end of 2023 with a view to collecting valuable feedback from users to improve on this prototype

Two types of hydrogen technology are currently being evaluated by the market, namely the combustion engine and the fuel cell.

The group’s first prototype is built around a fuel cell, but Manitou will choose the hydrogen solutions that best meet the needs of its customers.

Manitou managing director Michel Denis explains further.

“We are studying all the hydrogenrelated technologies based on what users need,” he says.

“This prototype is only the first step. A second rotating telehandler prototype will be developed in the coming months.

“There are many benefits of green hydrogen with production possible using wind power that has no greenhouse gas emissions at all. This fits in perfectly with our low-carbon trajectory,” he said.

With this first prototype, the group is showcasing its ability to innovate in order to measure the autonomy of this new

energy while offering its customers the hydrogen solution that best meets their needs, but without compromising on performance.

Almost 50 engineers and technicians are dedicated to this approach, which was launched in 2021.

To come up with an innovative solution that can be fully industrialised, the group hopes to rely on the support of the public authorities to develop an emerging ecosystem.

Julien Waechter, vice president of research and development for the Manitou Group, discusses the need to move to hydrogen.

“The green hydrogen sector is gradually becoming more established with the entry onto this market of a number of players,” he says.

“All of the aid mechanisms proposed by the different governments will encourage the transition to hydrogen and will speed up the development of the distribution network and ultimately the reduction in the usage costs of our machines using this energy.”

With these new facilities, Manitou Group hopes to offer its customers new innovative prospects, with a 100 per cent hydrogen-powered telehandler available on the market by 2026.

69m Boom!*

MAXbase Equipped

LEVEL ACCESS THE BENCMARK 150t HAS MORE REACH

The New GMK5150XL is the latest sibling of the GMK5150L-1, with longest boom (69m) and most versatile road weights in class

• Reach further with 69m boom and 30m hydraulic luffing fly

• 50t GVM with outriggers in situ for reduced cost legal travel in all Australian states and territories

• 10.2t counterweight in situ at 12t per axle

• Increased safety and flexibility with MAXbase variable outrigger positioning

• Faster, intuitive set-up with CCS (Crane Control System)

• Grove Connect Telematics

• Capacity: 150t

• Main boom: 68.7m pinned*

• Maximum Jib: 30.2m (40O hyd luff)

• Maximum tip height: 99m

New GMK5150XL

GROVE LAUNCHES HYBRID INITIATIVE

JOHN BENTON, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING, is responsible for a team of specialists working in the Future Projects department of mobile cranes developer Grove. He spoke exclusively to Cranes and Lifting about the initiative and Grove’s aims and expectations around hybrid technologies.

Benton has been with Manitowoc for 16 years. He joined as a structural analyst and for the last decade he has been working as a crane architect, providing systems engineering for new products. Most of the projects have been both Grove rough terrain and truck mounted cranes. But over the years he’s been involved in joint projects leading the development of Grove’s “GMK” line-up of all-terrain cranes. Benton made the move to head up the Future Projects department in Germany, 12 months ago.

Benton discusses the background of the hybrid initiative and the aims and objectives of the project.

“A few years ago, the team working in our Future Projects department was working on a number of concepts examining what the future mobile crane could look like. They went through an analysis of examining what was technically possible in terms of power requirements, weight requirements, and overall system architectures,”he says.

“We presented a paper on these concepts several years ago, basically telling the industry, ‘we see that this is coming in the future, and we think it could look like this.’ The COVID pandemic disrupted the development in terms of what we could accomplish. Out of the multiple concepts that were possible, we decided to go for what we thought was the most advanced solution in order to learn as much as

possible as quickly as possible, in order to be a leader in terms of the efficiency of the final product in the ecosystem of these hybrid concepts.”

As a result, Grove decided to put in a single motor and a generator that can generate the electricity required, thus providing the possibility of operating the crane without running the diesel engine.

“We felt the technology was there to go farther than that. What you saw at bauma was our engineers showcasing their first concept in order to prove what’s possible to go farther in the electrification of a mobile crane than simply providing a single motor,” said Benton.

“What that opens up for us is the possibility to use technology that we’ve had on tower cranes for many, many years, with direct electric power to the hoist and to the slew drives.

“Both of those rotary motions are something that we think is naturally headed toward direct electrification and the biggest question was about the integration of that and what else it might affect, and how we could optimise the design to stay within the weight limits of a mobile product.”

Benton confirms which Grove model the Future Projects team worked with, and what they have managed to electrify and discusses the performance of the hybrid.

“Given the timing of the project, we had just released the Grove GMK 4100L-2 to the market and so we decided that we would start with that latest generation all terrain crane, already the highest performance four axle product that we have, and build on top of that.

“The architecture for that model is a single engine design, and so we wanted to

A major highlight from the Manitowoc stand at the bauma 2022 trade show was the launch of the Grove hybrid initiative on its all-terrain crane.

bauma saw Grove engineers showcasing their first concept in order to prove what’s possible to go farther in the electrification of a mobile crane than simply providing a single motor.

work from that as a starting point because it is already a very well-optimised design.

“We searched to see what kind of mobile hoist technologies were available. For this machine, we decided that the 19mm hoist, which was already on the crane, had excellent weight performance ratio and so we simply integrated a high performance motor to the hoist.

“That product has a long history of us knowing about its reliability and its performance. So, there’s been optimisation done about how the control works in order to make this hoist responsive, and

we retained the braking system that was already on the hydraulic version of the hoist,” he said.

“In the case of the slew drives, we found that it was possible to integrate motors into those drives as well, and we were able to achieve in both cases the same or better performance to what we had in the hydraulic version. The line pull of the hoist is the same as it was before, and the speed is the same, too.

“With slew drives, we actually have a little wider range of speed available to us. But one of the really exciting things about

the slew drives is that it also gives us really fine control over small movements of that system. We’re exploring this to really understand what that can bring to the user in terms of actual use with moving loads at a long radius and precise movements of the load in those situations.

The hybrid includes a Euromot 5 diesel engine and features a battery system which manages the hoist and slew plus powering the hydraulics for the luff and telescoping operations. The battery is also charged by the diesel engine and regenerates energy from the rotary functions.

“Finally, we also integrated a charging system so that you can plug the crane into a 32 amp service and you can charge at that point in a totally ‘emissions free way,”

The hybrid includes a Euromot 5 diesel engine and features a battery system that’s managing the hoist and slew plus powering the hydraulics for the luff and telescoping operations

“For those that are familiar with our single engine concept today in the GMK 4100L-2, we’ve removed the mechanical drive that was in the centre of the bearing and was providing mechanical power to the hydraulic system in the superstructure. As an alternative, we’ve installed a generator in its place in the carrier, and we have two different power sources for the superstructure. One source is the diesel engine which can drive the generator and can directly drive electricity into the superstructure. The other possibility is that the generator can charge the battery and then the battery can drive the superstructure.

“We also integrated a charging system so you can plug the crane into a 32 amp service and you can charge at that point in a totally ‘emissions free way’,” he said.

Benton elaborates on where the Future Projects group is headed with the concept and what the market can expect to see from Grove over the next five years of development.

“I think you will see a real focus on improving the efficiency of our systems. I think we’ll see that industry-wide, but at Manitowoc, we have multiple projects that we’re working on in this space.

“We can’t yet discuss some of those, but we pride ourselves in listening to our customers and responding very quickly to their needs. So bauma was a really exciting time for us going into the show.

“There was some uncertainty about whether we would find the first customers for this solution, but the response has been overwhelmingly positive. And now we’re further discussing with those customers to tailor our solution to exactly what they need. We are really excited to learn that

customers see this the way that we do, which is that they want the flexibility of powering the crane from electric sources, but they also want to achieve better efficiency and better performance while they’re operating.

“It seems Australia, with all the mineral resources and the focus on the environment is a perfect location for our Grove solutions,” he said.

Benton goes on to discuss how quickly Grove will be able to commercialise and manufacture the hybrid.

“We don’t have an exact timeline for that. That said, we’re in the test phase now with our concept and we’re architecting the solutions based on customers’ feedback. What I can say is that it’s a very fast-moving environment in this entire space of electrification, and so you should expect to see things advancing rapidly from Manitowoc in this area,” he said.

John Benton, Director of Engineering, Future Projects delivering a paper at the CICA Conference and Exhibition.

NEW PRESIDENT LOOKS AHEAD

IT IS INDEED A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE BEEN elected as The Crane Industry Council of Australia’s Board President.  CICA has a long and proud history of service to members, and relationships with stakeholders, government and the community, so the prospect of being Board President is an honour and something I am very much looking forward to.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and share my thoughts with you about what I see are the opportunities and challenges for the crane industry in 2023.

First, I would like to acknowledge the substantial achievements of my predecessor Tom Smith.  Tom successfully led CICA through the extremely difficult pandemic years, whcih was a very challenging season for our industry.

Under Tom and Brandon’s leadership and vision, CICA has broadened its reach and has made significant inroads in the areas of road access, training and safety.

On behalf of our Association, I thank Tom for all that was achieved under his leadership and for his ongoing dedicated service to CICA for over a decade.

My involvement with CICA started as member of CAWA in 2010 which then transitioned to CICAWA in 2017 under the One Association project.

I have been a member of the CICA board since 2015 and as a Vice-President of the Board in 2020. In Australia, and abroad, I have been closely involved with the crane industry since 2006.

LOOKING AHEAD

Had I written this report 12 months ago there would, no doubt, have been a different set of challenges. The impact of the recently passed Federal Government’s Secure Jobs, Better Pay Act 2022 is yet to be felt.

Interestingly, employees employed in the on-site general building and construction industry are excluded from the multiemployer EA framework, and this includes employees employed in general building and construction and civil construction (subject to a few express carveouts). We plan to provide more information on changes that will impact you in a future issue of the magazine.

Inflation and higher interest rates pose another set of challenges, there are some predictions that 2023 may see a recession, so we will be watching to see how this impacts future developments.

CICA recently employed Kate Galloway, a training specialist who will work closely with some of the State branches in establishing their State traineeship

programs. We welcome Kate to the CICA team and look forward to seeing a greater uptake of crane traineeships.

The work of CICA includes acting as an enabler to the State branches to help facilitate their growth, so initiatives that can alleviate blockages, increase productivity and improve safety are a priority for 2023.

2022 CICA NATIONAL CONFERENCE

The 2022 CICA National Conference was a tremendous success and provided the right balance of interesting and inspiring speakers and workshops, as well as memorable networking events. Thank you

to Sue Ryman-Kiernan and her team from WISE Connections, to the CICA team and of course the conference presenters, sponsors, exhibitors and attendees. The theme was ‘Leading the Way’, an appropriate theme for a post pandemic event. Everyone I have spoken to found the event extremely valuable, and it once again positions CICA as the authority for the crane industry.

Congratulations to the winners of the awards, presented at the gala dinner. These awards represent national recognition of the outstanding lifting, leadership, commitment, and progress in our industry. The calibre of entries was very high and

Ben Pieyre was recently elected as the new Board President of The Crane Industry Council of Australia. In his first President’s report he looks to the opportunities and challenges f acing the industry.

Ben Pieyre

“Congratulations to the winners of the awards, presented at the gala dinner. These awards represent national recognition of the outstanding lifting, leadership, commitment, and progress in our industry.”

we appreciate the time and effort taken by everyone who entered. Look out for the Conference images and recap in this issue.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The CICA AGM was held just prior to the 2022 CICA National Conference and the CICA Board changed slightly. On behalf of the Board, I sincerely thank Bart Sutherland for his years of service to the CICA Board, and welcome Karli Sutherland to the team. The Board members for 2023 are: Tom Smith (immediate past President), Danny Adair, Danny Black, Andrew Esquilant, Marcus Ferrari, David Solomon, Karli Sutherland and myself. As a team, we’re committed to serving the best interests of our members, and with your support, I am confident that our Association and industry are well-positioned to capture the opportunities of the coming years.

CICA’S AWARD WINNING COURSE

Substantial work was undertaken by Brandon Hitch, Pat Cran, Mick Messer and Danny Adair to establish CICA’s OnRoad Articulated Steering Mobile Crane Training Course

CICA received a grant from the Federal Government through a Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative through the NHVR to develop this program, and you can read more about the course in this issue.

On 1 December 2022, CICA’s On-Road Articulated Steering Mobile Crane Training Course won the award for Outstanding Solution for Members managing WHS Risk in SafeWork NSW’s Work Health and Safety (WHS) Excellence Showcase, which recognises businesses and individuals for excellence in work health and safety. This was a great achievement, so congratulations to everyone involved.

I urge you to look at this course if you have any articulated steering cranes in your fleet.

I sincerely hope you’ve had a great start to 2023 and I look forward to serving you and working with you all.

Ben Pieyre CICA Board President

CICA BOARD

Ben Pieyre – President

Marcus Ferrari – Vice President

Tom Smith – Director

Danny Adair – Director

Danny Black – Director

Andrew Esquilant – Director

David Solomon – Director

Karli Sutherland– Director

CICA OFFICE

Brandon Hitch Chief Executive Officer 03 8320 0444 0428 228 048 ceo@cica.com.au

Paul Arztenhofer Membership Engagement/ Business Development Specialist 04 9093 9274 paul@cica.com.au

Alice Edwards Technical Project Engineer 03 8320 0440 alice@cica.com.au

Patrick Cran CraneSafe and CrewSafe Technical Advisor 0488 004 274 pat@cranesafe.com.au

Damien Hense CICA Road Policy Advisor 03 8320 0460 0488 007 575 damien@cica.com.au

Julie Turner CICA Executive Assistant / Office Manager/Vic Secretariat 03 8320 0411 julie@cica.com.au

Kate Galloway Traineeship Coordinator 0491 047 118 Kate@cica.com.au

Shane Coupe CraneSafe & CrewSafe Administration Officer  03 8320 0455  shane@cica.com.au

Michelle Verkerk Marketing Communications Officer 0404 938 714 michelle@cica.com.au

Justina Blackman Member Events and Engagement 0403 717 626

justina@cica.com.au

Unit 10, 18–22 Lexia Place, Mulgrave Vic 3170 Phone: 03 9501 0078

Fax: 03 9501 0083

Email: admin@cica.com.au

Website: www.cica.com.au

For information, please visit our website or call the CICA office.

NEW BOARD MEMBER AND NEW DIVERSIFIED FOCUS FOR CICA

Karli Sutherland was recently appointed to The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA). Karli and husband Jarrod have been operating Quicklift Crane and Access Hire for 24 years. Karli explains more about the business, her reasons for joining the board and her expectations for the recently formed Diversity Network Committee.

“I’VE WORKED IN OUR BUSINESS ALONGSIDE Jarrod for the past 24 years. I work across the management/administration of our business, OHS & HR in particular with a keen focus on our staff culture

“We have approximately 35 staff - a combination of full-time and casuals

“We have six staff in the office and the remainder are involved in the operational side of the business and are out on site with a combination of operators, doggers and riggers.

“We are a general crane hire company, working across a number of industry sectors including construction, particularly warehouses and factories throughout the Goulburn Valley region in Victoria,” said Karli.

Karli goes on to discuss how she became involved in CICA and her ideas for the Diversity Network Committee.

“During the COVID pandemic I contacted CICA CEO, Brandon Hitch, wanting to initiate some sort of forum that would bring together different people within our industry.

“The idea was to attract people that were not necessarily working on the operational side of businesses, but more on the business side, including the administration of a crane business.

“We are a relatively small industry, but I feel that all too often, crane businesses are trying to reinvent the wheel when there’s no need.

“I felt that a forum involving networking outside of the National Conference would bring people together who could share information and experiences, from different capacities

and from different aspects of industry.

“These were my initial thoughts, and Brandon suggested that we had put together a group of people to initiate the concept. It has since evolved into what’s is now known as the Diversity Network Committee,” said Karli.

The Diversity Network Committee was formed 12 months ago, with Karli as the Chair.

Still in its infancy, the committee is looking at different initiatives based on information gathered from a recent survey of CICA members.

“More recently, I had a conversation with Paul Arztenhofer, Membership and Business Development for CICA and he asked if I might be interested in being nominated for the CICA board.

“My motivations for representing our industry on the board are not so much

around the technical and operational side of the industry, as these issues are well represented by board members.

“I hope I can bring to the board a crane owners’ perspective and in doing so encourage other crane owners to share their experiences on operating and managing a crane business.

“I would like to share with people the experiences and the lessons Jarrod and I have learned in the 24 years we have been involved in the crane industry. In turn I hope to learn from other ‘crane people’ operating and running their own crane businesses,” said Karli.

“I find it very interesting discussing with other people how they operate their businesses, because we can all improve no matter how great we are at our job or how fabulous our business is.

Sophie, Karli and Justina at the CICA Conference and Exhibtion

There’s always room for improvement,” she said.

All crane hire businesses face various challenges, but essentially the challenges are similar challenges. And it’s not just in the crane sector, it’s inherent in every business says Karli.

She goes on to discuss the aims and objectives for the Diversity Networking Committee and how she sees the various committee members working together.

“The aims and objectives of the committee continue to evolve, and we are going to be tackling issues which will hopefully help to improve our industry. The committee is not just about networking and sharing of information, we will be examining our businesses and looking at ways to improve efficiencies.

“The crane industry is not a very diverse industry, and it is obviously male dominated. We will examine ways to make the industry more attractive to these underrepresented groups and in particular to women. We all face the challenge of managing an ageing work force and we want to find ways of making the industry more attractive to the younger generations. The average age of crane operators is 44 years –

which is higher than other physical jobs. The age bracket of 45-54 has the highest share of almost 28 per cent,” said Karli.

“In our business, we have guys with upwards of 20 years experience operating cranes and there is no substitute for that experience. But the crane manufacturers are continually evolving the technology in cranes and the computer systems are becoming increasingly advanced.

“We are finding that some of our operators struggle with this new technology and so we are ‘pairing’ our experienced operators with younger operators as doggers/riggers to assist if required. This younger generation has the computer skills, they come out of school having had computers in their hands from a very young age.

“I use computers every day, but I don’t have anywhere near the knowledge these kids have. I think this is something we should be looking at as an industry, we should look at mentors, champions of our industry that have huge amounts of knowledge and pair them with the younger generation to pass on the knowledge they have accrued over the years.

“So, I see the committee working on a number of issues and initiatives to address the fact that jobs in our industry are not attractive to these minority groups. We have a major skills shortage, which is escalating and currently we’re all trying to pull from the same ‘work force pool’ all of the time,” said Karli.

The CICA National Conference and Exhibition was the ideal opportunity for Diversity Networking Committee members to meet in person.

“We are obviously made up of a group of people from all over Australia and the conference saw the largest representation of committee members come face to face which was great. We were fortunate to have Sarah Toase CEO for CANZ join our meeting. “Sarah shared with us how the New Zealand crane sector is working to attract people into their industry. They too are experiencing a skills shortage. Sarah explained to our committee the campaign they are running with great success to encourage minority groups into the NZ Crane Industry. It was great to catch up face to face especially after years of COVID enforced Zoom meetings,” said Karli.

Diversified Networking Committee L to R: Launa Williams - Williams Cranes, Chantelle Lindores - Lindores Mobile Cranes, Justina Blackman - CICA, Sophie Grimshaw - Mammoet Australia, Ginta Val - Terex , Paige Greenhouse - Terex, Sandra Makinson - Coffs City Cranes, Karli Sutherland - Quicklift Crane & Access Hire, Sarah Toase - CEO - Canz

STOP IN THE NAME OF THAT INDEMNITY

INDEMNITIES ALLOW PARTIES TO identify and allocate risk under a contract. This can either be between themselves or to a third-party. They do this by requiring one party (the indemnifier) to cover the loss or damage suffered by the other party (the beneficiary) under an agreement.

Importantly, indemnities are capable of covering loss or damage that would ordinarily be deemed too remote under common law. For example, if:

1. B ob had a contract with ACME to build a tower which contained a milestone bonus if the work was complete before Christmas.

2. B ob entered into a separate contract with Wendy to hire a crane to construct the tower.

3. Wendy failed to deliver the crane on time, meaning Bob was unable to complete the tower before Christmas and misses out on his milestone bonus. This type of loss could be deemed too remote for Bob to recover against Wendy.1 However, Bob is able to mitigate this risk by including an indemnity clause in the contract requiring Wendy to compensate (indemnify) Bob for the loss of the milestone bonus if she fails to deliver the crane on time.

Wendy may not even realise she could be liable for this type of loss at the time she enters into the contract unless she has read the fine print in careful detail!

Things to consider when drafting indemnity clauses: How an indemnity operates is a matter of construction. Importantly, indemnities will be read against the interests of the person who receives the benefit of the indemnity (contra proferentem). Therefore if you are in the habit of putting broad indemnities in a contract, make sure you carefully consider how the work with the balance of the contract terms.

The below is a non-exhaustive list of some of the other things you should keep in mind when reviewing/drafting an indemnity:

1. W hat are the risks/losses that are being indemnified? Is the indemnity intended to be general or specific (e.g. all loss or liability arising under the contract or only certain losses arising from a specific breach)?

2. A re there any limitation of liability clauses under the contract and how do these operate in relation to the indemnity (e.g. if you intend to limit the type or amount of loss recoverable under the contract, do you intend for this to extend to the indemnity)?

3. D oes the party providing the indemnity have the capacity to deliver it if called upon? There is little benefit in seeking an indemnity from a shell company for all loss and damage that could arise in relation to multi-billion-dollar

construction contract. It is also important to consider if the party providing the indemnity has the authority to do so (e.g. government agencies, entities incorporated under statute or trustees may not have authority to provide the indemnity sought).

4. I s the indemnity intended to protect a party from losses caused by its own breaches or negligence (the general rule is an indemnity will not cover a party’s own negligence unless there is specific drafting to that effect)?

5. W hat is the duration of the indemnity – is it intended to remain after the conclusion of the contract?

The Holding Redlich Construction, Infrastructure and Projects Group works closely with clients to effectively manage contractual and commercial risk and to avoid, minimise and resolve disputes. In this article, Holding Redlich examines issues relating to indemnity clauses.

Indemnities allow parties to identify and allocate risk under a contract

6. D oes/should the indemnity contain any rights of subrogation, or can the indemnified party settle the claim(s) without consulting the indemnifier (e.g. in an insurance contract, insurers will often be able to “step into the shoes” of the indemnified party for the purpose of any litigation)?

The above long shopping list of questions shows that there are numerous factors to consider when drafting an effective indemnity clause, including the context of the contract.

It is generally not sufficient to “copy and paste” an indemnity clause from another contract as the

interpretation of an indemnity clause and the way in which it is meant to operate usually requires consideration of the contract as a whole.

Obtaining legal advice is a practical way to ensure that the indemnity clauses in your contract are properly drafted to protect your interests.

In part 2 of this article, we will

look at two different indemnities often provided in crane hire agreements and unpick what they really mean.

1 The above is only provided as an example and there are several circumstances where this could be recoverable, such as if the loss of the milestone bonus was reasonably in contemplation of the parties at the time of entering into the Contract.

“Obtaining legal advice is a practical way to ensure that the indemnity clauses in your contract are properly drafted to protect your interests.”

CICA ‘LEADING THE WAY’

ATTENDED BY OVER 450 PARTICIPANTS, the conference was an excellent blend of valuable technical and business presentations, networking opportunities and special events. The impressive combination of cranes and exhibitors emphasised the scale and size of the cranes and the exhibitors provided attendees with a chance to familiarise themselves with products, services and innovations on offer to help their businesses.

The banks of the Torrens River provided a perfect backdrop for the Networking Dinner, sponsored by SANY. The sounds of the acoustic guitar and delicious seafood were delightful, trumped only by the wonderful and long missed opportunity to catch up with friends and acquaintances after the pandemic years.

Dr Craig Challen SC OAM had the audience captivated as he delivered the keynote address on his experience as part of a cave rescue operation in Thailand to

evacuate 12 children and an adult from the flooded Tham Luang Cave system. Dr Challen challenged our aversion to risk and shared insights on the importance of knowing the mission, the team and oneself providing valuable and empowering lessons to listeners.

Thanks to the MC for the event, Marianne Van Dorslar, the program ran very smoothly. The panels, presentations, technical and business workshops all provided valuable material and awareness on a vast range of issues that impact crane usage, safety, business efficiency and profitability. Attendees were offered ideas and resources to assist them with navigating the challenges, legislative requirements, fraud detection, succession planning and skills limitations that they face in their businesses.

UAA was the platinum sponsors of the conference and used the opportunity to present its business vision and information

on how it provides insurance products and services that increase productivity and peace of mind.

The sessions were broken up by delectable tea and lunch offerings, which also provided time to connect with other delegates and to wander around the exhibition hall.

The Crane manufacturers panel facilitated by Tom Smith, consisted of: Kieran Hegarty (Terex), John Benton (Manitowoc Cranes), Christoph Kleiner (Liebherr – Werk Ehingen), Frank Schroder (Tadano) and Marco Burgmer (Sennebogen). These manufacturing experts graciously gave of their time to answer questions about manufacturing data, issues and the direction that crane manufacturing is heading.

The technical workshops had updates and discussions on: The development and application of lifting chains; crane technical innovations; safety planning

“Leading the Way” was the theme of the 2022 CICA National Conference, held at Adelaide Convention Centre from the 10th to 12th of November, and it surpassed all expectations.

Dr Craig Challen SC OAM had the audience captivated as he delivered the keynote address on his experience as part of a cave rescue operation in Thailand to evacuate 12 children and an adult from the flooded Tham Luang Cave system

and risk mitigation; tyre behaviour; lift planning, and crane efficiency.

Sunnybrae Estate was only a short drive from the Convention Centre, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it was miles away. The heritage-listed estate and magnificent gardens and picturesque backdrops provided the perfect setting for fine food, wine and enchanting entertainment.

A fitting way to end the 2022 CICA National Conference was the Gala dinner on Saturday night, a spectacular evening of dynamic entertainment and delicious food. Time was spent remembering Bob Parker, Rob Way and John Gillespie, CICA’s founding fathers who had sadly passed away in recent years. CICA would not exist today if not for their selfless commitment and invaluable contribution to the crane industry. It was fantastic to have Allan McPherson, CICA Life Member, present. The awards and trophies presented on the night highlighted excellence in the crane industry and gave winners the welldeserved credit for their achievements.

This year CICA received the most ever Lift of the Year entries and judges spent an inordinate amount of time assessing the merits of each submission. CICA would like to thank everyone who entered the Lift

of the Year Awards as the standard of the lifts and submissions were world class.

Congratulations to the following:

• Project of the Year winner - John Holland for the Sydney Football Stadium

• 2020 Lift of the Year more than 20 tonne winner - Universal Cranes for the Kettle Tub Replacement Project

• 2021 Lift of the Year more than 20

tonne winner - Johnson and Young Cranes for the Hyde Street Exit Ramp Span 31 Load Transfer Pass out project

• 2022 Lift of the Year more than 20 tonne winner - John Holland and Tutt Bryant for the Auchenflower Overpass Demolition Project

• Lift of the year less than 20 tonne winner - Fullers Mobile cranes for their work on the White Bay Power Station

• The Innovation Award went to John

The Crane Manufacturers Panel was as popular as ever and featured John Benton, Manitowoc Cranes, Christoph Kleiner, Liebherr – Werk Ehingen, Marco Burgmer, Sennebogen, wKieran Hegarty, Terex and Frank Schroder, Tadano

UAA was the Platinum Sponsor for the event and Michael ‘Murf’ Murphy and George Grasso reinforced the importance of having the right insurance cover

Holland and Edwards Heavy Lift for the Precast Concrete Trunnion

• The Bill Shaw Award recipients for the overall best lift was John Holland and Tutt Bryant for the Auchenflower Overpass Demolition Project

THE 2022 PHOTO OF THE YEAR AWARD WENT TO CRANES COMBINED

The other awards presented on the night recognised the efforts of individuals whose outstanding contributions greatly benefit the crane industry in Australia. They also provide a benchmark of excellence and good practice for the entire sector.

CICA EXCELLENCE AWARD

Two Excellence Awards for 2022 were presented.

Simon Buxton and the Tasmanian Department of State Growth stood out for the development, implementation, and proliferation of the Heavy Vehicle Access Management System.

This innovative work continues to provide enormous benefit to the crane industry through the significant reduction in need for road access permits as well as transparency and certainty in road access. Along with a large reduction in resources required for the crane industry, this innovative work has provided enormous

It was fantastic to have Allan McPherson, CICA Life Member present at the Conference

Chris Kolodzie, Combined Cranes MD, receives the Photo of the Year award from new CICA President Ben Pieyre

The Fuller Mobile Cranes team celebrate winning the Lift of the Year less than 20 tonne for the White Bay Power Station project

benefit through a significant reduction in need for road access permits as well as transparency and certainty in road access.

Along with a large reduction in resources required for the crane industry, the Heavy Vehicle Access Management System has afforded greater flexibility in crane selection and enabled the crane industry to service the community more efficiently and effectively.

It is also noted that this is the first time this award has been presented to someone from within Government.

The other CICA Excellence Award recipient was Jon Dunn of Dunn’s Twin City Cranes for his contribution to changes with WorkSafe Victoria.

Wodonga-based Dunn’s Twin City Cranes (DTCC) was issued with a Prohibition Notice by Worksafe Victoria. DTCC successfully appealed the notice and consultation with the regulator has allowed CICA to form a steering committee and discussions with WorkSafe Victoria resulted in changes to the requirements of work boxes.

The CICA Legend Award went to Danny Black, recognising Danny’s

The Johnson & Young Cranes team celebrate the 2021 Lift of the Year more than 20 tonne winner for the Hyde Street Exit Ramp Span 31 Load Transfer Pass out project

Simon Buxton and the Department of State Growth stood out for the development, implementation, and proliferation of the Heavy Vehicle Access Management System

Jon Dunn of Dunn’s Twin City Cranes receives the CICA Excellence Award for his contribution to changes with Work Safe Victoria

The CICA Legend Award went to Danny Black, recognising Danny’s outstanding service to the crane industry.

The CICA Hall of Fame Awards went to Albert Smith and Anthony Grosser for their significant contribution to the crane industry

LIEBHERR POSITIVE ABOUT CICA NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION

Liebherr was very happy with the outcomes from the CICA National Conference and Exhibition says Andrew Esquilant, General Manager Mobile Crane and Crawler Cranes.

“WE WERE VERY HAPPY WITH HOW our exhibition booth worked during the conference, we thought it worked really well. The technological display including the simulator from our Liebherr-Werk Nenzing, our crawler and foundation equipment colleagues.

“Our MyLiebherr display generated plenty of interest with customers visiting the booth with expectations of seeing something new and exciting.”

“There also was also a terrific amount of interest around the display of our LTC 1050-3.1, courtesy of Max Cranes,” Esquilant said.

As a thank you for visiting the booth, Liebherr had a free-to-enter lucky draw for a Liebherr fridge.

About 100 visitors entered the draw, and the owner of the winning ticket was

Len Sgherza from Alliance Engineering. Esquilant and the Liebherr team were happy with the exhibition and the quality of the conference delegation.

“Our booth was well visited, with customers from all over Australia popping in and having a chat,” he said.

“We found the delegates that visited our booth were highly engaged and very interested in the topics we had on display including electrification and Liebherr’s digital solutions.”

ABOVE: The Liebherr booth was well visited, with delegates highly engaged and very interested in the topics on display including electrification and Liebherr’s digital solutions.

LEFT: There was a terrific amount of interest around the display of the LTC 1050-3.1, courtesy of Max Cranes.

JOHN HOLLAND WINS MULTIPLE AWARDS

John Holland was awarded multiple awards at the recent CICA Lift of the Year Awards presentation - including 2022 Project of the year.

PROJECT OF THE YEAR WINNER / JOHN HOLLAND SYDNEY FOOTBALL STADIUM

Infrastructure NSW awarded John Holland a contract for the Sydney Football Stadium Redevelopment project. The project required some creative problem solving to provide a modern, world-class venue located within a busy city location. Furthermore, it was delivered during a period that included climactic extremes of NSW drought, floods,

fires and a global pandemic.

The big focus during the project planning was the elimination of risk of working at height. This was achieved through modularisation and assembly on ground of large components of the roof and then landing them on bespoke headstocks that incorporated safe access, large working platforms, integrated lighting and safe retrieval systems.

One of the challenges faced by the project was the enormous amount of

work happening simultaneously on site. In its peak construction phase, there were more than  15 cranes (in addition to other construction equipment and plant) working at once within an area of approximately 250m2. This added extra complexity for the lift design and lift planning, and required sound engineering and risk controls in place. Together with innovative solutions such as a crane working platform with integrated drainage system and bespoke

Project of the year winner: John Holland Sydney football stadium

lifting devices for the removal of the roof temporary support towers, allowed John Holland to successfully deliver a modern and world-class venue on budget and ahead of schedule.

The Auchenflower Station existing pedestrian overpass, was built during the 1960s, was required to be demolished within a weekend shutdown to be later replaced with a brand-new concourse. The existing overpass was a two-span steel girder with concrete deck structure, placed over four active rail lines and designed to be stick-built. The demolition could not follow the same erection methodology as it would have required a significant disruption to the very busy rail network and also high-risk working activities close to live and essential plant. Detailed logistics and lift planning were required to transport, offload and erect the massive 800 tonne crawler crane with superlift counterweight in the

2022 Lift of the Year – More Than 20 Tonne Winner/ John Holland and Tutt Bryant, Auchenflower Overpass Demolition Project

The John Holland team celebrate the CICA Awards.

2022 Lift of the year more than 20 tonne winner: John Holland and Tutt Bryant, Auchenflower Overpass Demolition Project.

tight available space, which included a six degrees slope, powerlines and underground services. The John Holland and Tutt Bryant team overcame project challenges with innovative solutions, such as a complex rigging arrangement with hydraulic rams to rotate the structure mid-air, detailed engineering including 3D clash detection analysis, and risk control measures in place.

Innovative thinking with a focus on safety allowed the project team to perform a critical operation with ease, on time and with the full confidence of all stakeholders.

Innovation Award Winner/ John Holland and Edwards Heavy Lift, Precast Concrete Trunnion (Bell to Moreland Level Crossing Removal Project)

Typically, the pier columns that support elevated rail viaducts are constructed insitu with forms and post tensioned. With in-situ pier construction, the installation of both the pier and the crosshead is constrained by the concrete curing time required for stressing.

A precast column cast into the pile cap design was proposed to reduce

the risk of delay to the program from increased curing time, COVID-19related labour impacts and inclement weather. The conventional solutions for lifting precast (lifting inserts with clutches) were deemed not suitable for this application due to the geometry of the piers (curved surface) and the required rotation on site from horizontal to vertical. John Holland and Edwards Heavy Lift came up with the innovative solution and design of post-fixed lifting trunnions. While the concept of a lifting ‘trunnion’ isn’t new – as it’s commonly used in the resources sector to lift large steel vessels- this was the first time that it had been used in the design of a precast concrete lifting system. The design complied with the relevant Australian and international standards and included the selection of specific wire rope and thimbles.

The idea of using voids for postfixing lifting anchors on precast elements is not new either, but it is innovative in this application. Affixing the trunnions via a threaded rod and cast-in conduit system aided in the ease of installation and reuse. It was

cost-efficient and easy to cast and was accommodating to the congested steel reinforcement design.

The trunnion solution allowed safe and smooth tailing and installation, allowing for major cost savings to the project.

Bill Shaw Memorial Trophy Winner for 2022/ John Holland and Tutt Bryant, Auchenflower Overpass Demolition Project

The Bill Shaw Memorial Trophy is for the overall best lift. Among the entries from all categories in 2022, the Auchenflower Overpass Demolition Project stood out with its enormous amount of detailed engineering controls in place, its innovative design of the rigging system, and its tremendous effect on the amount of work to deliver and manage in a short period of time. The project team displayed a commitment to ensuring the work was planned and executed to the highest standards of safety. The John Holland and Tutt Bryant team were thrilled to be named the Bill Shaw Memorial Trophy winner for 2022 for the Auchenflower Overpass Demolition Project.

Innovation award winner: John Holland and Edwards Heavy Lift, Precast concrete trunnion.

GOOD RESULTS FOR TADANO AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND E XHIBITION

“THE TEAM WAS PROUD OF OUR OVERALL presence and the product innovations we were able to highlight and discuss with visitors who came to take a closer look at Tadano,” she said.

“Visitors to the stand were very engaged and it was great to hear positive feedback on our product quality and services from our existing customers. It was also great to have the opportunity to talk to potential customers who were perhaps closed off to conversations with Tadano in the past and are now open and happy to consider doing business with us.”

A drawcard for the Tadano stand was the “Tadano Lift Challenge” which is a strength and endurance test. Participants held a 5kg bag in each hand, straight armed, for as long as they could. Of the 45 plus contestants Alistair Stewart from Riteway Crane Inspections (right) won the event and the Tadano fridge, with an impressive time of 2 minutes and 26 seconds, 24 seconds more than second place.

“Everyone seemed genuinely excited to be in Adelaide and attending the conference. It was great for everyone to be meeting face to face and we were extremely pleased with the engagement and positivity on our stand.

“The presentation of the stands from other exhibitors were impressive

and the ‘Best Stand’ competition must have been hard to judge. We congratulate the winners and admit we were were disappointed not to win, but there is always next year,” said Gen.

“A draw card for the Tadano stand was the “Tadano Lift Challenge” which is a strength & endurance test. It was a good, old-fashioned contest where participants held a 5kg bag in each hand, straight armed, for as long as they could.”

According to Genevieve Mustafa, Marketing Manager for Tadano Oceania Region, the Tadano team was very happy with the results from the CICA Exhibition.

Alistair Stewart from Riteway Crane Inspections won the “Tadano Lift Challenge” and the Tadano fridge.

Gen (centre left) and the Tadano team were proud of the product innovations they were able to discuss with visitors who came to take a closer look at Tadano.

ARTICULATED CRANE ACCIDENT PREVENTION

on 11 October 2017. During the coronial review it was determined that articulated steering cranes have unique characteristics that make it difficult to re-gain control in the event of a loss of control at speed.

The Coroner 1 found that these unique characteristics include:

Frame steering results in the driver rapidly rotating in the direction of steering. Trucks, buses and cars have ‘Ackerman steering’, meaning that they are steered by turning the front wheels. The body of these vehicles do not rotate, only the front wheels. Therefore, the driver stays with the body of the vehicle when the wheels and vehicle turn.

wheels on a shopping trolley. When the steering wheel is released after a turn is completed, the caster effect tends to bring the wheels back into a straight line.

Whereas, in mobile articulated steering cranes, when the steering wheel is released, the steering does not tend to naturally straighten up, and as a result, the driver must always remain very attentive and active with their steering.

Stiffly sprung suspension

ON 1 DECEMBER 2022, CICA’S ON-ROAD

Articulated Steering Mobile Crane Training Course won the award for Outstanding Solution for Members Managing WHS Risk in SafeWork N.S.W. Work Health and Safety (WHS) Excellence Showcase, which recognises businesses and individuals for excellence in work health and safety.

CICA celebrates the achievement, mindful the course came to be due to a tragedy and a coronial recommendation.

On 16 September 2013, Christine and Samuel Leonardi’s car was struck by an articulated steering crane while on their way to school. The result was devastating. Sadly, Christine and Samuel passed away, the damage to Mrs Leonardi’s vehicle was so extensive that the make and model of her vehicle were unrecognisable.

Coroner John Hutton delivered his findings of the coronial inquest

Whereas mobile articulated cranes have ‘frame steering’. They steer by pivoting (articulating) the crane in the middle, which in effect turns the front wheels in relation to the rear wheels.

A driver of a mobile articulated crane does not steer with the front wheels. The driver is physically rotated with the front half of the cabin in the direction of steering. This leads to a different sensation by the crane driver.

Hydraulic cylinders and lack of feedback leads to ‘twitchy’ steering

The lack of feedback in the steering wheel means that the steering wheel can be turned very quickly with little effort. This can lead to over-steering (i.e. where the driver’s steering over-corrects and turns too far).

Front wheels do not naturally straighten up

The front wheels of trucks, buses and cars have caster angle, which means that they tend to act like the caster

The suspension on some mobile articulated steering cranes is stiff to support the lifting rated capacity, which means road bumps and undulations are felt by the driver, when driving on-road.

The stiff suspension comes about because when the crane is being used as a crane, it needs to lift up a heavy load at the front, and the entire load must be supported by its front suspension.

Mobile articulated cranes are specifically intended to drive around work sites with the load suspended at its front. This stands in strong contrast to other mobile cranes, which rarely travel while suspending a load. Other mobile cranes use outriggers to deal with the large, lifted loads and use dedicated road suspension when travelling along roads.

Coronial recommendations

The Coroner made several recommendations, including to amend the national licensing scheme so that before a driver is authorised to drive a mobile articulated steering crane on a public road, they must undergo a:

1. P ractical assessment on a public road in a mobile articulated crane; and

The Crane Industry Council of Australia recently won an award for its On-Road Articulated Steering Mobile Crane Training Course.

CICA wins WHS Champion Award.

Current driver training for heavy vehicles (prime movers and trailers) is the opposite to a safe response with an articulated steering crane.

The recommendation was for a government agency to develop the practical and theoretical assessment; however, after consultation, The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) was approached to deliver it. CICA received a grant from the Federal Government by way of a Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative through the NHVR to develop this program.

It is important for employers / managers, to understand that their role is to do what is ‘reasonably practicable’ to ensure the health and safety of their crane operators and others on construction sites and on the roads.

“CICA partnered with Area 9 Lyceum, the global leader in Adaptive Learning to use their AI technology, to develop an online training program that can assess the operator’s familiarity with the driving behaviour of articulated cranes.”

CICA’S ON-ROAD ARTICULATED STEERING MOBILE CRANE TRAINING COURSE

CICA developed the On-Road Articulated Steering Mobile Crane Training Course with industry trainers, equipment manufacturers, state WHS regulators, state and national road authorities, and operators with over 30 years of individual experience operating articulated steering cranes.

For the theoretical component, CICA partnered with Area 9 Lyceum, the global leader in Adaptive Learning, to use their AI technology to develop an online training program that can assess the operator’s familiarity with the

driving behaviour of articulated cranes.

This training program uses an Adaptive Learning model, so for experienced operators, the training and assessment will be accelerated; for inexperienced operators, however, the training will be more thorough. This variation in training that credits the industry for existing knowledge while providing additional training for those not yet competent.

The online ‘adaptive learning’ component also provides flexibility, so operators can complete that aspect of the program individually during down time.

This model provides excellent feedback on what the crane operator

2. Th eoretical assessment addressing the unique handling characteristics of mobile articulated cranes and emergency procedures in the event of a loss of control.

CICA’s Justina Blackman (right) receives the Outstanding Solution for Members Managing WHS Risk award.

does and doesn’t know, which also means the solution is tailored. The course is not ‘one size fits all’, so an experienced operator with a good understanding of how to safely operate a pick and carry crane won’t be required to complete modules for which they demonstrate competence.

The online component is followed by a practical assessment using the CrewSafe app. This app. takes the assessor through a checklist of how to assess an operator’s competence and involves the video recording of task completion.

All training and assessment data is recorded and can be anonymously aggregated to see where gaps in the industry exist. Individual participants have a unique learning profile and can receive customised refresher training through their login profile.

This program aims to make drivers and their employers aware of the knowledge and skills gaps that exist and to substitute or replace them with

that was overlooked in both the heavy vehicle road licence and high-risk work licence.

Currently, this training is voluntary for members of the industry and is not required in the WHS.

The greatest outcome of this project to date has been raising awareness on the issue in such a way, that does not burden or cripple the industry.

Another has been customising the delivery to the user in a way that is easily accessible and encourages participation.

CICA is confident that through CICA’s On-Road Articulated Steering Mobile Crane Training Course, improvement in performance, reduced injuries, lost time, severity and claim costs are all achievable.

CICA is also exploring ways to use the Adaptive Learning framework for other training initiatives.

Crane safety is serious, the fact that most pick and carry crane operators have never been properly trained or assessed, is deadly serious.

This is why CICA is offering 100 free

“This is why CICA is offering 100 free ‘sign-up’s’ to the online component of the course to get its members started (which is a saving of $250).  To qualify, the operator must complete all aspects of the training and assessment within 18 months of sign up.”

sound knowledge and understanding of the crane, how it operates in certain circumstances and how to mitigate risks of an adverse event.

OUTSTANDING SOLUTION

Having more operators complete both elements of the on road articulated steering crane program will help make workplaces safer. Developing standardised training assists Small and Medium Businesses that would otherwise not have resources to create this training in-house.

This training and assessment program is now being provided to an industry

‘sign-up’s’ to the online component of the course to get its members started (which is a saving of $250).

To qualify, the operator must complete all aspects of the training and assessment within 18 months of sign up.

To find out more about the CICA Onroad Course, head to the CICA website www.cica.com.au/The-CICA-On-RoadCourse.  To receive the code for the free sign up send Paul an email (paul@cica. com.au).

1 11 October 2017, Findings of Inquest into the deaths of Christine Nan Leonardi and Samuel John Leonardi

Road incidents involving articulated pick and carry cranes can be devasting.

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A more powerful front suspension improves lift capacity by up to 17%. New steps in the load chart improve lift control. Faster software processing gives even greater control response and the re-engineered ROPs cab has lower ambient road noise.*

TIDD Crane offers a better experience and a better investment for the life of your crane.

TUTT BRYANT HEAVY LIFT & SHIFT MANAGES BRIDGE DISMANTLE

Earlier in the year, the team at Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift (TBHL&S) managed a complex bridge demolition project in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales. With extremely limited access and a tight timeframe, the lifts had to be meticulously planned.

OVER THE PAST 24 MONTHS, THE AUSTRALIAN Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has replaced three bridges in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales. These include the Hunter River bridge, Muscle Creek bridge and Bridge Street bridge with two new bridges within and next to the rail corridor, in Muswellbrook, NSW. The lifts involved the onsite bridge demolition of the bridge over Muscle Creek and Hunter River. The Bridge Street site involved the demolition of the existing bridge superstructure and central pier.

Kyle Greenwood is the New South Wales Supervisor for Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift (TBHL&S). He explains more about the complexities of the project.

“The project involved lifting a couple of different bridges out from the one setup. The

only way to execute the project was to use the 600t capacity Demag CC 2800-1 which was set up on a natural jetty between the two rivers, the Hunter River and Muscle Creek.

“We were literally set up on the 18m long jetty that we had engineered and had earthworks completed for the lift so we knew it could sustain the combined crane and lifts being undertaken.

We had to access to the jetty through a caravan park, so setting the crane up was tight with very little tolerance for error.

“We had the whole site aerially scanned as part of the lift planning. They scanned it with a drone and then put it all into a CAD system with which we calculated that we would just be able to manage the lifts. We could only use 66 metres of boom, I would’ve liked to use more, but we literally

could not build more in the area we had,” Greenwood said.

Building the Demag CC 2800-1 was a very complex process in itself, due to the lack of space. To lift the heavy parts of the crawler, like the track frames and counterweight, TBHL&S used a Grove 300t all terrain GMK6300L, Greenwood said.

“There was just enough room for us to get our Grove GMK6300L onto the site and assist with the build. We actually set the Grove up on the Superlift counterweights pad. We had the outriggers fully out on the

lifting side, and then we had the half jacket on the non-lifting side.

“We had to bring the two track frames in on a 7 line steerable Drake platform trailer due to the narrow roads in the caravan park, we then had to unload them, sit them on the ground, and then bring the car body in and install the track frames. If we delivered the car body first, we wouldn’t be able to get the trucks close enough to the 300t Crane to unload as they weight 45t each.

“We couldn’t use the Grove any further because we couldn’t slew it around. So, we brought in a Sennebogen 683 HD 80t capacity tele-crawler for the rest of the build. We walked it up and down the track and walked in the boom sections and Superlift mast and everything else,” Greenwood said.

The Hunter River Bridge was an old riveted steel structure with a calculated weight of 120t to 130t. Using that weight TBHL&S examined assets which would suit the application and all options for the location of the lifts.

Three locations were identified to complete the lift, but the team at TBHL&S had to use a natural jetty in the caravan park as it was the only place to build the boom long enough to get the head height at the required radius.

The next problem was clearing out seven cabins and constructing a crane pad to support the crane and super lift counterweight. After engineering a pad design and surveying the site, TBHL&S’s 600t Terex Demag CC2800-1 was the largest capacity crane that could fit on the jetty, and it had a SWL of 129t at the required radius.

“We would’ve liked to have used a 700t capacity crane or even our 800 tonner, but there wasn’t enough room to set up a larger capacity crane on the site,” Greenwood said.

“So we had to work out how to reduce the bridge’s weight to maximum tare weight of 108t - this is due to hook block, rigging and wire rope weight adding 18t.”

“This meant a total lift weight of 126t, which would be 98 per cent utilisation of the cranes’ charts.

“Without compromising the structural integrity of the span, once we knew we could achieve a 108t tare, we organised a company to jack the bridge up so we had a known weight - which eliminated the 50 per cent

“Without compromising the structural integrity of the span, once we knew we could achieve a 108t tare we then organized a company to jack the bridge up so we had a known weight which eliminated the 50 per cent demolition allowance.”

The area for the team to work was extremely tight with small margins for error.

TBHL&S deployed its Demag 600t capacity CC2800-1 which had a SWL of 129t at the required radius.

demolition allowance,” Greenwood says.

“The company came to site and weighed the bridge which came in at 132t, we then removed two 12t pieces from the span and confirmed the weights with the jacks.”

The Hunter River Bridge, which weighed 108t, was first. Because TBHL&S had to use a H-pattern spreader, a 250t capacity spreader connected to two 80t spreaders below - bringing the total lift weight to 126t.

“We were basically sitting right on the crane’s limits at 98 or 99 per cent of its

capacity. Ideally, we would’ve liked to have used a 700t capacity crane or even our 800 tonner, but there wasn’t enough room to set up a larger capacity crane on the site,” Greenwood said.

“Slope stability of the jetty was assessed, and where we had our Grove GMK6300L on the Superlift counterweight, we were only allowed to load that area of the ground for 20 hours. So we could only stack the Superlift counterweight and have it sitting on the ground for 20 hours. The lift had to be

completed inside that window and then the tray de-stacked, because of how close it was to the slope.”

The old bridge was lifted and placed over the other side of the new bridge, which was planned as it had the same lifting radius of 46m as the new bridge, which meant no time was wasted de-stacking the Superlift counterweight trays.

“Once the old bridge was safely on the ground, the demolition crew came in and cut it all up on site and then removed it in small trucks over a temporary bridge they had built over the Muscle Creek River to access the spot,” Greenwood said.

The second lift was the Muscle Creek Bridge which weighed a total of 69.6t

“We lifted the Muscle Creek Bridge out and put it over behind the Hunter River Bridge which was a 56m pick. Once again, we were able to put it down within the same radius. We then had a series of smaller bridges to lift out. These were only around a 30t each. There were eight bridge sections lifted in total in a three day outage.

“The TBHL& S team worked 24 hours a day for three days. We utilised our New South Wales heavy lift team during the day and our Queensland heavy lift team at night. I was running the night shift. It was hectic, but it all went according to plan which was as a result of the detailed planning and the careful implementation of the methodology,” Greenwood said.

“TBHL&S was initially contacted about the job two years ago and we started to scope out a plan. When the project came into focus, it took eight to 10 weeks of full-time planning and liaising with geotechnical engineers, structural engineers to obtain approval for the lift plans to be signed off.

“Complex projects like this take meticulous planning and time to get everything signed off and over the line. We were not able to use soft slings except for above the top spreader. That’s because they could have been caught, nicked or damaged on the steel of the bridge,” Greenwood said.

“We used 32mm chains and doubled them up. There were a number of factors to consider which included the D/d ratios and different specifications to consider and to ensure we were within Australian Standards.”

The TBHL& S team worked 24 hours a day for three days, utilising the New South Wales heavy lift team during the day and the Queensland heavy lift team at night.

TAKING THE SHOCK OUT OF PILING

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EXTRAORDINARY LENGTHS FOR HYDRAULIC CYLINDER REPAIR

Berendsen Fluid Power has expanded its hydraulic cylinder repair capabilities to accommodate the extra-large cylinders in use by the Australian crane industry.

THE LEADING HYDRAULIC SERVICES company has added new facilities including the largest, most advanced hard chrome plating tank to accommodate the longest hydraulic cylinders in existence.

It goes without saying that hydraulic cylinders are crucial to the safety and performance of every crane out there. As the largest point of failure they are regularly subjected to extreme loads while being vulnerable to damage, wear and improper maintenance. In other words your hydraulic cylinder is an achilles heel that will need to be rebuilt sooner or later during the course of its service life.

Big cranes however, mean bigger challenges for hydraulic cylinder repairs and until now, Australia’s hydraulic repair services have lacked facilities of sufficient

scale to properly restore cylinders of such extreme length. Particularly when it comes to the all-important hard chrome resurfacing of piston rods up to 12 metres long.

The great news is that’s all changed because leading hydraulic services company Berendsen Fluid Power has invested to upscale and upgrade its capabilities to meet the needs of the crane industry. Including building Australia’s largest and most advanced hard chrome plating tank in order to achieve the highest quality resurfacing of piston rods up to 12 metres in length.

Berendsen Fluid Power is an established nationwide hydraulic services powerhouse, delivering on-demand support to industrial customers at scale

across Australia. It is an expansive operation stretching across 11 branches in 5 states with a total of 18,000m2 workshop space equipped to handle large cylinders. The network boasts the largest stockholding of hydraulic components and comprehensive in-house capabilities including hard chrome plating, boring, honing and machining. Berendsen is also home to a world-class in-house engineering division & a state of the art manufacturing facility and together these are capable of producing custom hydraulic components and complete turnkey hydraulic systems.

“At Berendsen, the focus is on advancing our status as the most wellestablished and more rounded presence in hydraulic services across Australia,”

A strict repair process is required in order to ensure a high quality, high performance, long term repair

says James Leach CEO of Berendsen Fluid Power.

“When it comes to hydraulic cylinder repairs for large, complex hydraulic cylinders at work on today’s cranes, we recognised the industry is underserved in this regard. In response, Berendsen has gone to extraordinary lengths to upscale and upgrade our capabilities,” says Leach.

“We’ve added bigger, better equipped repair centres, developed high-tech digital repair processes, and expanded our in-house capabilities including extensive hard chrome plating upgrades. We’ve also developed an extensive hydraulic cylinder knowledge base in order to provide the highest quality fast turnaround repair for crane owners and operators.”

Effective hydraulic cylinder repair is a highly technical process. There are many ways for hydraulic cylinders to fail including oil seal failure, cracked or ballooned barrels, bent piston rods, wear or damage to the hard chrome surface of piston rods and many others. When they fail they exhibit symptoms such as leaking hydraulic seals, sticking, juddering, overheating or in some cases

“At Berendsen, the focus is on advancing our status as the most well-established and more rounded presence in hydraulic services across Australia.”

Berendsen’s custom-built horizontal rotation hard chrome plating tank is engineered & built to resurface cylinder rods up to 12m in length with optimal uniformity & concentricity.

Dual-anode rotation plating achieves hard chrome thickness over 200 microns (four times greater than average),

will emit alarmingly loud banging noises. Whatever the symptom, the underlying issue needs to be determined. Usually, it isn’t as simple as just replacing a leaking seal. Fixing symptoms doesn’t lead to a long term repair and the cylinder will fail again quickly unless the underlying issue can be addressed - which takes the whole machine off the line again.

That’s why a strict repair process is required in order to ensure a high quality, high performance, long term repair. It includes cylinder stripping and assessment, including measurement, pre-test, NDT and failure analysis. Selecting & sourcing replacement parts & seals. Machining of new components Using CNC milling machines, lathes, boring and honing machines. Material reclamation using aluminium bronze overlay or submerged arc welding, hard chrome plating of piston rods. Reassembly, Testing, Painting & finishing.

While all steps in the repair process are important, none are more so than restoring a high quality hard chrome finish to hydraulic piston rods. After all, this surface is needed to ensure the proper functioning of the soft, vulnerable hydraulic seals that contain all that pressure within the cylinder. Yet achieving this is a lot more difficult than it sounds. Hard chrome plating is a very technical process involving several critical steps and any imperfections along the way can lead to poor quality

chrome adhesion, mud cracking, dull or milky deposits and many other fatal issues.

Since this is the case the logical next question to ask is how do you restore a high quality hard chrome finish to the longest piston rods in existence? Berendsen answered this question by custom designing and building Australia’s longest 360-degree horizontal rotation chrome plating tank. It is the most advanced plating system engineered to deliver superior chrome deposit depth and

aspect of end-to-end repair and all steps and activities during the process must be monitored and controlled at all times to ensure quality. For this reason, Berendsen developed a fully digital cloud-based hydraulic cylinder repair management system called Frontrunner. This system uses tablet computers to log and manage every stage of repair, ensuring adherence to repair procedures and streamlined repair processes to minimise costly downtime.

Because technical information is so important to technicians, Berendsen’s world class in-house engineering division has developed a library of detailed schematics for the hydraulic cylinders repaired. Through FrontRunner, this gives technicians access to accurate manufacturer’s specifications and answers about correct repair procedures.

Moreover, Berendsen’s capabilities go beyond routine repairs. In some cases, if customers wish to achieve extended service life, Berendsen can also design, test and manufacture upgraded components to maximise running hours.

“Our engineers are also capable of designing better performing components using sophisticated reliability simulation software, which are produced in our

concentricity for optimal service life of rods up to 12 metres.

The tank has many world-class innovations including a dual contact system, delivering optimal current density with ideal anode to cathode ratio for reduced contaminants and improved adhesion. The result is the only facility capable of achieving chrome deposit depths over 200 microns for rods of this extreme length - which is 4 times greater than average. This means only Berendsen can restore a hard chrome finish that lasts longer and performs better in the long run.

Hard chrome plating is only one

state-of-the art manufacturing facility in Newcastle,” says Leach.

All of this investment in upscaled and upgraded hydraulic cylinder repair capabilities is good news for Australia’s crane industry. For the first time, the industry has access to fully-optimised high tech digital repair, bigger, better-equipped workshops & in-house capabilities with upscaled hard chrome plating facilities, engineering knowhow & quality control. If your business depends on cranes operating at their peak day in day out, no one goes to greater lengths to ensure maximum uptime for your business.

“Our engineers are also capable of designing better performing components using sophisticated reliability simulation software, which are produced in our state-of-the art manufacturing facility in Newcastle.”

Big cranes mean bigger challenges for hydraulic cylinder repairs

ONLY BERENDSEN CYLINDER REPAIRS ARE UP TO YOUR STANDARDS.

Here’s a fact. Only Berendsen’s nationwide repair network has the heavy-duty in-house capabilities on a scale needed to achieve a truly complete end-to-end repair for the oversize hydraulic cylinders in use on today’s cranes.

In fact, only Berendsen has gone to extreme lengths to custom-build Australia’s first horizontal rotation hard chrome plating tank capable of restoring piston rods up to 12m in length with chrome thickness up to 4 times greater than average for greater durability and service life. Not only that - Berendsen was the first to introduce a fully-digital hydraulic repair workflow to ensure adherence to strict repair processes and excellent quality control.

10 state-of-the-art repair centres

Superior hard chrome

platingHigh tech quality control

If you depend on cranes operating at their peak, Berendsen is the only place to turn for high quality, quick turnaround hydraulic cylinder repairs.

QUICK TURNAROUND REPAIRS: 1800 814 411

www.berendsen.com.au

BADEN DAVIS CRANECONNECTION THE PERFECT OPTION FOR DPW’S NEW CRANE

It can be hard sometimes to plan ahead when setting up a business, but the decision by DPW Plant Hire to have a strong focus on the rail industry and work closely with the rail sector were two good ideas.

SERVING BOTH VICTORIA AND NEW South Wales, DPW Plant Hire has been providing service to Rail projects in both states since 2005, and is now looking forward to its new venture in DPW Cranes and Rigging.

Since its inception in 2005, DPW Plant Hire has staked a claim as being a leading railway infrastructure company with an all-purpose edge.

The team has expertise  providing crane work for civil and residential projects, rail projects, steel erection, warehouse relocations and sensitive equipment installs across Australia and internationally.

Started in 2005 the company has grown regularly, serving clients such as Sydney Trains, John Holland and Laing O’Rourke. Recently DPW Plant Hire has worked on projects such as the Northwest Rapid Transit train line, Leppington Train line and the new Sydney Metro stations at Barangaroo and Victoria Cross.

With the growth in the rail industry it was time for DPW Plant Hire to expand its fleet, so site and rigging manager Andrew Nasato turned to the Baden Davis Crane connection for its new crane.

The company currently runs a range of Hi-Rail multi cranes, Hi-Rail rotating telehandlers, a Franna and the brand new Liebherr LTM 1060-3.1, DPW also has a brand new Hi-Rail 15t Sennebogen Multi crane which just landed in the country and will be a first for the rail sector.

“We had got to the point where we needed something with a greater capacity, we turned to Anthony and Ben from the Baden Davis Crane connection to source the machine for us,” Andrew said.

“We knew the Baden Davis Crane connection would be able to source our requirements and they had the resources behind them to find the right crane for us.

The decision to bring the three axle Liebherr LTM 1060-3.1 was a simple one for Andrew and his team as he explains.

“We were drawn to the Liebherr as it is proven and tested to be the best in the business and is backed up by unbelievable manufacturer support,” he said.

The LTM 1060-3.1 has a 60 tonne capacity with a telescopic boom 48 metres long. It has a maximum hoisting height of 63m and a maximum radius of 48m.

It comes with a six-cylinder Liebherr engine producing 270kW with drive going to all six wheels with four-wheel steering, and with 12.80t of ballast it is more than capable on site.

The LTM 1060-3.1 is designed for driving on roads with plenty of ballast. A special method of dividing the ballast slabs has been included in the design of this mobile crane.

This means that a wide range of driving configurations can be achieved quickly and easily. Its compact dimensions and time-tested ECOmode and ECOdrive

The new Liebherr has already been busily working across New South Wales.

“We were drawn to the Liebherr as it is proven and tested to be the best in the business and is backed up by unbelievable manufacture support.”

The size of the LTM 1060-3.1 is an asset on site but still has an impressive capacity.

make this mobile crane extremely economical to use.

“We went with this model as the operations were just so simple for the team, the LTM 1060-3.1 has been proven to be the best in its class and as well, it looks impressive which is a big plus for us,” he said.

The Baden Davis Crane Connection managed the whole process, from finding the crane through to arranging the shipping, quarantine, cleaning, servicing, the CraneSafe process, and registration.

“We were unable to fault Anthony and Ben throughout the process, they communicated clearly with us and strived to understand our needs, they were extremely transparent.

“This was my first time using the Baden Davis Crane connection and have nothing but good things to say, I have dealt with Anthony before so that trust was there, but the whole process was extremely positive for us,” Nasato said

The Liebherr has been put straight to work by DPW Plant Hire: completing powerpole upgrades along the Sydney

trains network, MRI machine installs and rail station upgrades and has not missed a beat.

The feedback from the team has been positive with many impressed by what the Liebherr is capable of.

“Libherr have thought of every way possibe to make it convenient and comfortable for the crane driver, the LICCON system is extremely simple to use,” Andrew Nasato said.

Liebherr mobile cranes are controlled precisely using intelligent technology, the LICCON computer system is at the heart of all this. Liebherr designs and produces the software and hardware for the mobile crane control in-house.

• Integral LMB load moment limiter

• All key components are manufactured by Liebherr

• Guaranteed spare part availability

• Proven in a very wide variety of climatic conditions around the world

• Easy to use

• Very reliable due to data bus technology

The size of the LTM 1060-3.1 was a major plus for the team at DPW plant hire, with only three axles it is slight whilst on site whilst providing a capacity boost.

“Space restrictions around railways is always a challenge so we needed to ensure we had something that was going to have a strong capacity whilst not being too restricted,” Nasato said.

Alongside confined working environments for the Liebherr the preparation and lift planning for DPW is pivotal to deliver on projects as Andrew explains.

“It all starts from the first initial site visit, the more information the crew receives on the job the better, the constant communication between supervisors and the crane crew is imperative for us to ensure every job is completed.

“Site visits are crucial to ensure every lift is planned well from start to finish, it is imperative we make sure everyone gets home safely at the end of the day.

“Crane crews will fill out Safe Work Method statements and Job safety analysis prior to each task taking place,” Andrew said.

“Our in house Lift plans are done by either using 3D Lift planner or the Liccon lift planner system supplied by Liebherr,” he added.

“Our

in house Lift plans are done by either using 3D Lift planner or the Liccon lift planner system supplied by Liebherr.”

It has a maximum hoisting height of 63m and a maximum radius of 48m.

NEW CEO AND RENEWED FOCUS ON SERVICE AND SUPPORT FROM WATM

Adrian Wilkes was recently appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WATM Crane Sales and Services. WATM is the West Australian distributor for the Manitowoc, Grove and Hiab brands, amongst others. Adrian explains why he has made the move from the crane hire sector to a crane distributorship.

“I AM REALLY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THE next chapter of WATM,” Adrian says. “I have well over 10 years of experience, certainly on the crane owner and service provider side of the industry and I feel I’ve got a lot of value to add, along with significant industry experience that I can bring to the WATM team. Our intention is to develop and grow the awareness of our products and to focus on the service and support in Western Australia. The

WATM stocks in excess of $3.5m in parts and will be increasing parts stock levels to be best placed to support customer requirements.

products deserve the best levels of service and support, and I am really excited about this opportunity.

“WATM is a family business, started by Frank Lazenby and his wife Marcia in 1974. Anthony Lazenby started with WATM (then WA Truck and Machinery) in 1996 as an apprentice diesel mechanic and spent 4.5 years with Manitowoc before returning to WATM in 2010 and taking over as Managing Director in 2012,” said Adrian. During this time, WATM has sold over 330 mobile cranes and over 2,500 Hiab vehicle loading cranes.

“Anthony possesses a significant skill set and he has many years of experience with the Manitowoc and Hiab products. I complement Anthony with a more commercial approach and with senior management experience.

“He will remain as MD however now with a 100 per cent focus on working with me on our strategy and growth.

“Our intention is for WATM Cranes Sales and Services to represent quality. This reflects the quality of the products we represent, the quality of our approach to customers and the relationships we have, and the quality of our service and aftermarket support. We understand that reliability is absolutely critical for our customers, and we want to ensure our service and support levels are where they need to be in terms of strategic geographic locations coupled with industry leading capabilities,” he said.

Having worked for large crane service providers, Adrian has a unique insight into how the Grove product compares to other brands. He explains how he sees the Grove brand working under his guidance, what expectations he has and what the WA market can expect from WATM.

“It’s an exciting space to be in, with the Grove and Hiab products. I say that coming off the back of what was recently on display at bauma and what I saw firsthand at the Grove factory which is why Grove are “best-in-class” in a number of products.

“One thing about Grove, they have been extremely good and consistent at being “first to market”. For example, they were “first to market” with the

development and production of the five axle 250t all terrain crane and today they continue this industry advancement with the development and “first to market” reality with the new GMK 4100L-2 hybrid all terrain crane, which we are really excited about. To further complement this, there’s a new 70t and 120t, both with long booms and market leading taxi counterweight configurations, and the new 150XL all terrain crane with 68.7m of main boom. Similarly with Hiab, manufacturing vehicle loading cranes for over 75 years and being the first to introduce the knuckleboom crane. They also offer a range of electric and ‘Green’ solutions for customers. So, I’m really excited about the future with what I see and the value we’re going to contribute across the WA crane industry,” he said.

WATM is acutely aware that a significant number of crane operations are

performed in very remote areas in WA, and conditions can be extremely challenging for cranes. Adrian explains more about WATM’s approach to mobile service and support and mobile parts availability.

“This is a really big focus for the WATM business. Obviously, I’ve been living and breathing these issues for the last 10 years, so it’s a space I’m really well-versed in. I bring a lot of learnings that I know will be important for our customers, to ensure we are best placed to support their operations and be that reliable service provider they have come to expect from WATM.

“We’re the only crane seller that have on the ground service support and capability based in Newman, where we have our own dedicated facility. We understand reliability and response time is important to our customers and hence we are strategically placed in Newman to service our customers throughout the

Adrian Wilkes with John Stewart VP General Manager Manitowoc Cranes Australia.

“We’re the only crane seller that have on the ground service support and capability based in Newman, where we have our own dedicated facility.”

Pilbara and we have plans to grow and bolster that regional support.

“We know that availability of parts is an issue at the moment and that’s only predicted to get worse over the next 12 months. At WATM, we already keep stock of in excess of $3.5m in parts plus we’re currently performing a full review, and we are increasing our parts stock levels, so we are best placed to support our customers requirements. This will mean they have the right parts available, not over in the east, not over in Germany, but here in WA, in Perth as well as in Newman. That’s really important to us,” said Adrian.

“We will continue to mould and evolve our business, to make sure we best fit and align with what our customers need. I guess coming from 10 years on that side of the business, I know some of the tweaks that need to happen at WATM, to take it from a really good business to a great business,” he said.

Adrian goes on to discuss WATM’s new approach to technical support.

“We are one of the few suppliers in Newman where we have workshop facilities and dedicated personnel. We’ve just put on four new experienced crane technicians and in addition to them coming onboard, we recently conducted an apprentice strategy review, for the next two years. This has resulted in four

apprentices starting with WATM in January 2023 and they will complement the three apprentices we already have.

“The availability of good quality skilled labour is something we’re passionate about. We’ve sourced the new technicians globally and most have come from Europe. They land between January and February 2023, to bolster our existing team. We are committed to providing the best levels of technical support and follow-up service to our customers and are prepared to

an important customer alignment strategy for the business,” he said.

WATM has setup its technicians with custom built field service vehicles, which ensures they are carrying what they need to provide that right service, on-site, at the roadside or wherever the support needs to be delivered. We have recently purchased six new field service vehicles, two that are already in service with the remaining ones being fitted out and introduced to the fleet in the coming months.

“So, it’s not just about customers coming to WATM. It’s also about us being flexible, to go to wherever they need that support, as and when required. We understand our customers are working their cranes 24/7 and we also operate the same hours. We have people working within our depots seven days a week.

“At WATM, the awareness, development and implementation of new technology is paramount. Whether it is using the new “Grove Connect” remote telematics and diagnostic system or alternatively the WATM in-house designed “Net Tech” system, which performs the same function for our Hiab products, WATM are at the forefront of smart technology,” said Adrian.

“These systems provide our technicians with remote diagnostic visibility and capability, regardless of wherever that

go above and beyond to deliver on this promise.

“We have extensive OEM factory trained technicians based in our Perth facility, for our Perth-based customers, complemented by our trained technicians that revolve through Newman and the Pilbara region plus our maintenance planner based in Newman. In saying this, we have identified the important requirement for additional technicians and hence our immediate focus and traction to deliver on this timely requirement. This is

crane is located across WA. We can identify a majority of the issues, and certainly assist and support our customers with remote diagnostics for immediate response.

“The team at WATM has a renewed focus on product support and service. We want the Western Australian market to know that when they purchase a Grove, Manitowoc or Hiab product, they are also buying a commitment to service, support and parts availability from WATM,” said Adrian.

“The availability of good quality skilled labor is something we’re passionate about. We’ve sourced the new technicians globally and most have come from Europe.”

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One of the winning Lift of the Year entrants features the Sany 800t crawler.

SANY’S COMMITMENT TO THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET

Sany was a major sponsor of The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) National Conference and Exhibition in Adelaide. A number of the senior management team from Sany’s factory visited the event with Tom Liu, General Manager of International Sales for Sany mobile cranes, presenting a paper to the delegation. Cranes and Lifting was able to discuss Sany’s commitment to the Australian market with Tom and his team.

“I’M IN CHARGE OF THE CRANE BUSINESS for the overseas market, and I am here at the CICA conference to support our local team including Country Manager Neo Liu and our National Distributor Tutt Bryant Equipment,” Tom said.

“Sany is very focused on the Australian market. For many years, the Australian market has recognised Sany for the quality and performance of our heavy lift crawler cranes. But I think our near future focus on the market, will be on our all terrain and telescopic crawler ranges as we now believe the quality of these products is capable of penetrating the high-end of the local market. The quality of the design, engineering, manufacture and also the intelligence built into the cranes has reached a level that we believe will meet the requirements and expectations of local customers,” said Tom.

“As I mentioned, I am also here to support Sany’s National Distributor Tutt Bryant Equipment, but I am also interested in surveying Australian customers, to better understand what is going on within the Australian market, what customers are saying about, and requesting from Sany. I will take this information back to the factory, so our engineers can make modifications, to improve the quality, and also the adaptability of our products so they better suit the Australian market and conditions. These are the main purposes for my visit,” he said.

Tom goes on to explain how responsive the Sany factory is to the customer feedback through distributors like Tutt Bryant Equipment. He explains how

the factory processes and works on developments on this basis.

“We have a department within our organisation which is responsible for gathering all the customer feedback. The department includes the service engineers, members of the sales team, members of the Research and Development team and also the Quality Control team.

“In our factory, this department coordinates the customer feedback every day and they then organise a weekly meeting with the frontline teams where the feedback is discussed. This can be positive feedback including what is working well for our customers as well as negative feedback, where problems are commonly occurring. We have the ability

on these control systems. In China, we have applied a lot of technology to the cranes, particularly our all terrain and telescopic crawlers ranges. All of the technology has been tested on the Chinese market and it has proved to be stable and reliable, and we are now ready to demonstrate this technology to the overseas market like Australia.

“We have continually developed our technological knowledge. As you know China is very advanced with 5G technology and we have been integrating this into our cranes. In the near future, the Australian market will experience this technology and our Australian customers will feel much more comfortable with this innovation,” said Tom.

to change our approach to the design and manufacture of the cranes and continually include innovations designed to improve the performance or our products,” said Tom.

He goes on to discuss the markets’ perception that the intelligence that goes into Chinese-manufactured cranes is not as innovative as European or North America manufactured product, despite the Chinese cranes being well designed, engineered and manufactured.

“Actually, Sany is very strong on the intelligent control systems, and we have been working on significant developments

Chen Wei Ng, Managing Director of Tutt Bryant Group, had this to say about the innovation from Sany.

“In terms of innovation, you just have to look at the 80t capacity all electric telescopic crawler crane as an example of innovation from Sany. The all-terrain is, as we all know here in Australia, a challenging segment to work in. Just with road regulations, the weight of the crane, number of axles, length, width, so it’s a very unique place to push the all terrain product.

“For Sany and any other manufacturer, it’s difficult for them to bring into

“In terms of innovation, you just have to look at the 80t capacity all electric telescopic crawler crane as an example of innovation from Sany.”

Australia a stock-standard unit that’s accepted by the rest of the world. Sany and Tutt Bryant have to be in consultation regarding the developments around the all terrain market and for this reason we are mainly focused on two models which are the 60t capacity all terrain that we have on display at the CICA event and the 120t capacity all terrain. We’re focusing on these two because we don’t want to spread our wings too wide, we want to get these products right for our Australian customers, and for Australian conditions,” said Chen Wei.

“The innovation is there, and the other point I’ll make is, back in China Sany boasts a thousand-strong engineering team. In terms of innovation and in terms of technology, they don’t see themselves as competing against other Chinese manufacturers. Sany is a global player and they are challenging other global

competitors. It’s a very outward-looking organisation.

“Sany is committed to the Australian market. Tom has been on the road for the last month meeting customers and talking to industry people here in Australia. We have three full-time service engineers here from Sany. We have one R&D manager who has just arrived in Australia, so they’re on the ground, they’re constantly providing feed back to the factory. They’re writing reports every time they attend to a machine, confirming what they observe, what the customer is saying and feeding this back to the factory,” he said.

Lawrence Liu is Sany’s Regional Director of International Sales.

“I’m in charge of the region. As Tom has said, we have paid a lot of attention to the Australian market and invested a significant amount of resource here. Over the years we have placed a significant

focus on this market. Members of our team have been based here conducting research.

“We communicate with local customers and our dealers to understand what types of products the market requires, and what customers want. We take all this information back to the factories, and then we refine the products, make the required improvements and bring the newly improved products back to the market,” he said.

“Sany spends a lot of time with the operators to understand what they require from a crane. We coordinate the operator feedback relay this to the factory and they build the suggestions into the models they are working on. We then bring these new products back to the market and our customers will see their suggestions have been included in the new designs.

“Sany is not like other manufacturers,

Tom Liu, Sany’s General Manager of International Sales presented at the CICA Conference and Exhibition.

“Sany spends a lot of time with the operators to understand what they require from a crane. We coordinate the operator feedback relay this to the factory and they build the suggestions into the models they are working on.”

especially other Chinese manufacturers, which bring in and try to sell Chinese products. Sany is different, we listen to the market, we are constantly making modifications and improvements which the market wants,” said Lawrence.

Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift operates a number of large capacity Sanys in its fleet. Chen Wei explains how they have been performing.

“We have owned Sanys for the last 10 years. We started with eight cranes with capacities ranging between 300t and 400t and they are still performing strongly. They have been well supported by Sany, even though they are 10 years old.

“In terms of service and in terms of parts, Sany is still supporting these cranes, which is fantastic and testament to their commitment to after-sales service. More recently we’ve gone even bigger with 800t capacity crawlers and those cranes have

performed beautifully. We’ve had nothing but positive feedback. One of the winning Lift of the Year entrants features our Sany 800t crawler.

“More recently, we have pushed into Sany telescopic crawlers. For construction in the cities and urban environments, these cranes come into their own. We’re finding increasing customer acceptance and adoption of telecrawlers, even when it comes to applications which were the domain of rough terrains. I think many applications are now quicker, easier and more flexible with telescopic crawlers,” said Chen Wei.

Tutt Bryant Equipment was recently appointed the National Distributor for Sany products. Tom explains his aims, expectations and objectives with this relationship.

“Actually, our goal is not to just simply sell product, we want to provide

the best quality product and service to our customers. The Tat Hong Holdings brand, which is the parent company of Tutt Bryant, is very strong and an ideal fit for our cranes. I hope Tat Hong Holdings will continue to cooperate with Sany, because this will enable us to provide a good quality service adding more value to the relationship,” he said.

Chen Wei adds this to the conversation.

“I think you can say the relationship is multifaceted. We’re not just a distributor of Sany products, we’re a user as well. The Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift division provides a lot of valuable feedback regarding product improvement, and we can point towards the development of the 250t capacity tele crawler as being driven by Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift and we are pleased to announce the first unit has just landed in Australia,” he said.

Tom and Che Wei with the teams from Sany and Tutt Bryant Equipment.

TADANO GIVES BACK

RECENT FLOODING ACROSS AUSTRALIA

has been a challenge for a number of states and towns. Understanding that many of its customers and their families would be struggling, Tadano threw its support behind flood recovery.

Tadano Oceania donated $10k AUD to the NSW/QLD Flood reliefs shared across three organisations, Givit, Red Cross and Vinnies.

All Tadano Oceania employees were consulted in the decision of which organisations should receive donations.

By the end of the first week in March, Southern Queensland and northern New South Wales (NSW) had each received more than a year’s worth of rainfall in a week. This was Queensland’s worst flooding since 2011.

An intense low-pressure system

brought heavy rains to Australia’s east coast on March 30, forcing thousands to flee their homes for the second time within weeks.

Torrential downpours hit the east coast again on April 7, with Sydney receiving nearly a month’s worth rain overnight. Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes. The first three months of 2022 brought a year’s worth of rain to Sydney.

The support provided by Tadano went a long way to helping families recover and get back on their feet.

When flooding hit Victoria later in the year, Workshop Technician Anthony deployed to the city of Lismore approximately two weeks after the initial flooding of the region to assist with the clean-up of the

town and surrounding areas.

Upon arrival he was augmented into a team of heavy vehicle operators from his home unit in Melbourne, they had been previously deployed to the area almost immediately after the flood waters receded. Their primary task was to operate convoys of HX-77 Dump Trucks in order to facilitate the transportation of flood waste out of the affected areas.

It is very difficult to truly comprehend the level of damage and destruction that the disaster left behind. Anthony’s team of five dump trucks removed over 1000 tonnes of flood waste during its time in the area, a small contribution to the overall figure of over 100,000 tonnes removed by the ADF as a whole. Most of this waste

After what has been a challenging number of years, Tadano has looked to give back wherever possible. Whether that be through its employees or charity work by the company, Tadano seeks to be an active member of the communities where they operate.

The Tadano team has looked to give back wherever it can

had to be hand stacked into piles before it was loaded into the dump trucks, the majority of it contaminated with sewage, fuels/oils, industrial chemicals, rotten food and in some cases, deceased animals or asbestos.

The wider operation was not just limited to waste removal, the ADF had about 5,000 troops deployed in effected areas, as well as an enormous fleet of heavy vehicles and equipment. Tasks for these troops included clearing roads and waterways, recovering damaged vehicles or equipment, and delivering food, fuel and medical supplies to isolated communities.

While the circumstances themselves were quite tragic, it was pretty incredible to see the effected communities, local emergency services, ADF and civilian organisations all working together in a huge effort to restore essential services and make devastated areas inhabitable again.

Anthony would like to thank Tadano and his colleagues for supporting his involvement in the operation and facilitating the required leave on such short notice.

“I understand and appreciate how disruptive it can be to temporarily loose a technician in this manner, especially in a small team. I will be nominating the company for an “Employer Support Award” later in the year, this will be a formal certificate of recognition from the ADF to Tadano for their support of ADF activities,” he said.

Tadano Group has always supported contributions to society and donations to several local organisations, but this time, employees from Tadano Oceania Pty Ltd (TOP) decided to participate and run all together in the ‘Bridge to Brisbane’ charity race event, held on the streets of the city of Brisbane, Australia, on November 7, 2021.

‘Bridge to Brisbane’ is a major charity event, well known by the local community, and every year has over 30,000 participants. The event was originally mentioned by James Greenwood, General Manager of Sales and Marketing, then marketing

department employees looked at the details for the event and agreed this was a great team-building opportunity whilst also being able to give back.

This was a great choice as this event supported a multitude of charities and allowed each attendee to select their preferred charity from a wide range.

There was a total of 17 participants, including team members’ partners and children, plus one service dog representing the TOP team on the day.

The team completed the 4.5km circuit, which included live music such as a performance from an opera band positioned on the side of the road, a DJ set and other areas to hydrate and stay cool with a water misting station.

At the end of the course, familyfriendly activities greeted all the participants with food stalls and shops sold goods to raise money for charities.

Th e event raised more than $1milion and fees paid to participate went directly to the chosen charities.

Individual participants were also able

“The support provided by Tadano went a long way to helping families recover and get back on their feet.”

With the flooding across Australia, Tadano has found way to support communities.

Anthony from the Melbourne team was deployed to Lismore to support the recovery.

“For the MOvers in the team who were not growing their Mos, the Movember suggestion was to walk 60 km for the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour across the world. They smashed this goal and even had a friendly rivalry going on among the team with Brett Criddle at the top.”

to choose where their entry fee and any additional donations would go, while those who joined or started a fundraiser team could choose one selected charity to donate all the raised amount.

A few of the charities that were selected by TOP members are below:

•  R U OK?

•  Ronald McDonald House Charities Southeast Queensland (RMHC SEQ)

•  C ancer Council Queensland

At the end of 2022 Tadano employees were extremely active participants in the Movemeber campaign.

Movember started in Australia as a bit of a joke when two guys noticed that moustaches were nowhere to be seen and they wanted to bring them back. Inspired by a friend’s mother who was campaigning for breast cancer, they decided to get more of their friends to grow a ‘mo’ to campaign for men’s health and prostate cancer.

The Movember movement’s success was largely due to the conversations that Growing a Mo initiated. It is a

conversation that Tadano Oceania wanted to join as the industry is largely male-dominated industry. Men are less likely to seek help with medical and mental help issues, and Tadano believe this annual movement brings this problem to the spotlight and reminds us of all to seek help when needed and to watch out for all the men in our lives.

To kick off activities the marketing team rolled out announcements and promotions on all its channels. With the moustache featuring prominently in Tadano’s social media promotions, website header banners, newsletters, and email signatures.

During Tadano’s participation in the Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) conference, it also had posters displayed encouraging booth visitors to donate or at least create awareness for the cause.

What started out as a fundraiser ended up being a movement that brought the team closer together across the different states.

The office administration team in all its offices baked biscuits every week for gold coin donations.

For the MOvers in the team who were not growing their Mos, the Movember suggestion was to walk 60 km for the 60 men we lose to suicide each hour across the world. They smashed this goal and even had a friendly rivalry going on among the team with Brett Criddle at the top finishing up on 1735km for the month. For the month of November, he cycled 36 km to and from work every day, jogged with his dog for 4 km in the morning and walked 5 km in the evening.

Tadano also held an internal raffle to win Tadano merchandise and a gift voucher from its reward hub. Each $1 donated by an employee was automatically entered into the raffle and the funds were put towards the cause.

Tadano Oceania had a goal of raising A$5,000 and it ended up raising A$7,244.

TOMORROW WITH TADANO. SECURE YOUR

With global supply chain shortages and demand at an all time high, get ahead of the game and start planning your future fleet requirements with us today.

24/7 SUPPORT

Our experienced and highly skilled Product Engineers and Service Technicians are always at the ready to assist and support our customers to minimise crane downtime.

ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE

Environmental protection and sustainability are core elements of the Tadano philosophy. We continuously work on developing zero-emission and reduced-emission drive technologies.

EXTENSIVE PRODUCT RANGE

Loader Cranes, Aerial Work Platforms, Truck Cranes, Telescopic Crawlers, All Terrains, Rough Terrains, City Cranes, Lattice Boom Crawlers and even Used Cranes. Whatever the project, we are here to offer a solution.

EASY TO USE HARDWARE & SOFTWARE

Tadano cranes are equipped with advanced technology that ensures safety and are also designed with simplicity in mind to maximise efficiency and ease of operation.

TWO WAYS’ THREE WAY FRANNA LIFT

Two Way Cranes Wollongong was recently challenged with a complex lift involving three Franna AT40’s. With extremely tight tolerances including very little over head height, the three Franna lift was the only option.

Scott Slender from the Two Way Cranes Wollongong operation explains more.

Two Way Cranes likes the fact that the Franna AT40s are strong lifters

“WE WERE LIFTING WHAT’S CALLED A

Gear Reducer which is used in the mineral processing plants at the Newcrest Cadia Mine. The Gear Reducer was a serious piece of equipment and weighed 56t when it turned up on the truck. It was for David Brown Santasola at their workshop facilities in Bulli and we needed to unload it inside the workshop so the technicians could work on it,” said Scott.

“Unloading the Gear Reducer in the workshop meant we were working with some very tight tolerances. Prior to the lift, our Project Manager Sash Vujic and myself conducted a site visit to better understand what we were dealing with.

“With the size and the weight of the equipment we thought we’d get a slewer in to manage the lift but when we got to the workshop we could see there wasn’t much width to play with, and only nine meters of height which meant a slewer was out of the question.”

Sash and Scott then went back to

Wollongong yard and sat down to plan the best solution for the client. Together, they concluded the only way to complete the lift would be to work with three Franna AT40s. The AT40 was the only crane capable of being able to work within the space and height restrictions to complete the lift.

“We concluded that the Franna AT40s could manage the lift, and that we were going to need three of them. We calculated that the extra capacity provided by the AT40 would actually be good for that weight with the safe working load, and then we needed the 30% extra capacity required for dual or triple lifts,” said Scott.

There was a significant amount of planning prior to both lifts which involved both the Wollongong and Sydney operations of Two Way Cranes working closely together.

“After two site visits we then came up with the idea of utilising the three AT40s for the lift. That’s when we spoke to our Sydney colleagues and explained the complexities of the lift. They then worked on lift plans to make sure we were on the money with our thinking and our methodology in terms of lifting with three Frannas.

“As it always is, the planning of the lifts was time consuming and on the days of the lifts, there was lot of repositioning of the

“The only way to complete the lift would be to work with three Franna AT40s. The AT40 was the only crane capable of being able to work within the space and height restrictions to complete the lift.”

The Two Way Cranes Wollongong operation recently completed a heavy lift with three AT40s

Frannas as required. But once we got them into the right position, they performed exactly how we needed them to,” said Scott.

Meticulous planning went into the lift itself to ensure everything went smoothly. “To get the Gear Reducer into position we lifted it off the truck with a static lift and we drove the truck out of the workshop. We then placed the Gear Reducer back down on the ground, and there was a coupling that they removed that brought the weight down to 47t. Once they removed the coupling, we were able to mobile it into a position, rotate it, and that’s when we had two AT40s on one end and we walked it in with the third,” explained Scott.

The AT40 is one of the newest additions to the Franna pick and carry portfolio, incorporating the latest technology with

engineering excellence. With a huge maximum lift capacity of 40 tonne, this articulated crane boasts 44 per cent more load moment than the MAC25. The 3-axle design eliminates the need for a removable counterweight and the third axle control system raises axle 3 when operating on a work site, providing similar turning circle as the MAC25. Maximum road speeds of up to 75 km/h allows the operator to move swiftly and safely from job to job.

Additional features include a full width isolated cabin, articulating counterweight and increased cabin storage.

DYNAMIC LMI (PATENT PROTECTED)

First released in 2013, Franna’s patented Dynamic LMI remains as a pillar of safety, underpinning the electronic control and user experience offered

today. The system is designed to offer ‘real-time’ calculation of rated capacity taking into account boom configuration, as well as chassis articulation, pitch and roll, enabling continual assessment of structural limitations, forward stability and side stability.

Increased resolution of rated capacity is made possible by finer measurement of articulation pitch and roll angles, allowing for improved machine capability compared to previous generation LMI systems. When operated on a jobsite over undulating terrain, the rated capacity will be updated continually, providing instantaneous information on the percentage utilisation of the machine (0-100% of available capacity). When operating on a side slope or undulating terrain, operators are no longer required to manually calculate a reduction of rated capacity; the Franna Dynamic LMI does that.

These features are further enhanced with the release of Franna’s new ‘Safety Radar’ technology. The Safety Radar will show the operator a simple visualization of the safe working area for the load being lifted that adjusts in real time based on articulation and radius of the particular crane, and dynamically adjusts for pitch and roll.

Scott explains that this was a fairly rare type of lift and Two Way Cranes were really happy with the performance of the AT40s.

“This is the first time we’ve done anything like this, and the fact that we have four AT40s in the Two Way Cranes fleet made it possible for us to manage the lift with our own cranes.

“The AT40s did everything they were supposed to do. There was some fiddling getting the cranes into the right positions, ensuring they were straight so that we could stay on chart with them. But once we did, and got it how we planned it, everything went exactly how we thought it would go and the client was absolutely rapt,” said Scott. “We could not have done it without the AT40’s”.

To learn more about the Franna ‘Safety Radar’, contact us at Franna@ terex.com.

“This is the first time we’ve done anything like this, and the fact that we have four AT40s in the Two Way Cranes fleet made it possible for us to manage the lift with our own cranes.”

There was a significant amount of planning prior to both lifts which involved both the Wollongong and Sydney operations of Two Way Cranes working closely together

FIRST BG LIFTS SPIDER CRANES HIT THE SHOWROOM

Global Machinery Sales (GMS) recently had the first of its BG lifts arrive in Australia from the supplier in Italy, heralding the company’s move into the spider crane sector for both its rental fleet and for sale.

AS REPORTED IN THE OCTOBER EDITION OF Cranes and Lifting, GMS will be stocking the Italian-made BG lifts and the very first machines have hit the GMS showroom after much anticipation.

The BG Lift product will enter Australia with a broad range of lifting capacities ranging from 580kg all the way up to 14.5t, with the initial models entering the rental fleet in the coming months for GMS.

Sam Evans from GMS has been instantly impressed by the machines and despite the excitement he had for its arrival, he says he has been blown away by the spider crane.

“We knew we were bringing a quality

product to Australia but having it here and being able to use it has really blown us all away,” he said.

“The remote is extremely user friendly, the proportional controls are really nice with smooth movements for even novices like myself to use effectively,” he said.

The multifunction proportional radio remote control provided with an integrated control display, allows the operator to verify in real time all the parameters of the machine to maximise its safety.

Evans says the BG lifts come with the same Yanmar engines used in the CMC spider lifts also stocked by GMS.

“They are actually really quiet, these

cranes will have a lot of use in residential areas so for the diesel engines to be that quiet is such an asset,” Evans said.

The BG lifts range comes with the option for hybrid and electric engines which GMS aims to add to its rental fleet by late 2023.

“We got to test both the hybrid and electric spider cranes at bauma and I cannot wait to bring them here, the electric is impressive, astonishingly quiet but still as capable as the other engines,” he said.

“Seeing them in person as well as understanding how BG lifts operate gives us a lot of excitement for the future, they will continue to develop this product and

The team at GMS is excited to have the BG lifts in Australia

we cannot wait to begin using them to provide feedback,” Evans said.

The team in the repair centre and the sales staff are equally impressed when it comes to the new BG lifts Evans says.

“Everyone loves them, the maintenance guys find the whole thing extremely accessible and easy to repair but they can see the componentry is extremely durable so can’t foresee many problems,” he said.

“The sales guys cannot wait to get it out, I think they can see a lot of demand for them moving forward, it will really shake up the spider crane sector,” he said.

With the BG lifts beginning to arrive GMS will aim to deepen its understanding of the crane as it brings it to market to

support users as much as possible.

Global Machinery Sales has continued to grow its rental fleet and with the BG lifts set to join it in the coming months it will become a pivotal part of the Australian construction space. The BG lifts will join the fleet alongside the range of CMC spider lifts.

Sam Evans explains the benefits of the different spider lifts and how they may benefit the construction and lifting spaces.

This s a small, compact machine. It is used for either cutting hedges or going inside apartment buildings, it’s that small, it can go inside a large commercial lift. It is so compact it can get into most cramped areas. We see these being used in apartment buildings and large homes.

The S15F is a fully hydraulic machine which allows it to be simple to use and are perfect for the rental market. The compact size and impressive outreach make this machine popular with construction and rental markets due to its performance and versatility. With a greater height it is truly versatile completing work on a range of sites.

S18F it is the greatest of the new F-Series, it is fully hydraulic with 1 pantograph plus 2 telescopic boom extensions and an articulating jib. Easy to use, it can be towable on a trailer thanks to a weight of only 2,500 Kg. The S18F is our most popular lift and in particular a favourite in the rental fleet at all three states.

The 19HDs, and to the 22HDs, are a far bigger machine which GMS have available in all three states. They are more of a heavy-duty machine, it is great for

arbour work and rough terrain work because they’ve got a really solid angle of approach. They have also got a heavyduty, knuckled leg, which allows it to effectively be jacked up, lifting your legs up from the ground. You can work on a 15-to-20-degree angle. The GMS team find a lot of guys who are hanging signs or similar items that they’ve got to work at the back of a site to hang it where it can be challenging to access.

The CMC lifts are already used in a range of rental work.

“Everyone loves them, the maintenance guys find the whole thing extremely accessible and easy to repair but they can see the componentry is extremely durable so can’t foresee many problems.”

The rental process from GMS is a simple one, they can tailor the whole rental procedure to any client across the eastern seaboard as Evans explains.

“We prefer having a client come to us to collect their rentals to ensure we can take them through the whole machine and explain all of the controls and issues to keep an eye out for,” he said.

“In saying that lifts can be delivered with instructions on board that will clearly explain how to use the machine and ways to troubleshoot any potential user errors. All that needs to be done is proof of an EWP license so we can be sure the user is competent in using that machine.

“We do this to ensure that we are not hiring these machines to just anybody, we take a lot of responsibility on board for safety in our industries so we will make sure the user is competent,” Evans said.

OutstandingWinner2022

THE CICA ON-ROAD COURSE

Obtaining the credentials to safely drive an articulated steering mobile crane on-road

With both the spider cranes and spider lifts in its showroom the team at GMS has announced itself to the construction sector.

BIG BLUES’ INVESTMENT IN MORE LIEBHERRS

McLeod Cranes and Transport’s continued growth sees the business invest in more Liebherrs. The latest additions to the fleet include a Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1 and a LTF 1045-4.1. truck mounted crane.

MCLEOD CRANES HAS BEEN SERVICING the Bay of Plenty, and the central North Island of New Zealand, since 1996. With branches in Taupo, Tauranga and Hamilton, the distinctive light blue livery of the cranes ensures the McLeod fleet is instantly recognisable.

Managing Director Scott McLeod has a long history of working in the transportation, trucking and crane industry. Scott is skilled in Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSE) Management Systems, Operations Management, Occupational Health, Safety Management Systems and construction in general. He has a strong business development focus with experience in software development and electronics. Scott talks about the McLeod business and its relationship with the Liebherr brand.

“We’ve been servicing areas of the North Island construction sector with our crane and transport business for over 26 years and we now operate a fleet which includes 31 mobile cranes, 50 truck loader cranes and a fleet of supporting transportation. To make all this happen we currently employ a workforce of 170 people” he said.

Scott explains why McLeod has stayed loyal to the Liebherr brand over the years.

“We love the Liebherr brand and the way Liebherr does business. It’s a lot like how we operate with people placed first. We see Liebherr as being one of the great family businesses. What does this mean on the ground? It means Liebherr does what they say they will do and stand behind their product,” said Scott.

“Is Liebherr the preferred brand for McLeod Cranes? I would say our choice is about selecting the right machine for our

customers. McLeod likes to have what we call the ‘full deck of cards’ allowing our customers to have the right card for each job. So, when choosing a crane, our approach has always been to look for the best of class for the New Zealand environment while increasing the range of options we can offer. Looking at our recent decisions it has become clear that we have been leaning towards the Liebherr product as being the right machine for our fleet,” he said.

Scott goes on to discuss his relationship with Tom Curran, Liebherr Sales Manager Mobile & Crawler Cranes, and the support he receives from the Liebherr New Zealand team.

“Tom is a great ambassador for the Liebherr product, and we like the way he does business. He keeps us informed of all developments and provides us with options when we are looking for the right crane. We have a lot of interaction with the NZ team in terms of training and the maintenance of our fleet. We really appreciate the local Liebherr team and, also the Australasian team for sharing knowledge and providing our team with quality training relating to the maintenance and servicing of our cranes,” said Scott.

Scott goes on to discuss the latest additions to the McLeod fleet, including the Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1 and the LTF 1045-4.1.

McLeod recently added the Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1 and the LFT 1045-4.1 to the fleet

“We were in the market for a new crane, and we knew there were customers with work coming up that required a really long boom. What we really like about the Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1 is the 75 metres of boom. 75m provides us with an option to avoid fitting the fly, on numerous tight sites,” said Scott.

The 230t capacity crane not only delivers an extra 3m in length but also an average of 20 per cent greater lifting capacity. In addition to a multifunctional folding jib, a 43m fixed jib is also available. The Liebherr innovations VarioBase®, VarioBallast, ECOmode and ECOdrive mean crane operators can use the LTM 1230-5.1 with more safety and efficiency.

The LTM 1230-5.1 is the successor to the global success that was the LTM 1200-5.1. In its development work, Liebherr pursued the objective of increasing both the boom length and the lifting capacity of its predecessor. The result: the LTM 1230-5.1 delivers an extremely long telescopic boom and sets new standards in terms of lifting capacity. With lattice extensions, the maximum hook height has been increased by ten metres to 111 metres. The Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1 is an ideal crane for working on steep gradients and large hook heights, for example for erecting tower cranes or maintenance work for wind turbines.

The engineers at Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH placed the multi-awardwinning VarioBase® support technology at the focus of the structural steel construction when creating the concept for the new crane. This meant that the new LTM crane is the first to have an asymmetrical support base – with the width being 7.4m at the front and 8.1m at the rear. VarioBase® means that it is now possible to generate particularly high lifting capacities, particularly at the rear working area over the 8.1 metre wide supports – calculated in real-time by the LICCON controller. This new digitalisation facility has a major influence on the structural steel technology and enhances the customer benefit in the form of lifting capacity increases.

A six-cylinder Liebherr diesel engine

McLeod Cranes loves the Liebherr brand and the way Liebherr does business. They see Liebherr as being one of the world’s great family businesses.

in the undercarriage which develops 400 kW / 544 bhp and torque of 2,516 Nm provides the LTM 1230-5.1 with all the power it needs. The engine already complies with the Stage V exhaust emissions standard.

The power is transferred to the crane axles via the 12-speed ZF TraXon gearbox. This innovative gearbox delivers new functionalities and benefits for the operator and driver. ECOmode makes the vehicle significantly more comfortable and quieter due to the low engine speed. Furthermore, faster gearshifts ensure greater scope for off-road use.

The Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1 also features the Liebherr single-engine concept which involves a mechanical shaft powering the superstructure.

Gear shafts are routed from the distributor gear in the substructure via two mitre gears through the centre of the slewing ring to the pump distributor gear in the superstructure. An add-on program in the drive concept ensures that the machine is particularly fuel-efficient.

This means that the complete pump drive can be disconnected automatically when the engine is idling and then reconnected by the intelligent controller in a matter of seconds when it is required.

New Liebherr truck-mounted crane LTF 1045-4.1 runs on Liebherr LTF 10454.1 on a Volvo chassis.

The family-run company relies on

the benefits provided by truck-mounted telescopic cranes in terms of their economy and road licensing.

The LTF 1045-4.1 features a 35m telescopic boom and large load capacities with both full and part ballast. The Volvo FMX construction site truck acting as the chassis has high ground clearance due to its high driver’s cab.

The LTF cranes are ideally suited for jobs which require low or even no manoeuvrability, for example for erecting steelwork construction buildings, loading machines at industrial companies, erecting prefabricated buildings and cellars.

Scott goes on to discuss how well accepted the Liebherr brand is amongst his many operators.

“Without question, our operators and crews are really happy with the Liebherr brand. They like the LICCON 2 System which provides them with the ability to seamlessly move from our 40t capacity all terrain through to our new 230t capacity machine without much fuss. LICCON 2 enables them to concentrate on the differences between the cranes and not the operating system differences,” he said.

Scott goes on to discuss the New Zealand construction sector.

“The New Zealand construction industry and in particular the infrastructure sector has certainly been running hot and right at the moment it is a very busy time for the crane industry.

However, we can see a number of challenges and a probable slow down coming during the next 12 to 18 months.

“As with the construction sector in Australia, one of the major challenges is people. There is a shortage of good people in the construction sector and especially the crane industry, unfortunately we are not attracting the right calibre of people,” said Scott.

“This is where an industry body like the Crane Association of New Zealand (CANZ) is so important. CANZ is like an insurance policy for the crane sector, you need someone in your corner fighting your case and working hard to make the industry more attractive to the broader population. CANZ is that industry body for us, and they do an amazing job on a shoestring budget,” he said.

“The Australian and New Zealand crane sectors face very similar challenges and The Crane Industry of Australia (CICA) and CANZ have so much in common, they are different sides to the same coin. I’d love to see both bodies working more closely together.

“I think there will be some big challenges over the next 12 months. Christmas and the New Year is the time to take stock, focus on yourself and your people, be proud that we have survived COVID and take time to reset, you will need it for year ahead,” said Scott.

McLeod Cranes has been servicing areas of the North Island construction sector for over 26 years and operates a fleet which includes 31 mobile cranes and 50 truck loader cranes and a fleet of supporting transportation

Spider lifts ranging from 13-41m

Light and Compact models.

Wireless remote control options available.

Full Lithium or Hybrid options available on all models.

Australian Design Verified

XCMG CRANES TOUGH ENOUGH FOR THE WA MINES

Two years ago, Karridale Group took a punt on XCMG cranes and brought a range of crawler, all-terrain and rough-terrain cranes for its operations in Western Australia directly from the factory in China. The company hasn’t looked back since.

STARTING IN 2010 WITH A FOCUS ON construction work and labour hire, the company moved its focus into fixed plant maintenance in late 2018, servicing a range of mine site across WA.

To more fully cater to the fixed plant maintenance market in mining it was essential to invest in machinery suitable for different works at multiple sites.

Karridale Group brought on board two XGC300 crawler cranes at 300 tonne capacity, a XGC180 crawler at 180t, an all-terrain at 220t and a rough terrain at 90t. Operations manager Simon Cox explained the company’s needs for the cranes.

“Our cranes on site are regularly used for crusher rebuilds along with other maintenance works, our crawlers are utilised for their pick and carry capabilities during crusher rebuilds,” Cox said.

“Due to the layout and design of the primary crushers the crawler cranes are used to remove the crusher components then carry the load whilst tracking into a more open area where the component is swapped for a new one,” he said.

The 300 tonne crawlers have impressive abilities, doing most of the heavy lifting of the complete crushers.

The XGC300 has a three in one boom function, allowing the crawler to be operated as a TBM jib, wind power jib and a fixed jib.

The XGC300 uses a Cummins QSM 11 diesel engine producing 298kw or can be bought with a 338kw six-cylinder Weifang engine.

The boom working area for the XGC300 comes in at 85 metres, whilst the light boom has a maximum of 115m and with the jib attached to the boom it finishes at 150m.

“The cranes are fantastic for the work that we do, they never miss a beat. We have had plenty of positive feedback from our operators that are using these cranes” Cox said.

“All I can say is the XCMGs have been fantastic in the work we have

Karridale Group were one of the first companies in Australia to go with the XCMG cranes.

done and we could not be happier with them.”

The XGC180 crawler is used in Karridale Groups rebuild yard helping to rebuild crusher components and supporting the team.

The maintenance work needs to be completed quickly and efficiently so the XGC180 must endure rigorous work in the yard to provide the support needed.

The XGC180 comes with a 250kw Cummins engine with 1425nm allowing it plenty of power on site.

The XCA220 all-terrain is used for project works and to assist during demanding times when multiple crusher rebuilds occur at the same time

The 220t capacity crane has a maximum reach of 108.2m with a Mercedes Benz engine producing 361kw allowing the crane to travel at a maximum speed of 84km/h.

The drivers cab has a 12.3 inch colour display with an air-floating seat design for driver comfort.

Axle load monitoring systems are installed on the XCA220 to ensure it travels as safely as possible when on road. With a range of monitoring systems installed for lifting, the operator has an extra pair of eyes with the XCMG at all times.

The XCR90 rough terrain has a 90t capacity with a maximum boom of 48m, with a top speed of 34km/h. So while it is not fast on site, it comes with a 65 per cent gradeability, meaning it can stand up to anything the harsh Western Australia climate can throw its way.

Cox explains the decision to go with XCMG was made after careful consideration by Karridale Group directors.

“We had used Chinese brands previously when we had hired cranes, so it was not something that was off putting to us when we were sourcing our own cranes to purchase,” he said.

“As we looked into the XCMG’s it made a lot of logical sense for us, the value for money was astonishing.

Obviously, we had some logistical challenges as at the time XCMG had no dealers in Australia.”.

The team at Karridale Group were the first people to have the new model XCMG cranes in Australia, they had to ensure they worked closely with the

supplier to confirm the cranes could stand up to the rigours of the harsh WA environment. A challenge was also going to be sourcing parts and servicing the machines.

“XCMG were really understanding of our concerns, they actually sent

“Our cranes on site are regularly used for crusher rebuilds along with other maintenance works, our crawlers are utilised for their pick and carry capabilities during crusher rebuilds.”

The crawler cranes are used in a pick and carry capacity in crusher replacements.

out two technicians to work with us in the initial stages, so we had a deep understanding of how to run the machines as well as how to repair them.”

“They also sent two shipping containers with spare parts for us to keep on consignment, this gave us added peace of mind when bringing the cranes into the country for the first time,” Cox said.

Since Karridale Group brought the XCMG’s to Australia the support for

• MCH175A: 10t max lift & 55m Jib Length

• MCH125A: 8t max lift & 50m Jib Length

• Standard 1.6m masts

• 2m masts up to 58.5m height

• Fast erection < 4 hours

• Reduced Out of Service radius at 10m

the brand in Australia has grown, with D&D services in Victoria and Ronco in WA becoming XCMG dealers, along with Matt Mollross becoming the national sales manager.

Ronco particularly will be a strong benefit for Karridale Group to provide support across Western Australia.

“We work with Ronco regularly and now they have become the dealer for XCMG they will be who we will turn to keep our cranes in top condition,” Cox said.

“XCMG were really understanding of our concerns, they actually sent out two technicians to work with us in the initial stages so we had a deep understanding of how to run the machines as well as how to repair them.”

Karridale Group was well supported by XCMG from the outset.

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GATEWAY LIFT TAKES OFF WITH MELROSE

Melrose Cranes & Rigging recently completed a dual lift to install the heaviest headstock on the Sydney Gateway Project. The lift involved meticulous planning, Melrose Senior Project Manager Damien Ellison says.

“WE RECENTLY INSTALLED HEADSTOCK number 12 on the Gateway project which is a John Holland Seymour Whyte Joint Venture. It’s the largest headstock we’ve had to lift to date, weighing in at 200,000kg including the rigging,” said Damien.

The headstocks each stand at more than six metres tall and will support an 800m long elevated road, giving motorists a toll-free connection to the airport. The lift involved two Grove all terrains, a GMK 6400 with 400t capacity and 135t of counterweight and

a GMK 7450 with 450t capacity and 120t of counterweight.

“As with all previous lifts, the project was complicated due to the lack of space we had to set up the cranes, and the restricted night shift timeframe. Traffic to and from the airport is the priority and road closures are limited to ensure minimum disruption.

“Meticulous planning went into the lift and almost every minute had to be accounted for. Our logistics team had to ensure everything required for the lift was where it needed to be and at the

Melrose Cranes recently installed headstock number 12, the largest to date, weighing in at 200,000kg including the rigging.

“The full road closure didn’t start until 1am when we were able to lift the headstock into place. We then had approximately two and a half hours to pack up both cranes and remove them from the road before it reopened at 4am,” he said.

There were 14 trailers of counterweight and lifting equipment, two large capacity all terrains as well as an expectation that the lift would cause minimal disruption to airport traffic.

With the safety of the general public of paramount importance, meticulous logistical planning was required.

“Months of planning went into

the lift. We worked through the lift study process to ensure everything was right, then we completed a final revision closer to the date of the lift. We also attended numerous client meetings where we worked together to analyse the planning programs and examine ways we could save time.

“The night before the lift, we came up with the idea of pre-delivering and offloading some of the counterweights near where the cranes were setting up in the side compounds. This saved us an hour of waiting for trucks to back in, unload the counterweights and drive out. As with the previous lifts, we planned every action minute-byminute, hour-by-hour,” said Damien.

right time,” said Damien.

“For example, for the Grove GMK 7450 we had seven trucks and trailers carrying the required counterweights and lifting equipment parked nearby and ready to go when we knew the road closures had happened,” he said.

“We had two lanes of the road available to us from 9:00pm and this enabled us to get our Franna AT40 to position the crane’s outrigger pads, and then we rolled both the cranes out onto the roadway and started building them at the same time.

“The night before the lift, we came up with the idea of pre-delivering and offloading some of the counterweights near where the cranes were setting up in the side compounds. This saved us an hour of waiting for trucks to back in, unload the counterweights and drive out.”

Including the 20 per cent dual lift factor, Melrose Cranes had the cranes working at very high capacities.

Due largely to this detailed planning, the major lift went to plan, he added.

“As I mentioned, we had our GMK7450 and GMK 6400 all terrains onsite. Our Franna AT40 was busy as the assist crane laying out the pads and getting the large hooks ready for the cranes. That’s because we had the GMK 6400 reeved with 12 parts of wire rope and the GMK 7450 reeved with 14 parts of wire rope,” Damien said.

“Including the 20 per cent dual lift factor, we had the cranes working at

very high capacities. The headstock was fabricated on site, next to the piers and the compounds. It included an integrated handrail system attached to it and we used this for ease of access when connecting the rigging. Once the headstock was landed onto the piers, the system was used for working at heights safely.

“When we lifted the massive headstock, we had to bring it up above the piers. We had the cranes reversed onto each other, so by turning the headstock slightly, we ended up

repositioning it in between the two cranes and landed it into position on the piers.

“ The lift went exceptionally well, and the headstock was spot on in terms of weight. We packed the cranes up in a very quick and safe manner, and the road was opened well ahead of the scheduled time,” said Damien.

The Sydney Gateway team is very happy with Melrose Cranes & Rigging. It’s a major project and there are numerous crane businesses working on the various elements of the project.

“When we lifted the massive headstock, we had to bring it up above the piers. We had the cranes reversed onto each other, so by turning the headstock slightly, we ended up repositioning it in between the two cranes and landed it into position on the piers.”

Months of planning went into the lift with Melrose Cranes working through the lift study process to ensure everything was right on the night of the lift.

NEW ADAPTA ADJUSTABLE SLING A WELCOME ALTERNATIVE FOR LIFTING SOLUTIONS

igh strength to weight ratio

ye chafe protection cover against sharp edges

ptional chafe cover for additional sling body protection upplied with NATA certificates

• Compliance with AS 18264

When chain and wire rope lifting assemblies fail in service the following can occur without warning:

ire ropes can whip around side to side owing to stored energy hain slings can release metal shrapnel flying in all directions

The HMPE synthetic adjustable lifting assemblies manufactured from AmSteel® Blue are torque free and have a safer energy release at failure.

Bullivants has been manufacturing HMPE Lifting and Recovery

Assemblies from Samson Ropes

AmSteel® Blue for over 15 years.

Bullivants is a firm believer in its zero-harm policy which permeates through everything it does to lower injuries and deaths in the lifting

The zero harm benefits of the Adapta adjustable sling include lowering risks for potential back and hand injuries and ensuring it is proof tested to twice the working load limit as per Australian Standard AS 18264.

Laurie Patterson of

Patterson

Mobile Cranes has been trialling the Adapta adjustable slings for his highly specialised range of work on the Mornington Peninsula.

It may be the oldest and largest provider of lifting and rigging services to the industrial sector, but Bullivants is staying young and vibrant, with its fresh product range providing new

The Adapta sling is designed to simplify rigging and ensure sites are as safe as possible.

Patterson Mobile Cranes focusses on challenging unconventional lifts with a range of Jekko mini cranes and other smaller mobile cranes.

The Adapta adjustable sling was used by Patterson mobile cranes to lower its Jekko SPX424 into the site at Hastings Club. The Jekko weighed 2.7t and was lowered in by a Franna.

Laurie Patterson explains why he turned to the Adapta sling.

“The benefit of the sling for us is the ability to shorten it as we need it, it gives us great flexibility on site particularly when we are working in confined spaces,” Patterson said.

“We have used chains and other rigging equipment previously to lift our equipment but it always scratches it up, so by using the Adapta adjustable

sling we are able to keep our gear in pristine condition,” he says.

National Training Manager at Bullivants Andrew Taylor took the Adapta adjustable sling to the CICA national conference and got excellent feedback from CICA attendees, who were excited to see the full display.

“People could not believe how safe and easy the Bullivants Adapta adjustable sling is to adjust and release if you need to extend one or more legs in order to balance the load,” Taylor says.

“Being 100 per cent synthetic you get the benefit of a lightweight sling, but unlike a round sling or a flat web sling you can adjust the leg length.”

“If we can help take weight off the hook block, we can help the operator gain more operating radius,” he says.

The development of the Adapta adjustable sling is not the only thing keeping the team at Bullivants busy.

The company recently announced it would be stocking the verope

Patterson Mobile Crane has been using the Adapta slings to lift its Jekko mini cranes.

“The benefit of the sling for us is the ability to shorten it as we need it, it gives us great flexibility on site particularly when we are working in confined spaces.”

range of end stops for Mobile Cranes nationally.

Verope is an approved supplier to Liebherr, Terex and Demag whilst also operating as the OEM to Casagrande, Demag and Liebherr. Bringing the verope product into its range, Bullivants can better support operators with a high-quality product that matches manufacturer specifications.

Verope has developed Verope End Stop Socketing (VESS) based on required specifications of the major crane manufacturers, suiting different types of reeving systems.

Adam Esho, Jacqueline Green, Partha Ghosh and Andrew Taylor from Bullivants attended the CICA national conference.

The Verope end stops are approved by a range of OEMs.

“If we can help take weight off the hook block, we can help the operator gain more operating radius.”

BORGER CRANES WELCOMES THIRD GENERATION

With a commitment to investing in the latest technology and the best people in the industry, Borger Crane Hire and Rigging Services has become a powerhouse of the crane hire sector. With the third generation of Borgers now firmly established in the business, patriarch and founder Jon Borger takes us back to the beginning - explaining how the business has evolved and how it continues to meet the ever-changing requirements and demands of the construction industry.

“IN THE LATE 60’S I HAD JUST TURNED 16, AND I went to Sydney looking for work. I started on a building site which had been excavated to about five floors below ground. Two weeks later, a massive piece of blue equipment was being erected, and this turned out to be a FAVCO 350HT and that’s when my interest in cranes began.

Jon was working for Robert Walls at the time, and he was quickly spotted as a likely dogman for the crane and he found himself helping his mate Jimmy. Back then the construction industry was not modulated, bricks for example were unloaded on the street from the brick truck and then loaded into a brick box and taken up to the brickies. Every task on the site involved manual labour.

“Working with Jimmy got me out of the hole and he taught me how to ride the hook, with him below and me up above him. After a few weeks, the site foreman said, “Hey, you better get down to the Department of Labour and Industry (DLI) office,”

“The Contemporary Museum of Art used to be the DLI office in those days, and I went in and got my permit. I then worked on the training for about four to six months, and enrolled at East Sydney Tech in Surrey Hills.

“I got my scaffolding ticket and riggers ticket and after six months, I took the test on the crane as a dogger and the following year I started at tech college. The course was for

The three generations of Borgers. Tom, Shawn, Jon, Billy and Sam.

18 weeks, two nights a week Mondays and Thursdays.

“I finished that course and I just worked around the city on the different sites and projects until I was about 28. In the late 70s early 80s there wasn’t much work around and that’s when I got a job with Wilson Mobile Cranes in Blacktown,” said Jon.

“To me, business is about survival, prosperity, and survival for your family. On the tower cranes we worked long hours but earned good money and I worked with people that wanted to work a lot of hours and make good money. I was working seven days a week, starting at five in the morning and finishing at six at seven o’clock at night,” said Jon.

Jon and his wife Barbara decided to put their roots down in Penrith.

“We knew a lot of people out that way, but I didn’t realise how bloody hot the summers are and how cold it gets in winter. We bought the home for $20,000 and only needed to borrow $8,000, we’d saved the rest. Penrith exploded and 10 years later when I wanted to borrow some money to buy another crane, the home was valued at around $50,000. We had plenty of equity,” said Jon.

It was May 1980 when Jon decided he was going to work for himself, and he started Borger Crane Hire and Rigging

Services Pty Ltd. Blackwood Hodge was the distributor for P&H Cranes at the time and Jon worked with their finance team to secure a P&H T250 23t capacity hydraulic truck crane.

“I went to Blackwood Hodge to buy a 16t capacity P&H which was worth $82,000 and I walked out with a 23 tonner worth $137,500,” said Jon.

“We went all right for the first eight months and then we fell over and we had to renegotiate the lease which we did. By the time the new financing was agreed interest rates on the finance has gone from 13.4 per cent to 18.2 per cent and the value of the crane had increased to $142,000. We had no option but to renegotiate because we had our family home on the line,” he said.

Jon was happy with the new P&H T250 and he went on to find a niche for the next crane, a Kobelco T330. It could get onto sites where larger capacity cranes couldn’t fit and the lift charts were impressive. Jon worked with Wilsons as a sub-contractor until 1992, with other work on the side.

“I could see the potential and we made a bit of a killing, because there was only one in Sydney. And then a year or so later, Shawn started working in the business and after a little while it looked

like that he was going to stay because he enjoyed the industry and work was starting to build up,” said Jon.

“We thought we’d buy another crane because Shawn was going to need income for his family and the same thing happened with my brother-in-law, who came down to Sydney to work with us. And we just get more opportunities.

“The work got busier, and we needed a 50 tonner which we bought, and the work rolled on from there. Shawn was on board and then Nathan joined and with my brother-in-law we had really good people around us,” said Jon.

The big change and opportunities came in 1992 when Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the International Olympic Committee announced that Sydney had been chosen to host the 2000 Olympic Games.

“Our lives changed with that announcement. You couldn’t get cranes because there was an 18 months to a two year wait; you couldn’t buy them and the amount of work was unbelievable. The Government started putting all the infrastructure in place for the Olympics like ANZ Stadium and the Penrith Whitewater Stadium.

“In the late 90’s Liebherr started seeing their way into Australia through Gerhard

The ‘Borger Tour Group’ to the Liebherr factory, with a major new addition arriving later in the year.

Baden and we could see the potential of these new all terrain cranes. There were a few around, Wilsons had a few Demags and all terrains were all the go,” said Jon.

“We negotiated a good deal to get into an 80t capacity Liebherr and there was no stopping us from there. Shawn was working closely with Gerd and Hermann from Active Crane Hire. Gerd managed the installations of the tower cranes, and he wasn’t happy with the service he was receiving from other crane companies. Nathan was driving the cranes and got on really well with Gerd, and we would have been putting up or taking four to five cranes some weeks. We now own 50 per cent of their business,” he said.

Other opportunities presented themselves to the Borgers. In the mid 1970’s Jon worked on the construction of the original Sydney Entertainment Centre which was a John Holland project.

“I worked on the project for some time, and I made friends with some of John Holland crew including a couple of Spanish lads. They went on to become Senior Managers at John Holland. They heard I’d started my own crane business and remembered me, and they started getting me back to help with projects. The first really large project we secured was the construction of the Lucas Heights Nuclear reactor, and the work flowed on from there.

“We were over there for a fair while and then we started with John Holland and then it’s just flow on and on and on, different jobs all over the place. Opportunities present themselves and you have to be able to see them firstly and then take advantage of them,” said Jon.

Jon is understandably very proud of the Borger business and delighted to see the 3rd generation of Borgers make their mark. But he says it hasn’t always been easy and sacrifices have been made along the way.

“I’m very proud of all that Barbara and myself, Shawn and his wife Leigh, Nathan and his wife Claire, have achieved with the business and in family life. In my opinion, Shawn and Nathan have always worked too hard but it’s impossible to stop when there’s so much momentum with a business.

“We’ve put resources in place now so they can get some time off and lately they’ve been starting to have more time for themselves and weekends off for a while now. But there are still times when they still have to go out and supervise jobs over a weekend or a night-time lift, so it’s not been easy,” said Jon.

“We are delighted to welcome the third generation into the business. Obviously, Billy, Tom and Sam, and the rest of the Grandchildren, have been around cranes their entire lives and we are pleased they have wanted to continue the family’s legacy. I can see they are making a positive contribution to the business.

“A family business like ours starts off with the first generation like Barbara and I. There’s always a desire just to make their life better. For the Borgers, the second generation then comes in and the business explodes because they’ve got a lot of knowledge which they’ve gained from their parents in the first place. They’ve also acquired a bit of wealth to give them a bit more purchasing power and the business systems are in place and to make things more streamlined.

“The first three grandchildren are already in the business, and there are another four grandchildren to come. They each have different skill sets and they are all very interested to be working in

“We’ve been fortunate that we’ve attracted good people to the business and without them we wouldn’t be where we are today.

We’re also prepared to invest in the very latest technology and this attracts good people.”

the business. They realise there are great opportunities with the family business,” said Jon.

“Nathan’s eldest son Jack is planning to go to university as he’s very bright. He must have got this from his mother, that’s what I tell him. He’s wanting to study mechanical and structural engineering and of course we’ve got engineers who have been working with us for the last decade. He wants to fit into the company doing something that he likes. One of our granddaughters, Ava, is very bright and she’s in some subjects two or three years ahead of her age group,” he said.

Jon’s first purchase was a P&H T250 truck crane

“Nathan’s son Harry is also clever, and I’d like to see him start in the business as a Dogman and crane operator before moving into management. Our youngest granddaughter is Mia and she recently turned 11. She wants to be the pay mistress just like her mother,” said Jon.

The Borger family have always encouraged each other to focus on family values, spend time together socially and prioritize ‘family time’ together.

“Barbara, Shawn, Nathan and I have always encouraged the family to stay close together socially. Whenever we can, we’ve celebrated birthdays and Christmases

together and this has instilled a strong bond throughout the generations. It’s lovely to see the third generation get along perfectly at work but also at home.

“We’re always looking at ways to keep the family bond tight and last year we went to Germany for bauma and to visit the Liebherr factory. Nathan and Harry weren’t there because Harry was competing in the World Wake Boarding Championships in Thailand.

“So as far as the third generation is concerned, if they decide to go into the family business we will be delighted. I just hope they have the same passion and work

ethics that Shawn and Nathan brought.

“They are showing the next four how its done, I truly believe no matter what business you are in and whatever you do in life, if you approach it with passion, you’ll succeed.

“We’ve attracted good people to the business and without them we wouldn’t be where we are today. We’re also prepared to invest in the very latest technology and this attracts good people. In Germany, we saw a couple of our latest acquisitions which will be arriving later in the year, which is always exciting for everyone,” said Jon.

The ‘Borger Tour Group’ with another addition coming to the fleet soon

WE ARE CRANES

SAFETY RADAR LAUNCHED AT CICA NATIONAL CONFERENCE

In the November edition of Cranes and Lifting Terex Franna announced its latest safety innovation, creating the Franna Safety Radar with a view to improving safety within the pick and carry sector.

THE SAFETY RADAR WAS LAUNCHED AT the 2022 CICA national conference with a presentation made by Mike Atherden explaining the ins and outs of the systems to the eager audience.

Atherden has worked within Terex since 2008, currently serving as co-leader of the Engineering group as Principal Engineer.

Improving safety in the crane sector is a constantly evolving beast and Franna has worked to develop this latest safety feature since 2019.

Unlike conventional Load Moment Indicators (LMI) which only tell you the percentage of rated capacity for the current

lifting position, Franna’s Safety Radar shows the operator a simple and clear visual radar map of the safe working area for the load being lifted and most importantly for the actual working environment of the crane i.e. front/rear and side slope. It will help to predict the safest options for the next stages of the lift.

A concern often voiced by operators is that these systems take control away from the operator and cause a generation of operators who fail to have a deep understanding of the machine they are in. This is simply not the case when it comes to using the safety radar system as it allows operators to have a far greater understanding of the machine and its limitations minimising incidents on site and allowing all workers to get home safely at the end of the day.

All Franna operators would have a general understanding that the rated capacity drops off as radius is extended,

when the crane is articulated and when the crane is positioned across a slope with the load on the downhill side. But what is really hard to predict is when the crane is limited by or approaching a side tipping condition, based on the real life working conditions.

Franna is hoping to change the way operators utilise the information being presented, such as when the crane starts to pick up the lift. The operator sees the green safe working area instantly adjust on the display, dynamically updating to show any areas of the working area that the operator should not approach.

When it comes to the next step of the lift, with the pick and carry crane mobile and moving the load from point A to point B, there’s typically quite a number of twists or turns and surface undulations that have to be negotiated. As the display dynamically updates, it gives the operator an understanding of what the next move should be. If the operator has options in how to get from point A to point B, Safety

“Improving safety in the crane sector is a constantly evolving beast and Franna has worked to develop this latest safety feature since 2019.”

The screens will come standard on AT40 machines, as well as MAC25 and AT22s and can be retrofitted. The screen is clear and concise for users.

Radar helps determine which move is going to be the safest.

Atherden said the feedback so far has been very positive.

“The customers that we’ve discussed Safety Radar with and the operators we’ve given it to, have come back and said, ‘It’s fantastic, we can’t believe how we have

been operating without it.’ And even people that aren’t in the operational space but are more in the fleet management are saying, ‘It really gives a new dimension in terms of safety for this type of machine, allowing the operator to really plan their next move more effectively and safely’,” he said.

The Franna Safety Radar shows the operator what the crane’s response to the current load and working environment would be if radius is increased or the articulation is increased with the current configuration. Terex Franna sees Safety Radar as a game changing development in pick and carry sector, and we don’t use the term lightly,” Atherden said.

The Franna Safety Radar will be standard in all AT40 machines, as well as MAC25 and AT22 machines and will be available for retrofit to these existing crane models in the field which are fitted with the Dynamic LMI system soon.

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A BIG 2022 SETS UP AN EVEN BIGGER 2023 FOR LEEA

What a phenomenal year 2022 was. It seems like a lifetime ago that the government kicked out tennis ace Novak Djokovic - but Australia only reopened its borders to the world in late February 2022 and New Zealand followed in April.

YET THROUGHOUT 2022 THE LIFTING equipment industry powered ahead, with a number of significant and critical developments. Our members grew, with key acquisitions, mergers and new branches opening. Others had fresh starts and key personnel have achieved significant milestones.

One thing that points to 2023 being another incredible year is that the lifting equipment industry continues to be incredibly resilient. We were

fortunate to have come through the worst of the pandemic unscathed and through that period the members truly come to the fore.

However, there is one thing that held our industry back - the lack of people. Over the year I spoke to key stakeholders across our industry and others, staffing is not a lifting industry issue alone. All industrial sectors are currently facing a human resourcing crisis. The shortage of staff is currently

our greatest challenge, the roles are there, we just can’t fill them.

I was fortunate to have been invited to speak at the Crane Association New Zealand Conference in Hamilton last year. There I heard Brandon Hitch CEO of the Crane Industry Council of Australia speak about the demographics challenge within the crane industry and the pending cliff of crane operators. The skills and expertise currently

held by the generation of operators in the 45–55-year-old bracket is phenomenal, but over the next 10 years we will face a critical shortage as these workers retire or leave the industry.

Economic conditions are still quite buoyant and there is still a significant pipeline of projects and works happening across the region. Consumer spending is holding up in the face of higher interest rates and high inflation. These conditions are leading to persistently high rates of employment and economists are stating that we’re at ‘full employment’. Australia is currently sitting around the 3.5% unemployment rate and New Zealand 3.3%. Another key metric is underutilisation which is also sitting at all-time lows. This means there is no one sitting around twiddling their thumbs and looking for a new job or change of career. This low unemployment and high utilisation trend is also happening the world over. The old chestnut of filling these gaps with migrant workers may not be the silver bullet of yesteryear.

Additionally, we’re facing the issue of attraction. Industrials are not the sexiest of jobs. The perception of dusty, dirty, manual work is problematic when the majority of high school students (our future employees) are continually fed the thinking that a tertiary education is the only way they can be perceived as successful. This is of course absurd, because as above we’re in an era where job scarcity is real and with a choice of jobs, any hard working individual that joins our industry is going to be a master of their own destiny.  Right now we’re in a critical trifecta of low unemployment, an aging workforce and young workers unattracted to the Industrials sector.

In 2020 LEEA launched Think Lifting, our school based industry attraction program. We have had significant success showing school aged students that the lifting equipment industry is a great place

to be. At LiftEx, we hosted a number of school students looking to make contacts and connections into the industry. This was a complete success, as we demonstrated the connection between school STEM lessons and the lifting industry. In 2023, we’re seeking to partner with regional education hubs to demonstrate exactly how brilliant a career in lifting is. LEEA has developed a number of “Lessons in a Box”, which takes

class planning issues away from our already stretched teachers. In March, LEEA will be hosting our annual Expo. Here we will have an opportunity to showcase the industry and we look to demonstrate to both school leavers and the industry as a whole, we are an ever advancing, exciting and brilliant industry to be involved in.

Here’s to 2023 being another fantastic year to be involved in our industry.

“In 2023, we’re seeking to partner with regional education hubs to demonstrate exactly how brilliant a career in lifting is.”

Justin Boehm, regional manager LEEA

2022: A YEAR IN REVIEW FOR UNIVERSAL CRANES

The team was busy lifting, moving, building and constructing in 2022. As the world opened back up, so did the work opportunities - with Universal’s phones ringing off the hook and its crane yards empty most days.

THE TEAM AT UNIVERSAL REFLECTS ON SOME OF THE KEY PROJECTS THEY WORKED ON IN 2022.

2022 JANUARY: Universal assembled and dismantled many tower cranes throughout 2022. The team also assisted Plungie lifting and transporting countless pools across QLD. Locally, the team assisted RMC Rail with installing new sections of railway line using Universal’s GMK5130-2.

2022 FEBRUARY: Universal’s Roma team worked with Ergon and AGL to swap out an engine, despite extreme heat and very poor ground conditions. Its 40t Franna swung into action at the Port of Brisbane to lift and move relieving slabs and the team assisted All Roads on a precast install with Universal’s LTM1230-5.1.

2022 MARCH: The Brisbane team raised over $4,600 for Mater Foundation through the 31st RACQ International Women’s Day Fun Run held on the 6 March. Universal’s

Roma team replaced a 10ft radome communications tower at 65m height using its GMK5130-2. And the LTM1230-5.1 was positioned on one of the steepest hills in Brisbane, installing 3.85t Hollowcore planks at 50m radius.

2022 APRIL: The maintenance team in Brisbane completed the 10 year service for the GMK7450 while Universal’s North QLD team refreshed their crane fleet with the new logo. Its GMK5130-2 took the barge over to South Stradbroke Island to install two Plungie MAX pool.

2022 MAY: Universal assisted in the transportation and installation of Bridge Girders for the Exit 41 M1 Pacific Highway Upgrade in Yatala. Its LTM1230-5.1 assisted in unloading a 40t Piling Hammer locally and one of its 25t Frannas placed a motor into a new City Cat in Brisbane.

2022 JUNE: Smithbridge Group won the QLD Excellence Award for Family Business

Australia. In Brisbane the team carefully moved the Department of Transport and Main Road Cicada artwork using a 40t Franna and drop deck. Using a LTM13506.1, the crew was tasked with lifting down the jump system, trailing deck and counterweights for a client, with an electrical

The LTM1230-5.1 demobilised and lifted out equipment on a capping beam with live traffic.

The central QLD team installed a bridge using the GMK5220 and GMK4100.

spotter on site for a tricky set up between power lines in Brisbane.

2022 JULY: The team partnered with Newnham Trucking to provide a transport and install package for (RIS) Cross River Rail using a LTM1230-5.1 to install 2 x bridges and deck units at the Mayne Yard. Working at the Port of Brisbane, the team conducted a dual lift with a LTM1350-6.1 and a LTM1230-5.1. The central QLD team built a bridge locally using the GMK5220 and GMK4100. Universal celebrated ABC Australia’s 90th Birthday in Brisbane, lifting their sign as it lit up in an epic rendition of “I Am Australian”. Working with Universal Cranes Ballina, the team conducted a dual lift at the Bielsdown Bridge using an AC350/6 & Ballina’s GMK5130-2, installing 4 x 60t girders under traffic closure.

2022 AUGUST: Universal Cranes Brisbane lifted 12t culverts at 48m using the GMK7450. Its MC-305C lowered an AC unit on top of a high rise in Brisbane while the North QLD team assembled a 2.1t overhead crane in Paget for Eilbeck Cranes using 2 x Frannas and a LTM1130-5.1. Universal also completed the Palm Beach to Tugun Highway Upgrade using a CC2800 for girder installation for BR08 spans. Locally Universal assisted Caporn Piling using a M12000.

2022 SEPTEMBER: The team celebrated

Aussie way, with Universal treating the team to Australian-owned or Australian family business-owned morning tea items. The maintenance team completed one of the CKE2500’s 10 year inspection and in Brisbane the team conducted a 12-point lift for LAI Swithboards in tough conditions.

2022 OCTOBER: Universal’s Project & Heavy Lift division acquired the new LTR1100. Locally, one of its 40t Franna dismantled and loaded out a commercial printer while the recently purchased AC350/6 attended its first job: joining the GMK4100 and 4.9t Maeda cranes doing a precast panel install for Hutchinson Builders on the Pillowtalk project. At the Port of Melbourne, the M16000 was assisting with the demolition of a redundant section of concrete wharf and extending of the quay line by 71 metres. In Ballina the team relocated items from the Lismore Municipal Building as part of the restoration of the building post-flood, using a GMK4075.

2022 NOVEMBER: The team participated in Movember and raised over $4,000! Universal’s AC350/6 and LTM12305.1 provided cranage to assist with the installation of bridge beams for QLD’s Mount Lindesay Highway upgrade. The team was honoured to win the CICA 2020 Lift of the Year > 20-tonne: Universal Cranes

– Kettle Tub Replacement Project. Central QLD moved the Gladstone Star with the GMK5130-2 while the North QLD team supported Tidy Up Townsville, swinging into action with a Franna to help clear up the area!

2022 DECEMBER: Universal’s LTM12305.1 demobilised and lifted out equipment on a capping beam with live traffic. The Roma team worked with Newland Group lifting and installing a 10t Hanger Roof for LifeFlight Australia using the AC80 and LTM1055-3.2. The company also held several end of year events to celebrate a successful and busy year.

Universal Cranes began as a family crane hire business in 1993. While Universal Cranes has grown to become a national crane hire company, local families still own and operate branches throughout Queensland and New South Wales. This year the company is celebrating 30 years in operation. Stay tuned for all the birthday celebrations.

Thank you to our wonderful team on their hard work and sacrifices!

Thank you to our customers for some awesome lifts and projects!

Thank you to our community that supports our dreams everyday!

North QLD assembled a 2.1t overhead crane in Paget using 2 x Franna’s and a LTM1130-5.1

Universal Cranes Project & Heavy Lift division acquired the new LTR1100

RAPID GROWTH SEES SAUNDERS INTERNATIONAL BRING A RANGE OF NEW CRANES INTO ITS FLEET

Saunders has grown from its humble beginnings as a specialist tank business to a mid-size construction, engineering and maintenance business, servicing a range of industry and infrastructure clients. This has seen the need for the company to rapidly expand its crane fleet to keep up with demand.

SAUNDERS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

(ASX code: SND) is a multi-disciplined engineering and construction company providing design, fabrication, construction, shutdown, maintenance and industrial automation services to leading organisations across Australia, and the Pacific region. The Saunders Group provides innovative cost-effective solutions to the oil and gas, infrastructure, defence, water, power, new energy, mining and minerals sectors.

Saunders’ head office is in Rhodes, New South Wales and it has multiple offices across Australia and a subsidiary in Papua New Guinea. Saunders’ Plant and Equipment yard is the Newcastle suburb of Redhead - and the company has turned to Gleason cranes to keep up with its bustling business.

Plant and equipment manager Matt Nixon explains the growth of the company and the need to quickly bring new cranes into the business to ensure Saunders is able to continue its growth.

“Our speciality remains in fuel storage, we have recently been awarded a number of lucrative contracts that has seen our business materially increase in revenue over the past two years. We identified a need to bring a range of new cranes to our fleet to complement what we currently had,” Nixon said.

“We currently have a 55t Gove, 50t Kobelco, 85t lattice boom crawler, 30t city crane, a 20t franna and a 60t Zoomlion ZCT600V532.

“We have been so impressed by the Zoomlion in the civil infrastructure side of the company we have just placed an order for a second from Chris and the team at Gleason Cranes,” Nixon said.

The Zoomlion is currently working at Saunders’ precast facility in Redhead which gave Nixon and the team the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of the crane before investing in its second for the construction section of Saunders International.

“The facility is only 500 metres down the road, so I went down and spoke to some of the guys that have been operating the crane,” Nixon said.

“Speaking with them, they have been really impressed with the Zoomlion. One said it is the best crane he has driven and the consensus was they are smooth and fast on site, with an impressive capacity.

“I think people have been critical of Chinese brands in the past, but the current Zoomlions are an impressive piece of machinery that can keep up with the rest,” Nixon said.

The Weichai engine in the Zoomlion produces 154kw in power and the boom has a reach of 48 metres. With the jib incorporated, it comes in at an impressive 62 metres.

With a gradeability of 45 the crane is agile on site, weighing in at 62.5t with an option for an extra 20t counterweight.

Saunders International has been so impressed by the Zoomlion’s it has brought a second on board.

“Speaking with them, they have been really impressed with the Zoomlion, one said it is the best crane he has driven and the consensus was they are smooth and fast on site with an impressive capacity.”

Saunders

has a range of cranes for its specialised

work.

The Zoomlion will be immediately put to the test when it arrives in Redhead, with Nixon to ship it to Darwin immediately.

The relationship between Saunders International and Gleason’s will continue beyone the Zoomlion, with two used Tadano GR550s also brought on board.

The rough terrains were brought in to service the construction side of the company, providing strong capabilities and toughness to stand up on site.

Being one of the largest used crane dealers in Australia provides numerous perks for the team at Saunders when it came to purchasing the used cranes.

“Chris and the whole team at Gleason Cranes have been fantastic to deal with I would not have one complaint with them,” Nixon said.

“I have had a relationship with Chris now for four years so we definitely had a level of trust, you get to work out people

in this industry and you know who is fair dinkum and who is not and Chris is fantastic,” he said.

Nixon has been extremely impressed with the Gleasons team and the support they provided after buying the cranes.

“It’s not just ‘I’ll sell you crane’ and that’s it, the after sale service that they provide is second to none,” he said.

“If I ever have a problem on my cranes, I can ring Chris and let him know, ‘this shouldn’t be like this’ he then goes to the end of the earth to help me out, gets it fixed, no matter where it is

in Australia too,” Nixon said.

Chris Logan explains the relationship between Gleason Cranes and Zoomlion over the years and how it ensures he can support customers in Australia.

“We’ve been bringing in cranes from Zoomlion for over 10 years. We have an excellent relationship with the factory, and they are a professional company to deal with. They also offer finance on their equipment. If a customer is interested, we can provide finance as part of the crane’s package. Zoomlion exclusively finances its own product, nobody else’s,” said Logan.

CrewSafe is the standardised VOC assessment tool for the Australian crane industry.

CrewSafe provides machinespecific, impartial, peer assessment with documented evidence of competency.

“We’ve been bringing in cranes from Zoomlion for over 10 years. We have an excellent relationship with the factory, and they are a professional company to deal with. They also offer finance on their equipment.”

THE ASSET FINANCE SHOP –LOW-COST FINANCING FOR B USINESSES AUSTRALIA WIDE

Originally from New Zealand, Colin Evans worked in the agricultural and farming sector in his early years before landing an entry job with ANZ/Esanda. He then became a Senior Asset Finance Consultant based in Sydney, assisting all types of small to medium-sized Australian businesses in purchasing assets for their various business endeavours.

EVANS IDENTIFIED A MARKET NICHE WITHIN the asset finance sector and founded The Asset Finance Shop (AFS) in 2016, in order to further support the Australian economy. Evans explains the company and how it serves its clients.

“Our team at AFS works with businesses in all industries arranging business loans and

low-cost finance for trucks, trailers, heavy machinery, commercial equipment, and business vehicles,” he said.

With this, Evans has created a platform that allows any Australian business owners access to a wide range of banks and nonbank lenders.

This has provided an invaluable solution for clients in all types of unique circumstances to be paired with the right lender that meets their business needs.

Although its focus is on Australian citizens who are business owners, ABN holders and sole traders, a common misconception is that the Asset Finance Shop wouldn’t be able to work with visa holders (visa requirements & conditions apply) or on assets that may be overseas.

This is simply not true - Asset Finance Shop has a solution for all scenarios.

As its clientele expands, so does the company, and now it has a team of just under 30. Along with the addition of more professional brokers to its firm, this growth also saw the formation of specialised marketing, client services, and settlement support teams. This came about as a result of The Asset Finance Shop’s dedication to enhancing its clients’ experiences.

ITS VISION

The Asset Finance Shop’s team has two primary goals: To provide a platform for people to access the most competitive commercial finance products currently available in the market while delivering exceptional customer service in a manner that builds client loyalty and trust.

Its long-term objective is to ensure that businesses in all industries across Australia have a fair chance at success by assisting them in securing cost-effective financing options, which improves both the financial well-being of our client’s businesses and the Australian economy.

THE APPLICATION AND APPROVAL PROCESS

The Asset Finance Shop always works hard to fast-track all its clients’ financing applications and get them into settlement so they can pick up their asset as soon as possible without any long wait times. The client process can be broken down into five easy steps:

1. Call or apply online by filling in a form,

2. Receive a call back from one of its experts and get pre-qualified within three minutes,

3. Its broker team will then compare and negotiate terms and repayments with its

panel of lenders on your behalf to secure you the best deal,

4. Receive your loan contract to review and sign,

5. Then it’s time to go pick up your asset!

Depending on the client’s specific needs, requirements and credit history, Asset Finance Shop offers three finance options:

• No doc

• Low doc

• And full doc applications.

It is known for its fast turnaround times and at its quickest, the whole process from application to approval stage can be completed within 24-48 hours.

ITS RELATIONSHIPS

Unlike at banks, you aren’t just a number. At the Asset Finance Shop you are a valued client and the team works with you.

No matter if you have good credit or bad credit, are starting a business or already have one, are a renter or a homeowner, have a permanent resident visa or a skilled visa, are buying from a dealer or privately, new or used, it can assist you – it will help everyone and turn away no one.

AFS takes pride in the long-term relationship it has with its loyal clientele.

Clients of AFS rely on and put their trust in the team, to secure them the best deal for anything they need to help them take their business to the next level.

“Our team at AFS work with businesses in all industries arranging business loans, and low-cost finance for trucks, trailers, heavy machinery, commercial equipment, and business vehicles.”

Colin Evans

The Asset Finance Shop works closely with clients to achieve positive results.

The positive reviews that clients have left for it on Google support its reputation.

The team can’t wait to assist and to welcome all the entrepreneurs and business owners that it hasn’t even met yet into the community.

WHY CHOOSE AFS?

The Asset Finance Shop first listens to the business owners’ needs and from there the team will come up with a solution from its high level of broker experience. It frequently collaborates with a variety of lenders in its capacity as financial brokers.

As a business, it places great importance on its dedication to serving interests of clients. Clients can be confident that they are receiving the best deal possible when working with The Asset Finance Shop.

Something the team can also be proud of is its high approval rates. When clients apply with us, they can have the confidence that they will get approved by one of its many lenders.

Because of its wide array of lender partners, AFS knows how to position your request for the highest chance of getting approved the first time. Furthermore, because of its longstanding and positive relationship with these lenders, often they can be more lenient with our clients - giving the team the upper hand in approving financing and loan requests from clients.

“The Asset Finance Shop first listens to the business owners’ needs and from there the team will come up with a solution from its high level of broker experience.”

TRT WINNERS OF CICA OUTSTANDING BOOTH AWARD

General

Manager for TRT

Australia Neil Webb has these observations regarding the CICA National Conference and Exhibition.

“I’M GRATEFUL THAT WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH to be in the position now, post pandemic with the borders open, allowing everyone in the industry to finally come together and celebrate,” Neil says. Firstly, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in the organisation of the event. There were impressive crane displays and exhibits everywhere you looked, and the venue and networking dinners were outstanding.” .

The crane industry includes very talented people and organisations that are always pushing innovation and engineering. TRT is one such organisation and it has been working on the release of the TIDD PC28-2 Pick and Carry crane, says Neil.

“Through the journey of innovation and the engineering of the new TIDD PC28-2, one outstanding achievement has been our ability to increase our side slope charts by on average 17 per cent WLL, on average. This huge achievement is not just down to the TIDD PC28-2, we are also offering it

The Robway® TIDD Crane operating software has been upgraded with improved function, enabling faster processing and greater control responsiveness for the TIDD PC28-2 operator.

through hardware and software packages to all PC28 TIDD cranes,” said Neil.

TRT believes customers are a fundamental part of the business.

“The new upgrades to the TIDD PC28-2 stem from our continuous focus on innovation and actively exceeding expectations for our customers,” said Neil.

In 2011 TRT began designing and manufacturing the world’s safest Pick and Carry Crane. The learnings and successes from this journey lead to the development of the TIDD PC28, launching to the market in May 2019, and now the launch of the TIDD PC28-2 Pick and Carry Crane which will be available from March 2023.

Leading from the front, TRT continues to enhance the overall TIDD Crane operator experience and performance. The upgrades to the newly named TIDD PC28-2 are driven through TRT’s focus on continuous improvement, considering industry and operator feedback.

There are four key areas of improvement in the upgraded TIDD PC28-2. It features more powerful front suspension cylinders. This new system offers a greater lift capacity when articulated and working on a side slope, an up to 17 per cent improvement.

An additional three steps on the TIDD PC28-2 load chart have been added to improve lift control, delivering significant improvements when the crane is articulating. So, for the operator this means that as the crane articulates, it reduces the rate of the load chart decrease.

The Robway® TIDD Crane operating software has been upgraded with improved functionality. This enables faster processing and greater control responsiveness for the TIDD PC28-2 operator.

“TRT has always focused on the people when considering advancements in technology for the TIDD Crane. With operator and dogman comfort central to the design of the TIDD Crane, this new model also features a re-engineered ROPs cabin,” said Neil.

This has been tested with a measured reduction in cabin noise levels by 8dBa at 80km/hr when on the road. As well as these considerable upgrades, TRT has been focused on ensuring that TIDD customers and operators are fully supported for the life

of the crane, from onboarding of operators to parts and service support Australia and New Zealand wide.

TRT has recently launched its new TIDD Crane Operator Familiarisation Program.

“From the start, the development of the TIDD Crane was intended to set new standards in articulated crane performance, and we continue to focus on how we can advance this to provide the best possible solution for our customers,” said Neil.

“The TIDD Crane has come a very long way in terms of design, capacity, and functionality. The new TIDD Crane Operator Familiarisation Program is another example demonstrating our commitment and focus towards providing a better overall experience for TIDD Crane operators.”

The new program includes a new TIDD Crane Operators Familiarisation Video, designed for experienced pick and carry crane operators to quickly and easily understand the TIDD Crane operation, the functions, and the features of the crane, with access 24/7.

This exclusive program is designed to suit our customers’ operations. TRT also offers in-person training from one of our factory-trained experts, online manual access 24/7, remote video with one of our experts, and a dealer and service support network Australia wide. TRT believes this journey has created an overall better

The upgrade features more powerful front suspension cylinders. This new system offers a greater lift capacity when articulated and working on a side slope, improving lift capacity by up to 17 per cent.

“The new upgrades to the TIDD PC28-2 stem from our continuous focus on innovation and actively exceeding expectations for our customers.”

Winners are Grinners. Neil and the TRT team celebrate winning the CICA Outstanding Booth Award.

experience that pick and carry crane operators have been demanding.

TRT’s dealer support and service network includes Baden Davis Crane Connection, in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, JDM Diesel Services in Victoria, RMB Service Group in South Australia and Ronco Construction Equipment and Engineering in Western Australia.

TRT’s Dealers and Service agents are selected based on their experience and knowledge of cranes, and on their commitment to providing a high standard of ongoing customer service and parts support locally.

Neil goes onto discuss the TRT stand at the exhibition and how it worked.

“We are very proud of how well our stand worked at the event. We had some interactive displays including a race car simulator, which has nothing to do with cranes, but it allowed people to have fun and talk to our team whilst waiting for a drive.

“Instead of showing the latest crane, we displayed a three plus year old TIDD PC28. It enabled us to display a ‘real

quality OEM manufactured products including the TIDD PC28-2 which is coming soon, and our TRT ESS (Electronic Steering System) Platform trailers were all popular,” said Neil.

TRT is very interactive with its clients and the conversations have been continual throughout the year, but Neil said it was great to see them and continue these conversations at the CICA event.

“I think there will be immediate results judging by the conversations we were having. We are developing our growing reputations as a quality OEM manufacturer and leader of industry innovation.”

“Over the last 12 months we have invested in a team that has strengthened our ability to out serve our customers.

offer customers fit for purpose, bumper to bumper solutions, that are made to last. Complete packages from ground pressure solutions through to our TRT outrigger pads, equipment trailers which support the crane or any large trailer that will shift equipment or loads anywhere,” said Neil.

“And of course, our very own manufactured TIDD Crane that is leading innovation and safety for pick and carry cranes in Australia. Our experience in manufacturing and supplying equipment also sees TRT as the Manitowoc and Grove Dealer for New Zealand and Queensland. TRT Is also a dealer and support agent for Kobelco crawler cranes throughout Oceania.”

“The team at TRT were thrilled to be awarded with the most Outstanding

“The race simulator, and of course our quality OEM manufactured products including the TIDD PC28-2 which is coming soon, and our TRT ESS (Electronic Steering System) Platform trailers were all popular.”

The race simulator, TRT’s quality OEM manufactured products including the TIDD PC28-2 which is coming soon, and its TRT ESS (Electronic Steering System) Platform trailers, were all popular.

KEEPING PACE WITH GAME CHANGING MAEDAS

During bauma 2022, Maeda released a number of products including the latest addition to the MK Series, the MK3053C. Michael Cawston, National Sales Manager for Pace Cranes, explained more.

THE MK3053C IS THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT in the knuckle boom range from Maeda, Cawston explained.

“Maeda has been developing this knuckle boom style crane for some time, and there are a number of models in the range. Maeda has spent time developing the MK3053C to ensure the new model ticks all the boxes,” he said.

“It’s a cross between the MC305 and an MC285 which means it is

a very compact crane with a small footprint and small ‘packed-up’ dimensions like the MC285. It can still fit through a doorway, but it has more reach than the MC305, being able to get up to that 17m mark. This is a game changer for Maeda in the small crawler crane market.”

In terms of powering the crane, the MK3053C is available in three versions including a standard diesel machine, a diesel electric option and

a full lithium battery electric battery version. Remote control is standard, Cawston explained.

“The design of the set-up for the whole machine is managed by the remote control unit which comes as standard. This means the machine can be tracked and the outriggers controlled by the remote. The outriggers swivel by a hydraulic cylinder which means you don’t have to swing the outriggers out manually;

Michael Cawston (second left) with the teams from Pace Cranes and Maeda.

it’s all handled by the remote,” he said.

“The MK3053C is a user-friendly machine and it is also a lot simpler for the operator, to the point where the operator doesn’t have to put pins in or pull them out. Another great feature with the outriggers is there’s no pinning required for the various angles.

“The machine can be set up on any angle, or the outriggers can be set up on any angle without the need to insert a pin. This is standard across the Maeda range. The winch is optional, but we’ll import units with the winch as standard unless there’s a special request for a crane without it,” he said.

Cawston adds the Maeda stand at bauma was well attended by Australian and New Zealand customers.

“The overall response to the Maeda stand was excellent. There was a terrific turn out of both Australian and New Zealand customers and we found them to be genuinely interested in seeing the new equipment and looking into future purchases for their business.

“Maeda’s stand was as busy as always with a lot of interest around battery powered machines. Maeda had three battery-powered machines on display including the MC285CB-3, MC305CB-3, and now the MK3053CB.

“Maeda also displayed a batterypowered 6t capacity pick and carry crane, the CC1485. This model is currently in the development stage and we should see this coming to the local market in 2024. Maeda had a very strong focus on battery technology and that’s what a lot of customers were really interested in seeing,” he said.

“The MK3053C is a user-friendly machine and it is also a lot simpler for the operator, to the point where the operator doesn’t have to bend to put pins in or pull them out.”

Maeda has been developing this knuckle boom style crane for some time, and there are a number of models in the range. Maeda has spent time developing the MK3053C to ensure the new model ticks all the boxes.

The CICA National Conference and Exhibition was hot on the heels of bauma. Pace Cranes exhibited the Maeda, Sennebogen products as well as the Almac Pacific range of Multi Loaders. Michael explained how the Adelaide event worked for Pace Cranes.

“The CICA National Conference and Exhibition was a good event for us. It was great to actually see people faceto-face after two years of COVID and Adelaide was a terrific venue.

“It is a brilliant city for a conference, it’s central for everyone around the country, the location of the conference centre is close to the city and accommodation. Everyone’s in the one spot, which meant it was good for spending quality time with customers.

“Our products tend to complement each other, so we can be having a

“Our products tend to lead into each other, so we can be having a conversation with a customer who is considering buying mini crawler cranes and they might be looking at the smaller carriers that are well suited to the mini crawler cranes.”

conversation with a customer who is considering buying mini crawler cranes and they might be looking at the smaller carriers that are well suited to the mini crawler cranes.

“The conversation can move to the larger pick and carry range and also the Almac Pacific Multi Loaders that we now represent and then move onto the SENNEBOGEN telescopic crawler cranes.

“So there have been some good

conversations. When you start talking about one product, you end up discussing another. It’s always good to be able to showcase all the products that we have available and yes, it was a good turnout. We have lots of enquiries to follow up, lots of quotations to send out and various pieces of information we need to provide to our customers, so yes, no complaints from us, it was a terrific event,” Cawston said.

Pace Cranes products complement each other including the Almac Pacific Multi Loaders copy.

COMANSA LAUNCHES CRANE MATE

During bauma 2022 Comansa

Tower Cranes launched Crane Mate, its novel digital solution for fleet management. The Spanish tower crane manufacturer debuted it along with a number of new products.

AS PART OF ITS COMMITMENT TO THE constant improvement of its products and services, Comansa has developed Crane Mate, a new digital solution for fleet management and crane monitoring. The system provides real time technical information, location, alerts and crane productivity and maintenance parameters, as well as offering the possibility of reporting and configuring events and recording machinery lease periods, amongst other features. All of this translates to increased efficiency and time and cost savings.

The tower crane manufacturer officially presented this cutting-edge communications technology at the bauma 2022 trade fair.

Crane Mate consists of two elements:

• Hardware: complete kit pre-installed in the cranes in turnkey mode, made up of commercial devices that facilitate both replacements and maintenance on the one hand and retrofit on the other.

• Software: platform developed in-house for online access, with restricted, secure access offering a display with the machine’s settings and functions and other services useful to the client.

Comansa also expanded its range of luffing jib cranes with the launch of the LCH300 during bauma.

Thanks to all these features, Crane Mate offers advantages to optimise and reinforce the use of tower cranes in any construction project:

• Comprehensive crane fleet management

• Analysis and verification of hours worked, productivity and useful life of the crane

• Supervision of errors and alarms in real time

• Maximise fleet efficiency and profitability

• Reduction of operating and service costs

• Personalised data reports

• Ad-hoc integration with third party information technology platforms

From October 2022, all new Comansa tower crane orders will come with this new equipment included. Comansa will offer free trials, online tutorials and technical support for its clients. Comansa will keep developing new added value features and services over the coming years.

Comansa also expanded its range of luffing jib cranes with the launch of the LCH300, its first hydraulic model, with a maximum load capacity of 16 tonnes and reach of 60 metres.

The LCH300/16 t is available in various versions: embedded, supported on bases of 6 or 8 metres, or movable. The

crane can be assembled with 2.5 x 2.5m tower sections. Its modular jib has a reach of 25 to 60m, with configurations every 5 metres. It has a minimum working radius of 4 metres and a minimum radius of 9 metres when out of service.

It has manual transmission combinations of 1t (direct pulling) and 2t. The maximum load capacity is 8t with the 1T configuration and 16t with the 2t configuration. The maximum load at the jib end is 3,400 and 3,150kg, respectively.

The luffing moves the jib and counter jib jointly by a hydraulic cylinder at the

cathead and jib hinge assembly. The hydraulic pump unit is located on a movable platform in one piece.

From the cabin there is direct visibility of the lifting mechanism of between 50kW (standard) and 65kW (optional). Thanks to the Effi-Plus technology, it is possible to increase the speed of the lifting mechanism without affecting consumption, which allows loading cycles to be considerably reduced, thereby improving the productivity of the crane.

The design of this new rotating part - jib, cathead and counter jib - as well as the mechanism, cabin and hydraulic unit platforms, optimises the transport of this model, which may be supplied by 8 trucks or containers.

This new luffing jib crane from Comansa incorporates the award-winning CUBE Cab (L or XL) with Split type air conditioning. The cabin platform, like the lifting and hydraulic unit platforms, can be transported in a single piece.

Comansa luffing jib tower cranes offer optimal performance where horizontal jib cranes cannot move loads freely due to space limitations. Now, with the incorporation of the LCH300 hydraulic model, the luffing mechanism is optimised to offer even greater performance and an efficient assembly, as well as reduction of the radius when out of service.

“The LCH300 new luffing jib crane incorporates the award-winning CUBE Cab (L or XL) with Split type air conditioning.”

Comansa launched Crane Mate during bauma.

ALMACRAWLER CONTINUES LEADING THE EVOLUTION OF ACCESS EQUIPMENT IN AUSTRALIA

BOB MULES, GENERAL MANAGER, ALMAC Pacific – the Italian manufacturer’s Australian division – was at the show and provided further detail on the company’s latest product developments.

AlmaCrawler launched a new selfpropelled tracked boom lift, the JIBBI 1890 PRiMO. Featuring a telescopic boom and advanced self-levelling technology, this model is fully electric with electric drive and is the first 18-metre working-height product in the JIBBI line.

“We are really excited about the JIBBI 1890 PRiMO, it is another game-changer that we have released to the industry.

AlmaCrawler prides itself on disrupting conventional MEWP functionality and design by challenging the status quo. This machine is certainly raising the challenge as the only fully electric, self-levelling 18-metre boom lift in the industry”, said Bob.

Equipped with AlmaCrawler’s patented, automatic bi-levelling system, this model can travel and level on slopes up to 22-degrees. Self-propelled functionality up to 14-metres allows the operator to safely work in a wide range of job site conditions, without sacrificing efficiency. With a 10-metre outreach and a maximum basket capacity of 250kg, the JIBBI 1890 Primo provides several industry-first new features, including:

• Electric Drive – the fully electric JIBBI 1890 PRiMO can be driven at a max speed of 4.5 km/h thanks to its electric drive, essentially bridging the gap between standard flat surface mobility and tracked machinery.

• Fully removable power pack designed to ensure infinite autonomy and be easily transported for off-site charging. With

Bob Mules demonstrating the remote controls to Josh Coulson.

During bauma 2022, Italy-based AlmaCrawler premiered two new products now available in Australia, while also displaying the latest advances to its existing product range.

a choice between interchangeable lead acid or lithium power packs, and two critical options for recharging: the standard 110/220 VAC input or via the industry-first EV Type 2 input, the PRiMO is designed for flexibility.

• Completely reimagined controller for a streamlined user experience based on industry-accepted standards and rental sector needs. Two USB recharging stations available on each controller.

• Anti-Entrapment System as a standard feature – a safety system designed to prevent serious injury by stopping the unit while allowing space for the operator to safely remove themself.

• Automatic Tensioner System – the first JIBBI in the range to feature our automatic track tensioner system, the technology that creates zero maintenance for the tracks. The available extras were designed to enhance the operator visibility and safety on the job site:

• Ultrasonic Anti-Collision System, monitors the area above and below the basket, preventing collisions with obstacles during aerial operations, and detects the presence of possible potholes or unevenness of the ground during movement at height.

• New work lights as a helpful tool both for night work as well as job sites with limited visibility.

Bauma also saw the arrival of the first self-levelling, self-propelled telescopic crane, the T-CRANE 1060. This new product will enrich an already impressive material handling product range available from Almac Pacific.

“Another exciting launch, the T-Crane 1060 was certainly very popular with visitors to the stand. It is the first pick-andcarry mini crane with self-propelled and self-levelling technology. It can pick and carry a capacity of 990kg, and it can travel 15-degrees longitudinally and 15-degrees laterally. The impressive part about the T-Crane 1060, is that it went from concept drawings to reality in 100 days,” said Bob. Highly flexible, the T-Crane 1060 can be used in variety of lifting situations from internal to outdoor lifting, on slopes and uneven terrain up to 22-degrees.

Equipped with our innovative levelling technology, the T-Crane 1060 easily travels and carries loads up to 990kg, featuring a 7.7-metre lifting height with a 6.1-metre maximum working radius. The counterweight is removable which lowers the overall weight to 2,850kg for easy transportation.

Also on display was Almac’s ML3.0BL and ML6.0 Multi Loaders. The ML 3.0BL has all the features of the popular ML2.5 bi-levelling Multi Loader, however, has an increased load capacity of 3-tonne due to its new electric drive. The ML6.0 also show cased the new electric drive system as well as a number of new attachments.

Attendees were also able to view the world-class Billennium 15-metre and 18-metre spider booms, the JIBBI 1250 and 1670 boom lifts, and the Athena 1090 BL EVO scissor lift.

Almac Pacific also exhibited at the recent CICA National Conference and Exhibition in Adelaide. Bob explains how visitors to the stand responded to the products on display.

“It’s the first time we’ve been to

a CICA event with our range of multi loaders. We had three products on display, our 3-tonne capacity multi loader which features our standard track and our 2.5-tonne and 6-tonne bi-levelling models. The 2.5-tonne is electric-drive, capable of working longitudinally on inclines up to 20 degrees, and laterally up to 15-degrees. The 6-tonne is our bi-energy unit, which has an impressive 990kg-capacity crane attachment available.

“You can use this model as an allelectric unit through the batteries, or you can use it with diesel. So, there are several options on this model,” said Bob.

“The engagement at the conference was fantastic. We spoke with many contractors and crane hire businesses, and most if not all of them were really impressed with the capability of the bilevelling units. They were interested in the dynamic capability of the machines and the proactive levelling, which means we keep the load level the whole time it is travelling. We’re really pleased with the engagement of our customers, and the

The T-CRANE 1060 is an exciting launch being the first pick-and-carry mini crane with self-propelled and self-levelling technology. It went from concept drawings to reality in 100 days.

experience for us being there for the first time was certainly well worth it.

“We’ve just welcomed Pace Cranes as the national distributor of our multi loader products, and we are aware that Pace Cranes is a very well-respected name in the industry. When we mention to our customers that Pace are our national distributor, most, if not all, were aware of Pace Cranes, and/or had dealt with them over the years. Having this partnership with Pace Cranes is going to be mutually, very valuable,” said Bob.

Bob goes on to introduce Almac Pacific technical manager Josh Coulson.

“Josh has been with Almac Pacific for two and a half years. He was the service manager with a previous distributor, so he has been involved with the AlmaCrawler range of products since they were introduced to our market in 2016/2017,” Bob said.

“From a technical point of view, no one locally knows as much about our products as Josh does. Our customers enjoy dealing with Josh because nothing is too much trouble for him and he is very knowledgeable with any technical questions customers might ask.”

Josh says he has been working with AlmaCrawler products since 2017, when he first started with the original Australian importer.

“I deal with all areas of aftersales support be it breakdowns or warranty, and I provide the technical training for both our dealer mechanics and our customers. I now also oversee the spare parts department since we began in-house parts supply too – I’m wearing a few hats within the business, which I really enjoy,” he said.

Josh explains how critical product support and parts availability is at Almac Pacific.

“Obviously product support is critical to any equipment supplier. Our stock and spare parts are held in our facility in Pakenham, south-east of Melbourne. The spare parts warehouse is quite comprehensive, and we have an advantage in that many of our parts are compatible across both the multi loader and EWP ranges.

“With the multi loader range exhibited at the CICA Conference, a lot of that design has been created from the original EWP foundation, so all of our fast-moving parts and other key components, such as rubber tracks, are all shelved in-house at Pakenham”, said Josh.

“We’re able to effectively support our dealer, Pace Cranes, to sell our multi loader products and provide continued support to customers. I’ll be providing them with a list of recommended spare parts that they’re going to hold in their support locations”, he said.

“I’ll also be training Pace Crane’s Head of Service, and he will then filter this knowledge through to the technicians and the service team”, he said.

Josh goes on to explain why the Almac range of products is proving to be so popular with the local market.

“The whole AlmacCrawler product range including EWPs and multi loaders are seen as being very innovative. These products are designed to tackle those niche areas and those ‘hard to reach’ places.

“The EWPs and the multi loaders are tackling the complications of working on steep gradients safely and the main feedback I receive from customers is the satisfaction that there is now a product that can service these difficult applications”, said Josh.

“Reliability and quality of build are other features that customers mention. Being designed, engineered, and manufactured in Italy, with just about every component made in Italy, means the style of the machine is sort of unique. A lot of machines from competitors have gone with the basic square box design, whereas the design of all AlmacCrawler equipment is quite unique and it’s easy to look at. A lot of people appreciate that Italian flair,” he said.

Visit www.almacpacific.com.au to learn more.

The JIBBI 1890 PRiMO features a telescopic boom and advanced selflevelling technology, with electric drive and is the first 18-metre workingheight product in the JIBBI line.

STREAMLINING BUSINESS WITH VWORK

West Oz Cranes is a medium sized crane business servicing residential and small commercial construction industries in Perth. 14 months ago, the business implemented vWork to streamline administration and paperwork, and according to Logistics and Office Manager Renee Zeck, the West Oz Cranes team hasn’t looked back.

WEST OZ CRANES WAS STARTED IN 2009 BY business owner Simon Flower and a mate. Flower has a background in marine science and aquaculture, and both had been working offshore in the oil and gas industry and were weary of the fly-in, fly-out lifestyle.

Flower moved to the construction sector and into cranes with the purchase of a 16t capacity Tadano City Crane. The fleet has grown considerably since then and now includes a 12t capacity Tadano GR120NL rough terrain, a 13t capacity GR130EX and 20t GR200EX Tadano rough terrain and a 50t Liebherr LTC 1050 slewing crane. Flower says he operates a crane 99 per cent of the time.

Zeck brought experience from her transport and logistics background when she joined West Oz Cranes in 2021. She helps to manage the increased volume of work involved with the logistics of the business and has structured the office administration to cope with this continued growth. The implementation of vWork has been key to managing the growth of the business.

“We chose and implemented vWork in October 2021, mainly for the simplicity of the scheduling software and mobile app,” Zeck said.

“Prior to vWork we were operating a paper-based system where every job booking and delivery docket was hand written. All invoices were manually entered into our accounting software at the end of each week, a process which could take anywhere between two and three hours.

“With vWork, we book each job into the schedule and, once allocated, this goes direct to the operator who completes each job via the app. Every job will automatically integrate into Xero for smooth and immediate invoicing,” said Renee.

“vWork is incredibly easy to work with and is user friendly. We have the ability to

tweak the scheduling page and app so that it works specifically for our business which makes it simple and straight forward for our operators to only have options that are relevant to our business,” said Renee.

vWork can be tailored to meet the needs of clients to deliver a system that is simple to use but high quality.

vWork is customisable to any company’s process with templated workflows, tailored health and safety and branded portals among many other options. It is simple to schedule with a drag and drop function for jobs, operators, equipment and sites.

Health and Safety processes can be incorporated into every job, from pre-start

checks to complex onsite checks. Everyone can be informed of the job requirements, including any site specific safety policies. Emails and text messages keep everyone informed of job changes and advise when plant operators are due on site.

Zeck goes on to discuss West Oz Cranes’ overall approach to the crane sector.

“As we mainly operate in the residential and small commercial construction sectors, we stick to the ‘Tom Thumbs’ or City Cranes which provide the flexibility of compact machines for our customers. But there will always be sites and applications requiring the lifting capabilities of an all terrain.

“Our Liebherr LTC 1050 – 3.1 has

Since implementing vWork to streamline administration and paperwork, the West Oz Cranes team hasn’t looked back.

a lifting capacity of 50t and features a telescoping elevating cab that delivers excellent visibility of the load and surrounding area,” Zeck said.

The LTC 1050-3.1 delivers the outstanding handling of a classic all-terrain crane. Its compact design also makes an ideal hoisting tool for constricted sites. It shows all its strengths completing crane work in industrial buildings, old towns museums and large galleries. Its VarioBase® support system with outriggers extended to different lengths mean that constricted conditions are not a problem for this compact crane. It carries all its own equipment and ballast, thus significantly reducing the time required for jobs. The elevating cab delivers maximum safety by providing improved all-round visibility from the cab. The crane can also be manoeuvred with all controls from outside using RemoteDrive – ensuring the operator has a perfect view of the lift and surrounding construction site.

Zeck explains more about West Oz Cranes and how the team does business.

“We work with metro-based residential and smaller commercial property builders and we cover a geographical area extending from Mandurah to Two Rocks.

“As an owner operator, Simon has maintained a close business relationship with our clients and in this competitive

market we strive to be the best in customer service and satisfaction,” she said.

To ensure lifts are conducted safely, the West Oz team team conducts Take 5s and JSAs. Take 5 safety is a 5-step procedure construction workers use to prevent accidents and overall make the working environments safer. Other industries that benefit from implementing take 5 safety are manufacturing, repair and service, and mining. Following take 5 safety involves regularly conducting quick safety checks before starting work.

The take 5 safety steps are:

• Stop and think

• Look and identify

• Assess the risk

• Control hazards

• Monitor hazards

A job safety analysis (JSA) is a procedure which helps integrate accepted safety and health principles and practices into a

particular task or job operation. In a JSA, each basic step of the job is to identify potential hazards and to recommend the safest way to do the job.

“We don’t visit every site as most are straight forward lifts. For the more complex lifts we will conduct a site visit to determine what crane will provide maximum efficiency for the lifting requirements

“For basic lifts we will put lift plans together in house but for the more complex lifts, we outsource this requirement. We have a small, close knit team who have been with the business for many years.

“We have four operators including Simon and three full timers and casual rigger. I am in the office taking the majority of enquiries and bookings via email and phone and all other office requirements.

“With a small team like ours, vWork has proved to be invaluable in terms of streamlining our administrative processes. vWork now plays an essential role in the way we operate,” Zeck said.

“vWork is incredibly easy to work with and is user friendly. We have the ability to tweak the scheduling page and app so that it works specifically for our business which makes it simple and straight forward for our operators to only have options that are relevant to our business.”

West Oz Cranes chose and implemented vWork mainly for the simplicity of the scheduling software and phone app

MARR CONTRACTING MOVES TO RENEWABLE DIESEL

Australian crane company Marr Contracting has led the way for renewable diesel (HVO100) to be used on Australian construction sites for the first time in a ground-breaking move that takes one of the country’s largest industries closer to a fossil fuel-free future.

NSW MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, Cities and Active Transport Rob Stokes has announced that renewable diesel will be used in Marr’s cranes working on two key NSW Government projects, Powerhouse Parramatta and the new Sydney Fish Market.

The Australian-first sustainability initiative is the result of a partnership between the NSW Government and Marr as the instigators of the HVO100 initiative and cranage provider, along with Multiplex as delivery partner of the new Sydney Fish Market, and Lendlease as design and construction partners of Powerhouse Parramatta.

Recognising the urgency of finding an alternative to fossil diesel to power its fleet of heavy lift tower cranes, Marr consulted with clients and leaders within Australia’s construction industry, including senior executives from Multiplex and Lendlease, to understand the issues and constraints of existing alternatives before scouring the world for the best solution.

After working closely with Neste, the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel, Marr assessed the use of renewable diesel (HVO100) in its cranes and navigated the importing process, with the first shipment arriving in the country in August.

The subsequent approval from the Australian Government to allow the supply and sale of HVO100, which has been assisted by Refuelling Solutions as Marr’s nominated distribution partner, was finalised on 21 October 2022, clearing the way for HVO100 to be used as a drop-in fuel in Marr’s

cranes, which are currently operating on the new Sydney Fish Market and Powerhouse Parramatta.

The announcement comes just months after the Australian Government passed the first climate change legislation in a decade, committing to cut emissions by at least 43 per cent by 2030 (compared with 2005) and reach net zero by 2050.

Neste MY Renewable Diesel (HVO100) is a high-performing diesel produced from 100 per cent renewable raw materials such as waste and residue fats and oils.

Used as a drop-in fuel, it is suitable for existing diesel engines and can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 per cent over its life cycle compared to fossil fuels.

Marr managing director Simon

reliability of our cranes to drive productivity and cost-efficiencies on the projects we are working on – while at the same time helping our clients achieve their sustainability goals.”

Mr Marr said the shift to renewable fuel was the result of meaningful industry collaboration and investment, demonstrating how government support can help the private sector address sustainability issues.

“As cranage providers, we are only at the thin edge of the wedge in terms of what can be achieved to make our industry more productive and more sustainable,” he said.

“However, in acknowledging the emissions reduction targets of many of our Tier 1 clients and end-clients, we’re providing an implementable solution that can help them progress

Marr says the decision to replace fossil fossil diesel with HVO100 is about being real about sustainability.

“In our space there has been a lot of discussion about electrification, but after looking at the alternatives we believe this is the most sustainable power source currently available for the work that we are doing,” he says.

“That’s because it allows us to transition away from fossil diesel and maintain the speed, power and

their sustainability goals through a direct reduction in scope one emissions,” Mr Marr said.

“That’s why the support of clients like Multiplex and Lendlease, who understand what’s involved in transitioning to sustainable alternatives and are committed to finding solutions, will help Australia catch up to other regions, such as Europe and the UK, where the switch to renewable diesel is fast becoming

“We’re always looking for sustainability initiatives that will have a material impact and replacing fossil diesel fuel on site is a huge opportunity to significantly reduce the carbon produced on a project.”

the norm for our industry.”

Multiplex Regional Managing Director David Ghannoum said the company was thrilled to support Marr and the NSW Government, with the support of the Australian Government, in bringing HVO100 into the Australian market.

“This is the first time a viable fossil fuel alternative has been made available in Australia and is a critical step towards a net zero carbon future for one of the country’s largest industries,” he said.

“We’re always looking for sustainability initiatives that will have a material impact and replacing fossil diesel fuel on site is a huge opportunity to significantly reduce the carbon produced on a project.”

Managing Director of Lendlease’s Construction business David Paterson said the initiative showed that Lendlease is absolutely committed to climate action.

“After two years of researching alternatives to mineral diesel, we’re introducing the first renewable diesel to Australia onto our project sites, in collaboration with partners, which will radically reduce emissions from construction equipment and become a gamechanger for our industry.

“We hope today’s announcement inspires collective action from Australian contractors, the supply chain, and customers to address one of the most critical needs of our time”, said Mr Paterson.

“The decisions we are making today – as individual businesses and as an industry – are just a step in the journey and we all have a long way to go,” Mr Marr added.

“We know that technology will evolve, so the best solution today may evolve into something different in the future. In the meantime, adopting the best option available buys us time to find the next best solution.”

AXEL JOHNSON FURTHER EXPANDS WITH DYNAMIC RIGGING HIRE

Axel Johnson International continues its expansion into Australia with the acquisition of Melbournebased Dynamic Rigging Hire; aiming to continue the growth of the company throughout Victoria.

AXEL JOHNSON INTERNATIONAL IS A global industrial group of more than 170 companies in 30 countries. The company has identified a need for growth in Australia’s rigging sector, recently launching the Certex brand, which includes 125 employees, across ten sites, as reported in Cranes and Lifting last month.

In addition to this, Axel Johnson International completed the acquisition of Dynamic Rigging Hire, effective

Ross Johnson and the team at Dynamic Rigging Hire are excited to see what the partnership with Axel Johnson can do for the company.

Dynamic Rigging Hire maintains a diverse range of rigging gear.

November 2. The process was finalised by Axel Johnson’s international business group Lifting Solutions.

Lifting Solutions managing director Ralf Wiberg spoke about what the acquisition means for the wider rigging hire community in Melbourne.

“We are very excited to further enhance our footprint in Australia and expand our operations within the rental market through the addition of Dynamic Rigging Hire,” he says.

“Offering a rental option in the supply of lifting equipment is fundamental to our strategy to achieve a sustainable lifting industry. Dynamic Rigging Hire has a strong market position in Victoria and is a great strategic fit to our group.”

Axel Johnson International is organised into six business groups: Driveline Solutions, Fluid Handling Solutions, Industrial Solutions, Lifting Solutions, Power Transmission Solutions and Transport Solutions.

Dynamic Rigging Hire will be able to call upon each of the different sections within Axel Johnson to deliver high quality lifting solutions across Victoria.

Whilst the acquisition marks an

important moment for the company, Dynamic Rigging Hire will retain its company brand and its day-to-day operations will continue in a similar capacity as before, under the leadership of managing director Ross Johnson.

“Becoming part of Axel Johnson International will provide us with an excellent platform for future growth and strengthen our rental service operations. We look forward to growing our business together with the Lifting Solutions group,” Ross Johnson says.

“Our business will remain as it has been, we will continue to service our current clients with no change to what we offer, standing by our hallmarks of high quality service with close attention to detail.

“This was the natural progression for Dynamic Rigging Hire, we have been consistently growing but needed some backing and know-how from a successful international company like Axel Johnson to continue this.

“The team is very excited for what this can provide for us moving forward, we will look for new areas of growth and try to keep pace with a rapidly evolving

industry,” Johnson says.

“Lifts continue to grow in their complexities. We have to be able to deliver for clients both a diverse but also a high quality range of products, we can keep pace with this by partnering with Axel Johnson.”

Dynamic Rigging Hire holds a large inventory of rigging gear totalling more than 1,500 pieces that includes more than 60 spreader beams from 1.5t right through to 300t capacities - catering to everything from day to day taxi crane work through to the large scale infrastructure projects.

“We implement a rigorous inspection process on all equipment once returned from hire along with all the annual certification requirements so we can guarantee any equipment hire from Dynamic shall not only be quality brands but shall also have all the current supporting documentation,” Johnson says.

Dynamic Rigging Hire has clients across metro Melbourne, regional Victoria and regularly freights rigging gear into other states. Deliveries to locations like Olympic Dam in SA and Tasmania for example is all part of the day-to-day operations at Dynamic Rigging Hire.

Dieseko’s i-Timer will help lower fuel consumption and emissions.

PILING ON SUPPORT AND CLEANER EMISSIONS

During bauma, Dieseko Group launched new products designed to increase support and service capabilities and lower fuel consumption and emissions. David Hopkins, National Sales Manager for Dieseko’s National Distributor Pilequip, explains more.

“DIESEKO IS CONSTANTLY WORKING ON NEW product developments and two of these were launched at bauma. The first is a remote diagnostic program called DriveLink and the second is i-TimeR which will help lower fuel consumption and emissions,” David says.

DriveLink is a remote services platform which enables end users to diagnose equipment locally or provide remote access to a Dieseko Group remote support engineer. DriveLink is characterised by a short installation time of less than 30 minutes.

Using DriveLink a local operator can connect directly to DriveLink-equipped machines with his smartphone. Once

connected, the local operator can perform diagnostics or optimise equipment parameters. This connection is end-to-end secured and only authorised operators can access the DriveLink platform.

Global product support is easier than ever before with DriveLink, which only requires a 4G or Wi-Fi signal to connect local operators to a Dieseko remote support engineer.

David explains that a remote session is made up of four steps.

“A connection request is sent to the end user and this is an important safety feature which ensures all connections are only made with the approval of the end-user. Once

accepted, data can be exchanged through an end-to-end secured connection. Depending on the situation, a detailed diagnosis can be made, or a workaround can be proposed and accepted.

“In most cases, travel to the equipment site is no longer required. If physical assistance by a Pilequip Service Engineer is required, our service team is standing by 24-7 to assist you at your job sites,” he says.

“There are other features and benefits including onsite diagnostics where you can diagnose your equipment via a smartphone as an equipment operator. No laptop or diagnostic equipment is required.

“With DriveLink, a Dieseko remote support engineer is available to support your global operation. Adequate specialist support

Dieseko launched the DriveLink remote diagnostics program during bauma.

and plannable downtime will optimize Higher Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE),” David says.

“All of the above translates to lower exploitation costs and higher productivity of your equipment and DriveLink enables detailed diagnostics whenever failures occur, enabling service engineers to get equipment up and running again with maximum efficiency and minimum downtime. The environment benefits as well, with equipment travelling less and more effective usage translates to less CO2 per unit.”

Dieseko Group’s new i-Timer is an excellent solution to further reduce fuel consumption and emissions (NOx) of the hydraulic power packs. The international roadmap to cleaner engines currently ends at the Stage-V / Tier 4 Final qualification.

The i-Timer will take the cleanliness of the engines one step further as an option to significantly reduce carbon footprints. The i-Timer automatically shuts down the engine to reduce the amount of time it spends idling, thereby reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Shutting down the engine when it is not under workload is simply the most effective way to work more efficiently.

Developing durable equipment in every way is the mission of Dieseko Goup and with more than more than 45 years of experience and specialised knowledge in the development of its equipment, Dieseko and Pilequip understand the central role this plays in a customers’ business, David says.

“Thanks to environmentally friendly innovations, emissions are reduced to meet the international emission regulations without compromising the amount of power this equipment requires.

“By doing this, Dieseko Group develops equipment that sets the international standard. The iTimer as an excellent savings

solution illustrates this business approach,” he says.

“In the Stage-V / Tier 4 Final engines the nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions have been reduced by up to 95% and particulate matter (pm) has almost disappeared altogether. This has been achieved by integrating advanced fuel injection systems, optimised motor management and afterburners in the exhaust system,” David says.

“Furthermore, Dieseko Group applies the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) AdBlue system to reduce the NOx emissions, the major air pollutant, to an absolute minimum. AdBlue is especially used to reduce emission of this pollutant. It reduces harmful emissions through a chemical reaction into harmless nitrogen and water.

“The ultimate paradox about these

ultra-clean engines is that they have slightly higher fuel consumption and require more maintenance. That is exactly why Dieseko Group has developed the i-Timer,” he says.

The i-Timer can also be installed on previous or existing models of power packs. Especially then a reduction in fuel consumption and emissions up to 75% is possible. Only pre-installation of the iQAN system is required.

In association with the manufacturers of the diesel engines used in the hydraulic power packs, the Research and Development department of Dieseko Group has found a reliable solution to start and stop the engines. It has been integrated in the

IQAN system for optimal regulation.

The engine will shut down automatically, and restarting the engine occurs manually (by remote control).

The i-Timer shuts down the diesel engine automatically when it is not under workload.

Before safely turning off the engine, processes need to be stopped or paused safely as well and special modifications have been made to achieve this.

For instance, the hydraulic pressure remains throughout the system. This is an especially important safety feature for the clamping systems to prevent objects from falling when currently being clamped.

The i-Timer can help users save a significant percentage of fuel, David says.

“A hydraulic power pack runs approximately 4:1, which means only one of four hours the power pack is running to its

full capacity,” he says.

“By shutting down the engine the remaining three hours will equate to fuel savings of up to 35%.

“A customer’s financial benefit can be calculated through our calculation module. The i-Timer is one of the smart saving innovations and, thanks to i-Timer, the running time can be reduced to up to 75 per cent and it will extend the maintenance interval up to four times.

“This also means less replacement of wear and tear parts, transport and maintenance hours with the i-Timer contributing to a substantially longer economic life with lower annual costs,” he says.

“The i-Timer is one of the smart saving innovations and thanks to i-Timer the running time can be reduced to up to 75 per cent and it will extend the maintenance interval up to four times.”

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023 SET FOR BIGGEST SHOW YET

CONEXPO-CON/AGG, already recognised as the largest trade show in North America, has officially sold all available exhibit space, guaranteeing the 2023 edition of the show will be the biggest in history.

“THE ADDITION OF THE NEW WEST Hall and Diamond Lot at the Las Vegas Convention Centre gave us, and our exhibitors, a number of new opportunities to show how we are taking the construction industry to the next level,” said CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show Director Dana Wuesthoff.

“Now at 2.8 million square feet of exhibits, there’s more for construction pros to see than ever before,” she said.

Set to be 5 per cent bigger than the record set in 2020, the show will host 150 education sessions and 1,800 exhibitors during its run from March 14-18, 2023.

Despite being the largest CONEXPOCON/AGG ever, recent additions to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) will make it the easiest to get around as well.

Beneath the entire LVCC campus runs the Convention Centre Loop,

an underground transportation system designed by Elon Musk’s The Boring Company that uses Teslas to transport convention attendees across the campus in under two minutes, free of charge.

“We are excited to welcome CONEXPO-CON/AGG back to Las Vegas for another record-setting event,” said Brian Yost, chief operating officer of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), which owns and operates the LVCC.

“The addition of the West Hall and the Convention Centre Loop will only further enhance the ‘Only Vegas’ experience for attendees and exhibitors.”

Construction pros are ready for the show to return as well.

The current pace of attendee registration is nearly double what it was at this time for the 2020 show.

“This is the event that construction professionals, especially those making company-level decisions, and those needing professional development hours, can’t miss,” said CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show Chair and Caterpillar Senior Vice President Phil Kelliher. “Seeing the new equipment and techniques on a screen doesn’t compare to seeing it all in person. At the show, you can see the equipment, ask questions of the manufacturers themselves, and really understand what the equipment and education can do for your career and business.”

Registration for CONEXPO-CON/ AGG and IFPE is currently 30 per cent off with code MEDIA30. Construction and fluid power pros should get their badges before January 6, 2023, to get that discount and have a better pick of hotel accommodations.

OVER 200 CRANE HIRE COMPANIES SHOWCASE THEIR BEST

TADANO’S

HYBRID ELECTRIC WORKING TOWARDS A GREENER TOMORROW

THE CRANE INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA (CICA) SUPPORTS UPDATED SHOWCASE

With over 190 crane hire businesses supplying information on the premium cranes in their fleets, the 2023 Cranes and Lifting SHOWCASE provides an interesting insight into the makeup of Australia’s crane industry.

three programs are CraneSafe, CrewSafe and StartSafe.

industry and exists to benefit and further the interests of the crane industry. Issues productivity of our members businesses analysing crane incident data to map any

CICA’s CraneSafe ‘Green Sticker’ program has a long history of ensuring that cranes are well maintained and safe to use when they arrive on a site. CraneSafe is a way of continuously monitoring the condition of the crane to determine when maintenance, service, or repair are required and is Australia’s only NATA-approved, independently audited program.

CICA commends Cranes and Lifting excellent and timely resource for the construction and mining sectors. As the 2023 Showcase is circulated electronically and across different platforms, it will no doubt become the ‘go to’ guide for anyone requiring crane services in Australia.

This 2023 showcase highlights how many different cranes we have in Australia and CICA has developed three programs that ensures operators and cranes are well equipped to do the job safely. These

The CrewSafe program is the crane industry’s VOC and meets the requirement for assessing differentiating skills with modules that are designed to be machine-specific, reflecting the current state of knowledge and best practice. All assessments are filmed, documented, and accessible on a CrewSafe application, so site supervisors and crane operators have a centralised point of reference available on their mobile phones.

StartSafe provides confidence to crane owners, because they have documented evidence that pre-start inspections on their cranes are being completed to the highest standard. The major advantage is that information from the pre-start can be sent back to the business, so that the maintenance team can see the condition

of the crane even if it is working remotely.

If you would like more information on any of these initiatives or would like to know more about becoming a CICA member, head to the CICA website www.cica.com.au

“CICA has finished developing an exciting new prestart inspection app. StartSafe provides confidence to crane owners, because they have documented evidence that pre-start inspections on their cranes are being completed to the highest standard.”

THE CRANE INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

TADANO’S GREENER FUTURE

Charging ahead: The sensational Hybrid Technology Tadano presented at bauma features a functional all terrain crane, with the superstructure running exclusively on electric power.

SOME SAY THE FUTURE IS ELECTRIC – TADANO clearly thinks the same way as evidenced by its presentation of a demonstration all terrain crane with an electrified superstructure to a broad public at bauma 2022.

“With this innovative tech demo, we’ll show how Tadano is already laying the foundation so as to be able to use all options for carbon-neutral crane operation in the future,” highlights Project Manager Alexandra Löhner.

In fact, the hybrid approach is part of a whole series of forward-looking solutions like the E-Pack and the ability to run Tadano cranes on alternative diesel fuels, all of which are among Tadano’s efforts to be a trailblazer in the field of environmentally friendly and climate-friendly alternative drives.

This is being done against the backdrop of the company’s commitment to sustainability and protecting the environment.

More specifically, the Tadano Group has the explicit goal of reducing CO2 emissions from its business activities by 25 per cent worldwide, and those from its products by

35 per cent by 2030. Tadano discussed this approach with customers at bauma while using this hybrid tech demo as an example to get feedback for future developments.

This is why suitability for real-life use was a priority from the get-go when developing the hybrid tech demo and why the crane is designed to remain fully self-sufficient and ready for operation at all times, regardless of operating conditions. This was achieved with a particularly flexible power supply concept in which the superstructure’s electric operation can be powered through the integrated battery, through a connection to external power, or with the help of a generator on the diesel engine that provides power for the electric motor on the superstructure. The result? The superstructure always runs on exclusively electric power while the system ensures maximum reliability.

Also worth mentioning: The electrified superstructure design makes it possible to use either 32 A or 63 A connectors when using external power.

Any concerns about the performance of an electrified crane would be totally unfounded: The electric motor’s working speed and delivered lifting capacity are exactly at the same level as those of a diesel engine – and that is regardless of which of the three possible sources of power is used, since the battery serves as a buffer. Moreover, the hybrid demo crane shines in other areas as well.

For instance, its electric crane operation comes with significantly lower noise emissions under all lifting conditions.

EXTREMELY PROMISING BENEFIT–COST RATIO

The demo crane also brings good news in regard to operating costs, with the primary reason for this being the electric motor’s high efficiency – around 95 per cent under ideal conditions.

“When we take into account all the components in the electric drive system –that is, all the way from the outlet to the electric motor – our demo crane consistently achieves a system efficiency of around 85

The Hybrid project is part of the Tadano Group’s explicit goal of reducing the CO2 emissions from its business activities by 25 per cent worldwide and those from its products by 35 per cent by 2030.

per cent. That’s more than twice as much as an efficient diesel engine, which comes in at a much lower 40 per cent,” Hydraulics & Electrics Manager Carsten Henglein says.

This also yields a significantly better carbon footprint for the hybrid demo crane. “Our calculations used the energy mix in Germany in 2020 as a basis, meaning that the percentage of renewable power fed in would be 47 per cent. But even with a less environmentally friendly mix, these calculations show that electric superstructure operation would still be able to reduce the corresponding carbon footprint by up to 50 per cent in comparison to diesel-driven superstructures,” he underscores.

The Tadano hybrid concept also comes with advantages in regard to servicing costs: The battery and electric motor require much less maintenance than diesel engines with their complex exhaust systems, which also means that the scope of maintenance and servicing training required for electrified superstructures is relatively small. Needless to say, however, this does not apply to operating the crane – it is no different from conventional drives in this regard, meaning that no special training is required for this purpose either.

HEAVY-DUTY, DURABLE BATTERY

Even though the tech demo is not up for sale, it is still possible to estimate ballpark acquisition costs already. As expected, they would still be higher than those for a comparable conventional crane, but the difference would be more than compensated for over the crane’s lifecycle due to the lower operating costs.

In fact, the battery used would also contribute to a positive net result, as its design ensures that it will still have around 80 per cent of its original rated capacity after 3,000 full charging cycles. Moreover, partial cycles can be added and, according to the manufacturer, would have a positive impact on service life.

It is also important to mention that ruggedness was an important factor when selecting components: Neither extremely dusty environments nor low temperatures pose a problem for electric crane operation.

“To guarantee reliable operation even at very low temperatures, we equipped the

crane with a thermal management system that continuously keeps the battery in an ideal temperature range and pre-heats it before starting, if necessary,” Henglein explains.

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED: CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

The team at Tadano is extremely confident in its electrified superstructure concept as a result of the testing conducted to date. “The hybrid demo crane met all our expectations. In addition to helping us build development know-how, it provided us with many more valuable insights on how to work with this next-gen technology in a multitude of areas: safety during installation and testing, procurement and production logistics, properly handling the battery and the associated requirements for dangerous goods – you name it. In short, we’ve made some huge strides,” Löhner says..

Among other things, Tadano now expects its hybrid solution to yield invaluable feedback from customers. In fact, the company has clarified that it used bauma to talk to customers about their thoughts on the technology and to better understand their concrete expectations for it.

“This is obviously important, since we’re not pushing innovations just for innovation’s sake, but rather with our customers’ best interests in mind at all times. And that means that their feedback is the foundation for our decisions,” AT Product Line Vice

President Frank Schröder mentions before underscoring the fact that Tadano will always offer markets the technologies that are viable in their specific situations. It should come as no surprise then that Tadano cranes with combustion engines will also remain available as long as necessary.

Having said that, the hybrid approach is so promising that the team at Tadano can definitely see the development of a marketready crane on the basis of the tech demo, with more to follow afterwards.

A full range of models with electrified superstructures would not be out of the question, for example.

At bauma, customers had the opportunity to take a closer look at the hybrid tech demo and talk about it with the Tadano team for the first time ever: The plan is to have regular demonstrations with the hybrid crane.

Tadano clearly thinks the future is electric and presented a demonstration all terrain crane with an electrified superstructure to a broad public for the first time ever at this year’s bauma.

“To guarantee reliable operation even at very low temperatures, we equipped the crane with a thermal management system that continuously keeps the battery in an ideal temperature range and pre-heats it before starting, if necessary.”

INSURANCE ASSESSING WITH UAA

BRETT STARTED HIS CAREER AS A LIGHT vehicle mechanic and quickly progressed to heavy diesel mechanic, with Max Cranes, now Max Services, in South Australia. During his 12 years with the business, he progressed to Workshop Supervisor and then Workshop Manager. After five years, he moved into the role of Group Operations Manager managing all facets of the now large business. This included operations, mechanical services, project management and service delivery.Brett takes up his story.

“I had 12 terrific years with Mark and the team at Max Services, but I always had the ambition to work for myself. Back in June 2021 I saw an opportunity in regional South Australia in particular, for a business that included my skills in project management, mechanical support and services within the crane and heavy industrial sector. That’s when I started Kinetik Consulting.

“Shortly after starting the business, I completed the CraneSafe endorsement process and became an approved assessor through the CICA CraneSafe scheme. Crane assessing is now a fair portion of the business. And since then, we have been working with companies like UAA and Mecon with incident causation reports and loss adjusting, specifically around cranes and heavy vehicle equipment,” Brett says.

“We also work on smaller capital projects - specifically project management and supervision. We have a team of four guys which provided project management on site, including mine sites in regional South Australia. We also provide services in the hydraulics and automation space. providing fault finding, general mechanical, breakdown support and hydraulic component retail across regional South Australia,” he says.

Brett goes on to discuss the relationship with UAA and Mecon and how the companies came to work together.

I was out on my own and doing some mechanical consulting and inspection work. He was looking for more people with specific crane experience and who had relationships with both repairers and crane OEMs.

“He was looking for people in the market to help facilitate recoveries, repairs to help get customers back up and running as quickly, efficiently and as cost effectively as possible,” Brett says.

“We started off slowly with some smaller claims, basically to support my growth and understanding in the insurance space.”

“Working with UAA has now developed into a significant element of our business and we have been working on several bigger claims involving larger and newer machines which have been involved in significant events - anywhere from the East Coast to

“Usually, a claims consultant within UAA will notify me of an event, whatever that might be, and that an insured party has put a claim forward. They’ll give me a brief regarding the information they have received and provide us with the insureds and the brokers details. I contact both the insured and the broker and ascertain any details that they have regarding specific asset information, maintenance and service histories, CraneSafes or third party inspections and importantly any investigation reports, or any third-party reports from the authorities involved,” he said.

“Depending on how significant the event is, determines if I need to be on site or not. From there, we’ll generate a causation

Kinetik Consulting provides specialised consultancy and mechanical engineering services to a range of customers across multiple industries. Director Brett Woolford has a strong background in the crane industry and explains how his business has diversified to include

Kinetik Consulting works in terms of insurance claims.

Brett delivering a presentation at the CICA National Conference and Exhibition

Kinetik Consultng has been working with UAA and Mecon with incident causation reports and loss adjusting, specifically around cranes and heavy vehicle equipment

repairers quote on the repairs and arrange to have the asset delivered to the repairer. The repairer and I will then workshop the repair process, examine the best, quickest and most cost effective options to get the machine repaired. If is deemed a total loss, we’ll go through the process of working out market values of the asset,” Brett says.

From there, Brett compiles a report with all recommendations - based on whether it’s a total loss of settlement or a repair. And if it becomes a repair, he works with the repairer, ensuring the insured gets their machine back as per working order prior to

“The insurance assessing for UAA adds value to the business as it’s very much within the crane industry and fits very well with our inspection side of the business with CraneSafe assessing,” he says.

“It really complements the rest of the business. It’s not a full-time job and probably accounts for 15 hours a week of loss adjusting.”

“The CraneSafe assessing, third party endorsements and UAA loss adjusting all complement each other perfectly”.

Brett explains how the relationship

of experts like myself in Australia that support UAA from a technical space.

“The main reason I have been going interstate is because other companies have been busy as well. Unfortunately for many businesses, It’s been a busy six months in the crane industry with several significant events. It’s really pushed everyone a bit.

“I certainly like to stick to my own patch, there’s no doubt about that. But obviously, if UAA or someone asks us to support interstate customers, I’m absolutely willing to do so, anything to help get a client back up and running as soon as possible,” he says.

Brett with UAA’s George Grasso at the CICA National Conference and Exhibition

Current extended lead times for new equipment is another reason for strong resale values of not just late model cranes.

THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE BLOWING

For some crane businesses the challenges of the last three years have been proved to be too much, with a number of good family-owned businesses deciding to close the doors. With 28 years plus of crane financing experience Jeff Wilson, Senior Partner at Finlease, predicts further changes will blow through the industry - and has tips on how to navigate them.

“I TRULY BELIEVE THAT A NUMBER OF THE older generation in our industry is plain tired,” Jeff says.

“They are tired after battling the many challenges presented by COVID, they are tired because of a lack of quality people available in the workforce, tired because the unions are ramping up negotiations on wage increases, tired with constant supply chain issues, tired because of the number of additional “regulations/ paperwork” required to stay in businesses.

“They are tired because they haven’t been able to have taken holidays and recharged their energy levels and tired because they recognise there is a need to reinvest in their businesses to gear up for the work that’s here now and the work that is coming. This has

led to some business owners saying, “You know what? “This is all too hard,” and with such strong secondary values on equipment, because of the chain supply issues, some owners are now simply closing their doors and selling their crane fleets,” Jeff says.

Jeff provides an example of a business located in a flood prone area on the East Coast. Every time there is a flood the business and surrounding businesses go under; it takes the business and the local economy a good 12 months to 24 months to recover.

On one occasion the business owners went through multiple floods in a year, they battled through COVID and then they were faced with the prospect of having to put their workers on similar EBAs to that of the capital cities. Unfortunately, not having the same

utilisation of capital city-based companies it did put a lot of additional financial pressure on the company. So, after all the years in business, the owner said, “You know what? I don’t need this stress in my life anymore. I’ve had enough of this. I’ll just shut the doors.”

Jeff adds that the current extended lead times for new equipment is another reason that business owners are electing to go down this path, as the strong resale values of not just late model cranes, but transport equipment is allowing owners (rightly) to walk away with good equity.

“If my intel is correct, unfortunately we are going to see further businesses putting up their hands and saying, ‘my time is done let’s shut the doors’ and this may happen across the country,” Jeff says.

It is easy to understand the decisionmaking processes that lead to the closing of doors, and Jeff goes on to examine the impact this is going to have on the Sydney market as an example. There are bound to be positive outcomes for the remaining crane hire businesses, he says.

“This is why the Winds of Change describes perfectly the current environment. A crane hire company in Sydney operating say 10 cranes decides to shut the doors. For the sake of this example, let’s say there are 300 cranes in the Sydney market.

“The crane business says, “I’m shutting my doors,” and those 10 cranes are predominately sold out of the Sydney market leaving 290 cranes left to do the work of 300 cranes. The Winds of Change dictate that either the tried and trusted remaining businesses will pick up that work, or the opportunity will exist for the younger generation in the industry who are coming through will roll up their sleeves saying, “Hey, now’s the time for me to have a go” and find their first or second crane and start the journey of building a crane hire business” he said.

“So, there’s going to be a new generation, a younger generation, replacing those that have closed the doors. Over recent years, we’ve also seen a changing of the guard in well-established long-term family-owned businesses. We’ve seen it with the multiple businesses throughout Australia as the parents of the business now get ready for “slowing down” and their children stepping up and taking on more ownership responsibilities.

The Winds of Change has seen the passing of the ‘old guard’ more recently with the passing of CICA Life Members Bob Parker, Robert Way and John Gillespie and more recently the sad and sudden passing of Gibb (Gibby) McKay earlier this year.

There’s a lot of change happening before our very eyes and it’s not limited to the crane hire businesses either, says Jeff. The Winds of Change are blowing throughout the industry including a change in the leadership of our industry group, The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA), says Jeff.

“We’ve seen the CICA National President Tom Smith step down and Ben Pieyre from Boom Logistics step up and into the

role. Two years ago, I personally decided to gradually step down as the Chair in NSW and this gave Anthony Heeks from Pace Cranes and myself the opportunity to work together on a seamless handover of responsibilities.

“We’ve seen some changes in Queensland as well with Steve Ganano stepping down as Chair and Pete Koschel from Tadano stepping up, and there’s also Marcus Rigney, the South Australian chair, stepping down. It does appear the time is right for change,” said Jeff.

“I can remember attending national conferences or attending tours to bauma and ConExpo, some 25-26 years ago, and remembering looking up to John Gillespie, Jeff Brundell, Robert Way and Gibby McKay (to mention a few) thinking they were our industry’s’ senior statesmen. I look now and I can see it’s my generation now running with the baton,” he said.

The Winds of Change are also blowing through the financial sector. Interest rates are increasing as an attempt to get inflation under control, there is talk of recession, the war in Europe looks like it isn’t about to end anytime soon and there is a continued shortage of labour. Jeff says these factors will have a different impact on the industry.

“I see the business world as being in a unique position. The media is telling us that the world is about to come to an end. Interest rates are continuing to rise and there’s no doubt at all about that, we’re all seeing it every month in our repayments.

“But when you listen to not just crane business owners but business owners in general, large medium or small, there is so much optimism about the amount of work/ infrastructure spend to come, the number of shovel-ready projects in the pipeline, and we’re still struggling with massive housing and labor shortages, so, I just can’t see the construction industry changing or slowing down any time soon”.

“But there are challenges. We’ve still got supply chain related issues, but these will ease in time, there’s a skills shortage and the unions are very active in trying to negotiate better outcomes for the membership. They know the construction sector is set for

a good decade and they’re really pushing aggressively while they believe they can do,” he says.

“I have an expression that if you’re a medium-sized company, you are too small to be big, but you’re too big to be small. Because you’re that medium size, you can’t afford to have all the infrastructure a big company can afford. This can include a draftsman, a fulltime mechanic, multiple office staff etc.

“And because you’re the size you are, you’re too big to be operating with just one accounts person or running the business out of your home. You’ve got five to eight cranes and three trucks supporting them, so you need a yard to house all of this. So, a medium sized business is stuck with all these overheads whilst the smaller guys might operate from home with very low overheads,” he said.

The bigger businesses have multiple cranes and trucks that simply allow them to spread the costs of running the business over more assets thus reducing the cost of “back office” staff.

“And if you think about, it is the medium sized business that has the most to consider? It’s a fascinating change and it’s happening before our eyes, and we see it now.

“The businesses themselves are good business and performing well. It’s just that the owners are saying, “Hold on, I’ve just spent the last three years on this emotional rollercoaster of COVID related lockdowns, fires and floods, staff shortages, union pressures and now I’ve got to invest another $4 million just to survive? Their conclusion has been, “I don’t think I’m ready for that,” and the Winds of Change will continue to blow throughout the industry,” Jeff says.

ANY LIFT, ANYWHERE, ANY TIME

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Maximum boom configuration of largest Luffing (in meters)

Make and model of largest Hammerhead Lifting capacity of largest Hammerhead (in tonnes)

Maximum boom configuration of largest Hammerhead (in meters)

LIFT OF THE MONTH

PLEASE SEND YOUR LIFT OF THE MONTH ENTRIES TO SIMON.GOULD@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU

WHO: Melrose Cranes and Rigging

WHERE: Sydney Gateway Project

LIFT: Headstock number 12

WEIGHT: 200,000kg including rigging

CRANES: Two Grove all terrains, a GMK 6400 with 400t capacity and 135t of counterweight and a GMK 7450 with 450t capacity and 120t of counterweight.

The quiet performer

Humma 55 highest capacity with auto-leveller suspension

Built Australian Built Tough

 The only Australian made range of Pick and Carry Cranes

 Fully fabricated in Australia using robotic welding

 Australian owned by the DRA Group established in 1971

 Field proven lowest operating costs of all Pick and Carry Cranes

 Field proven highest level of safety with class leading innovation

 2 year/2,000 hours warranty, 15 year/15,000 hours to major inspection based on established historic data

 Fully powered and compensated boom to 20.7m – longest in its class

 Humma 35 UG series – the only Pick and Carry approved meeting underground specifications

YOU START SAVING MONEY THE DAY YOU BUY A HUMMA