Cranes and Lifting July 2021

THE DEDICATED RESOURCE FOR THE CRANE INDUSTRY / JULY/AUGUST 2021

LEADING WIRE ROPE INNOVATION

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FEATURES Tutt Bryant acquires 600 Cranes

CICA launches Industry Days

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IN THIS ISSUE 6

Industry News

12 Up Front Bridon-Bekaert is leading wire rope innovation.

79

16 CICA President’s Report Uncertain times require resilience and agility.

18 CICA Member Profile

JPM Cranes march on with Frannas.

22 CICA Tech Corner The CICA Technical Committee study the new standard for prefabricated concrete elements.

24 CICA awareness day CICA arranges an awareness day for Transport for New South Wales.

26 CICA Industry Days CICA launches state-based Industry Days.

28 Quinlan Cranes welcomes new Liebherr Quinlan Cranes takes delivery of the new Liebherr LTM1230-5.1.

32 Sennebogens deliver for Associated Rigging Associated Rigging deploys Sennebogen crawler to major Melbourne tunnelling project.

36 Grove: Part of the family Pfeiffer Cranes has been operating Grove all terrains for so long, the brand feels like part of the family.

40 Tadano first for ANC Cranes ANC Cranes takes delivery of the new Tadano ATF 130G-5 130t capacity all terrain.

44 SPT Mini Cranes ready to go Response to the launch of SPT mini cranes has been positive.

47 Borger’s twin tank lift Borger Cranes and Rigging deploy Grove GMK6300 for tricky tank lift.

48 Major industry news Tutt Bryant Equipment acquires 600 Cranes.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

52 Oils just aren’t oils AnglomOil explains the importance of choosing the right oils.

56 Barney the Starlight Crane Barney the Starlight Crane is brightening the lives of sick children.

58 Xtreme performance from MC-6 After 30 years a Franna MC-6 still goes to work every day.

62 Liebherr invests in the future Liebherr announces major investments to future proof internal processes.

64 Lindores sweet on Humma Lindores Crane Hire invest in new Humma.

68 Ronco’s open day Ronco displays product to WA market.

70 Mi-Jack gantry cranes on track with Gleason Gleason Cranes making inroads in the train sector.

72 Sany crane numbers continue to increase Tutt Bryant Equipment succeeding with Sany.

74 UAA moves into new Newcastle digs A new base and the motivated approach to insurance continues.

79 Tutt Bryant Equipment announce indigenous JV Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation Limited (NYFL) and Tutt Bryant establish joint venture.

80 Sarens bridge lift Sarens installs steel arch bridge in an 8-hour overnight operation.

84 Working At Heights Association Working At Heights Association reports on the outcomes from the recent safety forum.

86 Lift of the Month Another look at what the industry does best.

July 2021 CAL / 3

FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM

WELCOME TO THE JULY/ AUGUST 2021 ISSUE OF CRANES AND LIFTING THE RECENT 2021-22 FEDERAL Budget confirmed the critical role the construction sector will continue to play in rebuilding the Australian economy.

The Government’s commitment to infrastructure is an opportunity for major productivity improvements that the nation can benefit from. There will be demands on the labour force — the shortage of skills and an ageing work force, particularly in construction, which will play a significant role if not addressed.

To further improve the sustainability of the construction and crane sectors and unblock productivity enhancements, the Federal Government needs to take a more active role in defining and incentivising the use of best practice procurement and delivery processes.

In my opinion, the Construction Playbook, published by the British Government, is a good example of how reform can be achieved locally.

The Construction Playbook captures commercial best practices and specific sector reforms outlining the government’s expectations of how contracting authorities and suppliers, including the supply chain, should engage with each other.

These are set out in 14 key policies for how the government should assess, procure and deliver public works projects and

programmes which all central government departments and their arms-length bodies are expected to follow on a “comply or explain” basis. It is an interesting read.

As usual, the Cranes and Lifting team has worked hard to bring you the content featured in this issue. Articles contain the usual mix of major industry news and developments, crane hire businesses continuing to embrace the latest technology, and details of lifts that would not have been possible a short time ago.

With the National Conference postponed again this year, The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) has launched a new initiative with the state-based series of CICA Industry Days.

Cranes and Lifting magazine, along with its related digital products, fully supports this initiative and will assist in any way to ensure these days are an outstanding success.

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

Published by:

11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreative.com.au CEO John Murphy E: john.murphy@primecreative.com.au Chief Operating Officer Zelda Tupicoff E: zelda.tupicoff@primecreative.com.au Publisher Christine Clancy E: christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au Group Managing Editor (Northern) Syed Shah E: syed.shah@primecreative.com.au Editor Simon Gould E: simon.gould@primecreative.com.au Business Development Manager Liam O’Byrne E: liam.obyrne@primecreative.com.au M: 0403 500 544 Client Success Manager Justine Nardone E: justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

Simon Gould Editor, Cranes and Lifting

Design Production Manager Michelle Weston E: michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au Art Director Blake Storey Design Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty 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.

4 / CAL July 2021

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INDUSTRY NEWS The 19,000t HAPPY STAR is a 156-metre-long vessel featuring two 1,100t heavy lift mast cranes which make her ideally suited for handling heavy project cargoes.

HEAVY LIFT SHIP DELIVERS MEGA CARGO Happy Star delivers one of the largest pieces of cargo to ever arrive in the Port of Newcastle.

One of the largest single pieces of machinery to be brought into the Port of Newcastle arrived mid-May. At over 62 metres high and weighing 750 tonnes, the $35 million bulk ship unloader is set to become a prominent part of Newcastle’s maritime landscape as the port diversifies.

Text: A specialist heavy lift ship, the 19,000-tonne HAPPY STAR, delivered the important cargo today ahead of a meticulously-planned operation to safely transfer it onto Port of Newcastle’s K2 berth in its Bulk Precinct at Walsh Point.

HAPPY STAR is a 156-metre-long vessel featuring two 1,100 tonne heavy lift mast cranes which make her ideally suited to handling heavy project 6 / CAL July 2021

cargoes. The Big Lift vessel has been on a two-week journey from Vietnam to deliver the crane to Port of Newcastle.

The bulk ship unloader is being installed at Newcastle Bulk Terminal and has capacity to unload bulk cargo – such as fertilisers, meals, mineral sands and various other bulk cargoes – at up to 1,200 tonnes per hour.

This unloading rate would be available as part of the second phase of the project, which includes the latest conveyor infrastructure to link the berth directly to nearby customer storage and load-out facilities. This will be a significant increase on current discharge rates, vastly improving berth efficiency.

Port of Newcastle CEO Craig Carmody said the arrival of the stateof-the-art unloader was a significant milestone in optimising bulk handling

efficiencies at the Port.

“The previous two unloaders were built in 1968 and were decommissioned in 2018 in order to be replaced with machinery that delivers the highest standards in safety and environmental management and a superior commercial outcome for customers,” Carmody said. “This investment is part of Port of Newcastle’s commitment to providing the most efficient supply chain for internationally-trading businesses and, ultimately, support the Hunter’s economic growth.”

The new unloader will now undergo a commissioning phase, which includes rigorous testing and trwaining for crane operators and maintenance teams. It is expected the commissioning will take approximately four months with the ship unloader ready for operation in late 2021. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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INDUSTRY NEWS PRIME MINISTER MAKES XTREME VISIT Recently, Prime Minister Scott Morrison spent time touring the industrial heartland of Gladstone in Queenland. He visited the Xtreme Engineering operation where he met General Manager Scott Harrington to discuss how the business has benefitted from government policies and the recent purchase of a Tadano ATF1205.1 all terrain, the first in Australia.

Xtreme Engineering specialises in heavy fabrication, maintenance, shutdowns and break downs across various industry sectors including oil, gas, petrochemical, coal, alumina and cement throughout Australia. The business runs seven cranes including three Tadano slew cranes and Frannas.

Scott Harrington welcomed the Prime Minister to Xtreme Engineering and had this to say.

“Prime Minister, it’s great to meet you finally and to welcome you to our operation. As a business, we have benefitted greatly from several recent Government policies including the instant asset write-off programme. It enabled us to purchase this Tadano ATF-120-5.1, 120t capacity Tadano all terrain, the first of its kind in Australia.

“We used the instant asset writeoff to help us with a project that we recently secured. The project involves the construction of radar towers for the Bureau of Meteorology. A Commonwealth Government project with the towers fully fabricated locally in Gladstone from steel produced in Australian steel mills.

“We’ve also been able to sustain an apprenticeship program and used our local apprentices on this job with the kids loving the work. You have been able to meet a couple of young fellas today, so that’s good. Thank you and welcome to Gladstone, mate,” said Harrington.

The Prime Minister took the opportunity to thank Scott and to remind the crowd about the importance of continuing to support Australian business and Australian manufacturing throughout the recovery period.

“Thank you, Scott and congratulations, on everything you’re achieving here at Xtreme Engineering.

I will say $1.8 million is a significant investment for any business to be making in their future, and the fact

that businesses are investing in their future is key to Australia’s economic recovery plan.

“The Budget was all about securing Australia’s economic recovery and that recovery comes from investing in skills and the training. During this visit we’ve met some of the apprentices, those in their second and third year, even those who are coming out of the school system right now,” he said.

“There are around eight apprentices employed here as part of these projects and it’s great to see the investment in skills and training enabling the likes Xtreme Engineering to take on these major projects.

“We are manufacturing in Gladstone, we’re manufacturing in Queensland and we are manufacturing in Australia. By continuing to support manufacturing in Australia, we are backing in our steel producers and we’ve certainly done that. It means backing in our aluminium producers, and we’re doing that, it means backing in the training that is required for the skills that are needed to make things here in this country, and we are doing that,” said the Prime Minister.

Harrington used the instant asset write-off to help purchase the Tadano ATF120-5.1 all terrain.

8 / CAL July 2021

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

INDUSTRY NEWS VERTON EVEREST 6 DELIVERS DURING MINING SHUTDOWN Verton’s Everest 6 was recently deployed during a mine shut down for Roy Hill Mining in Western Australia.

Results were impressive with the shutdown finishing three days ahead of schedule.

The mine shut down included the removal and replacing of 35 transformers each weighing 18 tonnes as well lifting conveyor belt rolls. Major challenges included very tight access to perform the transformer lifts, with the use of taglines being problematic due to the restricted space. These tight spaces would have meant riggers holding taglines within the drop zone and placed in pinch points, to orientate each transformer into place.

Roy Hill used Verton’s Everest 6 self-contained lifting beam, which uses gyroscopically generated torque to rotate and control suspended loads, making the shutdown safer and faster.

The Everest 6 was able to perform the complex lifts with ease and superior orientation control via one trained operator using the wireless handheld remote.

Performing a “hands free” lift from a safe distance away from the potential drop zone, Verton’s load orientation technology ensured workers were able to stay well away from direct contact with the load.

With this solution Roy Hill was able to save three days on their shutdown.

The Everest 6 reduced hook time by 50 per cent and down time by 25 per cent. There were also huge advantages in terms of safety as there was no need for taglines during the lift and Verton’s Everest 6 kept the riggers out of harms’ way during lifting operations. The riggers observed the Everest 6 was a great asset to have when rigging in confined areas and they commented on how it made for easy rigging and derigging at heights due to the bar being able to be kept in a stable position above the load.

Harrington used the instant asset write-off to help purchase the Tadano ATF120-5.1 all terrain. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The Everest 6 reduced hook time by 50 per cent and down time by 25 per cent.

with a project that we recently secured. The project involves the construction of radar towers for the Bureau of Meteorology. A

Commonwealth Government project with the towers fully fabricated locally in Gladstone from steel produced in Australian steel mills.

Lifts included the removal and replacing of 35 transformers each weighing 18 tonnes and lifting conveyor belt rolls.

July 2021 CAL / 9

INDUSTRY NEWS Sarens won the Crane Job of the Year Award in the lattice boom category for its SGC-250 working at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project in the UK.

SARENS WINS “CRANE JOB OF THE YEAR” AWARD AT ESTA AWARDS 2021 Sarens won the Crane Job of the Year Award in the lattice boom category for its SGC-250 working at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project in the UK. The ESTA awards 2021 were announced in April during an online event. The two-hour event was a combination of awards ceremony and a market webinar addressing some of the key issues facing the crane and specialised transport sector.

Sarens won the “Crane Job of the Year” award in the lattice boom category for its 5000t SGC-250 super heavy lift ring crane working at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station project.

Sarens SGC-250 is currently supporting the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station – currently the UK’s largest and most complex engineering project. The crane 10 / CAL July 2021

will perform more that 700 lifts at the site over the next four years, on behalf of client Bylor and project owner EDF/ NNB. The loads range from precast concrete elements to pipe sections, steel rings, and machinery equipment weighing from 10 to 1600tonnes. The SGC0250 will also lift five major parts of each unit’s steel containment liner and dome.

Sarens SGC-250, the largest crane in the world in both size and capacity, has a minimum load moment of 25.000TM, allowing it to lift an astonishing 5000t.

Even at a larger radius of 100 meters, it can lift an amazing 2000t. SGC250, designed in house by Sarens, has the unique ability, in the global crane industry, to relocate the fully-rigged crane on site from one lifting position to another.

Despite heavy wind, the SGC-250 was safely rigged at the HPC site in 10 weeks. The specially designed 700t capacity SARSPIN was also assembled.

SGC-250 recently lifted a 382t steel band that will encase one of the reactors at Hinkley Point C. The total weight being lifted was 574t including the tackle. 110 lifts out of a total of the foreseen 706 lifts have been executed and the crane has travelled 16 times up and down the rail system out of the foreseen 52 relocations.

A spokesperson for Sarens said “Sarens is proud to receive the award and want to thank our research and development team for developing the biggest and safest crane in the world, engineering and operations team for excellently planning and executing the challenging Hinkley Point project.” www.cranesandlifting.com.au

UP FRONT / BRIDON-BEKAERT

As an Australian manufacturer, Bridon-Bekaert is able to offer a broad range of high-performance wire rope products.

LEADING WIRE ROPE INNOVATION With over 100 years of specialised experience in steel wire and synthetic rope manufacturer, Bridon-Bekaert serves thousands of customers globally. Bridon-Bekaert has been manufacturing rope in Newcastle NSW for 98 years.

BRIDON-BEKAERT’S ROPE IS DESIGNED for some of the world’s most demanding applications in numerous industries – all of which call for specific rope requirements.

Brad Reed is the sales and marketing manager and Rhys Hughes is the technical sales manager for BridonBekaert in Australia. Hughes focuses on technical support for underground mining, cranes, industrial and oil & gas market sectors. He has been in the industry for over 20 years and with Bridon-Bekaert for more than five years.

Reed explains the company has a long and distinguished pedigree that extends further back than 2016, when Bekaert acquired the Australian business from 12 / CAL July 2021

Arrium/OneSteel.

“Bridon-Bekaert’s predecessor, Australian Wire Rope Works, was formed in 1923 at the steelworks in Newcastle.

By 1933, the company was a fully owned subsidiary of BHP. In these early years, the company was involved in major nation-building projects, such as the Snowy Mountain Scheme,” he said.

Today, Bridon-Bekaert provides rope solutions for every industry, including onshore and offshore oil & gas, underground and surface mining, cranes, industrial, structures, fishing, marine, cableways and forestry.

Bridon-Bekaert’s business in Australia is the world leader in the manufacture, supply and technical support of wire

Rhys Hughes, technical sales manager for Bridon-Bekaert in Australia.

ropes in surface and underground mining applications.

“As an Australian manufacturer, Bridon-Bekaert is able to offer a broad range of high-performance wire rope products. We not only manufacture the rope, we also custom design rope solutions, provide rope inspection services, and have a NATA accredited testing laboratory. Our customers www.cranesandlifting.com.au

include some of the world’s largest mining companies, including BHP, Glencore, Anglo American and Yancoal,” said Reed.

Hughes role is based around technical solutions. “I typically get involved with projects at the specification level and at a trouble shooting level. I am involved if the customer is looking to achieve better performance in a certain rope application or if there is a problem.

I will visit and assess the customer’s application and devise a rope strategy that is going to minimise the customers cost associated with ropes,” Hughes said.

Hughes explains how this is achieved and what the end result can look like for a customer.

“The biggest differentiator between Bridon-Bekaert and other rope companies, is that we will spend the time to do the analysis, whether that’s during the pre-installation phase or through trial or post life analysis, carefully manage each step throughout the design and manufacturing process of the rope to ensure it is right first time. Let’s say there has been a troublesome part in the ropes’ life on the crane or in the mine, we’ll design the rope around combatting that as opposed to enforcing customers to change the way they operate. This can apply to a reeving system or a winch, we’ll try our best to adapt a rope to make it work in the customers’ current situation,” he said.

Hughes explains that Bridon-Bekaert can do this because they are both a local manufacturer and because they draw on the global experience of the business.

“In certain applications such as mining we provide the technical leadership globally, but for other applications we will draw on our main strength which is our global footprint and our position in the market. Our business globally has a vast amount of experience and industry experts.”

“We can be running similar applications in South America through to the North Sea and this enables us to draw on our experiences and the performance of our ropes in numerous applications. We have testimonials www.cranesandlifting.com.au

and real world examples of our ropes performance. Our level of service is a big differentiator for our customers,” said Hughes.

Reed goes on to explain how BridonBekaert services the local industry sectors.

“From the Australian markets’ perspective, we have the wire rope manufacturing facility in Newcastle.

This employs over 100 people, we manufacture rope, pendants and strand for the Australian and select international markets. Traditionally, the Australian business focused on manufacturing rope and pendants greater than 40mm in diameter to service the surface mining sector”.

“We are proudly the world leaders in this market sector from a technology and performance perspective. Our wire is sourced locally from InfraBuild Wire

who are literally down the road from our facility. Our primary points of difference are our in-house engineering team and the Technical people that are embedded into our customers mining operations. The engineering team lead the process from design right through to post life analysis. They also oversee the manufacturing facilities QA and the operations of our 300t test bed. The objective is to ensure our customers have the Total Lowest Cost of ownership associated with the ropes.,” said Reed Hughes explains the growth plan.

“To continue to grow and diversify our business we recently installed equipment that is capable of cutting, terminating, testing and inspecting ropes less than 50mm in diameter. These ropes are sourced from Bridon-Bekaert Plants globally and stocked in Newcastle in our Service Centre. Now from one facility, we

“The biggest differentiator between Bridon-Bekaert and other rope companies, is that we will spend the time to do the analysis, whether that’s during the pre-installation phase or through trial or post life analysis, carefully manage each step throughout the design and manufacturing process of the rope to ensure it is right first time.”

Bridon-Bekaert’s Newcastle plant has been manufacturing rope for close to 100 years.

July 2021 CAL / 13

UP FRONT / BRIDON-BEKAERT

can offer a complete range of products covering the birth to the death of the wire ropes,” Hughes said.

Hughes explains the relevance of the development specifically to the crane sector.

“We are the OEM for some of the largest crane manufactures in the world and we are targeting the crane sector with these new services. Our services are ideal for businesses running large fleets of cranes and for the management of these businesses that see a need for consistent high performance rope. This expertise is backed by local technical support available at any given moment.”

“We will be working closely with our partners to help enhance the performance of the wire ropes,” he said.

Hughes explains what a heavy lift and shift businesses can expect from Bridon-Bekaert, with a renewed focus on the sector, and how they will engage and what levels of service to expect.

“We engage customers through our network of key business partners; they are our feet on the ground. We aim to offer the technical support to help our partners and ultimately to encourage end users to better utilise our services and global expertise. This will help them reach peak performance with their assets.”

Hughes elaborates more on the latest initiative recently launched by BridonBekaert, the Service Centre.

“Bridon-Bekaert has Service Centre locations strategically placed globally, our team identified Australia as being the next expansion opportunity. The market and our distribution network have been asking for access to cut and terminate rope across the full diameter range.”

“There is definitely an increase in confidence in the market place, once a manufacturer cuts, terminates, tests and delivers their own rope. Our Service Centre is world class with a high level of automation, including a 1000t Talurit press, a Talurit annealing machine, takeup and pay off. In our opinion it’s the safest and the smartest Service Centre of its kind globally,” he said.

Hughes explains what the new Service 14 / CAL July 2021

To continue to grow and diversify, Bridon-Bekaert recently installed equipment that is capable of cutting, terminating, testing and inspecting ropes less than 50mm in diameter.

Centre adds to the business proposition from Bridon-Bekaert and its key network.

“What we were unable to do before is cutting, terminating and testing ‘in house’, less than 50mm in diameter, so the new Service Centre provides our network with a fall-back position for when they might not have the stock and when they don’t have the availability to cut and terminate in their satellite facilities, we can now do that.”

“For our critical off-shore oil & gas

customers if they get into trouble and they are not producing, it can cost incredible amounts of money in lost production. They can now have the confidence that we can get ropes turned around in hours or by the next day and sent to their key asset,” he said.

“We weren’t able to do this before.

We could hold full reels but the Service Centre provides us with full flexibility across our full range of BridonBekaert high performance products,” said Hughes. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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CICA PRESIDENT’S REPORT

UNCERTAIN TIMES REQUIRE RESILIENCE AND AGILITY With continued lockdowns across the various states, the pandemic continues to make our working lives difficult. The industry needs to stand strong and adapt to the conditions.

THE COVID PANDEMIC CONTINUES TO play havoc with our professional and personal lives. Here, in Melbourne, we have just experienced our fourth lockdown. Regardless of how often this occurs, it’s still difficult to fully adjust.

The uncertainty forces us to be resilient and agile in managing our personnel and delivering services to our clients, but it bares opportunities as well, we just need to recognise when they’re there. I must admit, I will be glad when more certainty is restored.

As you are aware, this year’s Annual CICA Conference was cancelled due the uncertainty caused by Australian State borders being closed at short notice to mitigate the risk of transmitting COVID. Instead of a Conference with a national focus on information and networking opportunities pertinent to our members, this year we are pivoting to State based industry days that will showcase the crane industry to construction companies, developers, mining companies and government bodies.

The intent is for a more boutique, localised event which welcomes key individuals from the broader market we all deliver services to every day, along with other aligning industry groups.

The theme ‘Elevating Expectations’ is a perfect platform to bring our enabling stakeholders on a journey to understanding and appreciating the capabilities of our industry.

I encourage you to get involved and work alongside others in your branch to see your State impress at this collaborative inaugural event.

16 / CAL July 2021

Many hands make light work and the outcomes of greater understanding, will benefit all who attend.

This type of collaboration was on display at the end of May when Tadano and CICA hosted a ‘Introduction to Cranes Course’ for over forty Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) personnel. The feedback from those who attended was overwhelmingly positive and this strengthens our reputation and people’s willingness to work toward mutually beneficial arrangements.

The recent Federal Budget has reaffirmed the focus of the Australian Government in investing in major building projects. A record $110 billion towards transport infrastructure across Australia over the next decade has been pledged. In the current unprecedented low interest rate environment, the impact the government can expect to have by altering money supply through interest rate reductions is minimal. It makes perfect sense in the medium term, that governments will use the low interest money available to them, to inject direct stimulus in value-add infrastructure. That is, infrastructure which improves the movement of domestic trade and encourages local private enterprise and foreign enterprise to invest. As it currently stands, Australian Government funded road and rail projects currently underway are expected to support up to 100,000 direct and indirect jobs over the lifetime of these projects. Alongside this, is the growing demand in the mining and energy sectors for cranes and skilled

CICA president Tom Smith.

crane personnel. CICA recognises the impact this has on the pool of skilled workers in the industry and we continue our focus in supporting programs to develop safety affirming processes, systems and training.

Currently in Queensland, our members are bearing the ramifications of poorly maintained bridges and culverts.

Already back in 2017, the Integrated Transport Planning Report 4 from the Queensland Audit Office, found that: Bridge and culvert rehabilitation funding provides for 19 per cent of the known need and is too small to respond to emerging needs.

There are significant structural issues across the network which have the potential to impact on road user safety and heavy vehicle accessibility.

Unfortunately, this has resulted in continuous problems in Queensland for our members and CICA are committed to working with Minister Bailey, Minister for Transport and Main Roads along with the Shadow Minister for Transport to find workable solutions to this matter.

Concurrent with our constant push for improvements in roads and road access, CICA continues to work at providing safety resources by way of training courses, guidance notes, safety bulletins and platform-based solutions like CrewSafe and StartSafe. The tech corner articles in every issue of this magazine are another way CICA contributes to the professional development of the sector. Be sure to read Alice Edwards contribution which explains the new www.cranesandlifting.com.au

standard under development for prefabricated concrete elements.

An important consideration for us all as winter descends upon us is the assessment of ground conditions. As well as wet and dangerous roads, winter also brings changes to the ground.

Many of you would be aware that CICA Queensland, under the headship of former Chair Steve Gonano developed a ground pressure app called “CICA outrigger app”. This app calculates ground pressure or crane mat size based on the formulas and ground pressure capacity estimates provided in the Queensland Mobile Crane Code of Practice 2006.

This app is freely available from your smartphone App store, is very easy to use and is a handy tool for crane crews to assess ground conditions on site. It is also a great guide to show your client on site for their own considerations in pre planning future works.

I look to the medium-term outlook with optimism. There are certainly very positive governments supporting programs to stimulate work in our sector with ongoing federally funded support. The investment allowance stimulus of instant asset write offs has also been extended to June 30th 2023 in the current budget, which further recognises the need to incentivise local businesses to tool up to support the infrastructure spending.

But how long does the medium term last anyway? Well, John Maynard Keynes famously stated that “in the long run we’re all dead.” So, if you believe that, we can remain optimistic for quite a number of years yet; although if the last 18 months is anything to go by, we all need to remain prudent, as we never really quite know what lies in front of us.

Take care over the coming months and be sure to save the date for your State’s industry day, they are sure to be fantastic events.

Tom Smith CICA president managing director – McKay United 0439 130 567 www.cranesandlifting.com.au

CICA BOARD Tom Smith – President Ben Pieyre – Vice President Danny Adair – Director Danny Black – Director Andrew Esquilant – Director Marcus Ferrari – Director David Solomon – Director Bart Sutherland – Director

Jed Kenwright Road Technical Officer 0439 556 867 jed@cica.com.au Julie Turner CICA Executive Assistant / Office Manager Direct: 03 8320 0411 Email: julie@cica.com.au

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

Ashleigh Gould CICA Administration Officer – CraneSafe And CrewSafe Direct: 03 8320 0466 Email: ashleigh@cranesafe.com.au

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

Michelle Verkerk Marketing and Media Communications Officer 0410 003 759 michelle@cica.com.au

Patrick Cran CraneSafe/CrewSafe Technical Advisor 0488 004 274 pat@cranesafe.com.au Damien Hense Road Safety Liaison Officer 03 8320 0460 0488 007 575 damien@cica.com.au

CICA Head Office Unit 10, 18-22 Lexia Place, Mulgrave Vic 3170 (PO Box 136 Mount Waverley Vic 3149) 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.

July 2021 CAL / 17

CICA MEMBER PROFILE

JPM Cranes’ new 25t Franna SuperLift ready to roll.

MARCHING AHEAD WITH FRANNAS JPM Cranes has built its business on the back of Franna pick and carries. It recently took delivery of a new Franna MAC 25 SuperLift (SL).

JPM CRANES IS A FAMILY-OWNED CRANE hire business. Since 1995, it has been servicing various industries in the Sydney and greater metropolitan areas.

Operations Manager, Ryan March provides more background to the business and explains the reasons behind the new purchase.

“The business started when my father had the opportunity to purchase his own 7T Kato truck mounted crane to service a customer who had offered him the chance to start out on a long term project at the Sydney QANTAS domestic terminal.

“JPM Cranes is a proudly owned family business and Dad and the team have worked hard on growing with the intention of the next generation joining to learn from the ground up, and to continue the values and morals that has 18 / CAL July 2021

made the company a success for the past 25 years,” said March.

“Without doubt, JPM Cranes has built a reputation on the quality supply of our Franna pick and carry cranes. We have always provided a strong service to the machinery installation and relocation industry and we have long-standing relationships with the major energy providers in Sydney.

“We service such a wide variety of industries that it is difficult to put a label on what our “typical customer” looks like. The needs for each customer are assessed individually to ensure we provide the best service possible.

Our long standing relationships with our customers is the reason we are in business, and we are proud to say we have been servicing a vast majority of our customers for over 20 years,” he said.

March explains how the business has come to rely on the Franna pick and carry cranes.

“It is fair to say we have built our business on the back of Franna pick and carry cranes and in our opinion the Franna is the most versatile machine in our fleet and still services the majority of our clients today. Franna cranes are a proven product and have been in our fleet for 25 years.

“We decided to add an additional MAC 25 SL for a number of reasons. The business is busy and we have capacity for an extra crane but we were also finding our customers were utilising the 25t Franna more frequently due to the additional Superlift which provides a greater lifting chart to ensure safer lifting practices. In certain configurations we have found the Superlift counterweight www.cranesandlifting.com.au

will give the crane an additional 50 per cent lifting capacity,” said March.

March discusses the depth of the relationship between JPM Cranes and Franna.

“My father John has had a relationship with Terex/Franna for over 20 years and we continue to appreciate the working relationship that we have with Franna. I know he will read this article so I will give a special mention to our mate and all round gentleman, Matty Mills. Unlike his stature, he has been a massive help to us over the last 10 years and we’d also like to thank Bob and Susan at the Sydney branch for their continued support with servicing and parts,” he said.

The JPM Crane fleet currently ranges from 13t to 60t in capacity and includes: • Liebherr LTM1060-3.1 • Liebherr LTC1045-3.1 • Terex MAC25 SL Frannas 25t capacity • Terex AT22 Franna 22t capacity • Terex AT20 Franna 20t capacity • Tadano GR130-EX city crane • 2 x 30t battery operated powerskate systems and specialised rigging equipment for machinery relocation.

Ryan explains how the nature of work influences the make-up of JPM Crane fleet.

“The work we conduct and our customer base is the biggest driving force behind the make-up of our fleet. We are constantly upgrading and updating our machinery to meet market demands and the requirements of our client base with plans to expand into the 100 Tonne class in the not so distant future.

“Our fleet of cranes is utilised for a variety of customers that are in all different fields and industry sectors.

For example, our city crane is used for assisting in the installation and relocation/maintenance of high voltage transformers for customers such as Ausgrid & TransGrid along with the manufacturers of the transformers themselves,” said March.

March goes on to describe the type of work JPM Cranes conducts with its range of slew cranes.

“With the slew cranes you will www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Ryan and John March, JPM Cranes.

find us working on the installation of high bay automated racking systems, in high voltage switch yards, lifting air conditioning units in and out of buildings, working on roofing projects and overhead gantry cranes, installing pre-cast concrete panels and pits and they are available for general hire.

“You will mainly see Franna pick and carry managing machinery relocation projects, overhead gantry cranes (again), servicing the energy industry, assisting our powerskate system and operating in recycling plants both new and old. On a day to day basis, we will generally cover Sydney metropolitan area, although we have previously and will continue to travel wherever our customers requires us to,” he said.

“Our commitment to customer service and fulfilling our customers’ needs has always been and will always be our main priority”. Our customers are 100 per cent of the reason we are in business and our philosophy in business is quite simple, ‘without customers you have no business’.

March discusses the processes JPM Cranes has adopted to ensure lifts are risk assessed and conducted safely.

“Conducting a site-specific meeting/

inspection before the crane arrives on site is the most effective way to envisage how the lift will take place and to ensure that when the crane arrives, the customer is fully satisfied that the job they require has been risk assessed and will be performed safely.

“But we don’t always conduct a site visit, there are numerous occasions when the phone will ring and the client needs a crane ASAP. This is where we rely on the ability of our staff to use their experience and best judgment to complete the job safely.

“We do our best to ensure all aspects of the job have been assessed and that the correct information of what we have to lift has been supplied by the client in a site-specific SWMS and lift study to suit the job,” said March.

There is plenty of experience within the JPM Cranes team including operators, riggers and dogmen, back room and office staff says March.

“The experience levels in our yard vary from five to 40 years. We have operators in our team that have more years of experience in the industry, than some of our younger guys have been alive.

“These guys are the backbone of our business, our boots on the ground, day in July 2021 CAL / 19

CICA MEMBER PROFILE

Matthew Bassett, 60t all terrain Dogman and Steve Free, 60t all terrain operator for JPM Cranes.

and day out and their dedication ensures we provide our customers with an outstanding service no matter how large or small the lift might be.

“Several of our employees have been with us for over 10 years and other team members are exceeding 15 years. For us, one of the most important aspects about employing people is that we provide an environment that puts our families first.

We pride ourselves in being a business that values and recognises the hardworking attitude and efforts of all of our staff.

JPM Cranes runs a small office crew including husband and wife team John and Kathy March who have been there from the beginning.

“Mum and Dad started the business and I joined as a keen 17 year old kid with zero experience. I learned to be a dogman first, then worked up to operate every machine we have in our fleet. I knew that when I got to the position I am in now, as our General Manager and 20 / CAL July 2021

Allocator, I would get far more out of our guys if they knew I had experience in the field, compared to being sat behind a desk from day one.

“10 years later and I’ve just marked my first year at the helm. I believe we have a very bright future at JPM and look forward to building the business to suit all of our customers past and present and also grow to help us have the ability to expand into different areas of the crane industry.

“Behind the scenes, our most important team member is Office Manager Jodie Couzin. She has been with us for three years and has made a massive impact on the business, greatly improving the processes required for the day to day running and streamlining systems, from our allocations programming to invoicing and WH&S. She has been in the crane industry for over 10 years and continues to improve our business with her depth of knowledge and dedication,” he said.

After many years of volunteering his time assisting with industry issues, last year John March decided to take a step back from his roles within The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA).

“After many years of working with CICA on numerous industry issues, last year I decided it was time to take a step back. I will still be involved but I thought it was the right time for someone new to take the reins and bring fresh ideas and energy to the role.

“I am especially grateful to the NSW committee members for the support they have afforded me and I have been proud to serve as the Vice Chairman of the committee making contributions to various industry initiatives.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the individuals I have met, especially those I have sought advice from and who have been prepared to share their knowledge regarding the industry that has has been my passion for over 40 years,” he said.” www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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CICA TECH CORNER

A NEW STANDARD FOR PREFABRICATED CONCRETE ELEMENTS The CICA Technical Committee provides more information regarding the new Australian Standards relating to the lifting of prefabricated concrete products.

THE AUSTRALIAN STANDARD FOR prefabricated element design, manufacture, transport and erection is AS3850. The following information relates to AS3850.3 Prefabricated concrete elements – Civil Construction.

Prefabricated concrete elements are widely used in the building, civil, infrastructure and construction industries. Due to the size and the weight of the various prefabricated components, cranes are often used when handling them, so most within the crane industry would have some involvement or work on lifting precast concrete elements on site.

The Australian Standard for prefabricated element design, manufacture, transport and erection is AS3850. The current suite of AS3850 Standards was published in 2015 and amended in 2019, it includes two standards: • AS3850.1: 2015 Prefabricated concrete elements - General Requirements, details the requirements for materials, components and equipment used during the on and off-site casting of elements.

• AS3850.2:2015 Prefabricated concrete

elements - Building Construction, covers the construction design, manufacture, transport, and erection of all on and off-site cast elements in the construction of buildings.

The AS3850 standards aim to improve safety and quality of manufacturing and handling of prefabricated elements, and provide best practice guidance on design and documentation, casting, transportation, craneage and erection, temporary supports, and incorporation of elements into the final structure.

The current AS3850 standards only apply to the construction of buildings, leaving a comparable gap relating to safety guidance material in the civil space. A new part of the AS3850 standard has been developed to cover this gap, it has gone through the public review process and is at its final stage of publication. The new addition will provide requirements for planning, construction, design, casting, transportation, erection, and incorporation into the final structure of prefabricated concrete elements in civil, infrastructure and non-building constructions. It applies to prefabricated concrete elements, including concrete 2019 CICA Lift of the Year entry demonstrated the importance of handling precast concrete safely.

22 / CAL July 2021

pipes, culverts, bridge elements, tunnel elements, concrete poles, piles, drainage and sewerage manholes, lintels, headwalls, covers and surrounds, and water quality products.

The new part clearly defines competency requirements for the different roles involved in the different activities, it also adds new requirements for on-site erection documentation.

Additional information from the new part of the standard relevant to the crane industry includes: Roles, responsibilities and competency requirements • As an example, erection design, which includes the design for the erection and temporary support of prefabricated concrete elements and the supervision and inspection of the structure to ensure structural adequacy and stability during all phases of erection of these elements, is now required to be carried out by a competent person (in this case, a professional engineer).

Erection documentation • Rigging systems are required to be detailed and included in the erection documentation. An erection designer should provide drawings of the rigging configuration with the maximum sling angle, spreader beam and load equalization devices together with details of the specified lifting inserts and attachment.

Crane capacity requirements • Where erection requires mid-air rotation of elements by a single crane fitted with two hoists, the capacity of the crane shall be sufficient to enable the full load to be lifted by each hoist. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

LIFTING CLUTCHES The new standard has made it clear that rigging design should be part of the erection design and rigging configuration should be included in the erection document. Crane crews should ask for the rigging design certificate from the erection designer and only lift according to the design.

Since we are talking about prefabricated concrete elements, one item of rigging equipment used specifically for this type of lifting is the lifting clutch. Great care needs to be taken when using lifting clutches for lifting concrete elements.

Lifting clutch components should be inspected and selected to match the appropriate anchorage point. To ensure proper engagement, the manufacturer’s lifting clutch should match with the manufacturer’s anchorage insert. There shall be no mix and match of different manufacturer’s components, without verification of compatibility by the relevant lifting clutch manufacturer as per AS3850.1. The relevant manufacturers’ certification for anchorage points and clutches is to be obtained and attached to the lift study/ plan and/or SWMS, prior to any lift occurring and before receipt of precast concrete elements. If this information cannot be obtained, or if it is not reasonably practicable to know which manufacturer’s attachment point is inserted, then a competent professional engineer shall complete an inspection of the aperture and lifting clutches for compatibility and serviceability and put controls in place prior to the lift. This should be documented in the SWMS. Check to ensure that the clutch has a valid proof test tag, is undamaged and in good working order. AS3850.1 requires all clutches be inspected, identified and annually proof loaded to 1.2 times the WLL. If there is no valid certification, the lifting clutch should not be used.

Before every lift, a competent person with rigging experience should check that the clutch is physically undamaged or distorted. Damaged or distorted clutches www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Picture 1: Make sure to have tail end positioned toward the load.

Picture 2: Twisted chains could cause anchor or clutch damage.

should be immediately removed from service and replaced.

When attaching the lifting clutches to the inserts, if the insert is blocked or fouled by hardened concrete which prevents connection, do not try and force the clutch, for example, by using a hammer to make the connection, hammering the insert or clutch can cause damage and lead to failure. Make sure lifting clutches are fully engaged before the lift occurs, set up the clutch in the right direction, taking into consideration of the chain’s rotation, especially when lifting in the vertical direction.

Picture 1 and Picture 2 above apply to all clutches except for the type of lifting clutches that lock the insert on the sphere which maintains the anchor in position and are resistant to dislodgement. This type of clutch is recommended for all applications which involve element rotation or where the clutch is connected to an anchor located on the side of an element.

Discard criteria for lifting clutches includes: • Bent or distorted handle, excessive deformation in the handle • Excessive loop wear and deformation • Unauthorised repair or modification e.g., welding • Out of tolerance slot • Bent lips, slot too wide, slot

deformation, worn slot • Distortion or wear of upper or lower loops, wear, distortion in the “bridge” of the slot • Broken locking rings, bent, distorted locking rings The lifting clutch is a small part in the rigging system, but if used inappropriately, it could cause great damage on site or to your crane. Given the severe consequences associated with precast concrete rigging failures and the number of workers in close proximity, everything should be done to avoid preventable incidents.

CICA Members have free access to AS3850 standards, for access to the latest information on standard development, become a CICA Member. Go to www.cica.com.au

LK Clutches July 2021 CAL / 23

CICA CRANE TRAINING

CICA FACILITATES CRANE AWARENESS The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) recently conducted crane training for personnel from Transport for New South Wales.

FORTY-TWO TRANSPORT FOR NEW SOUTH Wales (TfNSW) personnel made the most of the opportunity to expand their crane knowledge during an ‘Introductory Crane Training Course’. This event was hosted by Tadano Oceania at their Wetherill Park office and facilitated

by The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) at the end of May 2021. Participants were given an understanding of how cranes differ, the crane types (Tower, Mobile and Articulated cranes), their components, types of slings and chains, latest Australian Standards, load charts, the impact of environmental conditions and high-risk licence requirements to operate cranes.

For the practical component, Tadano mobilised a new 20-tonne slew crane, providing participants experience in identifying components, downloading the CICA Crane StartSafe app. and viewing the Load Movement Indicator (LMI) inside the crane cabin.

TfNSW recognises the importance of keeping upto-date with the latest industry standards and training requirements and thank Tadano and CICA for their expertise in facilitating this training. Likewise, Tadano and CICA appreciated the willingness of TfNSW to learn and collaborate, as these types of engagements promote safety and efficiency in the industry.

Participants were given an understanding of how cranes differ.

The event was hosted by Tadano Oceania at their Wetherill Park yard, in Western Sydney.

TfNSW recognises the importance of keeping up-to-date with the latest industry standards and training requirements.

24 / CAL July 2021

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

© Tadano Ltd. 2020. Tadano and Demag are trademarks of or licensed by Tadano Ltd. or its subsidiaries

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CICA INDUSTRY DAYS

The Industry days will ensure visibility with key decision makers.

CICA INDUSTRY DAYS In lieu of the Annual CICA Conference, The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) recently announced it will stage a series of State-based Industry Days.

THE ANNUAL CICA CONFERENCE IN 2021 has been cancelled, a disappointing yet necessary measure during this time of travel uncertainty.

This, however, has created an opportunity for CICA to do things differently this year and host flagship events in each State. These State-based Industry Days provide a platform for the crane industry to showcase its capabilities to business leaders in the building, construction, infrastructure, mining and government sectors.

These events ensure visibility with key decision makers, providing a unique forum to demonstrate skills, proficiencies and key initiatives from within the crane industry, strengthening existing relationships as well as establishing new 26 / CAL July 2021

The State-based Industry Days will provide a platform for the crane industry to showcase its capabilities to business leaders in numerous industry and government sectors.

contacts.

The theme ‘Elevating Expectations’ highlights the way the crane industry has redesigned its processes to increase safety and demonstrate best practices to customers, enabling stakeholders and on sites.

The industry days will be hosted in the following states: • South Australia – Adelaide Convention Centre, 22 October 2021

• Queensland – Sofitel Brisbane, 5 November 2021 • Victoria – Hyatt Place Essendon Fields, 5 November 2021 • Western Australia – Perth Convention Centre, 28 October 2021 • New South Wales - Parkroyal Parramatta, 12 November 2021 To be a part of these events, speak to your State CICA Chairperson or for more information, go to www.cica.com.au www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / LIEBHERR ALL TERRAINS For the Water Gardens lift, the heaviest lift was at 1600kg including hook and rigging at a 74m radius. All this meant the crane was utilising 85 per cent of its charts.

QUINLAN CRANES FIRST FOR VICTORIA Quinlan Cranes recently took delivery of the first Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1 to be delivered in Victoria. Quinlan Cranes director Sacha Sikka provides background to the organisation and how the new crane fits into the fleet.

TOM QUINLAN STARTED QUINLAN CRANES in 2001 with a 50t Tadano working around the Melbourne area. Before that, he had worked for James Cranes for thirteen years, In Ballarat Melbourne and Geelong. Quinlan steadily grew the business over the next five years, gradually increasing the fleet to five cranes.

“That’s when the opportunity to buy the James Cranes Geelong operation was presented to me, and I jumped at it. The business came with a package of eight cranes and it meant we were operating out of yards in Laverton and Geelong, as we have done ever since. Slowly, we have built the equity in the business to the stage where we are welcoming the brand new Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1, the first of its type in Victoria,” said Quinlan.

Sacha Sikka joined the organisation in 2017 and in 2019 invested in Quinlan Cranes, taking a 50 percent stake in the business.

28 / CAL July 2021

“I had already had a long association with Tom, I’ve known him for close to 20 years. I knew the business and many of the customers, so it was an easy transition for me. Today, we operate a fleet of relatively new cranes, the average age of the cranes would be less than five years. We recently added the Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1, the first of this model to be delivered in Victoria. By keeping our fleet new and updated, helps with our philosophy of providing a safe and reliable service for our customers.

“Tom started the business with the ethos of offering customers a reliable quality service. This has evolved to the point where the company now has accreditation for ISO 9001 Management System, ISO 14001 Environment Management System and ISO 45001 OHS Management System. We are one of the few crane companies to have this and it drives our business every day. Everyone

understands that every decision and action is based on quality,” said Sikka.

Sikka explains how he met Quinlan and how the business looks today.

“I started in the industry as a mechanic, so I learnt my trade fixing cranes. I worked for Terex and then Tutt Bryant where I chased crawler cranes around Australia for a while. From there I moved to Alfasi Hire and ran their crane division working on internal and external projects in Australia and Overseas. I’ve known Tommy since I was a mechanic and we’ve always kept in touch.

“The capacity of our fleet varies goes from 10t to 250t and the larger capacity cranes tend to be Liebherrs. These include the 250t, 230t, 220t and 100t. We run some Tadanos as well and we have a couple of 40 tonners a 60 and a 100. We also run a number of Frannas with 20t and 25t capacities, some with SuperLifts.

“We are a true general hire company www.cranesandlifting.com.au

which means we work on everything from infrastructure projects, we have long standing petrochemical contracts, wharf contracts. We do a lot of work with customers like Zinfra and the power sector right through to general machinery moves and plant lifts. We have worked hard to establish and maintain relationships with our customers and we have a number of long standing contracts with long standing customers.

“We have a long term contract with a local chemical company and we recently received an award for contributing a million man hours incident free workplace. A lot of customers and also our team members have been with the organisation from the beginning with many dating back to the James Cranes days.

“We still have two of the original trainees who started with Barry James in 1998. We place company loyalty high on our list of priorities. We are loyal to our customers and also to our personnel and we hope this is reciprocated. We employ 50 full timers plus casuals. Some of our older crew, have been with the organisations for over 30 years and there is no substitute for that experience. But we are also looking to the future and we

have three trainees from the CFMEU program and one recently qualified.

Traineeship programs are a big part of revitalising the industry with ‘new blood’. We also have an engineering team so as far as lift planning is concerned, we manage all of that side of the business inhouse, which we really pride ourselves on,” he said.

Sikka discusses the commitment and compliance required to reach the ISO accreditation and what this means to the business.

“The ISO accreditation definitely provides us with a competitive advantage. Our customers understand what is involved with the onerous nature of the accreditation process. The very culture of our business has to reflect the requirements of ISO accreditation.

For us, it put to paper what we wanted to achieve with the business. We have always strived to reflect best practice and envisaged the quality of our service would drive our business.

“We often say to or customers you can have service, quality and price, pick two as we understand it is impossible to deliver on all three. We’ve always driven the quality and the service in everything we do at Quinlan Cranes. Having ISO

accreditation for Quality, Safety and Environment drives a sense of pride in everything we do in with each member of the team owning every action. It also provides our customers with assurance that the services we provide reflect worlds’ best practice,” he said.

Sikka goes on to discuss the background to the purchase of the Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1, his experience with the crane and how it has performed.

“We were in the market for a new crane to support our power work and one of our long term customers in that industry. The work meant we really needed a long boom. We already had the Liebherr LTM 1250-5.1 with the 60 meter boom and both the 100t and 220t have 60 meters of boom. What we really like about the Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1 is the 75 meters of boom. 75 meters provides us with an option to avoid fitting the fly on numerous tight sites,” he said.

“We’ve had the crane for about a month and we’ve had a number of good lifts. We’ve also completed some heavy lifting which we probably didn’t purchase it for. We recently lifted 40t of anchor chain down at the wharf and it performed well there. We recently used the crane for a lift at the Water Gardens

Sacha Sikka and Tom Quinlan with the Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

July 2021 CAL / 29

IN FOCUS / LIEBHERR ALL TERRAINS

shopping centre. We put the fly on the crane and got out to a radius of 75m which is rare for cranes on five axles.

With that length of boom and fly it’s competing with the next class of cranes up really.

“The Water Gardens lift wasn’t a difficult job, we had to go with the larger crane because the centre is sitting on a suspended slab. We had about 7m to feed the boom through between the pole and building to install the fly which we managed fairly easily.

We were removing and replacing air conditioning units, fans ducts and associated components. The heaviest lift was at 1600 kg including hook and rigging at a 74m radius. All this meant the crane was utilising 85 per cent of it charts,” said Sikka.

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

The LTM 1230-5.1 is the successor to the global success that was the LTM 1200-5.1. In its development work, Liebherr pursued the objective of increasing both the boom length and the lifting capacity of its predecessor.

The result: the LTM 1230-5.1 delivers an extremely long telescopic boom and sets new standards in terms of lifting capacity. With lattice extensions, the maximum hook height has been increased by ten metres to 111 metres.

The Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1 is an ideal crane for working on steep gradients and large hook heights, for example for erecting tower cranes or maintenance work for wind turbines.

The engineers at Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH placed the multi-awardwinning VarioBase® support technology at the focus of the structural steel construction when creating the concept for the new crane. This meant that the new LTM crane is the first to have an asymmetrical support base – with the 30 / CAL July 2021

width being 7.4 metres at the front and 8.1 metres at the rear. VarioBase® means that it is now possible to generate particularly high lifting capacities, particularly at the rear working area over the 8.1 metre wide supports – calculated in real-time by the LICCON controller. This new digitalisation facility has a major influence on the structural steel technology and enhances the customer benefit in the form of lifting capacity increases.

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

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

The LTM 1230-5.1 also features the Liebherr single-engine concept which involves a mechanical shaft powering the superstructure. Gear shafts are routed from the distributor gear in

the substructure via two mitre gears through the centre of the slewing ring to the pump distributor gear in the superstructure. An add-on programme in the drive concept ensures that the machine is particularly fuel-efficient. This means that the complete pump drive can be disconnected automatically when the engine is idling and then reconnected by the intelligent controller in a matter of seconds when it is required.

The team at Liebherr are a major reason Quinlan Cranes continue to purchase Liebherr all terrains said Sikka.

“One of the main reasons we go with Liebherr is the team that comes with the product. We have a great relationship with John and Ben and the service guys including Marius and throughout my time in this industry, I have always found Liebherr easy to deal with. It doesn’t matter if the crane is in or out of warranty if there is an issue, they will work it out with you. In my opinion it doesn’t matter what brand you buy and which model it is, eventually every machine will stop. It is how the manufacturer, sales agent or distributor backs up that machine that matters, that is where Liebherr shines. I worked with Liebherrs in Hong Kong so I know firsthand, it doesn’t matter where you are in the world, Liebherr looks after you,” he said.

Quinlan Cranes like the 75 metres of boom on the new Liebherr. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / SENNEBOGEN CRAWLER CRANES

SENNEBOGENS DELIVER ON MAJOR TUNNELLING PROJECT Associated Rigging deploys a new Sennebogen crawler to work on major Melbourne tunnelling project.

Sennebogens are excellent all-rounders for Associated Rigging.

32 / CAL July 2021

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

FOR OVER THREE DECADES, ASSOCIATED Rigging has been providing crane hire solutions Australia wide. Currently, Associated Rigging has a number of cranes involved on major infrastructure projects including a 50t capacity Sennebogen crawler working on the $11 billion Melbourne Metro Tunnel project.

Founded in 1991, Associated Rigging is a family business owned and managed by the Hoare family, including managing director Kieran, wife Clare and sons Darcy and Mark. According to Kieran Hoare the mix of the fleet reflects the requirements of customers.

“We are predominantly a structural steel and concrete panel erection company. The larger cranes in the fleet are utilised for precast erection and the smaller cranes for steel erection. We are regularly monitoring the needs and requirement of our customers and we update our fleet accordingly to ensure we are providing them with the latest in lifting technology,” he said.

The Associated Rigging fleet features cranes with capacities ranging from 250t capacity down to a 3t capacity Maeda mini crane says Hoare.

“We run a fleet of 20 cranes. Our largest capacity is a Kobelco crawler, a CKE2500 which has a 250t capacity and the smallest a Maeda mini crane with a 3t capacity. In between, we run a range of all terrains with capacities ranging from 200t to 35t, Frannas including two Mac 25s and five Sennebogen crawlers ranging from 50t to 15t capacity,” he said.

The fleet includes a number of brands including Kobelco, Terex Demag, Liebherr, Terex Franna, Kato, Sennebogen and Maeda.

According to Hoare a number of Sennebogens are currently utilised on the $11 billion plus Melbourne Metro Tunnel project as they are recognised as being well suited for this type of application.

“As far as we are concerned the Sennebogens are excellent all-rounders.

They work well in applications where there is limited head room and not much room to manoeuvre. They are robust cranes capable of dealing with the harsh www.cranesandlifting.com.au

conditions they can face in tunnelling projects. They are versatile and compact without compromising on lifting power,” he said.

With a 50t safe working load and proven Full-Power Boom with a boom length of up to 43.4 m, the crane Sennebogen 653 telescopic crawler crane features maximum flexibility for lifting, moving, and positioning large loads. The machine comes with a 129 kW diesel engine with 4f emission standards and up to two hydraulically driven 50 kN winches, with winching speeds up to 115 m/min.

presentation of all operating parameters and easy, intuitive user control, as well as the ability to process error messages quickly. It also reliably monitors the load moment limitation system. The central maintenance and lubrication points are conveniently placed for easy access during maintenance and daily servicing.

Associated Rigging offers a range of services across the construction sector including civil works for commercial and industrial projects. For the residential sector the team can be lifting anything from landscaping projects, moving building materials, installation and

“As far as we are concerned, the Sennebogens are excellent allrounders. They work well in applications where there is limited head room and not much room to manoeuvre. They are robust cranes capable of dealing with the harsh conditions they can face in tunnelling projects. They are versatile and compact without compromising on lifting power,”

The crawler undercarriage of the 653 is ideal for working on both small and large construction sites. The machine can be variably driven even at full load.

Even in rough terrain, the telescopic crane is impressive with its excellent manoeuvrability. It can operate on inclines of up to 4°. At just 3 m wide, the extendable crawler tracks save space during transport and can be extended out up to 4.5 m support width when in use. The 5.34 m long crawler tracks with optional track shoes up to 900 mm wide ensure low ground pressure and optimal stability.

Maximum driver comfort and easy maintenance. The proven Maxcab comfort cab with automatic air conditioning and a spring-cushioned seat offers the crane operator a comfortable working environment.

The cab itself can be tilted up to 15° as standard. An optional hydraulic cab elevator and standard camera system also improve the overview of the work area.

The SENCON control and diagnostics system by SENNEBOGEN offers a clear

removal of spas and pools and a range of other lifts. The company also offers rigging and dogging services, lift supervisors, spotters, lift studies and traffic management for projects.

Hoare confirms he is not only impressed with the Sennebogen and Maeda products, he also enjoys a close relationship with the distributor of the products, Pace Cranes.

“We have known, and are close friends with, Paul, Faye and Anthony Heeks and our relationship has spanned over 15 years. Obviously, the Sennebogen and Maeda products perform well for our business, but it is an added bonus to call the Heeks family our friends,” he said.

According to Hoare, Associated Rigging services a wide variety of customers from ranging from major construction companies to individuals.

“We work hard on providing the right levels of service for our customers which has led to us developing long term relationships with most of them.

Current cunstomers include companies such as Icon, John Holland, Boral, Span July 2021 CAL / 33

IN FOCUS / SENNEBOGEN CRAWLER CRANES

Constructions, CYP (Metro Tunnel), Hutchinson Builders, Kane Constructions, Lendlease, IDEC Solutions, LCR Group and Qube,” he said.

“Everything we do is geared towards providing our customers with a unique and superior crane hire experience across a broad range of industries. We can provide cranes with lifting capacities from anywhere between 3t to 250t. We tailor our lifting solutions to each client ensuring we carry out each lift safely, on time and to budget,” said Hoare.

Hoare then highlights some recent projects Associated Rigging has been involved with.

“Recent projects include CSL – Broadmeadows where we helped with a major upgrade of facilities. The Chisolm Road Prison Project, Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel, Geelong Regional Library, Costco Retail and Distribution Centres (Australia wide), Balmoral Quay Apartments, Monash Medical Centre, GMHBA Stadium, Epworth Hospital, Geelong, Gordon Technical College, Deakin University, Barwon Prison Project, Wind Farms, Victorian Rail Projects and NDIA Geelong,” he said.

Hoare confirms the measures the business is required to have in place to ensure lifts are conducted safely.

“We are governed by a range of policies and procedures which are regularly audited and updated. Our Staff are qualified and VOC’d in crane operations and rigging. We have a comprehensive COVID Safe Plan and have developed a Social Procurement Strategy,” he said.

Hoare also explains how site inspections and lift planning are key disciplines when it comes to completing lifts safely.

“We carry out site-inspections to ensure we have the right equipment to perform each job safely, to budget and within time constraints. We also offer lift studies to customers. These enable us to carefully plan for crane lifting operations, using the latest CAD technology. Each lift we manage is carefully evaluated to ensure all safety considerations are addressed before 34 / CAL July 2021

work begins. Our lift studies are a compilation of crane and rigging data with all aspects of the lift pre-designed,” said Hoare.

“We currently employ a total of 68 staff, three in administration and 65 out in the construction sector operating the cranes and providing the various services I’ve already highlighted. Our staff are qualified in various aspects of crane operating and management including dogging, rigging, spotting,

boiler making tower crane operation, non-slewing mobile crane, boom-type elevating work platform, welding, forklift truck operation, scissor lift, heavy vehicle drivers licence, certified pilot drivers licence, rail industry worker, control traffic as a pilot vehicle operator, traffic manager & traffic controller, elevated work platform, work safely at heights, harness awareness, first aid certified, human resources management and safety compliance,” he said.

The crawler undercarriage of the Sennebogen 653 is ideal for working on both small and large construction sites. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / GROVE ALL TERRAINS

MAKING GROVES PART OF THE FAMILY Tasmanian crane hire company, Pfeiffer Cranes, recently took delivery of a Grove GMK3060L. The business has been operating Grove all terrains for so long, the brand feels like part of the family.

PFEIFFER CRANES IS A FAMILY CRANE business. Fred Pfeiffer had worked for a crane company which first got him interested in cranes and he went out on his own in 1982. With his wife Delcie, Fred started a steel fabrication business which led to him buying a crane to erect the steelwork up. Pfeifer Cranes’ crane supervisor and son Dan Pfeiffer takes up the story.

“Dad’s first crane was a P&H T200.

As the business grew, he purchased a Kato NK 450 and a few years later he purchased his first Franna. This was followed by a 30t Kato truck mount 36 / CAL July 2021

which was followed by two 50t truck mounts. The business operated these for a number of years.

“The business then purchased a Krupp KMK 4070, this was prior to Grove buying the Krupp business. After a few years with the Krupp, we traded it in and purchased our first, brand new all terrain crane which was a Grove GMK 4075-1, that was in 2005. Following that we purchased a GMK 5100 a 100t all terrain, that was in 2006/2007 and around the same time we purchased a Grove GMK 3055 all terrain,” said Pfeiffer.

“In 2010 we purchased a Grove GMK 5220 and then three years later we bought the Grove GMK 6300L. In 2017 we purchased a GMK 6400 and a GMK 4100L-1 and then a GMK 5100L in 2019.

Along with these purchases we were adding Frannas of various capacities including 25t and 40t and just recently we purchased the new Grove GMK 3060L. “Obviously, we’ve sold some of the cranes along the way but we’ve focused on the all terrains because they offer so much manoeuvrability which suits the work we do,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

wind farm work, both construction and maintenance for the crane. Once word got around that we had the crane with that capacity, we were approached to quote on more work requiring larger capacity lifts which has been terrific. We work for major builders on these larger projects but you are just as likely to see one of our cranes lifting a pool into a back garden,” he said.

GMK 3060L has been a stand-out for us because it ticks so many boxes for our market. The compactness of the crane coupled with the 48m of main boom hits the ‘sweet spot’ for our business and it is particularly useful for when you are operating and lifting in built up areas,” said Pfeiffer.

“The series includes two 60 tonners, the GMK 3060L-1 and GMK 3060-2

“The compactness of the crane coupled with the 48m of main boom hits the ‘sweet spot’ for our business and it is particularly useful for when you are operating and lifting in built up areas.”

The GMK 3060L has been a stand-out for Pfeiffer Cranes because it ticks so many boxes..

Pfeiffer explains how the business works all over the state and in various industry sectors, he also talks about the work the fleet is conducting and the profile of Pfeiffer Cranes’ customers.

“Our main depot is in Launceston with smaller depots in Hobart and Bell Bay. We’ve bought the cranes for specific work. The GMK 6400 was bought for the larger construction projects including infrastructure work like bridge construction which happens from time to time.

“We also saw an opportunity for www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Pfeiffer talks about the depth of the relationship the business has had with the Grove team, over many years.

“Some time ago, David Greentree was the Grove salesman, and over the years he built a good relationship with the family business making us feel comfortable with the cranes we bought from him. On top of this, the product support we have received from the technicians has been excellent. In fact, one of the technicians who we had become good friends with actually moved to Tasmania, so to have a Grove techy on hand all the time has proved really beneficial for us. This made us feel more comfortable to keep buying the brand because there was someone here to fix them if when there was an issue.

“More recently we’ve been working very closely with Neil Hollingshead, John Stewart and the team and it’s got to the stage where they feel part of the family. We are very used to dealing with them and relationship has always been excellent. There has never been a drama and they are always on hand to sort out any issues without turning it them into a major drama,” he said.

Pfeiffer goes on to discuss the reasons behind the purchase of the Grove GMK3060L and how it has been preforming since its arrival.

“In our experience, the Grove three axle series is really compact, very powerful with plenty of reach. The

and the GMK 3050-3 which has a 50t capacity. The GMK 3060L-1 has 48m of main boom and 15m of hydraulic luffing fly jib while the other two models have 40m of main boom. The configuration of the GMK 3060L works well for us,” he said.

The GMK 3060L has been on the market for approximately 12 months and has been popular with Australian crane companies looking the longer boom, says Neil Hollingshead, Grove’s sales director for mobile cranes. “There is a high demand for the longer boom on these smaller cranes. Australia loves the long boom.”

“A very popular feature with the machine is the extreme compactness, it is only slightly longer than a two axle crane in the carrier. Compared to a two axle 40 tonner, the Grove three axle cranes are only 40cms longer in the carrier. This makes it extremely compact and it can get in anywhere. It also has an extremely small tail swing for tight work sites,” he said.

Pfeiffer has been pleased with the performance of the GMK 3060L and the business likes the flexibility it offers.

“The GMK 3060L is proving to be an excellent taxi crane. You can carry 6.5t of counterweight plus the swing away, which means you can send the crane out without an additional counterweight truck. You can also send it out for 40t to 50t work without the extra July 2021 CAL / 37

IN FOCUS / GROVE ALL TERRAINS

counterweight as well. It really covers the work that our old truck cranes were designed to do.

“The Grove three axle family has always been known for its compactness and by adding the longer boom to this it completes the process and has produced a game changer as far as we are concerned. It was already the most compact crane available in this class but

having the longer boom makes a massive difference. And because the boom contains an extra section it isn’t any longer in terms of road configuration, it’s actually shorter because the base boom length is less even though the total boom length is longer. The longer boom has only enhanced and improved the compactness of the crane,” he said.

Pfieffer goes on to discuss how his

“The Grove three-axle family has always been known for its compactness and by adding the longer boom to this it completes the process and has produced a game changer as far as we are concerned.”

The Grove GMK6400 has 60m of main boom, MegaWingLift capacity enhancer and up to 79m of luffing jib.

38 / CAL July 2021

crews view the Groves and what they like about them.

“Our operators like the Grove brand.

We’ve realised it has been safer for our guys and also more user friendly by sticking with the one brand. A lot of the functions and controls and what the crane can and can’t do is familiar across the GMK range. The guys are comfortable and we don’t have to swap operators for the different capacity cranes.

“It is different if you are operating different brands with different computer systems. In that instance you have operators specialising in brands. Our team moves between the various models with ease. Running the one brand is also beneficial when it comes to spare parts. We carry a fair level of spare parts in stock and most parts fit all which is a huge advantage,” he said.

Pfeiffer speaks about the market conditions in Tasmania.

“On the whole, the Tasmanian market has been excellent. Our big cranes have been well utilised on some large projects and that’s good, you don’t want your major assets sitting around the yard,” he said.

“It’s only a small market and word gets around when you’ve invested in a new crane and this has happened with the larger machines. Customers will plan the work around the cranes that are available so for us, it has always been a case of watching the market and buying cranes to service where we think the demand will be. That’s why the new Grove GMK 3060L will prove to be a winner in our opinion,” said Pfeiffer.

Dan is the crane supervisor and crane coordinator for the business, Dan’s brother Duke is an operator and supervisor and he mainly drives the GMK 6400 when it’s out working and he also shares the responsibility of quoting on jobs as well.

“We all do what we need to do to keep the business on track and running smoothly. We have a team of 17 and many of our staff members have been with us for some time. We like it that way,” said Pfeiffer. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

SPT MINI CRANES HAVE LANDED! SPT Mini Cranes are focused on product safety, versatility and functionality.

SPT Mini Cranes comply with Cranesafe, Australian and EN 13000 Standards.

Capacities start at 2 tonne with and range up to 10 tonne capacity.

The SPT 199 is only 600mm wide and will fit through a standard doorway. It has a lifting capacity of 2t almost at 2.0m and a maximum working radius of 5.9m. The SPT 1009 has a lifting capacity of 10t at 2.5m and a maximum working radius of 19m. There are 3 models in between.

ALL MODELS COME WITH A FREE 2 YEAR WARRANTY

Reach can be increased with a jib and fly.

Remote control is standard and models feature the Yanmar diesel engines and an electric motor.

When you are considering your next mini crane you now have a viable option.

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IN FOCUS / TADANO ALL TERRAINS The new ATF 130G-5 has the asymmetric outrigger base control feature made by TADANO, which helps the crane reach even higher lifting capacities with the outriggers extended to different lengths.

TADANO FIRST FOR ANC CRANES ANC Cranes recently took delivery of the new Tadano ATF 130G-5 130t capacity all terrain, the first of this model to be delivered in Sydney.

ANC CRANES DIRECTOR, CRAIG DAVIES explains more about his business and the reasons behind the purchase. The ANC Cranes story is typical of many crane hire businesses. Craigs’ father Arthur, started the business in 1995 and as a little boy, Craig would dream of operating cranes in the family business.

“My grandfather had worked in the crane industry and he had pushed my father to complete his Crane Operator and Dogman tickets as they might be something to fall back on later in life.

Dad’s career took him in a number of 40 / CAL July 2021

directions and he ended up owning and managing a number of caravan parks.

“When the parks were sold, he wasn’t sure what to do next and so he went back into the crane industry as a crane operator and dogman for Eveready Cranes and Cunningham Crane Services.

He then decided to buy a crane and started ANC Cranes. He could see the opportunity for a small responsive and customer driven crane business and wanted to make his own money, and not money for someone else. Dad started by subcontracting to other crane companies

before finding his own customers. That was 26 years ago and we are still going strong,” said Davies.

Davies grew up watching his dad operate the cranes and eventually he too obtained his Crane Operator and Dogman’s tickets, following in his fathers’ and his grandfathers’ footsteps.

The father and son team worked well together and steadily built ANC Cranes into a family focused business driven by customer demands and a willingness to provide the best possible service.

“Although dad has retired, he still www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Craig Davies, ANC Cranes takes delivery of the new Tadano ATF 130G-5 from Jay Gower Tadano sales manager NSW/ACT.

plays a is a vital role in the business and I am always consulting him on major decisions which will impact on ANC Cranes. After all, he is always there to share his experience with me,” said Davies.

Davies goes on to explain his approach to ensuring his crane fleet is contemporary with assets fully utilised.

“We are very close to our customers and by listening to the nature of the projects they are quoting on we can see where the demand is headed in terms of crane types and capacities. When we can see a certain type of crane is in demand, we try to ensure we have a crane to suit in our fleet. This was part of the process we went through with the purchase of our Tadano ATF 130G-5 130t capacity all terrain,” he said.

The ATF 130G-5 has undergone detailed updating in line with the transition to EU Stage IV/ EPA Tier 4f.

The new driver’s cab offers enhanced allround visibility, ergonomic quality seats which provide especially high long-term seating comfort and a new multifunction which can be actuated additionally via buttons or a rotary pushbutton, as the driver sees fit.

The same touchscreen is additionally located in the superstructure cab - even in duplicate. The main display visualizes the image taken by two cameras and can be inclined electronically very easily in order to adapt it to the prevailing www.cranesandlifting.com.au

light conditions. The supplementary display features an additional camera view and can even be removed from its location in order to make operation even more convenient. For many pieces of information, the crane operator is able to determine on his/her own which display the information is to be visualized on.

Thus, new additional information about the various crane operating states may be called off as required, such as average fuel consumption, oil temperature or hydraulic oil level. Thus, the crane operator has full control over his/her crane at any time, at a glance.

The new ATF 130G-5 has the asymmetric outrigger base control feature made by Tadano, which helps the crane reach even higher lifting capacities with the outriggers extended to different lengths. Additional standard features are air conditioning units in the superstructure and carrier cab and central lubrication systems in the superstructure and the carrier.

Tadano’s carriers boast highway speed capacity and manoeuvrability, ideal for both on and off-road construction as well as industrial projects. These models enable access to confided job sites because of their all wheel steering.

The ATF 130G-5 has an 18 m boom extension which is mounted to the 60 m main boom.

At a total weight of 60t and an axle load of 1t, it can be transported along

with the crane.

The boom extension can be used as a 3.8 m heavy duty jib or as a 10/18 m jib as demanded by the work to be performed. This means that neither the boom extension nor the heavy jib need to be transported separately then mounted, resulting in considerable reduction in costs. The rounded boom is made of high tensile steel, which allows for decreased boom weight and increased boom strength.

For extension and retraction of sections, seven section box type construction consisting of one base section and six telescopic sections are extended by a single telescoping cylinder.

All sections are fully extended/retracted automatically and locked in the selected working position.

AUTOMATIC MOMENT LIMITER (AML) Tadano’s AML is easy to use, innovative in design, displays important information to the operator and enables the operator to a preset custom working environment. For example, the AML shows the boom angle, boom length, load radius, operating pressure of the elevating cylinder, the extension width of the outriggers, slewing position, rated lifting capacity and present hook load. These features allow the AML to move seamlessly through all lifting operations without having to change configurations or input new codes to make the lift. The AML safety features provide both audio and visual warnings.

When an operation approaches the load limit, Tadano’s slow stop function engages to avoid shock loads.

When operating the asymmetric outriggers extended, the AML automatically detects the extension width of outriggers at the front and rear and to the left and right of the crane to allow maximum work capacity in each area.

When slewing the boom from the longer outrigger area to the shorter outrigger area the AML automatically detects the motion and displays the maximum capacity depending on each of the extension widths of outriggers and brings the motion to a slow stop before it reaches the limits of the allowed capacity.

July 2021 CAL / 41

IN FOCUS / TADANO ALL TERRAINS

Therefore, even in the case of operator error, the AML’s slow stop function will help to minimise any safety risk.

Boom deflection occurs when the winch is wound due to the weight of the lifted load, causing the lifted load to sway in a direction that expands the load radius as it clears the ground.

This situation requires very careful and precise operation to mitigate outward movement of the hook block. In the lift adjuster function, the AML detects boom deflection and automatically adjusts boom angle to mitigate outward hook block movement.

Davies is a great believer in letting his cranes and his services do the talking on behalf of the business.

“We are great believers in the power of ‘word of mouth’ referrals. We work hard to ensure our customers are satisfied with the levels of service we provide and a positive referral from a happy customer is worth its weight in gold. Comments from an unhappy customer are the polar opposite. We believe in showing loyalty to our customers and in return they will show loyalty to us.

“We promote our business via our website and also through various social media channels like Facebook and we also focus on the presentation of our equipment with modern sign writing designed to catch the eye. Our cranes are out all day everyday travelling around Sydney from site to site so we view them as mobile bill-boards promoting our business. As I have said, word of mouth is a huge thing in the crane industry and we have a fair amount of subcontract work with other crane companies to help with their workloads if we don’t have our own work,” he said.

We have numerous customers in various industry sectors which include the construction sector, fabrication, transport, landscaping, pool and spa supply, arborists. You are just as likely to see one of our cranes lifting a pool into a back yard as you are seeing it working on a major construction site. Our customers vary so much, we don’t have a typical customer profile.

“Like all businesses we recognise long term relationships with customers 42 / CAL July 2021

The ATF 130G-5 has undergone detailed updating in line with the transition to EU Stage IV/ EPA Tier 4f.

are critical. Long term relationships guarantee on going work for our cranes.

We work all over the Sydney area and for our long term customers we have worked on projects on the Central Coast, North Coast, South Coast and Canberra areas,” said Davies.

Davies explains the decision making processes he went through before deciding to purchase the new ATF 130G-5 and how the team at Tadano performed.

“As I have said, we stay close to our customers and we could see that a number were going to be working on projects which were going to require a larger capacity crane on their sites. We were also receiving enquiries about the possibility of us getting a larger capacity crane. Having the new 130 has helped

us break into more works with Tier One builders and it has helped us gain more customers,” he said.

“We run a number of Tadanos in our fleet and the service from Jay, Peter and the team has always been amazing.

We have had a long term relationship with the Tadano team over many years and they are always willing to help us out with our questions, services and maintenance requests for our cranes.

“A positive and robust relationship with our suppliers is very important.

The positive relationship we have with Tadano and others ensures our equipment is well maintained, running and compliant to the industry standards, without this, we don’t have a business,” said Davies. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

now providing crane ropes with end terminations.

www.bridon-bekaert.com Phone: (02) 49686507 salesau@bridon-bekaert.com

IN FOCUS / SPT MINI CRAWLER CRANES

The cranes are equipped with a safety torque intelligent controller. A colour display screen assists with safe lifting and helps to control all operating conditions by displaying the real-time status of the crane.

SPT MINI CRAWLER CRANES ARE SET AND READY TO GO Jones Equipment Sales recently launched the SPT range of mini crawler cranes and the market’s response has been quick and positive.

ACCORDING TO NATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR, Jones Equipment Sales, the SPT range of mini crawler cranes are ready to go. Mitch Jones, director and Michael Khamas associate director of Jones Equipment Sales explain how the market has responded to the news that the SPT range of mini crawler cranes is now readily available on the Australian market. They also discuss the big news that an all-electric battery model will be available soon.

Jones Equipment Sales announced 44 / CAL July 2021

the news it had agreed to become the National Distributor for SPT mini crawler cranes in the May/June issue of Cranes and Lifting. According to Mitch Jones, the market’s response has been quick and positive.

“We have been really impressed with the response and there has been a high level of interest in the SPT range of mini crawlers. We have been discussing the quality of the SPT range with a number of potential customers who obviously understand mini cranes. They want

to be sure the SPT product is right for them and that the right levels of product support and service is available.

“The obvious answer to both questions is yes! The SPT range of crawler cranes is a high quality product, engineered and manufactured to worlds best standards, featuring world leading componentry and each machine comes with a full two year warranty. Jones Equipment is currently discussing agent and distributor agreements with a number of businesses which are very keen www.cranesandlifting.com.au

to work with the SPT range,” he said.

Michael Khamas explains more about the features and benefits of the SPT range and why he thinks it is going to be a success with the Australian market.

“The SPT mini crawler is a quality machine featuring world class components with a number of features which will appeal to the local market.

The crane has two operational modes, manual and full wireless remote control.

“Manual operation is self-explanatory but each crane is equipped with intelligent wireless remote control which manages the engine start and stop, walking, turning, outriggers and lifting function. The crane is designed to work and function stably in a safe way under complex and dangerous working conditions.

“The cranes are equipped with a safety torque intelligent controller. A colour display screen assists with safe lifting and helps to control all operating conditions by displaying the real-time status of the crane,” he said.

The controller also intelligently monitors the operating mode, oil temperature and water temperature, electricity, fuel, pressure, function realisation status providing feedback to the operator through the colour display.

The safety alarm ensures the crane can only move to the ‘safe side’. These features will greatly enhance the safe operation of the crane on a construction site for example.

According to Jones, safe operation is a key issue with the SPT mini crawler range with a number of measures built into each crane.

“SPT has designed three safety modes for the crane. These ensure safe operation with the outriggers have been deployed, when the operator is walking the crane and when the crane is lifting.

Accidents caused by operator error or mis-operation can be completely avoided as a result of these safety modes,” he said.

“The outrigger can only be retracted after the crane senses the boom has fully returned. The crane will ensure the operator has retracted and rotated the boom to a designated safe position www.cranesandlifting.com.au

before the outriggers can be retracted.

This enables the operator to avoid the danger of overturning the crane by operating the outrigger without retracting the boom.

“There is an alarm safety function for lowering three turns of the hoist which ensures the wire rope on the hoist is guaranteed to keep more than three turns. The crane will stop and an alarm will sound to ensure the wire rope won’t fall off the winch,” said Jones.

The SPT mini crawler range automatically detects the different extension positions of the outriggers which ensures they are either in the full extension or half extension positions when lifting. The outriggers are automatically monitored when working in narrow spaces for example and the lifting weight data of each outrigger position is also automatically.

This feature ensures the outriggers are automatically in the right position to manage the load correctly and safely.

If for some reason the outriggers are not supporting the crane correctly the boom’s movement is restricted. This ensures the operator can’t mistakenly operate the boom before operating the outriggers. If the crane realises an

outrigger is off the ground, an alarm function will sound and the whole machine will automatically stop and will not overturn. This ensures the personal safety of the operators.

Khamas explains more about the ‘smart functions’ built into the crane which are designed to make operations safer and simpler for the operator.

“We know that the bulk of incidents are as a result of operator error or operational negligence. SPT has noted this and built into each crane voice prompted functions. This means that when the operator selects different operating conditions and modes the crane will provide voice prompts to ensure safe operations,’ he said.

“The cranes also feature an automatic hook retracting function. After the equipment has been used, the hook is automatically tightened which prevents the hook on banging on the crane body and avoids the hook shaking when the crane is walking.

“The standard intelligent controller of the crane cooperates with the intelligent detection sensor and all function information and maintenance requirements are sent back to the intelligent display screen through the

Michael Khamas associate director and Mitch Jones, director and of Jones Equipment.

July 2021 CAL / 45

IN FOCUS / SPT MINI CRAWLER CRANES

integrated controller. The user can see how the crane is operating at a glance which helps with fixed-point maintenance and repair, and regular maintenance of the entire crane. The system can also diagnose the fault and find it quickly and accurately to avoid downtime.

“We are obviously impressed with the quality of the cranes. Pre-delivery is being conducted on everything and they have been CraneSafe approved to ensure they meet Australian and also EN 13000 standards. Nuts and bolt are tagged to confirm they have been checked and every machine is tested by the crane inspectors. And each crane comes with a two year warranty,” he said.

The full range of SPT cranes will be available through Jones Equipment Sales says Khamas.

“We’ll be bringing in the full range with capacities starting at 2 tonne with the SPT 199 ranging up to 10 tonne

capacity with the SPT 1009 with three models in between. The SPT 199 is only 600mm wide and will fit through a standard doorway. It has a lifting capacity of 2t at 2.0m and a maximum working radius of 5.9m. The SPT 1009 has a lifting capacity of 10t at 2.5m and a maximum working radius of 19m. You can also increase the reach with a jib and fly,” he said.

“The big news is we are just about to receive the first fully electric powered battery operated crane from SPT. With the push towards sustainability and environmentally friendly workplaces including construction sites, we can see electric powered cranes becoming increasingly popular. There are numerous applications where zero emission electric cranes will be welcomed. We’ll have more to say about the crane when it arrives and we are able to put it through its paces,” said Khamas.

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The SPT range of crawler cranes is a high-quality product, engineered and manufactured to world’s best standards.

IN FOCUS / BORGER CRANES

Borger Cranes and Rigging deployed its Grove GMK6300 with 50t of counterweight.

BORGERS’ TWIN TANK LIFT Borger Cranes and Rigging recently completed a double tank lift at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

BORGER CRANES SUPERVISOR, OWEN Ainsworth, explains how the lifts were complicated due to the weight limits of the convention centre’s concrete slab.

“The lifts were complicated because we had to factor in the weight baring issues relating the convention centres’ concrete slab. We delivered and unloaded the tank for a trade event and collected it a few days later.

“Each lift was approximately 40t which included the hook and rigging.

We deployed our Grove GMK6300 with 50t of counterweight. The choice of this crane was based not only on capacity, but also the spread of the outriggers which worked best with the column spacing under the slab,” he said.

“The crane performed perfectly.

We lifted the tank at 14m which meant the crane was performing at 87% of its charts. There were height restrictions on the second lift, and we www.cranesandlifting.com.au

had to use cumalongs to position the counterweights as we could not jib the boom high enough for the crane to place them,” said Ainsworth.

With concerns about the concrete slab and ground pressure restrictions vehicle access and the lifts themselves were carefully planned says Ainsworth.

“All vehicle details were sent to the engineers for sign off before entering the hall. All expansion joints were backed propped and once the crane was placed

Each lift was approximately 40t which included the hook and rigging.

over the propping and set up, only one loaded truck was allowed on the same section at a time. Counterweights were split into single trailer loads.

“We set the crane up initially in each position without counterweight then took the load back off and prestressed all props right through to basement. A surveyor and engineer were on site the whole time monitoring any movement in the slab. No pads were used during the lifts, we ended up using 1.2m x 1.2m timbers to match the propping underneath the slab,” he said.

“50t capacity custom made slings were provided by client which made life a little easier. It’s lifts like these that make the job so worthwhile. We know they wouldn’t be possible without all parties working closely together ensuring every detail is covered and the lift is competed safely and without incident,” said Ainsworth.

July 2021 CAL / 47

IN FOCUS / TUTT BRYANT EQUIPMENT

TUTT BRYANT ACQUIRES 600 CRANES In a major industry move, Tutt Bryant Equipment recently confirmed it had acquired 600 Cranes.

General manager of Tutt Bryant Equipment, Simon Davies, and national manager for 600 Cranes, Tony Henson, discuss the development in more detail.

600 Cranes has been the FASSI importer and distributor for years and more recently took on additional products including Marrel Hooklifts and Jekko mini cranes.

600 CRANES IS THE NATIONAL Distributor for brands including Fassi truck mounted cranes, Jekko mini cranes and Marrel hooklifts. Henson provides some background on 600 Cranes.

“We started 600 Cranes in November 1999. I had been working for a company called 600 Machinery and they were the 48 / CAL July 2021

previous HIAB and FASSI dealer. 600 Machinery Group had been the HIAB distributor but decided to change and take on the FASSI product in 1995.

Management then decided it didn’t want to operate the crane division any longer so we started our own business calling it 600 Cranes Australasia.

“We started the business in

Melbourne with five people which included the more experienced ‘crane staff ’ from the 600 Machinery Group.

As the business grew, we expanded into the different states opening various branches. We now have close to 50 staff members in the team.

“Predominantly, we have been the FASSI importer and distributor www.cranesandlifting.com.au

but more recently we have taken on additional products including Marrel Hooklifts and Jekko mini cranes. These would be our three main products,” said Henson.

Henson goes on to discuss the national foot-print for 600 Cranes, where the business has branches and the capabilities of these branches in terms of product support.

“Our head office is in Melbourne and we have branches in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. The branches manage the sales and service and spare parts requirements. We also have a number of agents in other areas around the country. We would have over 7000 units operating around the country mainly on the east coast where the FASSI brand has been really popular but we are also having improved success in Western Australia,” he said.

Simon Davies explains how Tutt Bryant Equipment came to acquire 600 Cranes.

“Two years ago, we were approached about this opportunity. Obviously, the pandemic impacted the process but we re-engaged late last year and pushed the transaction through and this was completed on April 1st. From a Tutt Bryant perspective we thought 600 Cranes would be a good addition to our existing business with the industry sectors 600 Cranes is servicing and the strength of the brands it represents.

“FASSI, Marrel and Jekko are well recognised brands in sectors that we don’t have a presence in. Obviously, there is the sales aspect to the business and there is the crane business, so there were a number of synergies we could identify,” said Davies.

Simon Davies then explains how 600 Cranes will integrate into the Tutt Bryant Equipment business.

“When we initially looked at 600 Cranes it was obvious it was a strong family owned business well managed by Tony and his wife Mary. It was apparent the business has similar and aligned values to Tutt Bryant which we believe is important when it comes to any acquisition like this. A similar culture www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The head office for 600 Cranes is in Melbourne with branches in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth.

“From a Tutt Bryant perspective, we thought 600 Cranes would be a good addition to our existing business with the industry sectors 600 Cranes is servicing and the strength of the brands it represents.”

helps with the fit and the synergies as we look to the future. This has already been proven with the two businesses working well together.

“In terms of 600 Cranes and how its operations fit within Tutt Bryant Equipment we can see that primarily both companies operate in the same way. We import quality products from overseas manufacturers, prepare them for the Australian market and then sell this product into various markets. The basics of both companies are very similar, we have very strong and long-term relationships with the manufacturers and we both have a strong culture around the support of these products once they are operating in the various markets,” he said.

“As the market knows, Tutt Bryant Equipment has been very successful in selling cranes for many years with the Kato, HSC and now SANY brands. 600 Cranes is a crane business, obviously and we see great opportunities with the brands it represents. Take the FASSI brand firstly; it provides us with access to the transport industry which is a sector we have not been exposed to until now. We see the Jekko mini crawler

crane as a very exciting opportunity.

There is a strong alignment between the two organisations with this brand and we can see the role of mini crawlers increasing throughout many industries, particularly construction.

“The Marrel hooklift brand fits well because Tutt Bryant Equipment has a strong presence in the demolition, recycling and waste industries in Australia and we can see opportunities to introduce these hooklifts to existing customers who might not have been aware of the product previously. We can also see 600 Cranes has customers that may not be fully aware of the Tutt Bryant Equipment offering so there are a number of synergies to explore,” said Davies.

Davies explains that Tony and his wife Mary have agreed to stay and work in the business for the next 12 months to assist with the transition over this time. He then confirms what the market can expect from the combined entities.

“Tony and his wife Mary have agreed to stay on for the next 12 months.

They will continue to manage the business during this transitional period and within 15 months we expect the July 2021 CAL / 49

IN FOCUS / TUTT BRYANT EQUIPMENT

FASSI, Marrel and Jekko are well-recognised brands in sectors where Tutt Bryant Equipment currently doesn’t have a presence.

“The Marrel hooklift brand fits well because Tutt Bryant Equipment has a strong presence in the demolition, recycling and waste industries in Australia and we can see opportunities to introduce these hooklifts to existing customers who might not have been aware of the product previously.” business will be fully integrated into the Tutt Bryant Equipment business.

“For now, we will continue to run 600 Cranes as a separate brand, our research highlights that it is a strong brand with excellent recognition in the key markets it services. Customers can 50 / CAL July 2021

expect management processes across both businesses will be one and the same. We are an enviable position of being able to take the best from both businesses. There are no doubt areas of the 600 Cranes business processes which they’d like to improve on as

there are in Tutt Bryant Equipment.

Customers can expect a seamless experience across the integrated businesses.

“At Tutt Bryant Equipment we pride ourselves in dealing with manufacturers of quality equipment and it’s no different with 600 Cranes. Locally, our role is to support these products with high levels of part holdings, back up support and servicing through our nationwide network of facilities which feature factory trained technicians.

Customers have come to expect this from Tutt Bryant Equipment and it will be the same with customers of 600 Cranes,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Built Australian – Built Tough _The only Australian made range of Pick & Carry Cranes _Fully fabricated and manufactured in Australia _Australian owned _Field proven lowest operating costs of all Pick & Carry Cranes _Highest levels of safety with class leading innovation _2 year warranty _15 year / 15000hr Major Inspection

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IN FOCUS / ANGLOMOIL

OBSESSED WITH QUALITY DRIVEN BY RESULTS Australian-owned AnglomOil Superior Lubricants offers world-class lubricant formulations specifically designed for Australian conditions.

THE RANGE OF LUBRICANTS manufactured and delivered by AnglomOil are proven to increase equipment performance, reliability and longevity. Paul Laganis, Head of Sales (NSW) discusses the reasons why AnglomOil products can benefit the performance of cranes by significantly reducing the wear and tear on critical componentry.

Until now, The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) has not had an ‘oil partner’ and the management of AnglomOil saw an opportunity to partner with crane businesses to offer advice in terms of supplying the right lubricant for the right machinery, says Laganis.

“We believe the crane industry, amongst others, is faced with a situation where inaccurate information is circulating as to what is the right quality of oil or lubricant being used in the equipment or operating environment.

In our experience this is causing problems in terms of wear and tear with components failing way before they should do,” he said.

AnglomOil is family business which dates back the mid 1970s. The business was founded by Michael Croasdale and family with a strict focus on Toll Manufacturing and Contract Packaging working closely with the major oil companies such as Total, BP, Castrol, Caltex, Mobil and Nulon/Fuchs. The AnglomOil Brand was developed shortly thereafter applying the same levels of knowledge, technology and manufacturing disciplines as the major oil companies.

Michael’s father Bill was a Tribologist 52 / CAL July 2021

Paul Laganis, sales manager (NSW) for AnglomOil .

and Engineer and being an “Oil Man”, he worked at the most senior technical levels for companies like BP and Total in the UK. He transferred to Australia as head of technical with Total and left to start “AnglomOil”. Major investment occurred in the business during the early 80’s with the construction of the Mt Kuring-gai blending plant.

AnglomOil also expanded with offices and warehouses in Beresfield (near Newcastle), Thomastown Victoria, Huntly Waikato North Island NZ and has been operating a joint venture in Vietnam since 2017.

Laganis discusses the various services AnglomOil can offer customers.

“We can offer the right advice and

specifications concerning the right type of oil a customer should be putting into their cranes. We can analyse the oil to make sure it is working properly and not causing premature wear of parts.

Ultimately, this can save a crane business an awful lot of money in terms of spare parts. Replacing oil pumps, hydraulic pumps and turbos can cost thousands of dollars and that’s not factoring the cost of the down time of the crane. In our experience a critical link between suitable performance specifications (fit-for-purpose in each operating environment) and product quality are basic requirements being overlooked.

Broadly speaking we feel there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of www.cranesandlifting.com.au

high-quality lubrication practices across many industries. No two oils are made the same so why would there be an expectation that they would work the same?

“Understanding that there is a direct correlation between equipment performance, reliability and protection, to the right type and quality of lubricants used, which at many times is overlooked when simply chasing a lower cost. We can offer help, as our objective isn’t to sell more oil to you, but to ensure you use the right product which reduces disruption which will ultimately lead to major long-term cost savings,” he said.

“When we enter into discussions with a crane business our first objective is to understand the needs and their requirements. We examine the range of equipment they are operating and identify the types of lubricants the equipment will require. We will discuss the requirements with the crane manufacturer where necessary, that’s if the product isn’t available on our ‘Lube Guide’. The manufacturer recommends the right lubricant for their products and we examine our range and make recommendations as to which lubricant is best suited for the customer and his fleet. We will work with the OEM if necessary to develop the right product,” he said.

Laganis then explains some important differences between AnglomOil and other lubricant suppliers.

“AnglomOil manufacturing practices continue to mirror the major global oil companies practices which means we are unique in heating our base oils and additives to optimum solubility temperatures to ensure stay in grade formulation. The order in which the raw materials are applied remain a carefully guarded secret.

“The heating and blending processes ensure additives remain in suspension instead of gathering at the bottom of the drum. Whilst the base oil is the carrier, the front line soldiers who do most of the work are the additives. Poorly blended product is hard to identify as additives which are much thicker and www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“When we enter into discussions with a crane business our first objective is to understand the needs and their requirements. We examine the range of equipment they are operating and identify the types of lubricants the equipment will require.” heavier than the base oil tends to get stuck at the bottom of drums which is largely unseen. The choice of base oil and additive is another area largely overlooked,” he said.

During a recent presentation to the NSW division of CICA, Laganis highlighted the testing process which is available through AnglomOil. “We highlighted the fact that we are happy to visit crane businesses and provide them with an oil analysis. This involves taking a sample of lubricants and sending them to an independent lab for analysis which ensures the legitimacy of the results. We then present the results to the business owners and show them how they could increase the performance of their fleet by using the right lubricants. It might be that the results show the equipment is in good

health but it will also highlight where wear is happening. Our service is all part of the preventative maintenance program most crane businesses will be adhering to,” he said.

“All of our products meet the original equipment manufacturers’ warranty requirements and specifications. There is a lot of talk in the industry around certain oil companies offering OEM warranty. All our oils meet OEM specifications and there are no issues with equipment under warranty. In fact, we are in the process of developing a communication which will be circulated to crane businesses which will show how our products fit into the requirements of warranties.

“Each type of crane has a particular requirement and they all vary. Some may require a Euro specification which

AnglomOil is one of only two companies that heat blend.

July 2021 CAL / 53

IN FOCUS / ANGLOMOIL

AnglomOil offers the right advice and specifications concerning the right type of oil a customer should be putting into their cranes.

“To us, it doesn’t make sense to scrimp on the quality of the lubricants which are going into the crane and for anyone who thinks they are saving money by opting for a cheaper oil, they probably aren’t considering the long-term implications to the wellbeing of their fleet and its performance.” we have and some may require a CK4 general Cummins specification, it varies from product to product. Generally speaking, we are dealing with diesel engines and the two ‘top spec oils’ we offer will work perfectly in 95 per cent of the cranes on the market, said Laganis.

With millions of dollars of equipment operating in crane fleets, Laganis doesn’t see the sense in not providing these assets with the best care and lubricants available, especially when it only comes down to the difference of a few cents per litre.

“Large capacity all terrains are a huge investment and I would imagine a crane business wants the best performance possible from the asset for as long as possible to see a solid return on their investment. The cost of oil is minimal compared to other running costs and 54 / CAL July 2021

yet it is fundamental to the crane’s performance and wellbeing,” he said.

“Why wouldn’t a crane owner want their equipment operating with the best lubricant available? It would mean providing the crane with the best protection which ensures less failures. If part failures are NOT identified as an oil related issue, the owner will continue to replace parts making the same mistake over and over but expecting to see a different result.

“Take the hydraulic system as an example. Most cranes will require a high pressure hydraulic oil. This is because the zinc levels in this particular oil are high at 400 to 500 parts per million.

Hydraulic pumps need this quality of oil to run efficiently. Many products on the market are well below these parts per million, maybe 100 to 200 which

doesn’t provide the pump with enough protection. This can lead to the pump failing two to three years before it is designed to be replaced. Hydraulic oil is cheap but if you are spending 50c to 60c less on a cheaper product, you will end up paying a much higher price, when you find yourself replacing a pump which will cost thousands of dollars.

“To us, it doesn’t make sense to scrimp on the quality of the lubricants which are going into the crane and for anyone who thinks they are saving money by opting for a cheaper oil, they probably aren’t considering the long term implications to the wellbeing of their fleet and its performance,”said Laganis.

If a crane business is interested in the services provided by AnglomOil, Laganis and his team will visit an operation assess the fleet of equipment and provide a detailed report on what they see as being the requirements.

“Obviously, different businesses have different requirements. We will examine the fleet and determine the amounts required.

“Oils may need to be delivered in 200 litre drums with pumps or 20 litre drums and, if necessary, we will deliver to their tanks which would mean delivering bulk 1000 litre IBCs. Volume is not a problem and we don’t have an issue with supply. Our base oil comes from Chevron and ExxonMobil, two of the best base oil technologies in the world and the additives are from Lubrizol.”

AnglomOils’ head office is just north of Sydney with operations in Newcastle, Brisbane and Melbourne says Laganis.

“AnglomOil offers you the option to deal directly with us or work through one of our growing number of regional distributors across NSW, VIC, QLD, or SA. As our business grows, we are looking to expand our warehouse presence into QLD, WA & SA in the coming years. We openly offer you an invitation to take a factory tour and see how AnglomOil is made. Clients can also access our in-house developed industry training modules to help improve lubrication knowledge and practices,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / THE CRANE CONNECTION AND LOAD 28

Barney the Starlight Crane, lifting for a worthy cause.

BARNEY THE STARLIGHT CRANE Barney the Starlight Crane is brightening the lives of sick children.

LEADING SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CRANE HIRE company, Load 28, is partnering with Starlight Children’s Foundation to help raise money for sick kids.

“Barney the Starlight Crane” has joined the Load 28 fleet and over the next six months will work hard on building sites across Adelaide to help grant five Starlight Wishes for sick kids experiencing hospitalisation and serious illness.

The idea to support Starlight came to Load 28 managing director Marcus Rigney when the near new mobile crane he had recently acquired was painted bright purple. With an urgency to get the 60-tonne Liebherr crane up and running, there was no time to paint it in the Load 28 corporate colours.

56 / CAL July 2021

“We needed an additional crane for our mid-range fleet and we found the perfect near new crane to buy; the issue was that it was painted purple,” said Rigney.

For the first time, Rigney and Load 28 has utilised the services of 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 approval process, and he knew we needed the crane quickly and suggested I call Anthony Davis at The 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,” he said.

“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 really perfect timing.

“The LTM 1060 is a popular model and Liehberr is a preferred brand for us.

We were looking for a machine to help out our mid-size fleet. The LTM 1060-3.1 is an amazing piece of kit, easy to use and navigate around site,” said Rigney.

“Given how busy we are at the moment, there was no time to paint the www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Anthony Davis handing over Barney to Marcus Rigney.

machine in our company colours. So, we thought we could have some fun with the crane and use its vibrant colours to help raise some money for a worthy charity,” Marcus said.

“We decided to name the crane ‘Barney the Starlight Crane’ and over the next six months, a portion of the machine’s hourly rate will be donated to Starlight to help grant five Starlight Wishes to give sick kids something to look forward to and to create new memories for them to treasure forever,” he said.

Load 28 is also encouraging its valuable clients and the general public to use the QR code on the side of the crane or to visit their fundraising page to donate towards Starlight. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

According to Starlight’s 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 challenges of the past year we are not seeing as much support for these sick kids and their families, so when Load 28 contacted us to advise they were going to use their new crane to raise money for Starlight, we were overwhelmed; it was such a creative and thoughtful way to give back,” said Andrew.

“When sick kids’ worlds are filled with hospital and treatment, a Starlight Wish is an incredible gift of happiness.”

“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.” Andrew continued.

“By supporting Barney the Starlight Crane, you are providing a once-in-a-

lifetime gift that helps sick kids’ dreams come true so please help us help them and donate today,” said Marcus Rigney.

Support ‘Barney the Starlight Crane’ by spreading the word and donating today at https://starlightfundraisers.org.au/ load28cranehire.

A portion of Barney’s hourly rate will be donated to Starlight.

July 2021 CAL / 57

IN FOCUS / FRANNA

SMALL IN STATURE XTREME IN PERFORMANCE At almost 30 years old, a Franna MC-6 goes to work every day for Gladstone-based fabrication business Xtreme Engineering. Danny Black, general manager at Franna, and Scott Harrington, general manager at Xtreme Engineering, explain why the crane has stood the test of time.

THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR THE FRANNA MC-6 began in 1992 at the request of Queensland Alumina. At the time they were using CAP cranes which were proving incapable of accessing areas of the smelter.

“It was really and Brian Hay, one of the previous owners of Franna and myself who came up with the concept of the MC-6. We were working with the people at Queensland Alumina and they weren’t happy with the reach of the old CAP cranes they were operating in the smelter. We decided to design a very small and extremely manoeuvrable 6 tonne capacity crane. It has a limited 90° slew, 45° either side and it isn’t articulated, unlike a typical Franna, but it does feature a slew ring,” said Black.

“It features a unique mechanism on the top where the boom has two luffing cylinders and you could actually kick the boom right over to a very steep negative angle which enables it to get to the ground. This helped them when they were working on their maintenance projects and being able to pull things out like pumps and pipes and all sorts of things. It then has the conventional luffing cylinders which enables the boom to go from the horizontal to the 60°. The maximum boom length was 6.5m.

“It features the single telescopic extension and it also has four wheel steer so it is not only front wheel steer it can crab steer, it can lock steer as well making it very manoeuvrable when it 58 / CAL July 2021

was operating inside the smelter. And like wise, it has a very low overall height which, at the time, was one of the customer’s requirements to get into the areas where it needed to operate. We only built five,” said Black.

One of the five units was eventually purchased by Harrington many years later. He explains how where he first saw the MC-6 operating and he how came to purchase his unit.

“About 15 years ago, I was working on a shutdown for a local Alumina Refinery, Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) and the MC- 6 was working in an area called digestion. I had seen it go by carrying a massive valve under pipe racks in the refinery area and it just caught my eye. I had never seen anything like it running around previously, as mini cranes were not really a big thing then.

“Actually, I was not even aware it was a Franna crane to be honest, we were on chain blocks removing our valve and I thought that would be useful right now. Sometime later I went to look at a crane which was for sale at a local crane hire business and as I was inspecting it, I noticed the MC-6 sitting next to it. I asked the guy what he was doing with the little machine, he said it was out of service and not running but for a few extra dollars he’d throw it in if I purchased the bigger machine. We shook hands and I walked away with two cranes instead of one, I’m our accounts departments’ worst nightmare. I thought

Xtreme supplies the MC-6 for an annual shutdown at one of the local petro-chemical refineries.

the MC-6 would be a great little yard and workshop crane for a heavy engineering business,” said Harrington.

Black explains more about the process of Franna proceeding from an enquiry to designing the machine, engineering the prototype and then entering into a short production run with the MC-6. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

analysis on the machine which we hadn’t had the capabilities to do previously, so we were able to use a lot of new technologies to design something that was actually very different to what we had been doing with the pick and carry cranes. The slew ring and the four wheel steer, oscillating rear axle made the MC6 quite unique and it really fitted a particularly important niche at the time. The first machine wasn’t actually delivered until 1995,” he said.

this type of application.

The MC-6 may not have the 360 slew or reach of a mini crane but it’s ability to pick & carry is what sets it apart from the others, along with its quick travel ability to deliver an item to one part of the site the return quickly for the next lift.

“Our crane is now sort after within Gladstone for local shutdowns due to its unique size and charts. We use it under large industrial buildings, refineries, tanks, vessels, pipe racks,

“I like the uniqueness of the MC-6. It’s designed and engineered by Aussies and manufactured in Australia. It is classic Aussie thinking outside of the box. It’s a solid little work horse and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to operate or repair.”

“In 1992, it was our first completely CAD designed machine. Prior to this we were using traditional engineering hand drawings type methods. It was something new and exciting for us because we bought our first CAD system from a 3D modelling perspective. We were able to conduct a whole new www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Harrington discusses his experience with the MC-6 highlighting it’s performance in various applications.

“The MC-6 has performed absolutely brilliantly over the years. I had to spend a bit of money up front to bring it up to speed and to meet operational standards, but it has exceeded expectations. It basically paid for itself within the first six months of ownership.

“Typically, this machine is suited to low areas with tight confinement, areas not typically accessible by a standard Franna crane or even a mini crane. We use it for mainly to pick and carry work,” he said.

Harrington then describes a typical example of how popular the MC-6 is with his customers.

“Recently, we had the MC-6 on a shutdown across town so we could not supply it to a regular customer at the time. They brought in a mini crane instead, which got into the required area and picked up the large pump but it could not slew or walk. The customer rang immediately asking us to ‘please bring our machine over as we have to get this out today,’” said Harrington.

“I have never really seen anything like this crane. The only machine that may come close is the Grove “Yard Boss” but it doesn’t have the capability of MC-6 for

inside power stations and various marine works,” he said.

Black confirms how popular the MC-6 has been with those businesses lucky enough to own one.

“We have been asked if we could build more of the MC-6 because it has created a bit of a niche market but it wouldn’t be a high volume product.

At the time Lew and Brian, Franna’s previous owners, were certainly very innovative as far as examining and predicting what the next trend in products was going to be and they were always looking at where we could invest and develop and create a point of difference. The MC-6 achieved all of these objectives.

“Because the MC-6 was unique and designed for environments where operating and manoeuvrings space was extremely limited, the owners of the units have given us very positive feedback. I believe QAL still operate one as well as one in Whyalla in South Australia. I think BHP Blackwater in Queensland also had one and of course Xtreme Engineering continues to operate theirs every day,” he said.

Harrington explains what impresses him most about the MC-6.

“I like the uniqueness of the MC-6.

It’s designed and engineered by Aussies July 2021 CAL / 59

IN FOCUS / FRANNA

and manufactured in Australia. It is classic Aussie thinking outside of the box. It’s a solid little work horse and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to operate or repair.

“I think it was an engineering masterpiece, an example of how Aussies think outside the box to solve a problem. This machine’s design really highlights how we look at a solution and not focus on the problem.

“When I first acquired this machine, I rang our crane mechanic Steven Kajewski to ask him to come and take

a look. He said, ‘Scott I know this very machine I conducted the 10 year inspection years ago when it was with Boom Logistics. He knew the history and told me the full story behind it and how lucky we were to have this crane in our fleet.

“I often have comments on the crane and I’m asked what type it is and where does it come from. We now supply it for an annual shutdown at one of the local petro-chemical refineries. Traditionally they brought in a large all terrain, removed the roof sheeting from a six

The MC-6 is uniquely designed for environments where operating and manoeuvring space were extremely limited.

60 / CAL July 2021

story building to lift out from ground level to change out a large compressor.

Now, we use the MC-6 Franna to come in from under the bottom floor of the plant and pick it up, carry it out and job done. The old saying, ‘it’s not the size that counts it’s how you use it’ could not be truer in this situation,” said Harrington.

Black goes onto the explain how Terex Franna has continued with its commitment to innovation over the almost 30 years since the first MC-6 was designed engineered and manufactured.

He says this has been a major part of the company’s evolution.

“You only have to look at the AT40 to understand that innovation is something we will continue to pursue. The AT40 has a number of new technologies which has never been done before on a pick and carry crane.

“The most obvious feature with this model are the three axles and our patented control systems which enables us to lift the third axle when we are running in ‘crane mode’. This gives the operator the turning circle and the manoeuvrability of a MAC 25. But when get onto the highway, you can drop the third axle and you don’t need to change the counterweight from the front to the rear and it can travel on the road well within axle requirements,” he said.

“Likewise, with the AT40 the articulating counterweight provides the ability for it to improve the articulation capacities, especially when you come to side slopes. This is the first crane where we have implemented this technology.

“From an overall software and control systems perspective, the control systems for the AT40 were developed with our colleagues at Demag and since Terex sold Demag to Tadano, we have further invested in this technology. We now have dedicated ‘in house’ software engineers and we are continuing to develop the Demag platform but obviously customising it for a pick and carry application. We’ve got some really exciting developments to come from this area in the near future. Watch this space,” said Black. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

WE ARE

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IN FOCUS / LIEBHERR GERMANY

LIEBHERR INVESTS IN EHINGEN SITE Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH is making itself fit for the future. The company is investing a sum in the high two-figure millions to make its internal processes future proof. The WeLog Project includes building work at the Ehingen site, the restructuring of the material flows, a new building for the Repair Centre in South Germany.

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CHANGES SINCE Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH was founded in 1969 by Hans Liebherr. The company at its Ehingen site has grown continuously and now has a workforce of over 3500 people and a factory area of around 900,000 square metres. But even after more than 50 years of successful history, a company cannot afford to rest on its laurels. Despite ongoing modernisation work, it has complex structures and a warehouse which is no longer state of the art and must be replaced as a matter of urgency.

The WeLog Project, short for “Plant development logistics” is the action Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH has taken to face up to this challenge. Its aim is to ensure that materials are stored and transported efficiently and smartly.

Internal procedures will be simplified to ensure that production can continue without interruption in the future. This will also result in further improvements

to the quality of mobile and crawler cranes. Production Director Ulrich Heusel underlines the necessity of the project as follows: “Currently around 2000 mobile and crawler cranes leave our plant in Ehingen every year. That is an extremely high number, and represents almost a two-fold increase over the last 20 years. Now there is an urgent necessity to adjust our structures and material flows at the plant accordingly.

We produce at a high tempo, but we nonetheless have to remain flexible as some of our customers want short term modifications to their cranes – depending on the order content. And we can only guarantee this flexibility, whilst maintaining our high quality and assembly speed, by making these investments.”

This mammoth project will mean changes for many of the personnel. For the management and project team it is therefore particularly important to

include all the employees in the process, as well as keeping them informed and communicating transparently with them. “It is very important for us to emphasise that the ‘Plant development logistics’ project will not threaten any jobs, and in fact it is more likely to create additional jobs in the long term”, says CFO Daniel Pitzer. Liebherr uses three colours to ensure greater clarity within the WeLog Project. Red stands for standard production, blue stands for everything related to customer service and spare parts, whilst crane repairs at the new Repair Centre South Germany in Berg will be shown in green.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AT THE PLANT ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY Liebherr has already taken the first steps for the project – building work is already underway at high speed on the factory site in Ehingen. The existing old main warehouse will be split into a warehouse

The work to reroute pipelines for the new production warehouse is gathering pace.

62 / CAL July 2021

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

for spare parts and a warehouse for standard production, involving the erection of several new buildings. This will enable procedures to be planned perfectly in the future and problems to be avoided as what has been a single warehouse in the past will be split into two sections, therefore guaranteeing greater availability of components.

Work on building the new spare parts warehouse started in autumn 2020.

Extensive work on the foundation is required to create the highly modern complex, consisting of a truck gate, two-storey hall area, high-bay shelving warehouse and small parts warehouse.

Large drilling rigs from Liebherr’s sister plant in Nenzing (Austria) drilled exactly 465 holes for auger piles. These are anchored in the foundation soil at depths of between 18 and 33 metres.

This will also make it possible to generate energy for the new building using geothermics. The new spare parts and shipment warehouse is due to be completed and fully functional by 2024.

Liebherr is also building a separate warehouse for parts required for the standard production of mobile and crawler cranes. This warehouse will be divided between two buildings.

One building will be used as a pallet warehouse, whilst a small parts warehouse and a so-called “goods

The construction work for the new Repair Centre South Germany in Ehingen/Berg is underway.

supermarket” will be established in the second building. The first parts from the existing warehouse will be transferred to the new standard production warehouse before the end of 2021. In addition to erecting the new buildings, Liebherr has also had to make significant changes to the road system within the plant to access the construction sites whilst maintaining all the current procedures.

“When you look at everything going on at the plant at the moment in terms of new buildings and processes, we can definitely say that we are making the Ehingen site fit for the future. And the Liebherr family is spending in the high two- figure millions for this purpose.

This is a clear signal to the whole workforce and the Town of Ehingen”, explains Pitzer.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW REPAIR CENTRE SOUTH GERMANY Earthworks were also commenced in the Ehingen suburb of Berg at the start of 2021 – the location for the new Repair Centre South Germany. “By outsourcing the repair centre, we will be able to significantly improve the services we offer to our customers, particularly in southern Germany. We are also expecting to be able to take on service orders, which in the past we were unable to accept due to restricted capacities”, says Managing Director Sales, Christoph Kleiner. “Furthermore, this will create

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

some of the space we urgently require for the new warehouse building at the main factory site.”

The relocation and commissioning of the new repair and administration building in Berg is scheduled for mid2022.

SOFTWARE MIGRATION WITH NEW ERP SYSTEM In addition to all this building work, Liebherr is also working flat out on the introduction of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. An ERP system can be described as the heart of the company. It comprises a large number of inter-communicating IT systems or databases within a company.

This highly complex production and planning system controls the whole business and also manages all the master data required for the task. The new system, InforLN, will initially be introduced in the Customer Service Section. This change is scheduled for mid-2022. The new Repair Centre South Germany will also use this new software package as soon as it starts operations. By mid-2024, all the divisions that make up Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH will have been migrated to the new InforLN software package.

At the same time, InforLN will also be introduced at the Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH subsidiaries based in Germany, Oberhausen and Alt-Bork.

July 2021 CAL / 63

IN FOCUS / HUMMA PICK AND CARRY

LINDORES JOINS THE HUMMA CLUB Lindores Mobile Cranes recently took delivery of a Humma 35 Mk3 pick & carry. It was a memorable event as, after many years, it was the first occasion the Lindores had moved away from their traditional supplier.

CHANTELLE LINDORES IS THE MANAGING director of Lindores Mobile Cranes and she is very discerning when it comes to the selection of cranes for the company’s fleet. She explains more about the family’s heritage in cranes and the process she went through before purchasing the Humma.

The Lindores name has a long and rich heritage in the Queensland crane hire sector.

“My father Peter and his three brothers

64 / CAL July 2021

Greg, John and Edward had been in cranes for over 40 years. With my mother Colleen, Dad started Lindores Cranes and Rigging in 1985. They worked hard on building the business as did Dad’s brothers and then in 2000 they merged their businesses to form LCR Lindores Group. They went on to sell this business in 2008. So, you can see cranes are in my blood.

“In 2007 we brought Mini Cranes QLD and started trading as Queensland Mini

Cranes Pty Ltd. This business name was changed to Lindores Mobile Cranes 2015.

I am owner and Managing Director of the business, my parents are Directors of the company and my daughter is working in the office. The business started with mini cranes with capacities ranging from 2.8t to 4.8t. We had 15 machines and a tilt tray truck,” she said.

“In 2013 we purchased a 20t Franna pick and carry crane which is still in our fleet and going strong. In 2017 we

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

purchased a 13t Kato city crane and this was a blessing in disguise, it’s an awesome little crane. In August 2018 we had the opportunity to purchase our 55t Liebherr all terrain from L&L Crane Hire. When Hanchards Crane Hire closed and after having a chat with Mike Hanchard, I bought a 25t Superlift Franna and also dry hired one, but we only had the dry hire unit a year,” said Lindores.

Since then, Lindores has purchased a second tilt tray Isuzu truck and has built the business to a stage where another machine was needed. She explains the background to the Humma pick and carry.

“The million dollar question is why did we purchase a Humma? I have been asked this question 100 times. Regardless of the negative opinions of some people in the industry, I did my research and conducted

Lindores Mobile Cranes recently took delivery of a Humma 35 Mk3 pick & carry. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

my due diligence before deciding to purchase a Humma.

“I was aware of the Humma pick and carry range but for no particular reason I have not had much to do with the brand until now. I only had my first discussion regarding Humma when Peter Dalla Riva, the operations director at DRA Group, and we spoke at the end of last year,” said Lindores.

Lindores relied on the feedback mentors in the industry and key members of her team who had been exposed to the Humma pick and carry range previously.

“Kenny Reibelt is a key member our operations team with over 40 years experience operating cranes. He is obviously an unpaid salesman for Humma, he loves the machine and its capabilities. When he worked for Hanchards, he drove a Humma 35 for nearly two years and he provided great feedback about the machine. His preference for the Humma range is well known and he is known to be an exceptional operator of the machine. I also spoke to Jimmy Coombes another valued team member, who has 20 years of experience across mobile and tower cranes. He was also very positive about the Humma.

“Obviously, I sort advice from Mum and Dad and also Mike Hanchard. I spoke to many people in the industry who I regard as mentors and I appreciate

their advice. Whether or not I listen to it is another thing. Dad had reservations but since seeing it and its capabilities, he is quietly impressed.

“I learned that those with negative opinions had very little to do with a Humma, never seen one let alone driven one, so my decision was based on the conversations with those who have experience with the brand. I also knew this was going to be the first Humma in Brisbane and it means something to have a unique crane in this market,” and it was the first time Lindores ventured away from the usual pick & carry crane supplier,” she said.

Lindores goes on to explain what she likes about the Humma pick and carry and how impressed she was with the approach from the Dalla Rivas and the DRA Group.

“When it comes to the Humma, I have a multitude of likes. It starts with the people who own the company and have designed the cranes. I have a lot of respect for the Dalla Rivas, who they are and what they do.

“Conversations with both Peters have covered their working lives, what they’ve done and what they’ve achieved. I was impressed at the way they went about their business and the passion they have for these cranes is obvious. Their energy and enthusiasm is infectious, and I felt I wanted to be a part of it, their confidence in Humma is evident in offering a two-

Lindores was impressed with the automated robotic manufacturing cell recently installed by DRA. July 2021 CAL / 65

IN FOCUS / HUMMA PICK AND CARRY

year warranty and 15 years before the major inspection,” she said.

“I like the design of the Humma they look tough, robust and capable. They project strength to customers and I am in awe of how the Humma looks. Its lifting capacity and size are perfect for the type of crane it is,” said Lindores.

There were a number of reasons for purchasing the new Humma 35 says Lindores.

“Firstly, the Humma bridges a gap between our 25t Franna and 55t all terrain cranes.

Secondly it was a sensible purchase for our type of work which includes a lot of site work and lifts of larger machinery requiring a heavy lifter, but not always a bigger slew crane.

“Thirdly, I knew Kenny wasn’t going to stop going on about the brand until we got one and Mike Hanchard convinced me that I would never regret purchasing one.

I also liked the fact that there aren’t many in Queensland and we now have a crane which helps us stand out from the rest,” she said.

Lindores elaborates on the relationship she is developing with the Dalla Rivas at DRA Group and how impressed she has been with the performance of the Humma.

“As I said earlier, I only started talking to Peter Snr late last year and have had many conversations about cranes and business in general. Both Peter’s are very transparent and have a way of making you feel a part of the family and a part of what they are achieving with the business with DRA celebrating fifty years of engineering, design and build and Humma also turns twenty five years this year. Our working relationship may have only just begun, but I believe we will be working with them for years to come.

“Before purchasing the Humma 35, I was invited by the Dalla Rivas to tour the DRA Group manufacturing facility in Western Australia. I was thoroughly impressed. Back in 1994, I experienced a less than impressive facility when I visited Linmac and so I was not expecting the level of professionalism and high quality presented by DRA Group,” said Lindores.

“It was amazing to see how well set 66 / CAL July 2021

Chantelle Lindores conducted her due diligence before purchasing the Humma.

out their facility is and the quality of machinery used to manufacture the Humma, particularly the automated robotic manufacturing cell they have recently installed – fabrication is all in-house with quality European componentry fitted. I came back and told everyone how good it was. From my short experience with the Humma 35, I would most definitely say yes to buying more.

“We took delivery of the crane in early May and we’ve had it on a number of jobs already. I’d rate it highly and our customers are impressed with the ease in which it completes jobs. For its lifting capabilities it is still relatively a small and compact pick and carry crane. We’ve already had one customer say he only wants the Humma from now on,” she said.

During her visit to the DRA Group, manufacturing facility she was given a demonstration of the capabilities of the 55T Humma by Peter Jnr the Groups Engineering Manager.

“I thought the 35T was impressive and from all the information I’d read about the 35t and the photos I’d seen, I thought it couldn’t get any better. Well, the 55T blew me away. It was so impressive, it is a large version of the 35T and maybe a

future addition. I took photos and a video and I’ve raved about the size and the look of it ever since.

“The Humma 55 features the patented Autoleveller System technology developed

by Peter Jnr. The system ensures the chassis is kept horizontal when the crane is operating on uneven surfaces of up to 5°, without having to reduce the cranes SWL, and making it a very safe crane to operate,” said Lindores.

“The Humma sounds and looks strong and professional all at the same time, but it was the lifting capabilities which were the deciding factor for me. The DRA facility is nothing short of fantastic and with the Dalla Rivas, you couldn’t ask for more down to earth and very accommodating people. They are also very accepting of dealing with a woman in business which is not always the case in the industry.

“I have an enormous amount of respect for the father and son team and the way they do business. I look forward to having a long working relationship with them and the Humma brand. In my opinion, you can’t get any better than a genuine, Australian made and owned crane company,” she said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / RONCO The Sany 110t all terrain SAC 1100S1 was one product seen by many for the first time.

SANY SHINES DURING RONCO OPEN DAY The Ronco Group recently held an open day to celebrate the delivery of a major order as well as inviting customers to view the latest products from Sany among others.

THE DAY INCLUDED AN EQUIPMENT handover ceremony from Ronco and Sany to Karratha Headland Group (KHG). KHG represents a group of companies providing specialist services to the resources, renewables, industrial, commercial and residential construction sectors said Rob Smith, managing director of Ronco.

“We decided to have an open day to officially handover the Sany products to our major customer KHG, and as we had the equipment in the yard, we thought it would be an ideal opportunity for customers to come down and have a look at the equipment,” he said.

The event was displayed in the Ronco yard on Valencia Way, Maddington in WA. Equipment on display included Sany all terrain and rough terrain cranes as well as construction equipment including excavators, graders, rollers and front end loaders.

“Both Ronco and Sany were delighted to mark the occasion by officially 68 / CAL July 2021

handing over such a major order to KHG, but we were equally pleased to see potential customers examining a broad range of Sany product for the first time,” said Smith.

The Sany 110t all terrain SAC 1100S1 was one product seen by many for the first time.

The Sany 110t all terrain is the SAC1100s1 model: s with all Sany equipment it is made with world class componentry including Mercedes Benz engines, ZF transmission, Kessler drop box and axles with disc brakes, Rexroth and Kawasaki hydraulic pumps and motors. The Sany SAC 1100S1 also features 56m of main boom, a single cylinder boom pinning system, tilting crane cabin with a clear 25cm touch screen display. Counterweight loading is from crane cabin and it has the strongest line pull in its class. The Sany 110t is also a single engine drive machine with the shortest overall length in its class.

The Sany 60t rough terrain SRC 600C

was also on display.

The Sany 60t capacity rough terrain is the SRC600C model featuring a Cummins engine, Dana transmission, Kessler axles, Rexroth swing motor, Danfoss winch motors with Casappa and Permco pumps. SRC600C features 43.5m of main boom which the longest in its class and it has the strongest Tonne Moment in class. Dual telescoping modes make it the fastest telescoping and luffing rough terrain in its class and the fastest adjustable hoisting speed in its class. It also features a clear 25 cms touch screen display.

Smith was happy with how the open day played out.

“Over the course of the day we would have seen over 70 people in the yard.

This included senior staff from KHG and Sany, other equipment dealers and customers from around Western Australia.

“The reaction to the equipment on display was very positive. Visitors www.cranesandlifting.com.au

who hadn’t seen Sany equipment before commented on the quality and capabilities of the product and also the variety of machinery being offered by Ronco,” he said.

“The response was so positive I think we will make some sales for the day.

There seemed to be a lot of interested parties who at the very least are being made aware of Sany’s presence in the market as a serious contender and competitive option for customers. There was also a high level of interest in the TIDD pick and carry range of cranes,” said Smith.

“Since becoming the TIDD dealer we have been receiving a steady stream of enquiries about the product and it was the same during the open day.

Customers are interested in the TIDD, especially the safety features which are so important for compliance related issues in the mining and infrastructure sectors.

We should be in a position to announce another sale in the not too distant future,” he said.

Towards the end of 2020, TRT appointed Ronco as the Western Australia distributor for the TIDD pick and carry range. Smith confirms there was also interest in the TIDD product.

“Ronco has been a rebuild and service centre for pick and carry cranes for many years, including designing and building our own bespoke pick and carry. But we have never had a quality pick and carry crane in this class to offer. To partner TRT with the Tidd product is a great opportunity. We already have an extensive range of cranes and the TIDD just finishes the line up with outstanding quality, safety and commitment by the TRT team,” he said.

“The commitment of TRT to their customers and product support is unmatched. TRT proved their commitment by sending a technician for a number of weeks, including quarantine, for hands on training where all other OEM’s were conducting video training through COVID,” said Smith.

At the time of announcing Ronco as the dealer for Western Australia, Bruce Carden, TRT’s director of sales and www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Ronco has many years of experience with pick and carry cranes, but never with the quality and class demonstrated by the TIDD.

Seventy people visited the Ronco yard and the reaction to the equipment on display was very positive.

innovation had this to say.

“We are pleased to be working with Robert Smith and the team at Ronco.

This is a strategic decision to enable the continued growth of the TIDD Crane in WA, especially within the mining and infrastructure sectors, with a company that has experience with pick and carry cranes, extensive industry knowledge unique to WA and a high standard of after sales support and service. Ronco’s

values align closely to TRT’s and we are looking forward to working closely together.”

Carden added, “As an OEM manufacturer, we want to ensure that TIDD crane customers are supported and that they can still retain a relationship with TRT, the crane’s OEM. Ronco are that collaborative and committed partner that we know will deliver on this promise.”

July 2021 CAL / 69

IN FOCUS / GLEASON CRANES AND MI-JACK Mi-Jack cranes have had a presence in the Australian market for many years.

MI-JACK GANTRY CRANES ON TRACK WITH GLEASON The partnership with Gleason Cranes has seen the return of US-manufactured rubber tyred gantry cranes to the Australian rail market.

EARLIER IN THE YEAR, GLEASON CRANES announced it had been appointed the national distributor for leading US brand of rubber tyred gantry cranes, Travelift.

A staple fixture of intermodal facilities in North America, Mi-Jack’s Travelist and Translift rubber tyred gantry cranes (RTG) are making a return to the Australia rail construction and intermodal market, said Gleason Cranes’ Chris Logan.

“The Australian market may not be aware, but there have been seven Travelift container handling RTGs operating locally with major rail businesses, including Australian National Railways, the National Rail Corporation, and Toll 70 / CAL July 2021

North QRX. Mi-Jack Travelift is also the primary RTG provider to the North American prestress industry with the product very popular on new bridge and existing bridge reconstruction,” said Logan.

Mi-Jack has machines operating on six of the seven continents and is globally recognised for designing and manufacturing innovative and productive machines. When it comes to the rail industry in particular, Mi-Jack’s extensive experience means that the company is familiar with the particular requirements of the sector.

“They can customise the dimensions required to work on bridges and have the capability to pick and carry at

capacities which offer huge advantages and cost savings over traditional construction cranes. For the rail sector, they have provided rail wheels in lieu of rubber tyred when requested. The Mi-Jack Travelift RTG range offers capacities ranging from 18t to 295t and dimensions can be customised to meet specific applications,” said Logan.

All of Mi-Jack’s machines and components are manufactured to international ISO certified standards and Logan said these standards demonstrate the cranes’ quality.

“Gleason Cranes is well known to the Australian market, we’ve been importing, buying and selling and supporting cranes for over 40 years and we know a www.cranesandlifting.com.au

winner when we see one. The Travelift product is a winner,” said Logan.

There are a number of design features which make the Travelift RTG popular, said Logan.

“The optimal engine horsepower/ RPM requirements needed to operate the Travelift are supplied automatically through the Power on Demand feature which maximises efficiencies and achieves 36 per cent fuel savings and 25 per cent extended engine life,” he said.

The product incorporates other key features such as lead wheel steering that includes a multiple steer mode system, allowing the operators to steer the crane using distinct steer modes including: 0° in-line steer, 90° transverse steer, circle steer, all wheel steer and crab steer at full capacity.

An inward facing cab is more spacious featuring a 180° rotating seat which allows the operator direct sight towards the direction of travel and/or the load.

High rise cab increases the eye level height and provides better sight lines over stacked product.

An auxiliary hoist allows the operator to rotate product while reducing the potential to damage the product.

The dual/split trolley provides a solid four point pick ability for unbalanced loads. Air conditioning powered by an AC generator or driven by an air compressor is available.

RF remote control allows safe

The rubber wheeled gantry cranes are used on major construction projects. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The cranes are a staple of intermodal facilities in the US.

operation of all standard crane function from ground level. scale package scale readout in the cab to show weights of product lifted.

All wheel drive, drive components at all four corners to increase gradeability as required by rough yard conditions.

Trolley and hoist synchronisation allows the operator to use on joystick to work on both trolleys and hoists in unison for ease of operation.

The ladder and platform kit allows easy access to top beams and their components in the event other means of access are unavailable.

The camera package assists the operator by increasing visibility of potential blind spots while travelling.

The spreader bars/strong backs

manufactured by Mi-Jack are customised to fit the needs for each application.

The Autospreader, with adjustable slides and hooking capabilities controlled from the cab, helps to eliminate the need for ground riggers and the need to climb ladders to hook or unhook product. The AutoSpreader comes in various models capable of handling double tees, hollow core, wall panels, I-Beams, and any other applications to maximise productivity.

By equipping the Mi-Jack Travelift rubber tyred gantry crane with a magnet package, controlled from the cab, the operator can handle steel products without the necessary ground crew needed to hook and unhook product.

C-Hooks are designed for easy handling of steel wire and steel coils.

“The Travelift is a world class product,” said Logan. “It is extremely versatile and designed to operate in numerous applications and industry sectors. It is particularly well suited to the intermodal and container handling industry but is equally at home in prestressed concrete manufacturing and rail applications.

“With the amount of infrastructure projects in the pipeline, we believe now is the ideal time to be working with Mi-Jack and the Travelift product and the team at Gleason Cranes looks forward to answering any questions and providing more information on the range,” he said.

July 2021 CAL / 71

IN FOCUS / SANY CRANES

SANY CRANES INCREASING IN NUMBERS The number of SANY units being delivered by Tutt Bryant Equipment is on the increase despite the challenges.

The SANY SCC1300TB is a big lifter suitable for jobs that require ease and speed in setting up.

SINCE THE APPOINTMENT OF TUTT BRYANT Equipment as SANY’s crane dealer for the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory, the industry has seen an increasing number of SANY units delivered and working on the ground. This is despite Tutt Bryant Equipment only commencing SANY crane sales at the start of 2021 and the continuing challenges in global shipping.

Peter Lawgall, Tutt Bryant Equipment’s Business Development Manager (Cranes) provides further insight.

“We are receiving a huge response from customers since the announcement of our appointment as the SANY crane dealer for all of Australia other than Western Australia. In addition to an outstanding range of cranes, SANY has been prioritising our market, ensuring stock availability and fast-tracking of models that meet Australian customers’ needs.”

A rapidly growing segment of the range are SANY’s telescopic boom crawler cranes that start at 25t capacity and extend to 130t capacity. It is in fact at nearly the opposite ends of the range that Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift recently took delivery of six units into its rental fleet, comprising three units of SCC400TB and three units of SCC1300TB. Both the SANY SCC400TB and SCC1300TB models boast impressive lifting capacity with long booms, full selferection capability and excellent cabin comfort. They also feature Isuzu engines and other international components.

72 / CAL July 2021

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The SRC900T will target the popular two-axle 90t rough terrain class.

“SANY is heavily focused on and has a recognised track record of consistently improving the quality of its products as well as its customer service, particularly through its dealer network. In a segment that is traditionally dominated by well-established European brands, SANY is aiming high to be able to prove itself as a credible alternative.”

The SANY SCC400TB is a compact machine that is easily transportable at a width of less than 3m with its tracks fully retracted. The versatile nature of this model suits general lifting work in and around structures, offering a maximum load moment of 150 tonnemetres from a maximum boom length of 43m and fixed jib of 16m. The SCC400TB truly delivers superior lifting capacity compared to similar cranes on wheels. The units introduced into the Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift fleet also have the optional rubber track pads.

The SANY SCC1300TB on the other hand is a bigger lifter suitable for jobs that require ease and speed in setting up.

With a maximum boom length of 60m and fixed jib of 18.1m, the crane has a maximum load moment of a whopping 480 tonne-metres. The crane may also be permitted to be transported with its tracks on or off on Australian roads.

One particularly notable experience was Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift’s request for load charts for these telescopic boom crawler cranes when operating with retracted tracks. Even though these charts were not previously available, they were quickly worked upon and provided in a short turnaround period. This was made possible only by SANY having an engineering department in its crane division that is around 1,000-strong.

With the growing interest in SANY www.cranesandlifting.com.au

cranes, new stock is arriving in the coming months including additional units of SCC400TB and the as-yet-seenin-Australia SCC1000TB. With a maximum capacity of 100t, the SANY SCC1000TB is just under that of the SCC1300TB but it offers better transportability at less than 3.5m in width with tracks on (3m with tracks off). Like the other telescopic boom crawler crane models in the SANY range, the SCC1000TB has self-assembly capability and class-leading lifting capacity (maximum load moment of 378 tonne-metres) and long boom (maximum length of 59m) and fixed jib of 17.5m.

Following the successful introduction of SANY telescopic boom crawler cranes in Australia, the next exciting development which Lawgall is preparing for is the impending arrival of two brand-new SANY all-terrain crane models, the SAC600E and SAC1200E. Specifications for both models have been carefully matched to Australian requirements ensuring roadability and performance in local conditions. The

significance is clear as SANY is making great strides in this area and leaving no stones unturned in its efforts to break into this important segment of the crane market.

“SANY is heavily focussed on and has a recognised track record of consistently improving the quality of its products as well as its customer service, particularly through its dealer network. In a segment that is traditionally dominated by wellestablished European brands, SANY is aiming high to be able to prove itself as a credible alternative,” Lawgall says.

The SANY SAC600E is a compact and highly manoeuvrable three-axle model with a maximum boom length of 50m and fixed jib of 16m. With a maximum lifting moment of 190 tonne-metres, the crane can travel with axle loads within Australian requirements. Its six different steering modes also provide flexibility to meet different driving conditions.

The exact specifications for the SANY SAC1200E are still to be confirmed, but the market can expect a four-axle crane with a maximum boom length of 66m July 2021 CAL / 73

IN FOCUS / SANY CRANES

The SANY SAC600E is a compact and highly manoeuvrable three-axle model with a maximum boom length of 50m and fixed jib of 16m.

and fixed jib of 25.7m.

Both all-terrain models will come with brand new cab designs with internationally sourced components such as Mercedes Benz engines, Kessler axles, Allison transmission, Rexroth winch gearboxes and Kawasaki winch motors. Smart features such as variable outrigger bases which automatically set the correct load charts in the LMI and wireless remote control box will be available to customers, as are 525/80R25 (20.5 R25) tyres.

Last but not least for Tutt Bryant Equipment are the incoming SANY rough terrain models. According to Lawgall, customers can expect to see the first of SANY’s new generation rough terrain cranes which are designated the “T-series”. Leading the entry is the 90t model, the SRC900T. Sharing the same platform as the 110t capacity SRC1100T, both models have the same Cummins engine, Dana fully automatic transmission, Kessler axles and 74 / CAL July 2021

Kawasaki hydraulic components and winch motors.

The new carrier frame also has increased rigidity while being lightweight. The cabin has also been re-designed to be more spacious and ergonomic with improved visibility, an adjustable air-suspension seat and tilt-adjustable controls. The whole cab can tilt up to 20 degrees. There are also electric proportional joysticks for more precise crane operations. The modern features include a touch display but a control knob can also be used to select the functions.

The SRC900T will target the everpopular two-axle 90t rough terrain class, boasting a maximum boom length of 47m and fixed jib of 18m. The SRC1100T will have a maximum boom length of 56m and fixed jib of 18m.

At the lower end, the T-series also has the 65t capacity SRC650T, which offers a maximum boom length of 43.5m and fixed jib of 16m. Compared

to the previous generation SRC600C, this model sees its overall load capacity increase by 40% with fully extended boom as a result of all the improvements SANY has been able to make. The compact machine also has four steering modes, which allow the crane to have a tight minimum steering radius of 7.9m.

All three T-series models feature sliding doors for improved cabin egress.

Overall, they are strong lifters in their respective classes in a simple yet robust package.

Every SANY crane delivered by Tutt Bryant Equipment will be backed by the dealer’s national network of branches and after-sales support. Technical resources and parts supply will be expanded as the dealership grows and more SANY units are put into the field.

For more information, please contact Peter Lawgall on 0411 256 388 (New South Wales, Queensland, ACT, Northern Territory) or Phil Chadwick on 0457 510 097 (Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania). www.cranesandlifting.com.au

IN FOCUS / UAA

TAKING A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO INSURANCE New digs in Newcastle for UAA National Claims and NSW Underwriting teams.

IN JUNE, UAA OPENED ITS NEW OFFICE in Newcastle for its Australian National Claims and NSW Underwriting Team.

Newcastle is the birthplace of UAA. UAA started in 1972 specifically insuring cranes and supporting the crane industry with its niche insurance product, and while it boasts underwriting and sales offices across all major cities in Australia and other parts of the world, UAA is very proud to announce its opening of the new office in Hunter Street in a complex which towers over the working Newcastle Harbour.

“It is a huge step up in a modern building after almost 30 years in the former office in Scott Street and most deserving to the incredible team in NSW” says the UAA Executive Team

of Murf (Michael Murphy), Stan Alexandropoulos, George Grasso and Jane King.

A deep understanding of the industry and a responsive approach to incidents are key reasons UAA remains the number one insurer for the crane sector.

Michelle Morrissey, National Claims Manager and Keith Palmer, Regional Manager for NSW and ACT explain the importance UAA places on every team member understanding the challenges faced by the crane sector.

Morrissey has been with UAA for 11 years and she oversees claims for all of Australia. She manages a team of 12 Claims Consultants who manage claims across every state in Australia from start to finish for everything from a small

EWP (Elevated Work Platform) to some of Australia’s largest Cranes as well as machinery across all other industries in-between.

Palmer is the Regional Manager for New South Wales and ACT and he looks after his team of underwriters. Within his team there are nine underwriters and two business development managers (BDMS). He has been with UAA for 14 years having started in 2007 as a BDM himself. He has over 40 years of experience in the insurance industry.

Palmer explains how UAA assesses individual crane clients and prepares an insurance schedule and premiums to suit individual business needs.

“UAA provides insurance products and services through licensed insurance

Keith and Michelle flanked by the Underwriting and Claims teams in Newcastle.

76 / CAL July 2021

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

brokers, as underwriters we don’t deal with clients direct. When a broker comes to us with a new client, they will present a quotation slip which outlines the covers required and a schedule of cranes and other equipment. In the submission we will be looking for a ‘claims experience’ which would date back five years at least. We obtain information regarding the client’s experience in cranes, ascertain the type of works they are involved in, whether it be stevedores or wind farm work for example. There is a questionnaire relating to ‘damage to lifted goods cover’ where we determine what they are lifting and its acquired value, so we determine that sort of exposure. We have ratings for various types of cranes including mobile cranes to Frannas, tower cranes and crawlers and each type of crane has its’ own rating. Premiums are determined on the mix of the schedule and also the clients ‘claims history’ and experience.

Palmer then explains how premiums are determined in accordance with risk.

“We will examine the type of work the insured is undertaking and in which area, taking into account if it is metro (i.e Sydney) or regional areas for example.

We examine the high risk work they may undertake such as wind farm work which means they have a higher exposure to risk. We also examine some of the additional issues such as whether the client dry hires the equipment or cranes, and if so, what the formal terms of the hire arrangements involve and whether there are damage waivers provided.

“Damage Waivers increases our exposure because the damage waiver falls back onto the insured and waving rights to subrogation (recover from other party). All this is a determination in the premium. We will certainly have a look at the ‘damage to lifted goods’ aspect and what level of cover they require.

We will also examine the types of items they are lifting. As I’ve said, they might be working on the stevedores or at a naval base, or they might be consistently lifting high value items such as boats or aircraft. We will examine this and determine what level of exposure they www.cranesandlifting.com.au

might have in these areas,” he said.

Morrissey explains what happens when there is an incident and how UAA, with the broker, work quickly to get resolutions in place.

“Our response to an incident begins with the initial notification of claim, but sometimes with our ‘high severity incidents’ we may end up notifying the broker. As you can imagine if a crane rolls over it can be big news, so we monitor social media and news outlets to ascertain if it is one of our mutual clients and if so, we will initiate the claims process as an immediate response to assist the client.

“Depending on the severity of the incident, the initial process will be to mobilise assessors to the site and see if they can assist in anyway with the potential recovery process of the crane.

It also provides them with the ability to mitigate any potential additional damages to the crane and assist with controlling costs to save on the clients’ claims experience and reduce any unnecessary loss of time. The assessor will begin interviewing all the parties and depending on the severity of the incident we might have investigators accompanying the assessor to the site to collect additional evidence associated with the event that may assist the client and UAA deflect liabilities to other responsible parties,” she said.

“Once the item is recovered, we assess the severity of the damage and determine if it is a total loss or a repairable situation. In the background, we are always trying to mitigate any potential loss of income for the client by reducing down time. If we are in a position where the item is repairable, we have the repairs done to the highest quality and as quickly as possible. We want to get the crane back into the hands of the insured and back working as soon as possible.

“If needed, and if possible, we will see if we can source, repair or manufacture required parts locally instead of going overseas and therefore dependant on shipment time frames. The assessment and examination of a damaged machine and it causation assists in streamlining

the indemnity process. Once all costs are finalised and paid, whether it is repaired or a total loss, UAA further examines subrogation actions required and continues to manage the claim until it is finalised. We are one of the only insurers in Mobile Plant and Machinery in Australia that has the authority to act quickly, lodge, pay and finalise claims in house, here on shore in Australia,” said Morrissey.

Palmer explains how policies are tailored to individual businesses taking into account the profile of the cranes in the fleet, nature of the lifts they are conducting and the industries they are servicing.

“Fundamentally, tailoring insurance packages to meet the requirements of individual clients is the job of the broker. Though we do assist the broker in ensuring all appropriate covers are considered in accordance with client risk profile. The broker is the clients’ insurance advisor and they need to discuss with the client their particular circumstances. We need to ascertain all types of information received, such as, what type of income the crane is generating and also consider the potential repair period for the crane if there was an incident. For example, a motor vehicle might be a two to four week period, generally with cranes you can be looking at a six month period or longer particularly in the current climate. Indemnity periods also needs to be calculated, what level of lost income the crane potentially has and also what potential alternatives might be available in the market to hire another crane to minimise the loss, whilst the crane is not in use.

“These are some of the factors the broker needs to consider with the insured and quite often the broker will consult with us to discuss what might be appropriate in certain circumstances.

Right now, the economy is travelling fairly well with a lot of infrastructure work, for example, and a lot of the cranes are constantly out working so there might not be too many alternatives in terms of replacement cranes, and there might be times when you can’t July 2021 CAL / 77

IN FOCUS / UAA

UAA has a brand new office in Newcastle’s CBD.

hire a crane, even though you want to.

Potentially, we would see this as a loss of revenue situation and appropriate cover to consider. So, there are many factors to take into account,” he said.

For UAA to be able to accurately assess the risk involved with a new or renewing client and then set premiums accordingly, the broker works closely with his team providing information that the premiums will be based on, says Palmer.

“The important information is generally included in the claims experience. If it is a well-managed crane company with experienced and competent staff that reflect low frequencies in incidents and claims experiences, this will then favourably impact the clients’ premiums over time. The types of cranes can also be a factor. The articulated pick and carry for example, seem to have a higher frequency of incidents and have a different (higher) underwriting rating compared to other types of cranes. If there are a number of this type of crane in the fleet schedule, then it is obviously reflected in the premium and deemed a higher risk,” he said.

Morrissey then discusses the various steps that follow an incident.

“The key is to get the right people and experts on the claim as soon as an incident occurs. Our reputation as a viable insurance partner to our mutual clients is based on how quickly we can respond, the experience of our experts we appoint, and how quickly we can assist a mutual client 78 / CAL July 2021

in getting their machine back to work again, this so critically important to us and extremely imbedded into the culture of our claims team,” she said.

There are nine underwriters in the UAA underwriting team. The team members come from various backgrounds with varying experience.

The Operations Manager has been with UAA for six years and there is over 60 years of combined underwriting plant and machinery experience in our team.

The claims side of the business features a solid team with various degrees of experience and expertise, all within the insurance industry.

There are 12 claims staff that manage all claims nationally from UAA’s Newcastle office, each individual with the responsibility of managing claims for each designated state of Australia. Their responsibilities also include managing the relationships with Insurance Brokers and mutual clients in their respective allocated State, claims cycle time, quality and cost and quick outcomes for clients.

“As I’ve said, generally speaking we as underwriters don’t have too much direct involvement with the industry clients.

Because we deal with intermediaries, we don’t deal with clients direct and the contact is mainly through the broker.

That’s not to say our management don’t on occasions, meet with and speak with the clients direct, generally in conjunction with a broker,” said Palmer.

“Being a service industry, service

is our primary focus and we pride ourselves on quick response times and we set a high bar for ourselves. UAA has always been highly regarded for its high level of service, our nimbleness and this has been the corner stone of our success, competitive advantage and differentiation in the market over the years,” he said.

“With our claims team, we want our guys to be very involved in the industry.

We want them to be aware of any particular nuisances with equipment, particularly with cranes. We often send team members out with assessors so they can have an understanding of how an assessment takes place and to really work with the experts to understand the mechanics of the machines, certainly seeing the industry at first hand assists in putting things into perspective and further respecting the challenges the crane industry faces on a daily basis and the enormity of their machines, as opposed to viewing in 2D, often black and white via a desk ” said Morrissey.

“The claims team deals with some fairly complex claims including everything from wear and tear to structural damage. The team works with our assessors and the engineers so at any one time they can fully understand how a failure and or incident has occurred. We are focused on Australian regulations and industry standards around the operations of the machines, contracts that the insured has entered into as well as working with assessors and investigators to fully understand the complexities of the incidents which have caused damage.

“We also like to ensure that when our team members learn something new about a particular circumstance, that we use the information as an education piece for other team members, our brokers and our mutual clients. This ensures they are focused on mitigation practices, helping our insureds create awareness of certain set of circumstances to hopefully drive changes in their own business and ultimately the entire industry to ensure these events don’t happen again,” said Morrissey. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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