Sany and Tutt Bryant

SANY HEAVY LIFTERS FOR TUTT BRYANT

Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift (TBHLS) recently took delivery of the first of two 800t capacity lattice boom crawler cranes, the Sany SCC8000A.

MALCOM SMITH, GENERAL MANAGER,

TBHLS explains the reasons for the purchases and where they will be operating.

“There are a number of reasons for the purchases, with fleet renewal high on the list. We are looking to dispose of our 600 tonne Capacity Demag CC2800-1 which has served us well on the east coast of Australia. We are also looking to step up in capacity as the jobs and projects are getting that bit larger in size. So, we will be replacing the 600t Demag with the 2nd of the 800t Sany which arrives in February into Brisbane.

“We will also be sending one of our Manitowoc MLC650 back to the east coast. We’ve had this crane in WA for a few years, and it will soon be operating on a Melbourne project from September 2022. The new 800t Sany in Western Australia will therefore bolster our large crane offering in the west. We used to have a 550t Kobelco which we moved between projects in both the east and west. This unit was sold last year and we didn’t replace it at the time. The new SCC8000As will upgrade our capabilities and replace gear we’ve sold more recently,” he said.

Smith goes on to discuss the new technology featured in the new Sanys.

“The Sany cranes, like most of today’s cranes, with their superlifts, all feature some form of vario or extender frame which enables you to adjust the counterweight in and out and up and down. The Sany SCC8000A that came into Western Australia has 99 meters of main boom (non superlift) along with 111 meters of main boom and full superlift – with extender frame and split counterweight tray,” he said.

The SCC8000A arriving in Queensland will have 99 meters of main boom (non superlift), 111 meters of regular main boom with superlift, 123 meters of mixed main boom with superlift, 147 meters of mixed main boom and full superlift. The crane also comes with 165 meters of power boom which includes 3.5 metre sections which are fitted into the boom and it features

The Sany SCC8000A which arrived in Western Australia has 99 metres of main boom (non superlift) along with 111 metres of main boom and full superlift.

a super power boom. This is made up of two booms side by side for a certain portion of the main boom. TBHLS has also purchased the crane with a short wind jib which can be used to install wind turbines to a hook height of 177 meters. It has a full luffing fly of 96 meters as well.

“The crane headed for Brisbane is going to have greater capacities than anything else in the market right now. So, for the next generation of wind turbines coming up in the future, this crane is certainly very suitable for that work.

“We have also purchased two lengths of derrick, 36m and 42m with extender frame which means the counterweight can go in and out from 18m to 24m, as well as up and down” he said.

The crane also has a split superlift counterweight tray enabling quick removal of 100 tonnes of superlift counterweight making the crane extremely flexible.

The cranes feature the Porsche cab which is designed to provide high visibility for the operator. They also feature world class componentry says Smith.

“Sany has been working and developing the Porsche cab for the past decade or so and it features on all of their crawler cranes. It’s a really popular cab with the operators as it’s quite spacious and with the increased visibility enables the operator to thoroughly view his surroundings and operate the crane safely.

“They also feature European winch motors and controls and they are powered by a Cummins engine. These cranes feature exactly the same components and equipment that you will find in models manufactured by other leading crane OEMs. By running this quality of gear, the productivity, reliability and longevity of the crane is greatly enhanced.

“Sany, along with many of the other Chinese crane manufacturers, are progressing rapidly with their product development. We have the factory examining some additional features which we would like to see on the crane which will help with the advancement of the machine,” he said.

“From TBHLS’s point of view, Sany is a proactive crane OEM. They are listening to our feedback on the product and act on the suggestions we put forward. Their response times for improvements and engineering solutions are really impressive and the level of service they provide is excellent.”

Smith confirms critical spare parts are coming with each crane.

“We have sat down with Sany and identified all the critical spares which may be required if the crane was to break down. These will be supplied in containers for each of the units we have coming. This means we will have stock in Australia and we won’t be relying on delivery from China or from Europe, stock will be available locally.

“Time is of the essence when you are operating big cranes and most of the time the cranes are on the critical path for the projects they are working on. This means that it is essential we have utilisation and availability with these pieces of equipment,” he said.

Sany has been working and developing the Porsche cab for the past decade or so and it features on all of their crawler cranes. “The Sany cranes, like most of today’s cranes, with their superlifts, all feature some form of vario or extender frame, which enables you to adjust the counterweight in and out.”

Sany, along with many of the other Chinese crane manufacturers, are progressing rapidly with their product development.

“From our perspective, our customers – the end users – are able to complete their jobs without delay because of the Sany support they receive via Tutt Bryant.”

Chinese manufacturers are pushing the boundaries in terms of capacities and capabilities with Sany developing and deploying the SCC40000A, a 4000t capacity lattice boom crawler, and Zoomlion launching the W12000-450 a 450 tonne capacity tower crane, the world’s largest Top-Slewing tower crane, leading the era of super-large tower cranes, says Smith.

“The Chinese manufacturers are constantly evolving, examining the market and listening to their customers in Europe, the US, Australia and China. I understand Sany has a significant position in the Vietnam wind industry sector where there are a number of 700t and 800t capacity cranes completing multiple wind tower projects.

“Sany engineer and manufacture highly productive machines and they are looking at what the industry requires, and probably looking at what the opposition is developing. Like all OEM’s, Sany is focused on providing a competitive edge with its products.

“When we have had conversations with Sany about improving the product, we have seen improvements. With the first units received from Sany, we made suggestions on how they could be improved. By the third unit, the changes we suggested had been included. Their engineering teams are really cooperative and responsive. They also send kits for the initial units we’ve purchased enabling us to retrofit the upgrades including software upgrades.

“From our point of view, this type of relationship is excellent for us. We are listening to our customers and registering their feedback and the comments they might have when they are using the equipment. We then discuss this with Sany and their teams. Sany has taken a very progressive

approach with the way they are evolving the product.

“They are constantly looking to improve with what I call ‘one percenters’. They are addressing these one percent issues to elevate themselves up to a level where they are now competing with the other OEM’s. With some products, I’d say they are leading the market,” said Smith.

“We have a strong relationship with the engineering teams at Sany. When we have made suggestions about increasing the wind speed, or increasing the lifting capacity or asking if we could run both winches at once to do a rotation, they are very reactive in examining the possibilities and then coming back to us with solutions. Their engineering capability and the speed at which they respond is excellent.

“From our perspective, our customers, the end users are able to complete their jobs without delay because of the Sany support they receive via Tutt Bryant. Although the pandemic has significantly interrupted the global markets our relationship with Sany has continued to operate seamlessly,” he said.

The first Sany SCC8000A is on site in Western Australia and will start operating in February. TBHLS have lined up a number of projects for both cranes.

“From there the West Australian crane will move immediately to another project up north where it will be based, for upwards of nine months.

“The crane headed to Brisbane is going to be busy with projects planned along the East Coast. It will look impressive with the twin boom, the luffing fly, the power boom and the superpower boom all great features. The crane is one of

only a few in Australia that has these configurations available. It’s going to be a versatile crane which goes from a standard 800t to a heavy lift 800t and with the extender frames it matches any of the European cranes operating in today’s market,” said Smith.

“We think it’s great technology and our large crane operators have been in the seat, driving and familiarising themselves with the crane here in Perth. They have said that the operations are simple to learn and easy to understand, making it a very easy crane to drive. These operators have been operating the largest cranes in our fleet and probably the largest slew cranes in the country and they rate the Sany product. They are strong, reliable and they are true to their load charts,” he said.