Cranes and Lifting March 2023

P.A. Construction Equipment Pty Ltd (Pace Cranes) was established in 1987 to provide the construction industry with an independent Australian owned and operated crane sales, crane service and crane spare parts organisation.

For over 30 years Pace Cranes have offered premium quality equipment to the Australasian market with a dedicated and unrivalled service, supported by specialist technical advise across the full range of equipment sold.

Mini Crawler Cranes

Crawler Cranes Electric Cranes

Mobile Cranes Telescopic Crawler Cranes

Duty Cycle Cranes

Glass Lifting Devices

Tracked Carriers

Crawler Cranes

Knuckle Boom Cranes

Electric Pick & Carry Cranes

Glass Manipulators

Bi-level Multi Loaders

48 Gleason Cranes

Exploring the Zoomlion range of cranes.

52 Tadano’s new all-terrain

Tadano launches the strongest all terrain in its class.

56 MCT equipment

The Magni telehandler and a new premises.

58 Borger Cranes and Precision Rigging Complex chiller lift completed ahead of time.

62 Cranecorp

Continued growth despite the challenges.

66 JDM ser vices

Insight into Victoria’s Manitowoc’s Service Agent.

70 Tadano service vehicles

Tadano updates service vehicle fleet to better serve clients.

73 Pace Cranes

Industry legend joins the Pace Cranes’ team.

76 LEEA update Dates and venue for LiftEx Australia announced.

79 XCMG

New rough terrain delivered

82 Lif t of the month

What our industry does best.

WELCOME TO THE MARCH 2023 ISSUE OF CRANESANDLIFTING.

POST COVID SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION CONTINUES

The impact of the COVID pandemic in the supply chain world for crane OEMs has been well documented from lockdowns to urgent PPE shipments resulting in supply chain disruption.

With COVID restrictions rapidly reducing in many parts of the world, is it fair to comment that most assume that supply chains have recovered and goods will be accessible as before Amongst supply chain experts, that is highly questionable, since disruption to freight transportation and warehousing is still clearly evident.

Shortages in the United States have also alerted the majority, who have only recently learned about supply chains that perhaps, the ‘new normal’ will look very different moving forward.

The question remains “Is the right inventory in the right place at the right time for the right cost?”. A simple statement that supply chain textbooks have cited since their creation, which

is in fact not too long ago.

Globalization created a full array of new opportunities for sourcing, manufacturing, assembly, and more, with lower variable costs such as cheaper labour as well as operational infrastructure.

However, rising shipping costs and transportation disruption, as we have seen in recent years, jeopardize the foreseen benefits of international production and sourcing.

In recent weeks, the COVID zero-tolerance policy in China has seen further chaos added to supply chain woes. With reports of over 150,000 containers waiting to be shipped from China ports, alternative manufacturing locations are becoming an increasing reality for many brands as the world awaits the impact of the congestion in Europe and the United States.

So, it appears, supply chain disruptions will continue to impact the availability of new cranes and also spare parts.

As always the team at Cranes and Lifting has worked hard to bring you a variety of articles covering people on the move in the industry, complex lifts and capability statements. We are delighted to welcome The Crane Association of New Zealand (CANZ) as a new partner to the magazine and this issue includes the first of a what will be a regular NZ focused feature.

On behalf of the Cranes and Lifting team, we hope you enjoy the read.

Published by:

Cranes and Lifting

379 Docklands Drive, Docklands VIC 3008

T: 03 9690 8766

www.primecreativemedia.com.au

CEO John Murphy

E: john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

Chief Operating Officer Christine Clancy

E: christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au

Managing Editor Andrew Hobbs

E: andrew.hobbs@primecreative.com.au

Editor Simon Gould

E: simon.gould@primecreative.com.au

Journalist

Josh Farrell

E: Joshua.farrell@primecreative.com.au

T: 0420 298 087

Business Development Manager

Emily Schlegel

E: emily.schlegel@primecreative.com.au

T: 0466 317 555

Client Success Manager Glenn Delaney

E: glenn.delaney@primecreative.com.au

Art Director Bea Barthelson

Advertisement Designer Lee Mawdsley

Imaging Assistant Paul Breen Subscriptions

Frank Rapone

T: 03 9690 8766

E: frank.rapone@primecreative.com.au

The Publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published.

© Copyright – No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.

LINK-BELT ANNOUNCES POSITION CHANGES FOLLOWING ROY BURGER RETIREMENT

After 40 years of dedicated service, Roy Burger, Government Sales and International Sales Manager, has announced his retirement effective December 31, 2022. Burger led International Sales at Link-Belt Cranes since 2008, and also managed Link-Belt Government Sales since 2014. Burger began his career at Link-Belt in 1982 with the telescopic crane Manufacturing Management Team. He moved to Employee Relations Manager, then to Telescopic

Crane Product Manager before becoming a District Sales Manager covering the Southeastern United States.

“For the past 15 years, Roy has been the face of Link-Belt’s international business and a worthy ambassador of the Link-Belt brand in the international arena. Roy formed long-lasting relationships across the globe, especially in Australia. We very much appreciate all of Roy’s years of dedicated service for

Link-Belt Cranes and wish him the very best in his retirement,” said Bill Stramer, Senior Vice-President of Marketing, Sales, and Customer Support.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES

Effective January 1, 2023 and following Burger’s retirement, Pat Collins, Director of Product Marketing, will oversee LinkBelt’s international sales business in addition to his current responsibilities. Kelly Fiechter has been named Product Manager for rough terrain cranes and will take on the responsibility of Government Sales. Brian Elkins will transfer to Product Manager of Lattice Crawler and Telescopic Crawler Cranes.

“For the past 15 years, Roy has been the face of Link-Belt’s international business and a worthy ambassador of the Link-Belt brand in the international arena.”

TAKING THE SHOCK OUT OF PILING

VIBRATION DAMPENING, LIFTING & PILE HANDLING + PILING EQUIPMENT

+61 2 9838 3144

 info@pileequip.com.au

 pileequip.com.au

LIEBHERR PERFORMS STS LIFT HEIGHT EXTENSION IN AUSTRALIA AND PLANS SIMILAR PROJECT FOR NEW YORK

Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd. is delighted to have completed their first ship to shore lift height increase with their new patented jacking system as part of Liebherr-Transform. The operation was conducted under the supervision of Liebherr engineers at Patrick Terminals – Brisbane Autostrad.

Brisbane Autostrad located on the eastern coast of Australia is one of

the world’s most advanced container terminals. Liebherr has two ship to shore container cranes at the terminal, a new STS currently being commissioned and an STS supplied in 2015. The 2015 crane has a supplied lift height of 37.5m, but with larger vessels calling at the port, a lift height extension was required.

Liebherr has been carrying out lift height extensions for many years, but in 2022 a new patented jacking system for

lift height extensions, was deployed at the Brisbane terminal for its first use. Designed and built in Liebherr Container Cranes in Ireland, one of the key features of the system is that it uses the crane’s end carriage as a solid base for jacking the crane structure, eliminating the requirement for additional equipment. Furthermore, since the system uses the crane structure as a basis for jacking, the loadings are low and are carried through the existing crane.

Preparation takes a couple of weeks and the flexible system allows the crane to be jacked in position or moved back from the rails for jacking if required. The actual crane raise and the insertion of the extensions can be completed in a number of hours and so is suited to terminals prone to high winds. The operation is exceptionally quick and the whole process can be completed from as little as four weeks per crane. Following completion of the project, the jacks are containerised and shipped onwards for their next deployment.

GCT New York LP operates four Liebherr ship to shore container cranes. Supplied in 2004, the cranes have a lift height of 36.57 m and an outreach of 50 m. Working in partnership with Liebherr USA, GCT will undertake a significant Liebherr-Transform project to extend the lift height of the cranes by 8.6 m and the outreach of the cranes by 5 m (two bays). When complete, the cranes will have the ability to work the largest vessels currently calling the port of NY/NJ allowing GCT to better service their customers.

Liebherr-Transform is the upgrade and modification service from Liebherr. Ports and terminals are under relentless pressure to reduce costs and boost performance through increased productivity, faster turnarounds, and reduction in equipment downtime. Unleash the full potential of your container cranes with a manageable financial investment. LiebherrTransform uses the best available technologies to make your crane stronger, faster, smarter, greener and ultimately…better!

For ideas that tower above the rest

Our HC-L series luffing jib cranes enable quick, safe and reliable operation almost anywhere. Maximum lifting capacities of up to 64 tonnes, hook heights of more than 1,000 metres and a small slewing radius ensure efficient construction site work, even in the tightest spaces and under extreme conditions. Contact

Tower Cranes

LARGEST EVER LATTICE BOOM MOBILE CRANE ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA

Tutt Bryant Equipment announces Australia’s first delivery of the recently released Sany SCL10000 lattice boom mobile crane.

QUEENSLAND COMMUTERS WERE treated to a spectacular sight of the largest ever lattice boom mobile crane to have arrived in Australia – the recently released Sany SCL10000.

Built with 133m of main boom and 12m of fixed jib, the 1,000t capacity crane was being commissioned in Yatala before delivery to its first job at a wind farm site in Queensland.

Country Manager for Sany, Neo Liu spoke of the importance of the crane to the region. “The arrival of the SCL10000 marks another big step for Sany in proving our capability to produce world-class industry-leading cranes,” Neo said.

“This model will be important in setting a new benchmark for super heavy lift cranes with the mobility

With 133m of main boom and 12m of fixed jib, the 1,000t capacity crane was being commissioned before delivery to its first job at a wind farm site in Queensland.

needed for projects such as wind turbine erection,” he said.

National Sales & Marketing Manager for Tutt Bryant Equipment, Peter Gray spoke of the excitement the team felt.

“We are extremely pleased to have been able to work with Sany to develop this crane and bring it into Australia, clearing all the compliance hurdles and meeting customer’s requirements.”

The Sany SCL10000 is a beast of a crane with a maximum lifting moment

of 12,100 tonne-metre, and it can be configured with a maximum boom length of 171m plus 12m of fixed jib when operating in superlift.

The 8-axle carrier was specially designed upon a lightweight frame that has been optimised to an antitorsion box structure and powered by an 8-cylinder Mercedes-Benz 502 V-type diesel engine. Its ZF automatic transmission provides a wide range of speed ratios with 12 forward and

2 reversing gears.

The upper works of the SCL10000 is driven by a Cummins Tier III (Tier IV optional) engine, and it is based on the widely accepted SCC8000A crawler crane so operators would be familiar with the controls inside the Porschedesigned cab. Between the upper and the carrier are the X-type two-stage telescopic outriggers.

In a further step towards decarbonisation, the engines of the SCL10000 have been cleared to run on renewable diesel as a drop-in replacement fuel. Renewable diesel is Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) made from 100 per cent sustainably sourced raw materials such as used cooking oil and animal fat from food industry waste. On a well- to-wheel basis, HVO is expected to result in as much as 75-95% less greenhouse gas emissions over the fuel’s lifecycle when compared with fossil diesel.

The Sany SCL10000 has approval for concessional Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) entry, allowing it to be registered for road use in the relevant state or territory.

The upper works of the SCL10000 is driven by a Cummins Tier III (Tier IV optional) engine, and it is based on the widely accepted SCC8000A crawler crane so operators would be familiar with the controls inside the Porschedesigned cab.

The 8-axle carrier was specially designed upon a lightweight frame that has been optimised to an anti-torsion box structure and powered by an 8-cylinder Mercedes-Benz 502 V-type diesel engine.

MANAGING STRESSFUL TIMES

MOST PEOPLE I’VE SPOKEN TO HAVE hit the ground running in 2023. There is an abundance of projects in the pipeline and staffing challenges mean that we’re all doing extra to keep completing the jobs in a timely manner.

It is common to make New Year’s resolutions regarding our physical health, and while looking after ourselves physically has beneficial mental health spin offs, I urge you to consider your New Year’s resolutions for your mental health. Waiting until the mental load has become heavy is like watching the temperature gauge go up in your car but waiting until the engine seizes before going to the mechanic.

Time pressures can prevent us from being proactive in this space but if you don’t make time for it, you may end up having to take time off to deal with it.

CICA provides a free well-being platform as well as an Employee Assistance Program for member companies and their staff. This partnership is with human resource firm Lifeworks, who support over 26 million people worldwide.

The platform is a combination of pro-active apps which have a variety of resources relating to five key areas:-

• P ersonal well-being and health

• Relationship issues

• Fa mily issues

• Substance abuse and addiction

• Workplace challenges.

The platform is underpinned by two phone-based applications, one called LifeWorks, which offers five quick surveys to examine the employee’s overall wellbeing, as well as helping to determine what resources should appear on their newsfeed within the app. The other is the Lift session fitness app. which provides a wide range of workouts that can be done anywhere, without the need for

expensive equipment.

There aren’t many industry associations providing this type of benefit to their members, and CICA hopes to see it make a difference for people right across the Crane Industry.

This service is provided free of charge to all CICA members and their employees and is completely confidential. If you are a member and would like to find out more contact CICA Membership Manager Paul Arztenhofer.

In last month’s issue, you may have read about CICA’s award winning OnRoad Articulated Steering Mobile Crane Training Course. This course is very significant to our industry for a number of reasons:

1. It is the right thing to do. It is also 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. Failing to recognise this and utilise available training tools can have serious ramifications for all, if an incident occurs.

2. Th e NHVR was tasked by the Queensland Coroner (as a result of the 2017 Inquest into the deaths of Christine Nan Leonardi and Samuel John Leonardi) to urgently amend the National Class 1 Special Purpose Vehicle Notice to:

Ben Pieyre

“The threat of heavy regulation is a very real possibility for our industry, so while we have been given this opportunity to selfregulate, we should make every attempt to do so, to demonstrate that we are an industry that places a high importance on safety.”

a. i mpose a speed restriction of 60km/h on all mobile articulated steering cranes (until such time as electronic stability control systems are developed and fitted); and restrict access to mobile articulated steering cranes on roads and motorways where it is assessed that a speed restriction of 60km/h will be unsafe for other motorists.

b. P ropose an amendment to the Heavy Vehicle National Law to ensure that internal speed limiters are set to 60km/h on all mobile articulated steering cranes (or 80km/h when fitted with electronic stability control); and

c. C onduct independent testing of each make and model mobile articulated steering crane to determine whether there are any inherent lateral stability issues that need to be addressed in terms of the design of the vehicles. Th e NHVR has completed its testing and it is anticipated their findings and recommendations will be released sometime in 2023. The threat of heavy regulation is a very real possibility for our industry, so while we have been given this opportunity to self-regulate, we should make every attempt to do so, to demonstrate that we are an industry that places a high importance on safety.

3. Most pick and carry crane operators have never been properly trained or assessed, however, this new training and assessment program is now being provided to a cohort overlooked by the heavy vehicle road licence and high-risk work licence framework. A great deal of consultation was done, prior to and during the development of this course, so that it has been customised to the user / business in a way that is easily accessible and encourages participation.

This issue is full of interesting reads and I hope you enjoy it.

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 Road Technical 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

Phone: 03 8320 0455

Email: 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.

How often do you give back in your business? Is corporate social responsibility on your radar? We hear about large global corporations doing this every day...

THINK JOHNSON AND JOHNSON; THEY have focused on reducing their impact on the planet for three decades, with the goal of having 100 per cent of their energy needs from renewable sources by 2025.

Then there’s TOMS; since 2006, the company has provided nearly 100 million pairs of shoes to people in need. For every pair of shoes the company sold, another pair would be gifted to a child in need.

But corporate social responsibility comes in many forms, and even the smallest business can make a difference.

According to Load 28 Managing Director Marcus Rigney, corporate social responsibility should be a focus for all businesses, regardless of their size or stature within the community.

Marcus lives by the motto to “give much more than you expect to receive.” In fact, this is the fifth step in his company’s ‘Do You Need a Lift’ Mental Health program.

The program is targeted to the building and construction industry, aiming to provide mental health strategies for dealing with stress and crisis.

“I firmly believe that if you find a way to meet people’s needs, whether that be in your personal life or in business, the whole game changes,” Marcus says.

“Looking at the bigger picture and giving back is key to helping us focus on what is important and even the smallest gesture can enact positive change.”

Marcus has presented his voluntary ‘Do You Need a Lift’ mental health program to leaders and managers within the construction industry who are faced with the added pressures of managing people, providing them with the tools to navigate both their personal and professional lives.

With giving back a key focus for Marcus, Load 28 established the ‘Barney the Starlight Crane’ initiative, partnering with the Starlight Foundation to raise money for seriously sick children.

Barney the Starlight Crane, a 60 tonne Liebherr crane painted in the Starlight colours, has spent the past 12 months working hard on building sites throughout Adelaide to provide five starlight wishes to brighten the lives of children facing the pain, fear and stress of serious illness.

For the first time, Rigney and Load 28 used The Baden Davis Crane Connection to secure the Liebherr LTM1060-3.1. He explains how this came about.

“I had been speaking to Jeff Wilson from Finlease, regarding the loan

Load 28’s Marcus Rigney presents the cheque to Louise Baxter, CEO of The Starlight Foundation.

Barney the Starlight Crane.

approval process, and he knew we needed the crane quickly and suggested I call Anthony Davis at The Baden Davis Crane Connection. I called and Anthony was extremely helpful, he had a list of available equipment and suggested this machine was a unit that met my criteria and would suit my requirements. It was

exactly what I was looking for... except it was purple.”

“We had been advised by Liebherr that there would long lead times for a new model, and we needed something urgently to put in the fleet. When we ordered the crane, Anthony locked in the machine immediately and within a week

it was on the ship. It was perfect timing,” he says.

In September, Marcus and his team met with Louise Baxter, CEO of the Starlight Foundation and Starlight Foundation State Partnership Manager Andrew Duncan, at the Starlight Express Room in Adelaide to present the charity

“Looking at the bigger picture and giving back is key to helping us focus on what is important and even the smallest gesture can enact positive change.”

Marcus said would not be possible without the support of his team and the industry.

“We could not have raised these funds without the support of our clients and the construction industry. Everybody dug deep to make these wishes a reality and for that we are truly thankful,” he says.

According to Starlight Foundation State Partnership Manager Andrew Duncan, Adelaide has the highest demand per capita for starlight wishes and with the current economic climate, many of these are going unanswered.

“Given the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, we are not seeing as much support for these sick children and their families, so when Load 28

to use their new crane to raise money for the Starlight Foundation, we were overwhelmed; it was such a creative and thoughtful way to give back” Andrew says.

“When you grant a Starlight wish, you help sick kids and their families leave the pain of treatment behind and enjoy more of what matters most – fun, joy and shared happiness.”

Marcus also announced that Barney would be continuing his journey to raise money for the Starlight Foundation. Donations are taken via the Load 28 website load28.com.au.

It’s no secret that the more socially responsible the company, the more supportive their community and clients become. Giving back increases

purpose with your client base. But it’s not about brand management for Marcus, it’s about instilling in his people the importance of focusing on others needs before one’s own.

Marcus is also an active contributor to the construction industry; he recently handed over his role as Chairman of the Crane Industry Council of Australia (SA Division) after four years at the helm and is a judge for the Master Builders SA Building Excellence Awards.

“Giving back to the construction industry is the best way I can think of to show gratitude for the support and encouragement the industry has shown me and my business,” Marcus says.

“When we give back, it grounds us. It’s that simple really,” he says.

“We could not have raised these funds without the support of our clients and the construction industry. Everybody dug deep to make these wishes a reality and for that we are truly thankful.”

Anthony Davis handing over Barney to Marcus Rigney.

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

Melbourne’s leading construction and major infrastructure event

EXHIBITION SPACE NOW ON SALE

Inside Construction Expo will deliver

Targeted messaging in over 19 industry-leading publications that reach more than 80,000 decision makers across multiple sectors

Digital communications to 28,000+ engaged readers

Premium networking opportunity with industry leaders at the Foundation Awards gala dinner

insideconstructionexpo.com.au

LAUNCH OF THE NEW ZEALAND FEATURE AN EXCITING MOMENT FOR NEW ZEALAND CRANE SECTOR

This inaugural New Zealand feature in Cranes & Lifting magazine speaks to the strength of the crane industry here in New Zealand. The words and pictures on these well laid-out pages are a superb snapshot of the sector.

WE ARE COMPARATIVELY SMALL when looking at industries across the world, but in true Kiwi fashion we are big on ingenuity and problem solving. This along with a healthy dose of collaboration helps to drive great solutions for the end client, and an industry that successfully delivers on big projects.

To have both Australia and New Zealand featured on these pages is a great way to learn and understand our respective neighbours and the challenges faced in their industry. From

what I learned at the CICA Conference in Adelaide last year, the challenges are similar. The key issue being the labour shortages which are being felt on both sides of the ditch.

I look forward to seeing what a closer relationship between our two countries brings in the way of opportunities and solutions to those shared challenges.

The start of 2023 has again tested the resilience of the crane industry in New Zealand with flooding leading to a State of Emergency being declared in Auckland, Waikato and Northland at

Sarah Toase, CEO of the Crane Association of New Zealand.

the end of January. This was preceded by damage due to cyclone Hale.

Road maintenance is now a key issue as a result, with significant repairs needed to parts of the local and national roading networks. This is exacerbated by wet weather in general, which sees the summer maintenance and repair programme already delayed.

The Crane Association of NZ has been able to help our members navigate the recent flooding event in Auckland, through its advocacy with Auckland Transport. We helped navigate the roading restrictions for our members to ensure they could continue to operate.

In December 2022, New Zealand’s government announce that “skilled crane operators” would be added to the immigration “green list” meaning they could access the work to residence visa category. This was a big win for the industry following a lengthy period of lobbying by CANZ. Crane companies can now offer the big ticket of New Zealand residency to prospective overseas candidates.

The MyCANZ app we launched at the 2022 conference is getting an update soon. New incident management guidance will be added to it. The guidance is being written at present and will be designed to align with companyspecific health and safety guidance.

The app puts the resources offered by CANZ into the hands of all crane operators. It includes a range of lifting calculators, lifting planning advice, rigging charts and other key resources. Being an app, it is accessible and user friendly. It’s free to download (but not on the app store) and you can do this by scanning the QR code.

You’ll see that the CANZ logo has been refreshed and we’re pleased that this feature is its first outing. This refresh is part of the on-going work to

present the crane industry’s peak body in New Zealand with a modern, fresh and professional brand.

We are looking forward to what 2023 brings including the opportunity to gather again at our national conference which is being held in Christchurch from 24-26 July. There is an open invitation to our Aussie neighbours to attend.

I hope you enjoy this fantastic feature put together by the team at Cranes and Lifting. The celebration and recognition of the New Zealand crane industry is something I try to bring into all aspects of my work and it’s fantastic to see your faces, your machines and your stories spread across these pages.

Sarah Toase Chief Executive Officer Crane Association of New Zealand c eo@cranes.org.nz

The MyCANZ app was successfully launched at last year’s conference.

SOLVING THE SKILLED LABOUR CRISIS WITH INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT

IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE INTERNATIONAL labour market, New Zealand and Australia need to work smarter to attract talent with the skills, aptitude and drive to help our countries grow and prosper.

Working In opened in 1999 and since then have attracted thousands of enthusiastic people to live and virtual events, and helped New Zealand and Australian employers fill many roles.

Nassim Lalehzari, Chief Commercial Manager – Visas for Working In explains more about the services offered by the business.

“The lack of qualified labour in construction and ageing work force especially, in the crane sector is a known problem in all of the western world as we face baby boomers looking at retirement while our governments continue to put effort and resource into key infrastructure projects in our respective countries.

“The New Zealand construction industry has an estimated shortage of up to 50,000 workers. This has been

Working In is a specialist international recruiting business offering visas, immigration strategy, relocation and settlement services.

The Working In Visas’ team.

exacerbated by recent COVID-19 events around the world and the disruption to the flow of skills to countries like New Zealand and Australia,” Nassim says.

Recently the New Zealand government announced key policy adjustments highlighting that they understand the acute shortages faced by the Crane Industry, thereby making it easier to keep skills in New Zealand once identified from offshore. Previously employers and staff had no certainty of ongoing ability to remain living and working in New Zealand.

“ Working In helps employers grow their business. Whether that is by helping employers recruit permanent staff, or by helping them access talent through a labour hire model,” Nassim says.

“Most skilled workers will come to New Zealand on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) which is similar to the Australian Subclass 482. This is an employer supported visa whereby the employer has demonstrated to the relevant government authority, that there are insufficient skills available onshore. In New Zealand applicants will now have a pathway to residency meaning that employers can feel secure in their ongoing workforce.”

“ Working In work with the employer to determine the specific skills and qualifications that candidates will require. Candidates are then shortlisted, interviewed, trade assessed, if required in person, or via video link.

“Work experience documents are then checked and assessed by our team, before being second person checked by a Licensed Immigration

Advisor. Applications including relevant experience documents are then submitted to Immigration New Zealand for a further check before a visa is issued.”

Most immigration consultancies are consumer facing. Working In partner with New Zealand and Australian businesses of all sizes, supporting

clarity, guidance and direction that simplifies the complex world of immigration. Think of Working In as an extension of your teamcommitted to taking care of the whole process.

As a part of their overarching support offer, Working In can help your business to obtain and maintain Accreditation, carry out New Zealand and Australian immigration required Job Checks and manage visa applications for staff.

Working In has a reputation with Immigration authorities for lodging high quality applications for all the above processes - which leads to Working In having one of the

“Recently the New Zealand government announced key policy adjustments highlighting that they understand the acute shortages faced by the Crane Industry, thereby making it easier to keep skills in New Zealand once identified from offshore.”

The New Zealand construction industry has an estimated shortage of up to 50,000 workers.

Nassim goes on to explain how Working In ensures the right applicants go to the right business.

“There are no limitations to the skills we can attract, however the Australian government immigration policy settings mean that not all roles can easily obtain a visa for Australia - though we work with employers to find a solution that works to achieve the best outcomes for their business.

“To achieve the above we work with employers on an attraction campaign while also working on an immigration strategy set by Registered Migratiion Agents,” Nassim says.

“The employer selects the candidates – they know who will be the best fit, we are just the conduit to ensure that the process of international recruitment and visas is

as hassle free as possible,” she adds. Most immigration consultancies are consumer facing. Working In is employer facing. It makes a big difference.

“ Working In has been providing these immigration services for over 20 years and in 2022 we had nearly 4000 visas secured for our employers. All visas being approved for our employer clients. We have recruited large numbers for New Zealand and

Australian employers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Qatar, the Philippines, India and Singapore,” Nassim says.

“Employers just need to get in touch so that we can get a clear understanding of their needs and business goals. We can then put together a bespoke plan and outline the options and associated investment that they need to consider,” she says.

“There are no limitations to the skills we can attract, however the Australian government immigration policy settings mean that not all roles can easily obtain a visa for Australia - though we work with employers to find a solution that works to achieve the best outcomes for their business.”

LEADING FROM THE FRONT, TRT CONTINUES TO ENHANCE THE OVERALL OPERATOR EXPERIENCE AND PERFORMANCE WITH THE NEW TIDD PC28-2.

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.*

Designed and manufactured by TRT, TIDD Crane offers a better experience and investment for the life of your crane.

SMITHBRIDGE GROUP CONTINUES SERVICING NEW Z EALAND AND ITS SURROUNDS

Smithbridge Group is a warm and friendly family of well-known construction and equipment rental brands that operate throughout Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Region. The group is known for providing high-quality, innovative construction and equipment services, and the team is always eager to welcome new customers into the family.

WITH A RICH HISTORY DATING BACK to 1964, Smithbridge Group is still a 100 per cent family-owned business that has been passed down through the generations. Its story began in Rangiora, New Zealand, when John C. Smith Contractors Ltd was founded by John Smith. In 1986, one of John’s sons, Albert Smith inherited the business and has been growing it ever since, with the help of his brother Tim who inherited part of the business (operating Smith Cranes and Construction in New Zealand).

Smithbridge Group is now a thirdgeneration family business and a driving force in the construction industry in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. The team is proud to be a part of the local communities and are always looking for new ways to make a positive impact.

Each year, Family Business Australia and New Zealand (FBANZ) celebrates and recognises the achievements of

2020: Auckland cranes lifted Tank 23 from Stolthaven’s Auckland Viaduct Storage Terminal Facility, onto a McCallum Bros. motorised barge.

800+ EMPLOYEES

550+ UNITS OF EQUIPMENT

• 40 truck mounted cranes

• 103 Terex Frannas 12t to 40t capacity

• 245 hydraulic cranes 8t to 450t capacity

• 99 crawler cranes 50t to 750t capacity

• Tower cranes 50t to 750t capacity

SERVICES

• crane hire

• transport solutions

• engineering

• civil and marine construction

• aggregate and construction materials

• ready mix concrete and precast concrete

family-owned businesses in Australia and New Zealand, and Smithbridge is thrilled to have been recognised for its achievements in 2022. Smithbridge Group won the Large Business Category at the Queensland Family Business Excellence Award, which recognises contributions made by large family businesses (200+ FTE) to the Australian community, society, and economy.

Smithbridge are honoured to have received this award and say that they could not have done it without the dedication and hard work of its team members over the years.

SMITHBRIDGE GROUP OVERVIEW

Smithbridge have a team of experienced and skilled employees who are equipped with the latest technology and equipment to get the job done right. Its extensive fleet of equipment includes cranes, heavy machinery and tools, and it is committed to maintaining and updating it regularly to ensure that its customers have access to the best tools and technology available.

Whether you’re in need of a crane for a lift, or a full construction crew to manage a project from start to finish, Smithbridge have the expertise and equipment to get the job done.

The Group has over 800 employees, 500 units of equipment and has expanded its service offering beyond crane hire to include transport solutions, engineering, civil and marine construction, aggregate and construction materials, ready mix concrete and precast concrete.

AUCKLAND CRANES

Auckland Cranes is a trusted and reliable crane hire company that has been serving the Auckland and Waikato region since 1970 - with a focus on mobile and taxi crane hire. As a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Smithbridge Group, Auckland Cranes is proud to bring its expertise and topnotch equipment to the community. The company has three branches in Auckland (two locations) and Hamilton (Waikato region), making it easy for customers to access services. Auckland Cranes is dedicated to giving customers efficient and reliable

1993: Albert Smith begins the Australian chapter of his business Journey, initially establishing a marine construction operation based in Brisbane.

2011: Auckland Cranes removed containers, supported demolition and removal of parts from the MV Rena wreck. It deployed its Kobelco 7150 and a Liebherr LR1280 crane (supplied by Smith Crane & Construction).

2001: THE SMITHBRIDGE GUAM CREW: Official photo of the Smithbridge Guam team in 2001. Since 2001, the team has grown to over 400 personnel in 2022.

crane hire solutions.

Smithbridge Group is also affiliated with Smith Crane and Construction in New Zealand, where the Smith Family has a minority shareholding.

So, where ever you are in New Zealand, Smithbridge Group has got you covered with their full range of construction services and equipment.

UNIVERSAL CRANES

Universal Cranes, a subsidiary of the Smithbridge Group, is proud to be one of Australia’s largest privately-owned crane hire companies. With a highcapacity fleet and expertise in complex lifts, it is truly a one-stop-shop for all

With branches in locations across Australia, including Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane (three locations), Gold Coast, Roma, and Ballina, Universal Cranes is always close to its customers and ready to help.

The Universal Cranes team is passionate about its work and committed to providing top-notch services and

It believes in building strong relationships with their customers and being a trusted partner every step of the

Whether you’re looking for complex lift solutions or just need to rent a crane, Universal Cranes is the team to call!

SMITHBRIDGE GUAM

Smithbridge Guam is a full-service construction contractor that offers a wide range of services, including civil and mechanical work, precast and ready mix concrete, aggregate, heavy equipment, and crane hire.

As a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Smithbridge Group, it is dedicated to providing high quality and innovative services to their customers.

With three depots located in Yigo, Harmon, and Piti, Smithbridge Guam is equipped to handle all your construction needs. Whether you need civil and mechanical services, ready mix concrete or precast work, or heavy equipment and crane hire, it has you covered.

THE VIEW FOR THE FUTURE

Smithbridge Group believes in creating a bright and promising future, both for itself and for those who come after. That’s why the team are so proud to be a third-generation family business, and why they are proud to have a talented and diverse team of family and non-family members who are working together to build a stronger and more sustainable business. As it looks ahead to its 60th anniversary in 2024, it is well positioned to continue making a positive impact in the construction industry, and to keep delivering high-quality services and equipment to its customers for many years to come.

“That’s why the team are so proud to be a third-generation family business, and why they are proud to have a talented and diverse team of family and nonfamily members who are working together to build a stronger and more sustainable business.”

2008: Universal Cranes CC2800 on a wind farm project in SA

2021: Smithbridge Guam was contracted by Pacific Coastal Research & Planning to work as part of the NOAA Marine Debris Program for the removal of the grounded derelict fishing vessel, Lady Carolina.

Providing crane hire, transport solutions, engineering, civil and marine construction, aggregate and construction materials, ready mix concrete and precast concrete.

800+ 1964

500+ UNITS OF EQUIPMENT GROUP FOUNDED

EMPLOYEES

KNOWING CRANES IS WHAT WE DO

INDUSTRY STALWART, CRANE EXPERT AND ‘Allcrane Sales and Services’ Managing Director, Mike Morris explains more.

“We have chosen our products with care so we can bring to New Zealand, and other Pacific markets, a range of quality equipment which is supported with highest standards of customer support and service. Our brands include Tadano, Fassi, Jekko, Marrel, A.T.I.B, Scanreco/Fabercom, Cormach, Euromec and Bergero -Tarping Solutions. These are renowned brands and strong products which AllCrane is proud to supply and support,” Mike says.

Mike has been around cranes for over 55 years. He explains how his interest has taken him around the world several times.

“I started in cranes around 1966, when I first started work as an apprentice with

the intent of going to sea as a marine engineer but was distracted by a NZ dental nurse who also had an interest in cranes,” he says.

“The next move was in 1971, where I found myself installing the first Tadano in New Zealand, a TS-130 crane on a second hand 8x4 cab chassis in Auckland.

“Three days after our marriage in 1973 my wife and co-director set off around the world on a four year working honeymoon and gained experience with companies representing international equipment manufacturers, including tower cranes, construction equipment and drilling equipment suppliers.

“After returning to New Zealand in 1978, and I was employed as transport equipment manager designing and commissioning heavy automotive

trucks and trailers and later joined with Hydraulic Machinery as special projects manager, while also promoting Tadano cranes, Demag excavators and all terrain cranes, and a range of other specialist products including the introduction of 6x6 ADT Moxy dump trucks.

“I worked with these products throughout the ‘80s until 1990 when Jude & I incorporated Gamma Corporation Ltd.

“Gamma operated and was focused on large scale recycling and I had a desire to be working in New Zealand rather than leave my family for weeks at a time working and traveling overseas on business,” Mike says.

“In 1995 Gamma financially supported the incorporation of Allcrane Sales and Services Ltd and I was a silent partner but assisted with resolving technical issues that arose with cranes that we had sold and also provided technical support and repairs for the Tadano product which had not been well supported since the demise of Hydraulic Machinery NZ Ltd.

“Allcrane started out with the Cormach knuckle boom truck loader brand and later A.T.I.B Hook-lifts, and we were also supplying all manner of spare parts and second-hand cranes into the New Zealand market.

“In 2007 Jude and I became the sole proprietors of AllCrane Sales and Services following an acrimonious split with the other two shareholders.

“We commenced negotiations with Tadano who were keen for us as distributors and product support provider in New Zealand for their full range products including the GT truckmounted, all-terrains, and the cargo crane range, later the Tadano EWP and Hydraulic telescopic crawler cranes were introduced.”

Allcrane Sales and Service Ltd has been selling and servicing new and used cranes in New Zealand for over 30 years. The business has grown significantly in this time and continues to service customers with specific products, while representing a number of premium brands.

Allcrane Sales and Service Ltd has been selling and servicing new and used cranes in New Zealand for over 30 years.

When Tadano purchased Demag, Allcrane added the Demag product to our range of products and Mike says he is delighted to be partnering with Tadano under the “Stronger Together” banner.

“Allcrane has a long list of loyal customers, added to daily who enjoy the long association I and our young, dedicated, loyal and passionate staff have with the brand.”

“We still represent Cormach, but in 2017 we were offered the Fassi brand out of Europe which we welcomed with open arms, and with which we have been very successful, particularly in the 30-80 Tonne/Metre truck loader size cranes.

“We also represent other Fassi Group companies, including Marrel, the original designer & manufacturer of hook lifts and is the world leader today.

“Jekko is also a Fassi Group-associated company which makes and markets a range of mini-crawler cranes, glass handling equipment as well as a range of attachments for all manner of efficient and safe materials handling, has extended the Allcrane offering” he says.

Mike explains more about the company’s commitment to after sales service and support.

“The company name is our mission statement, AllCrane Sales and Services.

“A common statement related to a new customer is ‘You have not just bought a piece of equipment, you have invested in the Allcrane team for life’

“We are located in Auckland, and look after the whole country from here with service agents - many of who we have worked with for more than 40 years.

We do hold capital equipment stock, but for the more bespoke crane specific product we are able to source the crane, arrange logistics and have it ‘complete, complied and road registered with permits and ready for work in the shortest possible timeframe,” Mike says.

He goes on to discuss the acceptance of the Tadano in what is a very competitive New Zealand market.

“The Tadano product has always been well respected, although its reputation did lapse for a period when Tadano was not well represented and when Australian

Tadano management tried to manage the New Zealand market as another state of Australia, this didn’t go down well in a very parochial Kiwi market.”

“As soon as Allcrane put our reputation and service and support capabilities behind the Tadano product, neither Tadano nor we have looked back. It has been the same with the Fassi, Marrel and Jekko brands, we have been extremely busy since they came on board,” Mike says.

The experience and training that the Allcrane Sales and Service team have developed is a key reason for the success of the brands the business represents. “Experience and Knowledge are “Gold”.

“We have specialist and knowledgeable product support staff, including parts interpreters who are constantly increasing their knowledge through online ‘E’ learning and gleaning knowledge from visiting factory technical representatives,” Mike says.

Allcrane also has trained long-

standing employees involved with the technical sales of products to ensure the customer is getting the right solution for their particular application.

“As a result of COVID-19, factory training for the various brands has been difficult but ‘Needs be as Needs must’ and with the use of Zoom, WhatsApp Video and Facetime we were quick to adopt the benefits of online factory support,” Mike says.

“Innovations like Tadano’s HELLO net, Fassi’s IOC [Internet of Cranes] and other web-based connections have been invaluable in assisting us to maintain our customer’s equipment availability for work. We believe we have been singularly successful in achieving that target right through COVID-19 and the international travel restrictions since March 2019.

“Our service staff and technicians in addition to improving their personal product knowledge are constantly assisting customers mechanics and service providers, as well as managing repairs

When Tadano purchased Demag, Allcrane added the Demag product to the range of products and are delighted to be partnering with Tadano under the “Stronger Together” banner”.

either in our workshop or by traveling nationally when required,” he says.

“New Zealand is very similar to the Australian market where remote diagnostics from Tadano and our other brands is paramount, particularly when a lot of your product is operating remotely.

“If there is a problem with a product we can be in communication with a technical expert in the factory, on the other side of the world and sort the issues, where possible, expediently.

“Before remote diagnostics and online support, a technician would have to have flown out from Europe or Japan to resolve the issue,” Mike says.

“Fassi have just introduced a new product resource called ‘Fassi Next Eyes’. This technology provides our technician with a pair of ‘half-eyes’ glasses which are worn when on site with a crane actually looking and physically attending

to a crane problem while talking via a Skype or WhatsApp video call to the master technician in Europe who is watching what our technician is seeing and doing in real time,” he said.

This enables the technical expert in the factory to provide guidance and advice in real time to solve the issue. Transfer of images, technical data can be displayed as an image onto the inner surface of the ‘Next Eyes’ so that the technician on the job has not only ‘Over the shoulder advice’ but pertinent and topical information and data!

“It’s super clever technology and next Level product support,” Mike says.

“Gone are the days where a mechanic was tempted to take the cow apart to see where the milk comes from.”

Mike is also happy with the support he and his team are receiving from Tadano.

“Obviously, we work very closely

with Tadano’s Product Support Team based in Queensland, New South Wales and in Western Australia who have excellent product knowledge and communication skills and are backed by factory master technicians in Japan and Europe. If there is ever an issue our technicians are not familiar with, the factory specialists are there to support us.

“I’m pretty happy with Allcrane Sales and Service’s current status. We have the product range that I’ve always wanted for our customers and the company, and we have an excellent blend of youth and experience in the staff we have on-board.

“While technology is ever developing, getting more reliable and innovative by the day, our support staff are adopting to these developments and are able to ensure the support and service we offer our customers and the products we represent continues to be second to none,” Mike says.

PROVEN TRACK RECORD GOOD REASON FOR SECOND KOBELCO CRAWLER

Boddington Hire has been operating a Kobelco CKE800 for the past 12 years out of Western Australia in some of the harshest environments. This understanding of the machine and its ability to stand up to the rigours of its work made the decision for Boddington’s second crawler simple.

BODDINGTON HIRE SPECIALISES IN THE Dry hire of lifting equipment, from cranes through to material handling, including telehandlers, reach stackers and forklift trucks. Its crane fleet consists of Tadano rough terrains and a range of Frannas, a Kobelco CKE800 and brand new Kobelco CKS900.

Tom Hunter from Boddington Hire explains the company’s background and its current focus for its dry hire.

“Our clients include many of the big tier one contractors and quite a number of the mining companies directly, both big and small. We also hire extensively to existing crane hire companies who utilise us for project work where our equipment is a great fit,” Tom says.

Based in Western Australia with depots in both Rockingham and Karratha, Boddington serves the entire state and regularly sends equipment across the country particularly to the Northern Territory, South Australia and even north Queensland.

Tom says Boddington Hire works in dry hire, priding itself on finding solutions and sending equipment to remote and harsh environments.

Boddington Hire’s Kobelco has gone straight to work on a project in Perth.

“Recently we have sent equipment to areas in the remote Goldfields, Pilbara and Kimberley where you are a long way from support and downtime is not an option. We enjoy the challenge of putting our equipment and people to the test and keeping our clients happy no matter what the situation,” he said.

These challenging environments meant Boddington needed to seriously consider what its next crawler crane would be that it brought on board to ensure it could stand up to every challenge, as Tom explains.

“The new crawler was in no means a blind purchase, having owned a similar Kobelco CKE800 for the past 12 years we had the benefit of a good test run,” he said.

“The CKE800 has been a brilliant

crane for us, the reliability of the machine is unbelievable, and you can truly send it anywhere without a worry. We were finding this crane was able to keep fairly busy and thus looking to update it was a fairly natural choice,” Tom said.

The CKS900 is the newest addition to the Boddingtons Hire fleet and was a simple choice for the team when deciding which crawler to bring on.

The CKS900 comes with a Hino in line six that produces 213kW and is Euro stage three. It has full-flow

hydraulic control system for infinitely variable pressure to all winches, propel and swing. The controls respond instantly to the touch, delivering smooth function operation for operators.

The CSK900 has a totally enclosed, full vision cab with safety glass, fully adjustable, high-backed seat with a headrest and armrests, and intermittent wiper and window washer (skylight and front window).

The crane has a steel-welded carbody with axles and the crawler

Tom Hunter accepts delivery from Tony Woodham from TRT.

“The CKE800 has been a brilliant crane for us, the reliability of the machine is unbelievable, and you can truly send it anywhere without a worry.”

assemblies can be hydraulically extended for wide-track operation or retracted for transportation.

Crawler belt tension is maintained by hydraulic jack force on the trackadjusting bearing block. The crane boom has a main boom length of 61 metres and with a fixed jib can be extended out to 70.1 metres.

For Boddington, whilst the crane provided an excellent step up in capacity the Kobelco brand being synonymous with reliability was a big reason to bring it on board.

“It was the reliability of the crane which comes from the top quality produced by Kobelco. “For us, reliability and quality coupled with back up support has to be the top consideration in purchasing any new equipment,” Tom says.

“I take a lot of feedback from our crane technicians and clients when choosing a new piece of equipment. Our techs love the simple design and ease of maintenance on the machine which is very important and, in the end, made the decision a simple one.”

Tom explains why the company went for a crawler crane with a greater capacity.

“The small step up in capacity is just going to make it that little bit more capable on site for both lift capacity and reach. We purchased the crane with full main boom and full fly jib option.

“Larger capacity crawlers were considered, however we have become well known over the years for having this size of machine available and figure demand will still be strong.

“Some of our jobs also have restrictions on how heavy the machine can be, for example projects such as barge work and with this new

Kobelco and expects the work on it to be simple to complete.

“What our maintenance team found with the delivery of the new crane is it hasn’t changed too significantly from the previous models which for us is a good thing as operators loved the simplicity and ease of use of the CKE800.

“While the new machine definitely has a few technological upgrades from the old crane, Kobelco have obviously been smart enough to not change what works,” Tom says.

“From appearances though the quality and finish of the machine is obvious so I have no doubts it will handle the harsher jobs when they come about.”

Tom and the team at Boddington have been very impressed by the service provided by the team at TRT throughout this experience.

“From the outset dealing with Troy at TRT has been great. It was a

model we are able to assemble it with reduced counterweight to give it an operating weight of even less than the CKE800 so it can still fill these specific jobs where required.

“It is also easily transportable with the tracks and boom base capable of remaining in place meaning it is still an economical machine to move around,” Tom says.

The Kobelco has been put straight to work out completing a dry hire project in Perth since it was delivered to Boddington’s Hire.

“I haven’t been able to catch up with the operator using it on site to know how the crane has been so far, but for us in the dry hire game, no news is good news,” Tom said.

The maintenance team at Boddington is excited by the new

long journey from initial quote until purchase and we did kick around ideas for a bigger crane a number of times,” Tom says.

“All through the process Troy was very responsive and very patient with my queries. He has a great knowledge of the cranes he is selling having worked with the Kobelco product for a long time.

“Handover was done by Tony from TRT and he was great showing our guys the ins and outs of the new machine. Like Troy, he is very knowledgeable on the cranes.

“TRT look committed to providing great ongoing service for the crane with not only their operations on the east coast but also its support through its service agents in Perth and the north west,” Tom says.

“While the new machine definitely has a few technological upgrades from the old crane Kobelco have obviously been smart enough to not change what works.”

After running a Kobelco for 12 years the team was confident in its ability.

Our market proven CKS range is currently available with a 5 month ex-factory* lead time.

WHY WAIT?

Limited production slots, talk to us today to secure your next CKS.

Plus we’ve got you covered with full backup sales, service, parts and support Australia wide with TRT.

TRT are your Asia-Pacific agents for Kobelco. Talk to us today about your next project!

TUTT BRYANT HEAVY LIFT & SHIFT’S SMART BRIDGE SPAN INSTALLATION

Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift (TBHLS) completed a complex turnkey installation of concrete bridge beams ahead of schedule.

IN AUGUST 2022, TBHLS COMPLETED the lifts on the Tonkin Gap Project and Associated Works for Broun Ave Stage 2, for the Tonkin Gap Alliance in Perth, Western Australia.

Project mobilisation started August 15 and the lifts occurred over a two day period with demobilisation starting on August 29.

As a result of meticulous planning and open communication, the project finished 16 hours ahead of schedule.

The turnkey lifting service involved the installation of 18 x 188t, 39m long concrete bridge beams over the Tonkin Highway on both the northbound and southbound carriageways.

This bridge installation was part of the Main Roads WA Tonkin Gap Project and Associated Works to provide four traffic lanes and an integrated bus interchange linking to the future Morley Station on the median strip of Tonkin Highway.

EQUIPMENT SOLUTION

Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift (TBHLS) proposed to use the Manitowoc MLC650 700t crawler crane in 68mB VPC MAX S3 configuration and carried out the bridge span installations whilst positioned on the median strip of north and south bound traffic on Tonkin Highway.

The main reason for the suggestion of the MLC650 crawler is the small footprint (12m x 12m) compared to a

conventional super-lift crawler crane.

The combination of having the crane’s counterweights always suspended and ability for the counterweights to travel autonomously served as the biggest financial savings in less earthworks, less build time, reduces the time and labour spent on relocating counterweights between lifts.

TBHLS engaged its JV partner Cranecorp Australia to provide a 300t allterrain mobile crane Demag AC300-6 for the assembly of the crane.

A total of 43 trailers over a six day period were used to move the crane to site.

The team was a day over the proposed schedule due to Perth metro curfews limiting oversized loads (greater than 3m width) to be delivered to the site prior to the 9:00am peak hour traffic, and ongoing earthworks onsite for the crane pads.

TBHLS utilised its own rigging spreader

and sourced the remaining rigging gear from local suppliers located within Perth metro region.

METHODOLOGY & CHALLENGES

The 700t crawler was to be mobilised in 68 square metre VPC MAX S3 configuration and built within the median strip between north and south bound traffic that remained live up to installation window on August 26 2022.

The biggest challenge was to build the crane within a 20m wide work area whilst maintaining a 4m boundary to provide accessway for general site traffic, construction of the crane pad and crane component delivery.

The crane was configured and positioned in two locations for the whole bridge assembly. This configuration allowed for the delivery beams from the lay down area to either side of the crane,

The biggest challenge was to build the crane within a 20m wide work area whilst maintaining a 4m boundary to provide accessway for general site traffic, construction of the crane pad and crane component delivery.

Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift utilised the Manitowoc MLC650 700t crawler crane in 68mB VPC MAX S3 configuration.

creating multiple options on transport flow when the road was closed.

It also allowed greater access for the installation team to position access equipment to assist with aligning the bridge beams in their final locations.

TBHLS and the Tonkin Gap Alliance (TGA) engineering team had extensive discussions around ground pressure requirements, clearance restrictions and underground service locations that needed to be avoided or maintained during all stages of the crane build to bridge beam installation.

The team worked to the maximum allowable GBP of 800kPa which was achievable while using the crane to 85 per cent of its lifting capacity. TGA designed, constructed and tested the crane pad to allow the crane to travel

and lift without the use of load spreading crane mats.

PROJECT COMPLETION

A good relationship between TGA and TBHLS was a vital part towards the success for this project with numerous meetings held between all major stakeholders. The TBHLS project team helped to develop a successful proposal that was well executed.

A total of 60 hours (5 x 12 hour work shifts running both day and night shifts) were allocated for this installation.

Starting on Friday night, despite the tight clearances and cold winter conditions, the team successfully completed the installation of all 18 bridge beams within 44 hours (3.6 shifts) - 16 hours ahead of schedule.

Excellent planning and open communication throughout all phases of the project between TBHLS and TGA project team ensured that there was no problems or challenges that could not be solved. An excellent showcase of teamwork and Tutt Bryant’s capability to provide turnkey lifting solutions.

“The crane was configured and positioned in two locations for the whole bridge assembly.”

Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift utilised its own rigging spreader and sourced the remaining rigging gear from local suppliers located within Perth metro region.

WATM is a Western Australian family owned and operated company that was established in 1974.

WATM sells and provides support services for cranes and lifting equipment and has distributions rights for a number of cranes and forklifts, including:

 Exclusive WA distributor for Manitowoc Cranes (including Grove mobile cranes)

 Exclusive WA distributor Hiab range of vehicle loading cranes

 Exclusive WA Pettibone dealer across Australia and APAC region

THE TOUGHEST IN THE ROUGHEST

AT BAUMA 2022, LIEBHERR SHOWCASED the most powerful rough-terrain crane on two axles on the market. The LRT 1130-2.1 has a maximum lifting capacity of 130 tonnes and extends Liebherr’s range of rough-terrain cranes at the top end of this segment. Apart from its high performance, the designers focussed on economical transport and safe crane operation when they developed this new model.

Liebherr unveiled the 130-tonne rough-terrain crane under the slogan “The toughest in the roughest”. The new LRT 1130-2.1 offers very high lifting capacities and the longest telescopic boom of any 2-axle roughterrain crane anywhere in the world. It also has the most economical transport dimensions in its performance class.

HIGH PERFORMANCE WITH LONG TELESCOPIC BOOM

The concept of the LRT 1130-2.1 is maximum performance with economical mobility, worldwide. The new Liebherr rough-terrain crane is currently the only 130-tonne crane on a 2-axle chassis.

At the same time, its telescopic boom is the longest in its class at 60 metres. It consists of a pivot section and six telescopic sections and is extended and bolted fully automatically with the Liebherr TELEMATIK high-speed telescopic system.

A 10.8 metre single folding jib or a 10.8 –19 metre double folding jib is available for the LRT 1130-2.1. It is mounted at angles of 0°, 20° or 40°, or can optionally be hydraulically tilted from 0° to 40°. With an additional

seven-metre lattice section as a telescopic extension, the new crane reaches hook heights of up to 85 metres. The folding jib is carried on the right-hand side of the boom.

At the same time, a 2.9-metre assembly jib can be attached to the left-hand side of the boom. A sidefolding rooster sheave, which can be operated in 2-line mode, rounds off the boom options.

ECONOMICAL TRANSPORT

Liebherr has designed the dimensions of the new LRT 1130-2.1 so that it can be transported economically on low-loaders worldwide. Its width is 3.4 metres, its height 3.85 metres and its chassis length is 9.4 metres. The transport weight is 48 tonnes without ballast, but with the folding jib and hook block. This can be reduced to 44.8 tonnes. These values are unique in the class of powerful 2-axle allterrain cranes. A permit-free standard transport vehicle is sufficient for the 20-tonne ballast and additional equipment. The counterweight consists of three ballast slabs and is attached to the slewing platform via self-assembly with ballasting rams.

“SAFETY FIRST” – SAFETY EQUIPMENT SETS NEW STANDARDS

High safety levels in every respect were the main priority for the design of the new LRT 1130-2.1, which features an outrigger monitoring system as standard. The outrigger status, on tyres or supports, is detected automatically and saved to the crane controller. The attachment

Liebherr launch the most powerful 2-axle rough-terrain crane with longest telescopic boom on the market, the LRT 1130-2.1

The new Liebherr LRT 1130-2.1 rough-terrain crane is currently the only 130-tonne crane on a 2-axle chassis.

“Liebherr has designed the dimensions of the new LRT 11302.1 so that it can be transported economically on low-loaders worldwide.”

Clear, self-explanatory controls make the crane easy to handle. They allow crane drivers to concentrate on the main focus of their job, working with the crane and the load. Liebherr calls this concept KISS: “keep it simple and safe”. There are ladders, a large number of handles and an electrically extending platform on the cabin to ensure safe access to the crane. The new LRT crane features a wide range of storage boxes for extensive accessories, lifting tackle and support timbers as standard. There

is also storage for the load hook. Like the LRT 1090-2.1 and LRT 1100-2.1 cranes , the LRT 1130-2.1 also complies with a global, uniform safety standard and thus with globally valid regulations such as the US ASME B30.5 standard, the European EN 13000 standard, the Australian Standards (AS) and the Russian GOST standard. The machines also include systems to prevent safety equipment being bypassed. Liebherr is a pioneer in the industry in this respect.

HIGH OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY

The new LRT 1130-2.1 is designed for robustness, off-road mobility and manoeuvrability. It is powered by a 6-cylinder Cummins combustion engine that complies with all applicable exhaust emission regulations. It can be operated without restrictions with hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO). The engine develops 188 kW (252 bhp) and supplies a maximum torque of 1,186 Nm. A 6-speed powershift transmission from DANA and large 29.5 R 25 tyres guarantee the required off-road capability. All-wheel and crab steering ensure easy handling and high manoeuvrability in constricted conditions.

A 10.8 metre single folding jib or a 10.8 –19 metre double folding jib is available for the LRT 1130-2.1.

“The new LRT 1130-2.1 is designed for robustness, off-road mobility and manoeuvrability.”

AN IMPRESSIVE OFFERING OF ZOOMLION CRANES

THE COMPANY IS THE DEALER OF CHOICE for the Zoomlion range of cranes, having already delivered models across the country.

Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Development Co Ltd was founded in 1992 and has grown to become one of the largest manufacturers of construction equipment in the world. Zoomlion exports equipment to over 70 countries worldwide with Gleason’s the preferred distributor in Australia.

Zoomlion is continuing to develop an offering befitting of its position as the

seventh largest machinery manufacturer globally with a strong push to helping develop sustainable products.

Zoomlion has established a comprehensive green development roadmap comprising design, manufacturing and management to achieve ‘greenisation’ of the whole process, from R&D, production to operation and management.

In 2022, Zoomlion has achieved new energy development of its full product range and unveiled products that have set industry benchmarks, including

the world’s largest tonnage new energy crane series, the world’s first distributed pure electric crawler crane, the world’s first pure electric carbon fibre pump truck and the industry’s first glass installation robot for inter-story operations in high-rise buildings.

Zoomlion also launched the first intelligent construction packaged solution, for the industry, helping to drive its intelligent transformation for the future.

Gleason offers a number of Zoomlion cranes for the Australian market and

The Gleason name has been synonymous with the crane industry for decades now, with close to 50 years’ experience it continues to bring a range of new and used cranes to Australia.

Gleason’s is the preferred supplier of Zoomlion Cranes in Australia.

works closely with companies to find a Zoomlion for any challenge.

ROUGH TERRAIN CRANES

Gleason’s has a strong offering of Rough Terrains in Australia with many models currently hard at work on the Snowy Hydro 2.0 Joint Venture.

The models available from Gleason’s include the ZRT1100, ZRT850, ZRT600 and the ZRT400. All of the rough terrains come with a Cummins diesel engine and with 12 months parts and labour warranty.

The ZRT1100 has 110t capacity and 49 metres of main boom, the ZRT850 85t and 47m of main boom, ZRT600 60t capacity and 45 metres of main boom and the ZRT400 40t capacity and 33m of main boom.

The ZRT1100, ZRT850, ZRT600 and the ZRT400 are all light weight coming in at a travel weight of 60t, 52.8t, 45t and 31t respectively. Each model comes with a fly jib option,

“Gleason’s has three tower cranes on offer, the L200, L160 and the L125 lifting 12 tonnes, 10 tonnes and eight tonnes respectively.”

the ZRT1100 has a 4-17.5m option, the ZRT850 and the ZRT600 have a 5-16m option and the ZRT400 has a 2-14m option.

CRAWLER CRANES

Gleason’s lineup includes five separate crawler cranes, the ZCC1000V, ZCC850V, ZCC750V, ZCC600V and the ZCC550V. Ranging from 100 to 55 tonnes Gleason’s has a solution for any challenge in its crawler division.

The ZCC1000V has 100 tonne capacity with 13-64m of main boom and a travel weight of only 86.9 tonnes. The ZCC850V comes in at 85 tonnes which is a slight step down from the previous model with a max reach of 61 metres and a travel weight of 75.5t.

The ZCC750V comes with three hooks at 85t, 55t, 25t and 9t. It has 75 tonne capacity and a maximum height of 58m and a travel weight of 64t.

The ZCC600V is a compact crane with a 60 tonne capacity, 53 metres of boom and travel weight of under 50 tonnes. The ZC550V is the smallest that Gleason Cranes has, with a 55 tonne capacity a maximum boom height of 52 metres and a travel weight of 48.9t.

HYDRAULIC BOOM CRAWLER

The offering from Gleason’s in the hydraulic boom crawlers include the ZCT900V, ZCT600V, ZCT300V4, ZCT300V5.

The ZCT900V comes with a

The ZAT1500 is a 150 tonne all-terrain crane.

IN FOCUS / GLEASONS NEW AND USED CRANES

Weichai engine or an optional Cummins with a 90 tonne capacity and 47 metres of main boom. The ZCT600V also comes with a Weichai engine producing 860Nm with a 60 tonne capacity and 46 metres of main boom. The ZCT300V4 also only comes with a Weichai engine with this one producing 860Nm has a 30 tonne capacity with 35 metres of main boom.

The ZCT300V5 is the last of the hydraulic boom crawlers from Gleason’s and comes with the same engine as the previous model. With the same capacity it has an extra seven metres of boom compared to the V4.

LUFFING TOWER CRANES

Gleason’s has three tower cranes on offer, the L200, L160 and the L125 lifting 12 tonnes, 10 tonnes and eight tonnes respectively. The L200, L160

and L125 has a maximum length of 55m and a minimum of 30m.

ALL-TERRAIN

The ZAT1500 has a 150 tonne capacity with a seven section boom, with an impressive reach of 72m. The five-axle crane has drive to three wheels and all five are steered and comes in at the desirable 12t per axle limit.

Coming with a 11-18.6m fly jib, the ZAT1500 maximises its capacity on all of its parts by having the latest electro-hydraulic proportional directional control valve with load sensing function, multiple plunger variable pumps and open/closed variable system.

TRUCK CRANE

Gleason’s offers three sperate models

in the truck crane sector, the ZTC25V, QY30V431R and the ZTC55 with maximum capacities of 25t, 30t and an impressive 55t respectively.

The ZTC25V has a four section 33.3m main boom with an 8.65m underslung fly with a 4.9m extension.

The QY30V431R has a boom that is also four sections finishing at 33.8m with a 13m underslung fly.

The ZTC55 has a boom length of 44 metres and with a jib attachment finishes out at 60m.

Chris Logan and the team at Gleason’s has a strong understanding of the Zoomlion fleet and are able to provide support needed to keep fleets running.

On site servicing means Gleason’s can provide support to the Zoomlion fleet nationwide to ensure they continue to deliver for users.

Gleason’s stocks three different truck cranes.

We directly employ over 150 staff in Australia and indirectly support a number of local suppliers and stakeholders. By investing with Franna you are directly helping support local jobs, and the Australian economy.

THE MOST POWERFUL 70-TONNE MACHINE ON THE MARKET

When developing its new AC 4.070-2 all terrain crane, Tadano made sure to pursue some extremely ambitious goals: “to put it simply, we wanted to bring to life a powerful and cutting-edge 70-tonne crane that would deliver the best performance on the market in as many axle load configurations as possible. And to put it plainly, that’s exactly what we did,” explains project manager Sascha Scholler, who was responsible for the development.

AMONG THE VARIOUS IMPRESSIVE characteristics, one stands out in particular: The AC 4.070-2 can transport its sizeable maximum counterweight of 11.9 tonnes by itself while staying within an axle load limit of 12 tonnes, and it can still manage an impressive 4.4 tonnes when the axle load is reduced to 10 tonnes instead. Needless to say, this makes the AC 4.070-2 an extremely

flexible and versatile taxi crane. There are also the lifting capacities, which are just as impressive: For example, with a main boom length of 50 metres, the crane can lift a good 7.1 tonnes at a radius of 12 metres, and this goes up to a total of 7.3 tonnes at a radius of 10 metres. “No other crane in its class can reach these lifting capacities,” Sascha says with a glint of pride in his eyes.

The AC 4.070-2 can transport its sizeable maximum counterweight of 11.9 tonnes by itself while staying within an axle load limit of 12 tonnes.

Among other things, this means that the Tadano AC 4.070-2 is the perfect assist crane for erecting large lattice boom crawler cranes, as well as an outstanding crane for residential and functional building construction projects. Moreover, the crane’s extremely compact design only helps to boost these advantages even further: with a total length of 11.7 metres, a width of 2.55 metres and a traveling height of 3.8 metres, it is the most compact fouraxle unit of its class on the market.

The boom solution also plays a crucial role in the AC 4.070-2 crane’s versatility: Tadano offers two extensions for the crane’s 50-metre main boom – a swing-

away jib with a length of 6.5 metres and a double folding swing-away jib with a length of 16 metres, making it possible to reach a system length of up to 66 metres. In addition, there is also an optionally available runner.

COMPREHENSIVE STANDARD EQUIPMENT WITH IC1 PLUS AND FLEX BASE

It goes without saying that the new Tadano AC 4.070-2 would not have been complete without the highly coveted IC1 Plus control system, which determines the crane’s lifting capacity for every boom position as a function of the superstructure’s slewing angle. Moreover, the way these

computations are carried out directly in the cab means that the lifting capacity for a specific radius is no longer limited to the lowest value for a pre-calculated 360° lifting capacity, but is instead determined in real time. As a result, the AC 4.0702 is always able to take advantage of the maximum lifting capacity available to it, and the advantages provided by this system literally deliver invaluable support for lifts over the outriggers. When used together with the Flex Base, an outrigger system that comes as standard and features outriggers that can be extended to any point within their available range, this enables the crane to take care of jobs that would normally be the exclusive purview of larger cranes. In fact, the Flex Base can be used to extend the outriggers in asymmetrical configurations instead of predefined extension positions, making it possible for crane operators to get the outriggers as close to obstacles as possible

“With the new AC 4.070-2, Tadano is once more introducing the most compact crane of a class while raising the bar in many areas with the best lifting capacities out there.”

With a main boom length of 50 metres, the AC 4.070-2 can lift 7.1t at a radius of 12 metres.

and use the maximum possible outrigger spread in any scenario. After this, all the IC1 Plus has to do is to incorporate every single centimetre of outrigger extension into determining the lifting capacity.

In addition to the Flex Base, the innovative Tadano IC-1 Remote telematics solution for location-independent crane and fleet management is also available for the AC 4.070-2. This cloud solution provides remote access to all relevant crane data from anywhere, enabling online troubleshooting by Tadano Support.

Another highlight behind the new AC 4.070-2 is the one-of-a-kind Tadano surround view system, which features a separate monitor in the carrier cab that provides 360° visibility and graphically shows the maximum possible extension lengths for the outriggers and the counterweight tailswing radius from a bird’s eye view perspective. Accordingly, Tadano surround view makes it significantly easier to optimally position the crane at work sites without the need for additional personnel. The system also provides assistance on the way to the work site by making it easier for crane operators to notice pedestrians and cyclists. For

example, the area to the right of the crane, which traditionally does not have the greatest visibility, is highlighted on the monitor when the turn signal is activated.

FEATURING AN E-PACK PREP PACKAGE

The AC 4.070-2 can also be equipped with another Tadano innovation at the factory: with a special transportation cradle and the required hydraulic connections, the four-axle unit is optionally prepared for work with the ESTA-award-winning E-Pack. This feature is an electro-hydraulic system that comes with an integrated 32-kW electric motor that makes extremely quiet zero-emission crane operation possible. The E-Pack can be used to carry out all AC 4.070-2 crane functions without any negative impact on the corresponding maximum lifting capacity. Not only that, but other performance characteristics are comparable to those achieved with operation with a diesel engine in many work areas, expanding the range of applications of the AC 4.070-2 to indoor projects and cleanrooms, for example. On top of this, the cost-effective singleengine design allows for climate-friendly

crane operation thanks to its compatibility with various alternative diesel fuels, such as HVO. The use of these fuels generates fewer emissions and makes operating the crane more environmentally friendly. The AC 4.070-2 shares these advantages with a number of other units, including the Tadano models AC 4.080-1 and AC 4.100L-1, which feature a drive train that is virtually identical – this is also part of Tadano’s current shared component strategy, which is intended to provide customers with standardised controls and easier maintenance options.

THE BOTTOM LINE

With the new AC 4.070-2, Tadano is once more introducing the most compact crane of a class while raising the bar in many areas with the best lifting capacities out there. Thanks to comprehensive standard equipment and a flexible range of accessories, the new four-axle machine is a particularly versatile representative of its class, and technical highlights such as the IC1 Plus, Flex Base, Surround View, and E-Pack prep package are sure to make it an extremely attractive option for many crane service providers.

With a total length of 11.7 metres, a width of 2.55 metres, and a traveling height of 3.8 metres, the AC4.070-2 is the most compact four-axle unit of its class on the market.

WE’RE HERE FOR THE FULL JOURNEY!

Tadano may be a manufacturer of mobile cranes, but we also understand the importance of being there for the full journey. By investing in the eco system of our after sales service & support functions, we aim to offer best-in-class support to our customers within the industry.

QUALITY SUPPORT

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

FIT FOR PURPOSE VEHICLE & TOOLING

This is a key component to our customer focused strategy. Ensuring we have the proper equipment to efficiently provide high quality service & support to our customers, no matter where they are.

LOCAL PARTS HOLDING

With four branches across Australia (Perth, Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne) we are able to hold critical parts and ensure timely delivery and easy accessibility for our customers.

Take a closer look at Tadano.

For your crane service & repair needs.

SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH MCT AND MAGNI

MCT Equipment are innovative leaders in the mobile lifting equipment industry who live by the philosophy “think different, lift different.” It supplies and maintains new and used mobile cranes, telehandlers, and related lifting products throughout Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

THE TEAM SEARCHES WORLDWIDE TO source and deliver the best in safety, innovation, efficiency, craftsmanship and performance. MCT Equipment offers a range of world-class lifting equipment and accessories from trusted brands, including Dutch glass robot revolutionists, Smart Group, and Italian market leaders Magni Telescopic Handlers.

With an emphasis on efficiency and innovation, MCT is the partner for construction, mining, infrastructure and marine lifting equipment. It challenges the status quo once more with its range of hybrid power Magni rotating telescopic handlers (RTH).

These class-leading machines are fitted with Magni’s state-of-the-art Twin Power technology, giving the RTH the potential to operate via engine or electric power. A 15kW electric motor and 90L piston pump allow the machine to function without starting the diesel engine, with the RTH simply connecting to an external electrical source.

MCT is fitting this as a standard feature in every Magni RTH that it delivers. The Twin Power capability of these machines offers an enormous number of advantages and, while this setup is not the default for Magni, MCT believes making the sustainable choice, the easier choice.

Reinforcing MCT’s sustainability objective to lessen its carbon footprint wherever possible, the electric motor does not produce harmful exhaust fumes. With zero emissions, these flexible and versatile telehandlers are capable of safely operating indoors and in confined or enclosed spaces. The external electricity supply allows the machine to execute all normal lifting and load positioning operations without compromising performance or functionality. These machines guarantee incredible lifting capacity and effortless precision in all movements across a vast range of applications.

In a further effort to think outside the box while also leaving a greener carbon offset footprint, Magni removes the mandatory ventilation devices thanks to the elimination of CO2 emissions. The machine’s full range of attachments is compatible with the electric motor

The hybrid Magni gives fantastic flexibility with the ability to work indoors and outdoors.

adaptation, as is the remote control and joystick which allow the RTH to be fully and accurately controlled from a distance.

The Twin Power capability makes the RTH an efficient and cost-effective machine. If operating in the twin power functions, fuel consumption costs and maintenance costs become heavily reduced, providing environmental benefits.

For safety, capacity, lift heights and sustainability, Magni is the telehandler of choice. David Oudman of COVA Group chose the Magni for these capabilities.

“It was the only machine we found that had the reach and attachment options that could meet our project requirements. The electric power pack helped us save costs and operate indoors. The team at MCT was excellent throughout our purchase - they were very knowledgeable, and flexible and took the time to understand what our challenges were. We ended up with the perfect solution at a competitive price,” he says.

Enquire today by calling (08) 6500 3460 or visiting https://mctequip.com.au/

Otherwise, stop by the new, expanded workshop at 50 Jessie Lee Street, Henderson, WA to experience the Magni telehandler for yourself.

“In a further effort to think outside the box while also leaving a greener carbon offset footprint, Magni removes the mandatory ventilation devices thanks to the elimination of CO2 emissions.”

The hybrid is an impressive development and the team at MCT has run with it.

The cab is a comfortable place for operators and is loaded with safety features

BORGER CRANES CHILLER LIFTS WITH PRECISION RIGGING

Borger Cranes in partnership with Precision Rigging and Logistics recently completed a number of complex lifts in Woolloongabba.

The Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 500t capacity all terrain was configured to T6Y3, using the 84M boom, Y-guy, and 165T counterweight, with a capacity of 14.6t at 55m radius.

With a number of crane sizing, and setup area options, it was clear that the 500t capacity Liebherr was the best option.

BORGER CRANES MOBILISED ITS Liebherr LTM1500-8.1 on-site to complete a critical heating, ventilating and air conditioning upgrade, with the replacement of 10t chillers.

The Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 500t capacity all terrain was configured to T6Y3, using the 84m boom, Y-guy, and 165t counterweight, with a capacity of 14.6t at 55m radius. According to Borger Cranes’ Crane Supervisor, Logan Alexander, this was the crane for the job.

“With a number of crane sizing, and setup area options, it was clear that our 500t capacity Liebherr was the best option. Operating from a purpose cut crane pad the LTM 1500-8.1 was the safest and most effective choice, especially with the slope of the land, and multiple buildings and structures that could have been affected, should a crane have been setup any closer to these major structures,” said Logan.

The Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 was first unveiled in 1998 and around

20 years later, in summer 2020, the 600th unit of the 8-axle crane was delivered. The most successful large crane of all time is ideal for a very wide range of jobs with its high lifting capacity, enormous reliability and mobility both on the road and onsite. It is used wherever heavy loads have to be hoisted quickly – industry, infrastructure, wind power or loading work. The successful giant has been replaced by the LTM 1650-8.1.

Borger Cranes took delivery of the first Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 to arrive in the country. The LTM 1650-8.1 is an impressive machine offering maximum performance on eight axles. It will be able to complete hoisting work in the 700-tonne class or even higher with ease. Depending on its equipment

package, the new crane is between 15 and 50 percent more powerful than the LTM 1500-8.1. Technical progress has made this possible since and a great deal of work has been done in this respect.

“The amount of planning that went into this setup was huge, with large amounts of civil, and engineering works having been completed, all under the direction of Luke Williams from Precision Rigging and Logistics, a company that that provides the full logistics package, from start to finish, this one proves what is achievable.

“Support by myself, the team at Borger Cranes, Nicole at Traffic Control Innovations, and Jonn at Field Engineers, we made light of what seemed like a complex and mammoth

“With a number of crane sizing, and setup area options, it was clear that our 500t capacity Liebherr was the best option.”

THE CICA ON-ROAD COURSE

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

“The crew from Borger Cranes outperformed themselves,

OutstandingWinner2022Solutionfor MembersmanagingWHSRisk SafeworkN.S.W.Awards

THINK DIFFERENT, LIFT DIFFERENT WITH MCT AND MAGNI

Introducing the Magni RTH 6.39. Arriving on Aussie shores this February, this versatile and powerful machine boasts the largest reach and lifting capacity of any telehandler currently available in Australia.

With Twin Power capabilities, the RTH 6.39 not only ticks all of the sustainability boxes but is also a cost-effective and efficient option for any high-power fleet.

Twin Power energy

Enjoy improved efficiency, sustainability and cost-effectiveness due to lowered fuel consumption and maintenance costs, an added bonus in addition to the environmental benefits.

Versatile

Lead with confidence onsite knowing you’re leading with sustainability at the forefront, lowering your emissions without needing to try.

Compatible with a huge range of accessories, with the RFID system offering automatic recognition and relative load charts, this telescopic handler can meet a wide range of applications across industries.

FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR CRANECORP

Despite the challenges of the last 24 months, Cranecorp has continued its strategy of growth, including the continued renewal of its crane fleet and recruitment of key management personnel. Rod White, Cranecorp’s Chief Executive Officer explains more.

“LIKE EVERY BUSINESS, COVID PRESENTED Cranecorp with a unique set of challenges, but we managed to keep everybody in a job and grow the company in new directions. It’s been an incredibly difficult time for our clients which makes it challenging for us,” Rod says.

“With the addition of our new Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1, we have successfully entered into the civil construction market. With its 500t lifting capacity, this crane has seen us involved in a range of jobs we wouldn’t have considered previously.

“We’ve continued to thrive in our traditional markets of shutdown and maintenance, where we remain a major player, and we recently secured a significant contract with a major miner which approached us. We agreed contractual terms to have them on board and it has been great to renew that relationship,” he says.

Rod goes on to explain how the Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 has helped Cranecorp open up new markets.

“As a result of the new Liebherr, we’ve been involved in a number of high-profile jobs. We changed out six light towers at the WACA Cricket Ground where each tower had to be lifted out changed to LED lighting, and then lifted back into position.

“There has been a series of wind farm projects undertaken and various bridge construction projects around Perth.

“It has also been deployed for heavy lifts across the mining industry where previously, we would have cross-hired a crane for the work,” Rod says.

“We continue to grow in revenue, profit and headcount both at an operational level and also from a corporate level. With our size we have grown the corporate team to service the needs of the operational side of the business.

“What’s been great about that is the quality of the people we’ve managed to attract... People who left their incumbent crane company and have chosen to work for Cranecorp is hugely encouraging from my perspective,” he says.

With the new Liebherr Cranecorp changed out six light towers at the WACA Cricket Ground.

Rod explains how the joint venture with Tutt Bryant has benefitted both companies.

“The JV has been hugely successful in terms of representing us to the market. There are a lot of large projects that often have lead times of between 12 to 18 months. The first cranes required on these projects are often large crawler cranes which Cranecorp doesn’t operate.

“And likewise, once those projects get going, the requirement for all terrains and pick and carry cranes intensifies, and Tutt Bryant were unable to meet this need. So, by coming together with the JV, both companies have benefitted, along with our clients,” Rod says.

“The joint venture is working on a project which involves a huge logistics

element as well as the cranes, which suits Tutt Bryant perfectly with their logistics capability. But between the two of us, we can provide “a one stop shop fits all’ for the client. The ability for a supplier to not only offer to do more but then deliver, is hugely attractive to clients,” he says.

The strength of the Cranecorp fleet is a major part of this success, he says.

“Traditionally, we operate a Tadano and Demag all terrain/rough terrain fleet and we have done so for many years. Obviously the Liebherr LTM 1500 -8.1 brings a significant asset into the fleet from a different OEM.

“We were the first company in WA to take on the TIDD brand acquiring six 28T TIDD pick and carry cranes to operate

alongside our fleet of over 40 Frannas and we work very closely with both OEMs to support our fleet. We enjoy excellent working relationships with all our major suppliers, and this is critical to our ongoing growth path.

“We now have three AT40s Frannas in the fleet and they’re a fantastic crane and they’ve been very accepted in the market from both our operators and our clients. They are a much safer way of doing jobs that previously sometimes required the Franna Mac 25 super lift to perform at the top end of its operational limit.

“Whenever you are using any asset at the limit of its safe operational capacity, you start to increase the potential for an incident. By having a crane that is bigger,

Cranecorp is always keen to explore new opportunities for the fleet as OEMs evolve and emerging products and technologies enter the market place.

heavier, and can lift more, you lower your risk profile, which is good for everybody,” Rod says.

“We are always keen to explore new opportunities for the fleet as OEMs evolve and emerging products and technologies enter the market place. We’ve also taken on a 60t rough-terrain Sany crane.

“We had the OEM come into the yard and spend a week with us conducting VOC training for our operators in the yard before going to site, where the crane is going to be stationed, and conducting further VOC training for the client in order that both we and the client know how to safely set up and operate the crane. We also worked with the Sany maintenance team so they understood how to look after the machine should it require attention.

“Another part of our success with the Demag fleet is that we have standardised to the 160T and the 300T AC160 and AC300 cranes. That means our people get to know the crane. We don’t have to retrain every time we get a new crane, they’re familiar with it and that leads to safer and more effective operational performance, something our clients really appreciate.

“There are synergies between the various components which you can use during the course of the crane’s operating life. And by having more of the same type of crane, we’ve found that the operators get very used to them, less risk of incidents, more familiarity, and they’ve been a very reliable and efficient crane for us,” he says.

In terms of parts and support for the fleet, Rod discusses how Cranecorp has managed its supply chains.

“All our supplies have been good, we’ve had to be patient with the global supply chain and lack of containers and shipping in circulation, but in the circumstances, we’ve not experienced any issues in respect to parts or any material issues and we have managed to effectively keep our fleet operating as normal.

“We did require one major component which had to be shipped from Germany and our team and Tadano worked very, very closely on securing the best route for that part so that we could get that here as fast as we needed to at the best possible cost. This was made all the

“We are looking at an environment which will sort the wheat from the chaff in terms of managing to hold prices and raise prices in order to maintain profitability.”

Cranecorp has been involved in a series of wind farm projects undertaken and various bridge construction projects around Perth

more challenging due to the size of the component part that meant the number of ships it could be transported on were very limited however in the end it all came together” he said.

“I think the next 24 months are going to be driven by three factors:

(1) Supply chain issues

(2) Ten year major inspection requirements

(3) A lack of skilled resources within WA in almost every sector.

The lead time to acquire a new crane, of almost any brand or type of crane, is currently the longest it has been for many years. Coupled with this long lead time is the inability to get a crane booked in for a major inspection and have any rectification works completed on budget and within reasonable time frames. Everyone is fully booked and understaffed,” Rod says.

“There’s a short supply of replacement cranes and you can’t get older ones cost effectively refurbished and furthermore the price of new cranes has gone through the roof, largely driven by steel and labour costs in the manufacturing countries. It’s going to be a very challenging time.

“Larger companies who buy new cranes more frequently will consequently have cranes in the marketplace that will have cost significantly more than those cranes that they are competing against and there is a real danger that the ROI required to operate those cranes will prove difficult to achieve. So, it’s going to be an extremely challenging couple of years for everyone to manage.

“When I say it’s going to be tough, it’s not a glib statement. For example, a ‘blue chip’ mining company recently reported their annual results and commented that they had grown exports in terms of volume, and they grew their revenues,

but their financial performance declined due to increasing costs. When companies such as this experience increasing costs, the crane industry needs to take note because this invariably starts the pendulum swinging towards cost reduction initiatives,” he said.

“We are looking at an environment which will sort the wheat from the chaff in terms of managing to hold prices and raise prices in order to maintain profitability.

“If you start going backwards from a profitability point of view and labour, fuel and materials are all getting more expensive... that’s not good for the industry or for any crane company,” Rod says.

“But as I started out saying, more recently we have been fortunate to recruit a number of key executives into leadership roles within the business and I am extremely confident we have the right team in place for what will be difficult times ahead.”

CrewSafe is the standardised VOC assessment tool for the Australian crane industry.

CrewSafe provides machinespecific, impartial, peer assessment with documented evidence of competency.

LEADING SERVICE AND SUPPORT BY EXAMPLE

SINCE THEN, OWNERS AND DIRECTORS

John Mahoney and his wife Kreston have gone on to become the Victorian Service Agent for Manitowoc including Grove all terrains and the full range of products. John takes up the story.

“After years of working for multiple businesses and with a long history in the crane sector, especially in crane repair, Kreston and I decided we had something to offer by owning and operating our own crane repair business and providing

a highly personalised service to support customers.

“So, seven years ago, with a couple of good clients, we started JDM Services and we haven’t looked back. There hasn’t been much need to advertise as the business has grown through word of mouth because we were well connected with the crane industry here in Melbourne,” said John.

John explains how he worked for crane OEM Terex in Melbourne. It was a great opportunity to work directly for a manufacturer, learning about the latest technology on the vast array of Terex products alongside his mentor Terry Cameron. This opportunity gave him a chance to work with a wide range of customers he is still in contact with now.

“I started off back in 1996-97 working

With a commitment to customer service and high quality product support and repairs, JDM Services has been servicing the Victorian crane sector since 2015.

JDM Services Owners and Directors, Kreston and John Mahoney.

for Terry Cameron and Brian Green, at Mantaura Diesel which was a private crane repairer back in the day. This was really the foundation for getting into the industry in the first place. I enjoyed meeting new people within the industry, and I still deal with a number of them today.

“We are very grateful to both Terry and Brian who took the time to share their knowledge and experience of the industry and giving me a ‘can do’ attitude to fixing cranes and running a business,” said John.

“Today, our services include everything from general crane servicing and breakdown support, right through to accident repair work and major inspections. We also provide a 24hour product support service to all our customers.

“A chance to become a crane safe inspector has allowed the business to continue to grow whilst maintaining a high standard of cranes throughout the Victorian industry. It also allows us to continually improve the performance of our technicians in the field with ongoing training and a focus on safety.

“At the moment, we are also working on a number of major crane overhauls in the workshop. We offer a vast array of services, but pretty much everything we do revolves around cranes,” he said.

John goes on to explain more about the Manitowoc Service Agent and JDM Services.

“We’ve been the Manitowoc Service Agent since 2017. This came on the back of meeting with Gary Barker when he came back to Australia and was appointed National Service Manager. I’d had some dealings with Gary in the past when he was here in Melbourne years ago.

“Obviously, we knew each other, and he was pretty keen to put something together. I’d had plenty of experience with Grove all terrains over the years having worked for a large crane hire company in Melbourne which operated a large fleet of Groves.

“We had also worked closely with Danny Hall, who is the Senior Technician here in Melbourne and these relationships continue today and have developed over time. We virtually started off by

JDM Services provide driver training right through to product support as well as servicing and crane repairs.

supporting Danny in what he was doing here in Melbourne to the point where right through covid we provided the ‘full service’ ourselves due to the border closures.

“And this continues today. We provide everything from Pre-Delivery Inspections (PDIs) on the new cranes as they come off the wharves and are delivered to customers. We provide driver training right through to product support as well as servicing and repairs,” John said.

John goes on to discuss the facilities JDM Services operates from and the experience he has in his team.

“Our facility and workshop is located 45 minutes north of the Melbourne CBD. We are just breaking ground on a new purpose-built crane workshop facility that will be constructed later this year.

“This will cater for all customers’ needs going forward. We operate with five technicians which includes four crane mechanics and an apprentice. We have

one admin staff and five service vehicles on the road every day. These are pretty much operating in and around Victoria, be it onsite or in the workshops of other crane businesses carrying out repairs and servicing cranes,” said John.

John explains how JDM Services various brands on the market and what a customer can expect from the business in terms of service levels.

“We don’t just service and support the Manitowoc product line, we are working right across the various brands; anything a customer needs. It doesn’t matter what it is, we work on Japanese brands, and I have a lot of customers that bring their Demag products to us because we have had a long association with that brand when I was working with Terex.

“We work with Japanese crawlers and we are also supporting the TRT product here in Victoria as their Service Agent as well. So, we service all their products including the TIDD pick and carry range

as well as purpose built TRT trailers,” said John.

The Melbourne crane sector is very busy at the moment and John explains why.

“The market is extremely busy in Melbourne. We could probably keep 10 technicians busy if we thought we could get the right quality of technicians to maintain our high standards.

“Even with that number you still wouldn’t have enough to support the demand. There’s a tremendous amount of infrastructure at the moment, and this is driving the demand for cranes. This has led to a large uptake of new cranes into the sector, but the high levels of demand have also meant older cranes have stayed in the market.

“Long lead times on new equipment have encouraged customers to overhaul older equipment and machinery to help keep their fleets at sizes that help meet these increased demands,” said John.

“These market influences are good for a business like ours, but they also bring

headaches. Crane servicing and repairs is a hard trade to work in just because of the product you are working on, and the nature of the work required. This means it’s not for everybody.

“The industry is strong and will remain so. There are more cranes than ever in sector but there is a limited number of technicians to work with. I think the industry needs to make itself more attractive for youngsters for example, who can have a really bright career with cranes,” he said.

John goes on to discuss the work culture of JDM Services, how he attracts technicians to the business and more importantly, how he retinas their services.

“Our focus, and outlook has always been on the business, and we will continue to do that. To a customer, that means it doesn’t matter what their needs are, they know they can call and will get me on the phone 24/7.

“Every day, I’m in touch with what the guys are doing either in the workshop

or on the road. I’m still on the tools to a varying level every day, which I think helps motivate the staff because they see that the guy paying the bills is also the one on the floor. That can be helping the guys in what they’re doing, or it can be assisting in training as we go look to further their knowledge and skill levels.

“We are a small family business, and we take a personal approach to doing business. I think we are able to attract technicians, look after them and keep them because of that personal touch and the fact that we understand what the guys are going through because I’m there in the trenches with them.

“That makes a big difference, and it means the guys are very supportive of what we do. We look after them extremely well and we wouldn’t have a business if we didn’t have good technicians working for us. We’ve just been extremely lucky to pick up some great people along the way and they continue to stay with and work hard for our customers every day,” said John.

JDM Services has been the Manitowoc Service Agent since 2017.

NEW IVECO VANS TO BOOST TADANO’S SERVICING CAPABILITIES

Tadano has continued to invest in its aftersales support, bringing on board three Iveco 50C vans and one 50C cab chassis to service customers in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane while the cab chassis will head to regional Western Australia.

THE NEW SERVICE VANS ARE A DEPARTURE from the norm for Tadano which has previously used a range of utes to service cranes Australia-wide as Tadano Oceania Project Manager – Customer service, Michael Kobilke explains.

“One of the main reasons we opted for the Iveco Daily was for the additional space and carrying capacity the models provided, it gave us far more scope than the standard ute which was something we had identified” he says.

“The vans are 12m³ in volume and have a lot of room for storage and racking as well as for a work bench – the dimensions of the Daily allow technicians up to about a height of 188cm, to stand-up straight in the back to do any work they may need to, and

a GVM of 4,495kg in both van and the cab chassis provides significantly more payload than standard utility vehicles,” he said.

The Ivecos come with a braked towing capacity of 3,500kg which also provides the scope to tow a service trailer containing oils and lubricants, compressors, oil pumps and waste oil tanks – everything needed to conduct a full on-site service.

Michael has worked in the industry for over 35 years both in Australia and abroad; he also has experience as both a crane equipment OEM and as a user of cranes in private companies. Additionally, he began in the industry as a field service technician, so has a thorough idea of what works best in

terms of support vehicles for all parts of the crane industry.

“We are of the view that these service vans will be great in the metropolitan and regional areas across each of the cities they are to be deployed in,” he said

“The technician can carry tools, consumables, and emergency parts on board in order to speed up the repairs onsite allowing for shorter downtimes for users which at the end of the day is what our jobs are all about.

“The additional cab chassis will be deployed regional WA in order to support our customers in the Northwest WA region as the initial primary focus; however we continue to invest and look at ways to expand our coverage and offer utmost convenience to our customers,” he says.

Th e decision to bring the Iveco’s into the fold was not a simple one for Tadano, with many facets considered to ensure they would suit

its functional and practical needs but also consider the safety element for their technicians and most importantly the ability to efficiently execute the service projects that their customers need. Tadano is confident in its decision to switch to these Iveco vans and is looking forward to the growth opportunities within this area of business.

The three vans are fitted out with Wurth ORS mobile custom shelving and extra lighting and power inverters to run all required tools and test equipment - making them effectively a moveable workshop giving them the optimised agility and capacity to service our customers offsite

The new service van for the Melbourne depot is one of numerous developments for the Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia regions by Tadano and will provide greater servicing capabilities for the team.

Michael delves into the recent additions to the team at the Tadano Melbourne branch that has improved

the capabilities and experience on site.

“We have brought a new service manager into our team, who has come to us with great experience in the material handling industry,” Michael says.

“We have also brought on board an additional senior field service technician who came to us from Tadano Canada with 10 years experience in the Tadano product range and is going to be a great asset to the team.

“For our After Sales Support team in Melbourne; this brings us to a total of 1 service manager, 3 highly skilled and experienced technicians along with a recently added parts interpreter who will cover our Victorian, South Australian and Tasmanian customers,” Michael says.

“We have a full setup service workshop in all our four branches and have also invested in a custommade service trailer in Melbourne that allows us to carry out a full onsite service and comply with all the relevant environmental requirements so we can

“The technician can carry tools, consumables, and emergency parts on board in order to speed up the repairs onsite allowing for shorter downtimes for users which at the end of the day is what our jobs are all about.”

The service vans will be deployed in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

These vans show the continued push from Tadano to grow its aftersales service.

be flexible for our clients.”

The Tadano Parts department is also an integral pillar to the after sales service ecosystem within Tadano and they recognise the need to improve stock levels and delivery time so that customers have limited downtime.

Victoria is a focus region for Tadano, along with New South Wales, due to the growth opportunities within these regions and therefore it is important to Tadano that they build strong foundations that will enable them to service and keep up with demand of the current and future market.

Tadano services many of the leading companies in the industry and hope to improve the overall customer experience and journey. Offering high quality products and reliable after sales service support is a priority for the Tadano Group.

The Tadano branches and people across Australia along with these new service vehicles will only help increase their presence in the field.

The additional investment in headcount, facility and equipment upgrades at Tadano are a part of a bigger picture strategy for them moving forward.

As part of this strategy, Tadano is also investing in the upskilling and development of their team members so that they are keeping on top of safety requirements and adhering to industry standards and compliance requirements so that they are able to give consistent best in class service and support to all their customers.

Technology is also a focus in terms of evaluating and discovering new ways to create efficiencies within the team and their dealings with customers. Continuous improvement and innovation are part of the Tadano company philosophies.

Every department within Tadano is working to provide their customers with the best-in-class experience by simply evaluating what their customers need and how they are able to deliver on those needs and expectations.

“The additional investment in headcount, facility and equipment upgrades at Tadano are a part of a bigger picture strategy for them moving forward.”

The vans give far greater capacity for work to be completed on site.

CHALKING IT UP TO EXPERIENCE

Pace Cranes recently announced that experienced crane expert and industry personality, David ‘Chalky’ White has joined the National Sales team. Chalky will be working on the entire range of products represented by Pace Cranes including Maeda, Sennebogen, Almac Multi Loaders, Uplifter Glass Handling Equipment, Tracked Carriers and Valla pick and carry cranes.

CHALKY’S CAREER STARTED IN THE MID 1980’s when he joined Western Australian crane manufacturer Linmac.

“I started working with articulated pick and carry manufacturer Linmac in 1986. They were a crane manufacturer designing and manufacturing tractor cranes.

“This was pre-Franna and I was with Linmac for quite a number of years. I had a bit of time in and out of the business, but effectively I was there until the ‘90s when I left to join Franna. I was with Franna for seven years and the business was Franna when I started and Terex Franna when I finished up there.

“Having just left Franna that final afternoon, I was driving home thinking to myself, what am I going to do now? My phone rings and it’s Brendan James from James Equipment in Victoria.

I knew Brendan had been negotiating with Tadano and he said, ‘I’ve just had the best news I’ve had all day.’ It was Valentines Day, and Brendan said, ‘I’ll pay you to take a break and start with me in April,’ and he did,” said Chalky.

Brendan had the Tadano distributorship and the two started selling Tadano cranes.

“I think Tadano had sold two, maybe three cranes, in the previous two years and

I knew we could sell a lot more than that. We went on to sell 17 in the first year.

“Brendan and I worked together for a number of years until he sold the business to Boom Logistics. I stayed with them for another couple of years until Boom decided the Tadano distributor didn’t suit their business model,” Chalky says.

“Tadano decided to service the market directly and I put my hand up and said, ‘If you’re going to go on your own, I would like to be part of it and I registered the name Tadano Oceania,’” he said.

Tadano Oceania kicked off with Chalky.

“The difference was, we weren’t just waiting for people to call us, we were actively selling. I was with Tadano Oceania up until six years ago when I went out on my own buying and selling cranes on consignment. I was working my way into semi-retirement with an aim to putting my feet up and not doing much, or so I thought,” said Chalky.

“Mid last year, I was over in New

Zealand for the CANZ Conference and caught up with Anthony Heeks and Michael Cawston. I’ve known Paul Heeks and the family for a very long time, and I’ve always been a fan of Paul, he reminds me of my dad.

“Anthony asked what I was up to, and I told him I was doing my own thing, working two to three days a week. He said he wanted me at Pace Cranes and explained his plans for the business he was very convincing,” he says.

“I met with him back in Sydney and he said, ‘give me four days a week and do your own thing on the other days,’ I thought, ‘what have I got to lose? I agreed and we haven’t looked back since.”

This is the first time Pace Cranes has had representation outside of the Sydney operation.

“Up until now, sales have always been out of their branch in Sydney with Michael and Anthony managing sales and prior to this it was Paul. Michael is an amazing fellow. I didn’t really know him,

Industry expert David “Chalky’ White has joined the Pace Cranes National Sales Team.

but the more you get to know him, the more you understand he’s a smart guy.

“He does a lot more than just the sales. He’s responsible for most of the purchasing and because of that, he doesn’t get out of the office much other than when he’s delivering a crane or when he gets a chance to see a few customers. This is the first time they’ve had a salesman out knocking on doors,” said Chalky.

Chalky believes there is significant growth opportunities for the range of products represented by Pace Cranes.

“It will be interesting to see how it goes. In terms of sales, when people are ringing you for cranes, the strike rate is very high. But when you’re knocking on doors, the success rate is not going to be quite as high. I’d like to think every second or third door you knock on, there will be interest in a crane, but it doesn’t always work that way.

“My territory is Australia and New Zealand. I won’t really need to focus on Sydney, because Anthony, Michael and the team are there, and they know the Sydney market. To some extent it’s the same with Melbourne, Michael gets down there a fair bit, so I’ll concentrate on the other states and also New Zealand,” said Chalky.

The next 12 months is shaping up to be a busy for Chalky and the Pace Cranes team. There’s likely to be plenty of travel

and a new facility in Brisbane.

“I’ve been planning my schedule for the next 12 months and I’ve currently locked in 21, week-long trips. The majority of these will be in Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and New Zealand.

“Pace Cranes have been very clever in the way they’ve brought together the various brands and product lines in the business. When you look at the Maeda range, there are so many opportunities to talk about the track carrier ranges and glass handling equipment and when larger capacities are required, we can talk about the Sennebogen range,” said Chalky.

Joining Pace Cranes isn’t just about sales, says Chalky. There is also commitment to increasing service and support capabilities.

“We are looking at a facility in Brisbane which will help with the servicing and support for the planned increase in the population of product in Queensland. We are looking at a facility with service and workshop capabilities and a showroom where we can demonstrate product.

“There is a service guy in the Sydney team who has expressed interest in moving back to Queensland. Pace Cranes are good at keeping people and many of the staff have been there a long time. Even if they leave for a while, they tend to come back,” said Chalky.

Chalky has also been involved in projects for CICA and one of these saw him providing his crane expertise to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) project around acess for mobile cranes.

“My involvement in that project started in 2016, when the NHVR released a national notice for mobile cranes. At that stage it was for Frannas

SENNEBOGEN’s first battery-powered telescopic crawler crane, the new 50t capacity 653 E Electro Battery.

The ML 3.0 FX is a powerful and versatile flatbed truck carrier with a load capacity of 3,000kg.

and truck cranes, that sort of smaller mobile crane.

“The NHVR were finding it hard to get traction with the road managers. For example, Queensland has numerous councils and very few had signed up to the notice. So, the Queensland CICA board decided they could afford a few dollars to see if they could put someone inside the NHVR to assist in getting a

better platform for the crane industry.

“It was Lorna Williams, Smiley’s wife from Williams Crane Hire who suggested my name. Lorna knew I’d been involved with cranes on a national basis and understand the requirements all over Australia,” said Chalky.

“We are about to move into a phase where I’ll be spending a bit more time working on this project which Anthony

is quite okay about. It continues to put me in front of a lot of crane people. Although I like to think I’m reasonably well-known in the crane industry, this sort of project helps you stay in front of people and front of mind.

“Anthony recently took over the Chair for CICA New South Wales, so Pace Cranes is very keen to align with the industry’s leading body,” he said.

“Pace Cranes have been very clever in the way they’ve brought together the various brands and product lines in the business.”

LIFTEX AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCED

The lifting equipment industry is in a continuous state of advancement. As the industry grows thanks to increased demand for mining, oil and gas, construction and infrastructure projects, as well as increased safety demands, new and improved devices and technologies are being introduced to service the growing demand of customers wanting heavier, more complex lifts and a reduced number of cycles with a view to gaining further efficiency.

AS THE CAPACITY OF CRANES INCREASES, so too does the requirement for heavier duty lifting devices. Some now have “smart” embedded technologies, to reduce the possibility of safety incidents. There are many exciting developments happening right now.

Recently I was stunned to see additive manufactured, custom lifting points with the same capacity of forged or machined devices. 3D printing is one new way to save on weight and the complexities of reductive machining in a supply constrained market.

The cost to develop specialised lifting devices is far higher in a reductive manufacturing environment, once tooling and transportation is factored into this process, it is said that significant cost savings can be made without losing any strength or safety benefits.

Additionally, we now have a number of suppliers of intelligent lifting devices in the region. These devices integrate sensors and algorithms to monitor lifting operations, feeding back real-time date to operators. These advances help prevent accidents, optimise lift efficiency, and reduce unforeseen maintenance and service costs. There are a multitude of non-destructive testing devices on the market scan for damage and erosion on wire ropes, all done remotely via a virtually autonomous system.

We’re also now stepping into the realm of augmented reality and virtual reality as a genuine tool in our industry. Training firms are using virtual reality to give students the same look and feel as working on-site, from the safety of a classroom environment. There is also a push in our industry to look at how we can utilise augmented reality as a way to boost productivity for visual inspections.

This then points to a different question for our industry – do we have the workforce to take us into this new world? What does a lifting equipment testing, inspection and certification professional of 2030 or 2035 look like? And we can

Justin Boehm, Regional manager Australia and New Zealand.

even ask, how quickly we expect to see some of these advanced technologies become mainstream?

To showcase these advances and answer some of these burning questions, we will be looking to the future and will provide an exciting opportunity to learn more about the industry. The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association will be holding our first ever LiftEx in the Australia and New Zealand region. LEEA will be hosting the event in Sydney on May 24-25, 2023. This event will feature the latest thinking, interactive exhibits, and expert speakers from the industry and abroad. We will be looking to the future, addressing complex issues relating to staffing, compliance and business practices. It

“We’re

now stepping into the realm of augmented reality and virtual reality as a genuine tool in our industry. Training firms are using virtual reality to give students the same look and feel as working on-site, from the safety of a classroom environment.”

will provide a unique opportunity for professionals and enthusiasts to network, learn and discover new opportunities in our constantly evolving industry.

The lifting equipment industry is a fast-growing and dynamic industry, and the event at the Sydney Maritime Museum on May 24-25 2023 provides a platform to learn about the latest advancements and network with

industry peers and guests. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and learn about the latest trends and innovations in the industry.

If you only attend one event this year, LiftEx Sydney is the event to be at.

Registrations and further information will be available at LiftEx AustraliaAustralian National Maritime Museum, 2023.

also

The LiftEx event will be held in Sydney.

XCMG ROARS TO LIFE WITH A NEW CRANE

Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer XCMG recently displayed a new XCR70_E rough terrain crane which was painted with a striking tiger pattern. Designed for use in emerging markets and Europe, and boasting a huge 70t capacity, the new crane is an exciting addition to the rough terrain sector.

“WE ARE EXTREMELY PLEASED THAT XCR70_E has successfully landed in Europe and other demanding markets, clearing all the compliance hurdles and meeting our customer’s requirements,” a spokesperson for XCMG said.

The XCR70_E has a maximum main boom length of 45m with a 9.2 to 16-metre folding jib. The boom is made of high-strength steel structure with a U-shape section area and it features five sections, of which the basic boom is 11.8m.

In terms of driving performance, the XCMG XCR70_E is powered by a Cummins inline six-cylinder diesel with watercooler and inter cooler.

The new rough terrain crane is an exciting addition to the Australian market

Both front and rear axles are for driving and steering, and the axles have features of great load bearing capacity, which contributes to a more comfortable operating environment and greater lateral vehicle stability, regardless of the terrain.

Steering includes four steering modes: front axle independent steering, tight turning radius steering, crab walk steering and rear axle independent steering modes are available.

The steering angle can be selfadjusted when changing mode. The service brake has a double circuit braking system, with hydraulic disc braking functions on all wheels, providing better braking ability. Automatic braking and alarms are available when the pressure in braking system is too low.

The XCMG XCR70_E is ideally suited for lifting operations in oilfields or mine sites, road and bridge construction, anywhere you might need a tough, crane with significant pick and carry capabilities.

“The rapid development of Australia crane market necessitates hoisting equipment that can lift heavier weights to greater heights while guaranteeing transportation efficiency and safety, and as such XCMG is committed to developing the best cranes to support the fast development of Australia,” a technical expert from XCMG says.

“The rapid development of Australia crane market necessitates hoisting equipment that can lift heavier weights to greater heights while guaranteeing transportation efficiency and safety, and as such XCMG is committed to developing the best cranes to support the fast development of Australia.”

The rough terrain has a capacity of 70t.

The striking paint job is sure to be eye catching

LIFT OF THE MONTH

PLEASE SEND YOUR LIFT OF THE MONTH ENTRIES TO SIMON.GOULD@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU

WHO: Borger Cranes and Precision Rigging.

WEIGHT OF THE LIFT: 10t chillers.

CRANE: Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 500t capacity all terrain.

CONFIGURATION: Configured to T6Y3, using the 84M boom, Y-guy, and 165T counterweight, with a capacity of 14.6t at 55m radius.

Mobile Cranes

Customer Training Courses 2023

CONTACT US

For more information and bookings, please contact the Liebherr Mobile Cranes training department via email LAS-MCTraining@liebherr.com or call +61 (2) 9852 1830.