THE DEDICATED RESOURCE FOR THE CRANE INDUSTRY / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
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IN THIS ISSUE
34
82
89 Liebherr used cranes Liebherr delivers 10,000th refurbished crane. 14 Tadano acquisition of Demag ushers in new era Tadano’s acquisition of Demag: what does it mean to the market?
47 Surf City Crane’s new Liebherr Surf City Cranes hangs ten with new Liebherr.
90 Membrey’s Imperial maintenance Imperial Lubricants play vital maintenance role for Membrey Cranes.
16 CICA President’s Report Is the industry learning from previous mistakes?
51 UAA and Hicksons Lawyers UAA and Hicksons Lawyers take a look at issues around insurance and contracts.
92 Chevron Finance Chevron Finance simplifies crane finance.
18 CICA NSW Annual meeting CICA members get behind the Guide Dogs Association.
55 Johnson Young a new force Positive company culture key to everything.
20 CICA Member Profile Two Way Cranes: A family affair.
59 Dana Sac drives for cranes Dana Sac launch new drive motors range.
22 CICA Life Member CICA Life Member Jeff Brundell, provides industry insights from and OEM perspective. 24 CICA South Australia Cranes Day Hugely successful community engagement event in SA. 26 CICA Outrigger App CICA recently launched the CICA Outrigger App. 27 CICA Vale. We farewell Des Curnow. 28 CICA Conference Program CICA’s annual conference, Hunter Valley, October 17th to 19th. 31 CICA Member Profile. Diamond Valley Cranes focussing on customer satisfaction. 34 Fullers Mobile Cranes Celebrating 30 years. 39 Melrose Cranes add capacity The evolution of Melrose Cranes continues with new Liebherr. 42 Preston Hire SuperDeck History and future of Preston Hire’s SuperDeck range. www.cranesandlifting.com.au
63 Two Way Cranes on the move Two Way Cranes recent acquisitions set to change the Sydney crane landscape. 67 TRT from strength to strength TRT discusses future plans for the market. 71 SANY’s increasing presence SANY renews focus on Australian market. 75 Russell Transport new Lift’N’Lock Russell Transport provides turnkey logistics solutions including crane hire 79 Tutt Bryant’s missing link Tutt Bryant Heavy Lifting adds new Link Belt to its fleet. 82 Franna re-launch Terex Franna to launch new branding at CICA conference. 84 Finlease and depreciation Finlease takes a look at the importance of depreciation. 87 Robway Systems and cameras The growing importance of camera technology on cranes.
94 Schaeffler Industry 4.0 Schaeffler technology optimises machinery uptime. 96 West Crane Hire and Humma 20 year old pick and carry still humming along. 98 Borger Cranes first with Franna Borger Cranes brings first Franna AT 40 to NSW. 100 BlokCam increasing crane safety NZ distributor, JD Rigging discusses BlokCam camera technology. 102 Manitowoc focusses on service and support Manitowoc appoint new Service Manager and launch maintenance App. 104 3D Lift planning winners A1A Software announces winners of Lift Plan Of The Year. 106 Hi Lift NZ’s mobile tower crane Liebherrr deliver first mobile tower crane in New Zealand 108 KITO PWB in NZ KITO PWB install state of the conveying and lifting system in NZ. 110 Mini Cranes NZ Mini cranes are big for New Zealand crane company. 113 Cranes Association of New Zealand Conference review Review of the CANZ conference and exhibition. September 2019 CAL / 3
FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM
WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER ISSUE OF CRANES AND LIFTING. THERE’S SOMETHING FOR everyone in this issue including articles on new product developments and acquisition news, a community engagement day, crane company profiles and a round-up of news from our crane contemporaries across the ditch. How to play rugby isn’t the only lesson we can learn from our New Zealand neighbours. Conferences are a focus for the issue. As CICA prepares for the Annual Conference and Exhibition in the Hunter Valley, we review the Cranes Association New Zealand (CANZ) Conference and
Exhibition held in July. We congratulate CICA NSW and its members for the outstanding fundraising activities during the recent Annual Regional Meeting. Over $40,000 was raised for the Guide Dogs Association and a massive thank you goes to Frank Zammit of Two Way Cranes for his generosity in winning the bid to name the Guide Dog puppy. Technology is always a welcome focus for the magazine. This issue reinforces the role digital camera technology is playing in the crane sector and how it is not only increasing the safety in construction but also increasing site efficiencies and productivity. We continue to feature crane hire businesses and it’s interesting to see the parallels and common themes among them. In many instances, they are familyowned businesses; a husband and wife team who saw an opportunity and took it; a son who followed in his father’s footsteps and now has his son working alongside him; or colleagues who decided to work for themselves and went out alone. Their stories are similar and, in my experience, the people are of a similar type – transparent, direct and willing to go that extra mile, if you are. A magazine of this size takes some effort putting together and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the team behind the scenes for doing the hard yards. On their behalf, I hope you enjoy the read and as we always say, if you think you have a story to tell, you probably do, so please feel free to get in touch.
Simon Gould Editor, Cranes and Lifting 4 / CAL September 2019
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11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.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 Brad Marshall E: brad.marshall@primecreative.com.au T: 0403 993 443 Account Manager Teresa Scott E: teresa.scott@primecreative.com.au Client Success Manager Justine Nardone E: justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au 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.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
The biggest crane in Perth has lifted the first and largest component of Perth Airport’s $31 million Skybridge project, according to construction contractor Georgiou Group. Cranes will hoist the 12 main components of the modular Skybridge, which will be built in sections. The first component, weighing 83 tonnes and measuring in at 35 metres, was moved in Perth last month in just 20 minutes. Georgiou General Manager Steve Okill said the first module was lifted into place in mid-June after months of planning and preparation. “It’s an exciting time for our team and great to see the culmination of Georgiou’s planning and hard work come to fruition.” All crane lifts are expected to be completed by late July, then work will begin on the Skybridge’s internal and external fit out. This project up to 70 workers on site at its peak. WA Premier Mark McGowan said the Perth Airport project has created around 2000 jobs, with more than 800 people currently employed and 70 working solely on the Skybridge. “It provides a crucial link and complements our METRONET plans, and I am pleased to see it underway and progressing to plan,” he said. Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti said this project will be important for travellers when connecting from the airport to
Two tunnel boring machines will begin digging to create Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel.
6 / CAL September 2019
The crane was used as part of Perth Airport’s Skybridge project.
Editorial credit: / Shutterstock.com
PERTH’S BIGGEST CRANE USED ON AIRPORT SKYBRIDGE PROJECT
the station. “This bridge will enable convenient, comfortable and efficient links between the station and Terminals 1 and 2,” Saffioti said. She said at the completion of this project public transport access to Perth Airport will be comparable to other major tourism destinations across the globe.
CRANE ASSEMBLES BORING MACHINE FOR WEST GATE TUNNEL A gantry crane capable of lifting up to 500 tonnes will begin lowering pieces of a 90m-long tunnel boring machine (TBM) for Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel Project. The launch site for the TBM has taken a year to complete and is twice the length of an AFL oval, measuring in at 300 metres long, 40 metres wide and 22 metres deep. It is from here that the TBM will begin to dig south west to build the twin tunnels to connect the West Gate Freeway to the port, city and CityLink. It is part of the Victorian Government’s goal to provide an alternative to the West Gate Bridge and take 9000 trucks of residential streets. Pieces of the TBM, named Bella, are being lowered into the ground to be assembled. After Bella has been constructed, a second TBM called Vida will be assembled to begin digging the shorter citybound tunnel. Vida will be assembled above ground before being lowered into the launch site. The launch site is lined with 20,000 cubic metres of reinforced concrete to provide a stable site to launch the 4000t machine. Once tunnelling is complete, the launch site will become the future northern entry and exit to the West Gate Tunnel. www.cranesandlifting.com.au
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INDUSTRY NEWS
A CONSTRUCTION OF CRANES A children’s book ideal for young crane families has just been launched. After 40 years of buying, reading aloud and recommending picture books to children and families in libraries, Margaret Robson Kett moved into inner city Melbourne to start a new freelance A great first reader and introduction to the crane sector.
writing and editing life. “Level with my 16th floor window, just four car lanes across, the cab of a tower crane stood at the corner of the building’s skeleton. I noticed that children, like me, looked up from the street, or across from their balcony or window, to see the hook lowering at the end of a cable like a giant fishing line to a waiting truck.” In an editing class at RMIT, Kett had the good luck to meet Caitlin Ziegler, a graphic designer and fabulous collage artist who draws, cuts, pastes and can fold a paper crane. Caitlin was born in Tasmania, jumping the ditch early to live and work in Melbourne. Together they enrolled in the subject Writing for Children, and the daily crane watching became a picture book manuscript. Kett says, “A lot of staring out of the window became legitimate research, and trying to work out how cranes worked, and how they seemed to ‘grow’ with the building. I could find plenty in the neighbourhood to write about. When
MAMMOET SIGNS DEAL TO ACQUIRE ALE Mammoet has signed an agreement to acquire heavy lifting and transport specialist ALE. Both companies are specialists in engineered heavy lifting and transport for the petrochemical industry, renewable energy, power generation, civil construction and the offshore industry. The deal is subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities and the two companies will continue to operate independently until approval is gained. Mammoet CEO, Paul van Gelde, said the company was happy with the agreement. “Mammoet and ALE complement each other in geographical presence on all continents,” van Gelde said. “Together, we have a well-balanced portfolio of activities worldwide. This enables us to improve our service proposition and create synergies, as we are able to mobilise equipment and personnel swiftly anywhere. “Last but not least, Mammoet and ALE both have a strong legacy in innovations which, once combined, will enable us to grow as a technologically leading player.” ALE Group Managing Director, Mark Harries, said the two companies share a strong ambition to be leading in the engineered heavy lifting and transport sector. “Both companies have a strong track record and are renowned for their craftsmanship, innovations and fleet of 8 / CAL September 2019
a building right next door to mine was finished and I was able to spend a day watching the crane being dismantled, the simple rhyming text was finally polished to perfection.” A friend recommended finding the crane community on Instagram, and Margaret and Caitlin began following #lookingupatcranes on Twitter – a great way to see pictures from construction sites all around the world. One operator who became interested in the project ended up giving technical advice on the final illustrations. Caitlin used a range of both traditional and digital illustration and collage techniques for the book. “Discarded building plans from a skip even made their way into it,” she says. The title A Construction of Cranes takes its name from the collective noun for the birds, as well as the machines. The book was launched in May this year and can be ordered online at www. kettlestitchpress.com.au.
equipment,” Harries said. “We both have shaped the profession of heavy lifting and transport through numerous innovations in the past decades. The prospect of the two companies joining forces is very exciting.”
The two companies specialise in heavy lifting.
www.cranesandlifting.com.au
RELIABILITY The crane was able to reach areas usually only accessible by helicopter.
PALFINGER TESTS CRAWLER CRANE OVER “IMPASSABLE” ALPINE TERRAIN Instead of using a helicopter, Palfinger’s PCC 115.002 crawler crane was able to navigate through almost impassable terrain to remove nine lift supports. Cable lift construction company Prommegger needed to remove a number of Schlossalmbahn lift supports, located in the Gastein Valley, Austria. However, to reach them required travelling through an alpine area off-road. In most cases, a helicopter would be called in to handle this, but Prommegger Managing Director, David Prommegger, said he was able to avoid this through a partnership with Palfinger. “We have been thinking about using cranes in off-road terrain since 2009, almost ten years ago,” Prommegger said. “And then during the Schlossalm project, we stumbled across the Palfinger crawler crane almost by accident. “The crane functions as a real alternative to a helicopter. Furthermore, it doesn’t need any additional permits and you can work largely independently of the weather.” The PCC 115.002 crawler crane was transported to nearby the site by truck, where it was then able to move through difficult terrain by using its crawlers. During the five-day job, the crane required no assistance at an altitude difference of more than 800 metres and gradients of up to 40 per cent. Once it had reached a lift support, the crane needed to be positioned and aligned. Operators used the crane’s support feet to compensate for level differences, down to the nearest centimetre, and were able to remove each lift support, which weighed up to a tonne each. The crane left few traces in the ground, despite its 33-metre reach. “The crawler crane will be useful for us in the future whenever we have large-scale projects coming up in an environment that is difficult to access,” Prommegger said. “I’m thinking of road construction in the mountains, but also of the new high-voltage power line. “This project has a large construction site, where use of the crane would be ideal – particularly as there would be no time pressure because, unlike the helicopter, not every minute of use would be reflected in the bill.” www.cranesandlifting.com.au
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(left to right) Accor Chief Operating Officer, Simon McGrath, Melbourne Airport Chief of Property, Linc Horton, Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Martin Pakula and Built Director Vic and SA, Ross Walker.
GROUND BROKEN ON NEW MELBOURNE AIRPORT HOTEL The first sod was turned last month on the construction of a brand-new hotel at Melbourne Airport to support growing traveller numbers and address constraints in the supply of hotel accommodation on airport. The 464-room hotel, created to serve Melbourne’s burgeoning conference and tourism markets, will be conveniently located steps from Terminal 4 within a new precinct known as “The Hive”. The 10-storey hotel will be dual-branded operating under the Novotel and ibis Styles’ brands rated four and three stars respectively, offering guests gym and pool facilities, a café, bar and restaurant plus conference room facilities. Melbourne Airport’s Chief of Property, Linc Horton, said the project represents the airport’s latest milestone in supporting the state as it moves toward becoming Australia’s biggest city. “We believe this new development will bring a much needed social hub to our space bringing visitors and business colleagues together on the doorstep of the airport with access to more than 650 flights per day.” Simon McGrath, Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer Pacific, said, “Worldwide, Accor is an airport hotel specialist and we continue to innovate and lead in this sector.” The dual-branded hotel will open in 2021.The hotel is the first major development to kick-start the airport’s Hive precinct, which will also feature a childcare facility to cater to the airport’s 20,000 strong workforce as well as office space ranging from 1,000-10,000sqm. www.cranesandlifting.com.au
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AIRPORT EARTHWORKS PROJECT AWARDED CIMIC Group company CPB Contractors, with its joint venture partner, has won an earthworks project for the construction of Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. CPB Contractors and its partner will deliver the airport’s bulk earthworks, generating revenue of approximately $323 million to CPB Contractors. This is the second project awarded by the Western Sydney Airport to the joint venture, following the award of an early earthworks package in July 2018. CIMIC Group Chief Executive Officer, Michael Wright said, “CIMIC Group is proud to play a continuing role in this important facility, which will be a major catalyst for economic development and employment in Western Sydney. “CIMIC Group continues to deliver new infrastructure for future generations across our NSW, national and international operations.” CPB Contractors Managing Director, Juan Santamaria said, “This builds on CPB Contractors’ growing list of airport infrastructure projects including the taxiway upgrade at Auckland Airport and the airfield works for the new runway at Brisbane Airport. “CPB Contractors has a strong portfolio of major transport projects, including Sydney Metro and WestConnex in NSW, West Gate Tunnel and Melbourne Metro in Victoria and Cross River Rail in Queensland.” Bulk earthworks include overall topographical and drainage design for the entire airport precinct; detailed design and construction of earthworks and drainage for the area. Work will commence later this year and is scheduled to be completed in 2022. www.cranesandlifting.com.au
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UP FRONT / TADANO ACQUIRES DEMAG
TADANO ACQUISTION OF DEMAG MOBILE CRANES USHERS IN NEW ERA Tadano Ltd’s recent US$215 million ($319 million) acquisition of the Demag Mobile Cranes business brings together two of the top names in the lifting equipment industry – each well known for safety, quality, innovation, and performance. Cranes and Lifting reports. “THE TADANO GROUP’S STRATEGY IS TO become the global leader in the lifting equipment industry and the premier choice with our customers. The Demag Mobile Cranes acquisition is one vital step toward achieving that goal,” says Koichi Tadano, president and CEO of Tadano Ltd. “It expands our penetration into many markets throughout the world, adds lattice boom crawler cranes to our overall product line, and enhances the capacity range of our all terrain cranes. By working together, we can better respond to our customers’ needs and give them greater added value than ever before.” In addition to technological and manufacturing excellence, Demag’s mobile cranes give Tadano one of the most complete ranges of lifting equipment solutions available from a single manufacturer. It expands the product line with eight lattice boom crawler crane models with lift capacities from 400 to 3,200t. In addition, Demag’s 15 all terrain crane models enhance Tadano’s maximum lift capacity insegment to 1,200 tonnes. Following the acquisition, the Tadano Group’s total lifting equipment line will include more than 80 models, including rough-terrain cranes, all-terrain cranes, lattice and telescopic boom crawler cranes, truck cranes, and more. Anthony Grosser, Managing Director, Tadano Oceania (TOP) provides some insights to Cranes and Lifting into what the local market can expect. “Tadano Oceania took over the sales and service of Demag products on 14 / CAL September 2019
Demag’s mobile cranes give Tadano one of the most complete ranges of lifting equipment solutions available from a single manufacturer.
August 1 and we have put processes in place to make sure Demag’s transition into TOP will be as seamless as possible. Our customers can expect that they will be able to carry out business as usual – right from the very start. “The Demag product line will integrate into the existing TOP business. The synergies between TOP and Terex Australia were very similar with branches and staff located throughout Australia,” Grosser says. “Demag’s all terrain crane line-up complements the Tadano all terrain crane line-up and allows us to meet customer needs on a wider scale. With the introduction of Demag’s lattice boom crawler cranes, Tadano will be able to offer this product line for the first time,” he says. As part of Tadano’s recognition of
growth in the Oceania region and their ongoing commitment to customers, the company recently announced the development of a new premises, located in Brisbane, which will become Australia’s premiere mobile crane support facility. The new facility has been designed with maximum space in mind and will feature more than 12 fully equipped service bays, including overhead cranes and wash bays, over 10,000sqm of hardstand to house a wide range of stock, and modern office facilities. Situated in Lytton, north-east of Brisbane, the new premises is strategically positioned close to local ports, providing ease of access, and is centrally located to all customers. “Tadano continues to value the Oceania region as a key market for
Anthony Grosser, Managing Director, Tadano Oceania.
growth. This has been re-affirmed with considerable investment into the market, which will ensure that not only our employees have the best working conditions, but our customers will have access to the best after sales support possible,” Grosser says. “The upper floor of the facility will be dedicated to product support and training to make sure our personnel are equipped to meet the increasing needs of the market. This is just the next exciting stage of TOP’s development, with continued investment planned for many years to come.” The new facility is scheduled for completion by March 2020. “The Brisbane premises while needed was accelerated to accommodate for the business growth of Demag. Demag in Queensland is strongly represented so we needed to ensure that we had the infrastructure to support this,” Grosser says. “Additional storage facilities were acquired in WA, with additional investment to increase our parts holding in WA. We are looking at further investment in other states but at this time we are consolidating and finalising what we have in place before venturing on our next growth program. “Global facilities will continue to do business as they do presently. Nationally, Terex Australia will continue to operate from their premises and TOP will continue from ours,” he says. “Existing product orders for Demag cranes will be managed and delivered by
Tadano Oceania and so will service work. We have recruited six product support staff from Demag, who will be led by our new Product Support Manager, Joe Arena. The new combined team will be the largest product Support and service team in the country,” Grosser says. Parts sales will remain the same for customers. Tadano have appointed Terex Australia as the sole provider of Demag parts in Australia at this present time; to allow ease of integration for both sales and service departments. According to Grosser, product support, spare parts, support and customer focus are key strategies. “Product support is a key factor in our business, and we have brought across an additional six key product support technicians that will integrate with TOP’s existing team to form one of the largest support networks in the industry. This will be headed up by Joe Arena who has gained industry respect with more than 15 years in the mobile crane industry,” he says. There have been additional internal changes to allow for the growth and development of the company. Jason Civich has taken the role as National Parts Manager, Steve Sheldon as Operations Manager and Nathan Regester as National Technical Officer. The combined teams equate to more than 70 dedicated and committed staff members – all striving towards product industry leading initiatives and customer
satisfaction. “James Greenwood also comes across from Terex Australia to head up our sales team. James has been at the forefront of the Demag product for many years, and with his 15 plus years’ experience, will continue to develop the TOP sales team as National Sales Manager,” Grosser says. Grosser also sees encouraging economic signs from various industry sectors. He says Tadano sees the current market in Australia improving with strong indications of growth in mining and continued infrastructure development, and the the timing couldn’t be better for TOP. “The additional line-up allows TOP to offer a full range of machines covering all aspects of the mobile crane market. For now, we are concentrating on the integration of Demag into the Tadano Group. The Demag name is highly regarded throughout the world and the product possesses considerable strength in terms of product design and development. We would like to take advantage of this strength through solid co-operation between each of the companies’ research and development,” Grosser says. “Demag has a long history within Australia and has a great legacy. We are excited and looking forward to guiding and delivering this legacy through its next stage of development and growth,” he says.
The new facility will feature more than 12 fully equipped service bays, including overhead cranes and wash bays, over 10,000sqm of hardstand to house a wide range of stock, and modern office facilities.
September 2019 CAL / 15
CICA PRESIDENT’S REPORT
PRESIDENT’S REPORT Becoming the “Authority of the Crane Industry” doesn’t happen overnight. Like all great things, it takes time and dedication, often through adversity, to gain enough positive traction to establish a strong and respected voice. FORTY YEARS AGO, A GROUP OF LIKEminded industry personnel from each state, instigated the first “National Crane Hire Seminar”. This event was held at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast and is now recognised as the first Australian crane conference. It was during this event that it was decided to form a national body to represent crane hirers, which initiated The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA). This marked the beginning of our national association and was formed with the distinct purpose to provide crane hirers a common platform to lobby for industry driven, practical reform. Back then, things looked a little different. Our roads weren’t blessed with the modern machinery we see today and there were no modern safety mechanisms such as side slope deration or “Christmas Trees”; our personnel weren’t clad in hi-vis clothing, nor did they have any concept of what a SWMS or a JLA was. Just like today, however, there were incidents, and many incidents we saw occur 40 years ago are still happening today. So how is it, with all the modern advancements in technology; with all the knowledge we now have, with all the safety regulations that we now apply, could we possibly continue to have the same type of incidents now, as have occurred in the past? Modern machinery has the most advanced operating systems available. Pick and Carry cranes offer live chart variations to the operator as the crane traverses’ uneven ground and articulates toward its destination. Modern slewing cranes have computerised the variables of the traditional tipping chart and offer 16 / CAL September 2019
the operator a stronger outcome across the outrigger post with live variations to outrigger loads. Our lift planning programs provide us with a forward projection to hand to our operators to prepare them for site variables in advance. So, with all the technology and safety controls designed to avoid crane incidents applied, why are we seeing slewing cranes tip over? And with tens of thousands spent by manufacturers to redesign and computerise hard copy charts into live charts for Pick and Carry cranes, why are we still seeing these machines involved in major incidents? The answer lies directly with human intervention. Most incidents are being associated with a conscious decision by the user, to place the machine in an override or overload situation. As business owners and managers, it is the responsibility of crane hirers to instil a culture within their organisation which condemns operators overriding the machine. If we achieve this and can demonstrate we have done so with strong and well communicated internal safety policies, the decision by an individual operator to continue with this type of activity will lie solely on the operator. If we fail to demonstrate this at a management level, the onus of the operator’s decision will be placed on us. Hirers trading with tier one contractors or builders, or even high-risk hazard facilities are subject to constant scrutiny to prequalify to supply these sites. Often, the standards on these sites are client driven and elevate the level of management control expected on the crane hirer, above a level that
CICA president Tom Smith
would normally be applied to supply the general crane hire market. Yet, we are still witnessing major incidents on these sites where we would expect the increased focus on compliance to eliminate a conscious human decision to override a machine. Many of us are familiar with a case currently being heard in court relating to a major crane incident involving a modern, pick-and-carry crane on the University of Canberra Hospital construction site in Bruce, Canberra on the 4th of August, 2016. After an investigation by WorkSafe ACT and ACT Policing, charges of “manslaughter” and “reckless conduct and failure to comply with a health and safety duty” through the Work Health and Safety Act (2011) were laid. Work Safety Commissioner Greg Jones has stated, “It is alleged that a number of people made several very poor decisions, repeatedly over a period of time, in undertaking that lift.” A verdict on this case is expected to be handed down prior to the end of the year, which we will all be watching with interest. Whatever the outcome, CICA are here to help you; providing the support and access to information to assist you to make improvements to your own internal management controls, if you feel they need to be bolstered. www.cranesandlifting.com.au
So, in retrospect as we look back over the last 40 years, what can CICA take forward to improve industry benefits to our members in the coming years? It lies directly with our ability to engage with external stakeholders such as Safe Work Australia, NHVR; and to communicate with the end users hiring our members cranes, such as tier-one builders and contractors. We now have a strong voice and presence in these areas, and this affords us the opportunity to drive positive change. Our programs such as CraneSafe and CrewSafe are being asked for and relied upon by external stakeholders, consciously trying to make their own management improvements in the engagement of contractors. It also extends to the mechanisms available through your CICA membership to make management improvements in your own businesses. It is important that you can demonstrate you have done “as much as is practicable” through internal management controls to aid in the elimination of major incidents. CICA membership gives you access to updated Australian Standards; to lift planning templates; machinery logbooks; guidance papers for technical lifting and tools for ground pressure calculations. We have released a Take 5 notebook; a valuable onsite tool to help engage your operator to think through site-based hazards and plan controls to mitigate them. These are all available through the CICA office, or your member login on our website. I look forward to seeing you all in the Hunter Valley for our annual conference, celebrating 40 years since it all began. Our focus at this event is to celebrate the work of our forebears and deliver varied speakers and timely workshops that will add value to your own businesses. Our ongoing focus is to educate industry, and provide access to information that, if shared and implemented, will eliminate the frequency of major incidents in years to come. Tom Smith CICA President Managing Director – McKay United 0439 130 567
CICA BOARD Tom Smith – President Geoff Bevan – Vice President Andrew Esquilant – Director Danny Black – Director John Gillespie – Director Bart Sutherland – Director Marcus Ferrari – Director CICA OFFICE Brandon Hitch Chief Executive Officer 03 8320 0444 0428 228 048 ceo@cica.com.au Tracey Watson Business Operations Manager (VIC/ TAS Secretariat) 03 8320 0411 0403 289 499 admin@cica.com.au Heidi Hervay CICA Administration Officer (NSW, QLD & NT Secretariat) 0403 717 626 heidi@cica.com.au John Humphries VIC/TAS Liaison Officer 03 8320 0433 0439 556 867 john@cica.com.au Alice Edwards, Project Engineer 03 8320 0440 alice@cica.com.au
Patrick Cran Plant & Operator Assessment Officer 0488 004 274 pat@cranesafe.com.au Damien Hense Road Safety Liaison Officer 03 8320 0460 0488 007 575 damien@cica.com.au Andy Chambers Crane Traineeship Coordinator 03 8320 0420 0477 577 667 andy@cica.com.au Taylah Allan CICA Administration Officer 03 8320 0455 taylah@cranesafe.com.au Micayla Klaster CICA Administration Officer 03 8320 0466 micayla@cranesafe.com.au Michelle Verkerk Marketing and Media Communications Officer 0410 003 759 michelle@cica.com.au 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. September 2019 CAL / 17
CICA NSW ANNUAL REGIONAL MEETING
CICA NSW/ACT ANNUAL REGIONAL MEETING In early July, over 60 CICA members gathered in Newcastle for the Annual Regional meeting. The day included interesting presentations, CICA updates, a dinner and an auction for a very special cause. Jeff Wilson, CICA NSW President welcomes Cathryn Gilewski and her guide dog, Chloe.
18 / CAL September 2019
THE PRESENTATIONS WERE BOTH VARIED and interesting. Members showed great enthusiasm for the topics with robust participation in the question and answer sessions that followed each presentation. The day kicked off with an update from Patrick Cran, CICA/CraneSafe Plant & Operator Assessment Officer, on CraneSafe and CrewSafe initiatives. This was followed by insights into construction and building practices from Robert Dalton, Regional Manager, Eastern (Acting) from the Australian Building and Construction Commission, and how the ABCC is policing the sector. John March from JPM Cranes provided background information on the launch of the CICA Outrigger App and encouraged everyone to download and start using it. Mark O’Donoghue, Director Finlease Australia presented various options on how to finance future crane purchases. Andrew Esquilant, CICA Director and Emma Makinson, Operations Manager, Coff City Cranes spoke about the importance of trainee programs in the crane sector and demonstrated how a regional crane business meets the challenges. Michael Selinger, Partner, Holding Redlich, explained the best processes to adopt if there is an incident or accident. The first step being to call your lawyer. Damien Hense, CICA, Road Safety Liaison Officer and Nick Gralton, Senior Policy Advisor, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, provided updates on the significant progress made in NSW in relation to the Return of Delegations Project.
Emma Makinson, Coff City Cranes talked about the trainee program.
Scott Greenow, Senior Manager, Network Management, Road and Maritime Services highlighted how the RMS is changing its attitude and approach towards the crane industry, making road access a major priority. These topics will be elaborated on in this, and future issues of Cranes and Lifting. The day presented an ideal opportunity for friends and colleagues to catch up which included past and present Branch Chairmen. But the highlight of the day occurred over dinner with members invited to bid on various auction items including the naming rights of a guide dog puppy
Frank Zammit and Dany Adair, Two Way Cranes succesfully bid to name the guide dog puppy.
Past and present CICA NSW Chairs; Terry Whyte, Wheelers Cranes, Jeff Wilson, Finlease, Paul Heeks Pace Cranes and Paul Churchill, Melrose Cranes.
to be trained by Guide Dogs NSW. Representatives of Guide Dogs NSW Ashleigh Ralph, Corporate Partnerships Coordinator and Mark Manton, Corporate & Community Partnerships Manager were present at the dinner as was Cathryn Gilewski, who is vision impaired and her Guide Dog Chloe. This initiative was resoundingly applauded by everyone and is another example of the crane industry giving back to, and engaging with, the wider community. Over $40,000 was raised for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and the winning bid for the puppy naming rights went to Frank Zammit from Two Way Cranes.
“I didn’t know much about the Guide Dogs Association until I listened to Cathryn’s story. Everyone in that room couldn’t help but be moved, and it was great to find out how the organisation helps people with vision impairment lead an independent life,” said Zammit. “It’s probably more difficult for her because she had her sight but, aged 13, she was thrown from her horse, hitting her head and then the horse kicked her in the face causing the blindness,” he said. “We went on to bid for the rights to name the Guide Dog puppy and I organised for my guys to put names in a suggestion box and they came up with the following names. 1. Dolly – Girl – Black 2. Tally – Girl – Black 3. Luff – Boy – Black “Charity is important to me. When my son was young, he was very sick and the team at Westmead Hospital saved him. I will be eternally grateful to them and help where I can, it’s the same with Camp Quality,” said Zammit. “I’m going to speak to all the boys about last year’s damage bill and explain that if we can eliminate careless damage with the boys taking responsibility, slowing down, displaying ownership and erasing careless errors, I’ll write a cheque for the money we save and send two of them to Westmead Hospital to see what a difference it makes,” he said. September 2019 CAL / 19
CICA MEMBER PROFILE
Two Way Cranes is a family affair. Brothers , Michael and Frank, Nichole and son, Andre Zammit.
BEHIND EVERY GREAT MAN
The management of the Two Way business is run by Frank Zammit and his family but their success revolves around listening to their customers. OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, FRANK Zammit from Two Way Cranes has pieced together an acquisition puzzle that’s changing the crane hire landscape in Sydney. Throughout the process there has been one constant every step of the way – his wife Nichole. Nichole first started working in the business seven years ago and with the birth of their second child, she continued working from home managing pay roll and other roles. She’s now back fulltime. “Since the purchase of DJ Adair business, 12 months ago, I’ve been in the office five days a week, managing invoicing, accounts and payroll and everything to do with the administration of the business,” she said, Nichole has been very involved in Frank’s journey every step of the way. “We are a husband and wife team; he has always bounced his ideas off me and I’ve always been there to support him. I admire him, I think he’s amazing, starting with one crane on his own to what he has now, who wouldn’t be proud of and pleased for him?” she said. 20 / CAL September 2019
“It keeps him busy and it keeps us busy as a couple, the kids love it and enjoy coming into the yard and looking at all the cranes. “With long hours – 60-70 hours a week – it is a factor in a family and can be difficult to manage a work life balance. At times it can blend but it is also important to keep work separate. Frank spends a lot of hours at work but he’s very good with family time. If we have something important as a family, he is always there, and we don’t always talk work at home,” said Nichole. Bringing together the three businesses is the main challenge for the Zammits. “Working with Frank on the acquisition of the DJ Adair business and now Gillespie Cranes has been an interesting journey for us. The big change came last year when we took on DJ Adair, that was a massive change,” said Nichole. “Overnight, we doubled in size and we changed systems. They were doing things very differently to us, and if I’m honest a lot better than us, and it was natural for us to take on their systems and do things
the way they do it, and we’re still learning. That was a massive change,” she said. “As a big a deal as the Gillespie acquisition is for us, and it is massive, it’s not as over-whelming, and now, it feels like we have got some serious momentum and we’re just going to keep going.” Nichole is not fazed by the challenges ahead. “It might sound funny, but nothing has really changed in terms of how we operate. There’s going to be more work and I’m currently trying to fill gaps with staff. We’ve retained staff from Gillespies and I’ve got gaps in the administration team that I need to fill, but I don’t think a great deal will change,” said Nichole. “From an outsider’s perspective, this must look like a massive step. There have been a couple of major acquisitions, we have a lot invested in ‘brands’ like DJ Adair and Gillespie and ours (Two Way Cranes) is relatively unknown. We are also bringing together different cultures and business systems,” she said. According to Nichole, Frank’s
management style is one of empowering his team. “I can see Frank is learning as he goes, he’s always bouncing ideas of Danny (Adair) and he has a lot of respect for him. But Frank is also very good at what he does, and he is very passionate about the business,” said Nichole. “He’s not the ‘my way or the highway’ type, he’s open to everyone’s ideas and he wants the business to be a team effort and for everyone to have ownership of what they are doing. He always talks about ‘Team Two Way’, it’s on our cranes and it’s the culture he’s instilling in the business,” she said. “In this business you never stop learning, and Frank is no different, he won’t get to a position where he thinks he knows it all, he’s not like that. He wants to build on a team environment where everyone works together,” said Nichole. The immediate objective is to see the
three businesses come together under the one banner. “We’re working to get everything under the one banner and to gel the team,” said Nichole. “Frank’s immediate plan will be to sell old and buy new cranes, for example he’s selling a 130t and replacing it with a 150t, to keep up with market demands. He’s not going to buy cranes to add to the fleet, we’ll consolidate and focus on quality machines and maintain the solid customer base we have,” she said. The plan also includes the purchase the facility in Cox Place, Glendenning while retaining the Two Way Crane premises in Kilto Crescent. “The Gillespie acquisition will keep us busy for a while, but we have worked with Danny and Amanda (Adair) since we acquired their business and it will be the same here. This is a different type of business, it’s
a 60 year old business and it comes with its own ‘wow factor’ and legacy,” said Nichole. “Gillespies have customers of 30 years, staff of 30 years and as best we can, we want to maintain those customers and staff and continue to provide stability to the business. We will focus on the quality of our business, support and service we provide our customers. To do that, we need to ensure we have the right type and quality of machinery at our disposal,” she said. “We’re setting a plan for the fleet, so we know when the new cranes are coming and what we’re going to need in the interim. We’re going to be project managers for tier-one builders and we both recognise there’s a high level of expectation when you are operating at that level and we want the market to know we are going to deliver at that level,” said Nichole.
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CICA LIFE MEMBER Jeff speaking at a CICA conference.
MANAGING THE BIG ONES In the latest CICA Life Member profile, Cranes and Lifitng interviews Jeff Brundell who offered a different historical insight into the crane industry as his career has seen him manage a number of large OEM companies. CAL: HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE CRANE INDUSTRY AND WHEN? JB: I first became involved in the crane industry in 1984 when I started as the Product Manager for Harnischfeger looking after the P&H and Kobelco range of cranes. These products were distributed in Australia by the Cranex Division of Blackwood Hodge. CAL: HOW WAS THE INDUSTRY BACK THEN AND HOW DID IT CHANGE DURING YOUR CAREER? JB: My first assignment was the “quitting” of 83 units of stock into a market that had only seen 13 units placed annually. Included in the stock was a 300t crawler which, was then, one of the larger crawlers available worldwide. It was at this time that Harnischfeger ceased to manufacture the T600 hydraulic truck crane and lattice boom truck cranes locally. This made for a very interesting start to my working life. I didn’t know then, but I was to be continually involved in cranes for the rest of my career. 22 / CAL September 2019
CAL: HOW DID THE CRANE INDUSTRY VIEW ITSELF BACK THEN? WAS IT WELL ORGANISED AND PROFESSIONAL? JB: The crane industry has always been organised and professional, but in the early days, the industry was manipulated by “quasi local manufacturers”. These companies avoided the large import duties on particular cranes, by “manufacturing or assembling” locally at the time. There was not much of a future for the local manufacturers who could only hope to stave off the cheaper, better specified Japanese cranes for a while. It was only a matter of time before the import duties were not a big deterrent, and it would be impossible to prevent the ultimate takeover by the three major Japanese manufacturers in the hydraulic truck crane “taxi” market. CAL: WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU HAVE MADE TO THE EARLY INDUSTRY? JB: The most obvious change would have been to stop the inefficient, local manufacture of cranes and also to ban the import of second hand cranes. Local production of cranes was
justified only because import duties of around 30% existed but once the duties were reduced, local manufacture essentially ceased. Just over 10 years ago, the used crane issue was a major problem for the industry. In fact, CICA prepared a submission entitled ‘The impact on Australia from used mobile crane imports’ which examined the impact on the market of imported cranes. CICA recognised that a maximum age limit imposed on used crane imports was unlikely in the short term. CICA recommended that imported used cranes must meet, or exceed, the expectations as mandated by AS2550.1. CICA also recommended that for used crane imports up to the age of 10 years from date of manufacture, the crane must comply in all respects to what is stipulated in AS2550.1 Section 7.3.5, and have an assessment carried out by a third party inspector or Australian Engineer (if over 10 years) to ensure that any identified issues be rectified before any individual state plant registration be issued. The CraneSafe program has made
a huge difference as it regulates the assessment and remedying of issues before a new Green Sticker is issued. CAL: WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MAJOR CHANGES FOR CRANE SUPPLIERS IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY? JB: I guess I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Having said that; I had worked with many of the overseas manufacturers and had been responsible for the importation of cranes from worldwide suppliers, so, I was probably the ideal choice when global acquisitions included Australian distribution outlets. There is no question that the advancements in steel production, electronics and overall quality improvements have been at the forefront of the development of the new cranes we see available today. CAL: HOW HAS THE RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPED BETWEEN CRANE SUPPLIERS AND CRANE HIRE BUSINESSES? JB: There really hasn’t been a lot of change in respect to new cranes, it is still a ‘people business’ and relationships remain important to the crane sector. There certainly was a period where the boundaries were blurred, and crane hirers became importers of used hydraulic truck cranes. This was only for a relatively short period and occurred when the manufacturing of hydraulic truck cranes in Australia ceased. There was no viable alternative except to import low hour, used cranes from the Japanese market.
Jeff is a keen angler in his spare time.
CAL: HOW MUCH MORE EDUCATED IS THE INDUSTRY IN TERMS OF PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY AWARENESS? JB: In my experience, crane users have always been very aware of new technology and have always been prepared to embrace it. I would have to say the crane sector is more aware of new developments than any other industry I have been exposed to. CAL: YOU WERE VERY ACTIVE IN THE AUSTRALIAN CRANE MARKETERS ASSOCIATION (ACMA). WHAT WAS ITS ROLE AND HOW DID IT IMPACT ON THE INDUSTRY? JB: ACMA was relevant in the early days as it was lobbying for tariff protection, but it became increasingly irrelevant when the local production of cranes in Australia ceased. In the early eighties, we decided our efforts would be better suited by working in conjunction with CICA. CAL: HOW WAS THE INDUSTRY IMPACTED BY THE “MERGER” OF ACMA AND CICA? JB: From the outside, there was probably very little impact on the crane sector, behind the scenes, however, we had access to members with crane marketing backgrounds who were better suited to lobbying and we also had experience regarding Australian Standards and road regulations, having spent many years adapting cranes to suit local requirements. CAL: HOW WAS YOUR TIME AS THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF CICA AND WHAT CHANGES TO CHANGES DID YOUR TENURES EFFECT? JB: Being the first ‘crane marketer’ to be elected as a CICA President, I was faced with a few issues, but these were quickly resolved. Guys like Bobby Parker, John Gillespie, Allan MacPherson and Kevin Wheeler, among others, made sure we stuck to addressing the key issues and challenges faced by the association and its membership. I think CICA benefited from the involvement of “crane marketers” because we provided experience and dedication
in areas relating to compliance and regulatory issues. CAL: HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY TODAY? JB: I have no involvement in the day to day issues relating to the industry, but I stay close to current trends and issues. CAL: WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT ISSUES TO DEAL WITH AND ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING ASPECTS OF YOUR TIME IN THE INDUSTRY? JB: That is quite easy to answer, when the Japanese ceased manufacturing hydraulic truck cranes in Australia, it left a huge void in the local market. There was no viable alternative except to import low hour, used cranes from the Japanese market. It was open slather for a number of years with many people importing hydraulic truck cranes. These were Japanese cranes that conformed to JIS standards, but not Australian Standards. In my opinion, many were unsafe and I doubt whether the industry was fully aware of the risks these incorrectly modified cranes posed, every time they were operated. From this chaos the CraneSafe Program was born. I was the architect of the CraneSafe program and it quickly became (and still is) the envy of crane users worldwide. CraneSafe ensured that standards were set, and users of the inspection service were assured that a crane needed to comply. If it didn’t, the crane owner would not receive a “Green Sticker” confirming the crane was not fit for continued use. CAL: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEBODY COMING INTO TODAYS’ INDUSTRY? JB: It is a fantastic Industry to be associated with regardless of whether you are a “flogger, or a user”. My advice would be to give back to the industry the same level of support it has given to you. All of the CICA Life Members have adopted this same philosophy and I am proud to be associated with each and every one of them. September 2019 CAL / 23
CICA SA CRANES DAY
The CICA South Australian “Cranes for a Cause” Day was an event that will be long remembered by the community.
CICA CRANES FOR A CAUSE CICA South Australia “Cranes for a Cause” – wins hearts and makes wishes come true. A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT MELT a “craney’s” heart, one is a child looking up in awe at your crane and another is being given an opportunity to support a good cause. The CICA South Australian “Cranes for a Cause” Day was an event that will be long remembered by the community, organisers and everyone who participated on the day. It was a collective effort that saw many companies and individuals from the SA Crane Industry give unreservedly and generously to the community in which they work and live. The idea for this day was a result of collective think tank involving the 24 / CAL September 2019
CICA SA Branch Steering Committee. This group found a way to reach out and engage with their community, to create an opportunity for people to have conversations about cranes, to dispel false stereotypes, to enjoy a rare experience and build positive relationships. If the success of the day could be judged by the looks on the faces of the children who attended, then this day would be considered an epic triumph. The day deepened dialogue around how rewarding a career as a crane operator, rigger and dogman can be. The accessibility of the cranes and simulator, inspired children and adults
to explore possibilities and gave those who work in or are associated with the crane industry an opportunity to be seen. While inspiring the dreams of some, the day also raised funds for the Make-A-Wish foundation to realise the dreams and wishes of sick children. Each year, thousands of Australian children are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and Make-A-Wish’s mission is to create a life-changing wish for every one of them. With 700 kids on a Wish Journey in 2019, every dollar raised through ‘Cranes for a Cause’ will help grant more wishes.
REFLECTION BY MARCUS RIGNEY, CICA SA BRANCH PRESIDENT So how would I describe the day in one word? Cohesive. Every crane company that participated in this event, worked very hard to make it such a success; contributing their time and resources to make the day a very special one for all who attended. The crane scene in South Australia may be competitive at times but when it really matters, we band together to make a difference and reflect positively with passion for the industry we love. All day, I had parents with their kids (many from our construction industry like builders and other trades), coming up to me and saying, “this was a great the day for my kids to see….. What Dad works with and alongside every day!” Not only Crane operators, but also Construction Managers and Supervisors, saying to their kids “This is what dad works alongside every day, and calls in to construct his buildings.” I think we’ll see some new recruits for our industry in the future! As with any big event, there are always a lot of “Thank you’s” and I really want to make mention of the following: 1. ITI/Nobles Simulator – Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to get this equipment from overseas
to this event. It was a huge hit. 2. Robway – Les really took it on himself to educate kids on how wind effects cranes and went over and above to create an interesting and informative stand. 3. Max Cranes – Worked extremely hard on the BBQ and used their resources to put together a food station that was sensational. This was very well planned and co-ordinated. 4. United & Fleurieu Cranes & Hooked on cranes – Worked together to set up their cranes, assemble the banner and making it so noticeable, up in the air. 5. Crane Services – Put on a fantastic display, also making balloons and show bags for the kids 6. Lockwood – Put in the effort to bring down the Terex pick and carry crane and made a cool display with the TIDD Pick and Carry. 7. Terex – For supplying the soft drinks on the day. 8. Samaras, CraneWorx, AGL Cranes, Morgans Cranes – Put on a great display, with the 200T, 60T, and City Cranes. 9. ProScaff – I need to make a special mention to ProScaff, who donated their time and material “afterhours”,
The accessibility of the cranes and simulator, inspired children and adults to explore possibilities and engage with the crane industry.
to build a scaffold platform for the Load 28 crane top cab. Ross from ProScaff is not affiliated with the crane industry, but when I asked him to help me with the event, he wanted to contribute to this day. 10. Fork and Cranes – Eddie spent all day, teaching the kids how a remote crane works on a Vehicle Loading Crane. What a champion that bloke is! I would also like to thank these members for supplying giveaway items for the day: • Liebherr • WGA Engineering • Ferrrari Brothers Cranes • Fleurieu Cranes • Nobles • Morgan Cranes • Tadano • Max Cranes Plus, all the crane companies who supplied cranes for display: • United Cranes • Fleurieu Cranes • Samaras Cranes • Max Cranes • Crane Services • Morgans Cranes • Load 28 • Lockwood Cranes • Craneworx • Hooked on Cranes • Fork & Cranes • AGL & Son Crane Hire We couldn’t have done it without you! I would also like to thank CICA National for their support, Morphettville Racecourse and the CICA SA Branch Steering Committee Rodger Weste, Neil Addison, Mark Eberhard, Cheryl Woodhart, Jessica Atkinson, Allan Moore, Adam Culf, Peter Busby, Kevin Robertson and Stephen Holmes who really gave it their all. Not only did we engage the community – we also engaged our association! And of that, I am extremely proud! September 2019 CAL / 25
CICA TECHNOLOGY
CICA QUEENSLAND’S INNOVATION WILL BENEFIT MANY John March introduced CICA’s Outrigger App that is designed for taxi fleet or smaller cranes. JOHN MARCH IS THE VICE CHAIR FOR NSW and represents New South Wales on the National Reference Group (NRG). He’s been involved with CICA for 20 years and he’s been on the committee as Vice Chair for the last two years. March presented the CICA Outrigger App during the meeting. “The CICA Outrigger App came about through Steve Gonano and the Queensland branch of CICA. It was felt there was a need for more education and awareness for the crane crew, especially the crane operator, to give more thought to the crane’s set up prior to lifting, especially the surface he is setting up on,” said March. “The idea is to help them go through a thought process to help make the right decisions in terms of set up especially when it comes to ground conditions,” he said. “Newer crane models today, have outrigger loadings on the cranes themselves, either in the crane’s computer or available somewhere on the crane. The Outrigger App is designed for the taxi fleet or smaller crane that doesn’t have the benefit of having a supervisor attend the site and maybe go through a geotech inspection. It’s really designed for the crew that turns up to a job and they’re not completely sure what they have beneath them, it’s not designed to replace a major site inspection or anything like that,” said March. The hazard of ground giving way due to insufficient bearing capacity is a known engineering problem and one that crane company owners face regularly. Making calculations prior to setting up a crane, are problematic, due to both the complexity of the 26 / CAL September 2019
calculation as well as inexperience in the workforce, as was highlighted through the SWA Regulatory review on crane high risk work licenses completed in December 2018. Management of the bearing capacity risk can be mitigated through calculation, but the calculations need to be completed by employees who do not have an engineering degree and it is not feasible to have a qualified engineer assess every platform. CICA QLD branch have married technology with an age-old rigger’s rule to provide a solution that assists in assessing ground conditions before crane set up. The development of the free “Outrigger app” for use on smart phones and tablets assists crane operators, riggers, and doggers. With the app, users can estimate the required bog mat or timber area for a given crane and load combination. The digitisation of ground pressure calculations is in alignment with the current and revised Queensland Mobile Crane Code of Practice. The app also provides a means of data retention as the results from the calculator can be emailed or SMSed to site or back to the office for record keeping, a step critical to Safety Management Systems. During the July NRG meeting, it was confirmed that downloads of the Outrigger App is approaching the low 400 mark. “It’s really only been generally available since late June, so we’ve been pretty happy with the uptake so far. It’s free to download and the App will take the user through different ground types from hard rock to soft clay to sand and it provides most scenarios that a taxi crane will come across in the course of a
day,” said March. “The app is designed to make the crew think twice about the crane’s set up and if it flags there might be a problem with the ground’s weight bearing capacities, it can send an SMS or email through to the office and the crew will wait to hear from the office. The job may be cancelled, or a more suitable crane sent, or the office might be able to send out better pads, etc. It
The Outrigger App.
John March presenting the CICA Outrigger app.
“The app is designed to make the crew think twice about the crane’s set up and if it flags, there might be a problem with the ground’s weight bearing capacities, it can send an SMS or email through to the office and the crew will wait to hear from the office. The job may be cancelled, or a more suitable crane sent, or the office might be able to send out better pads, etc.” takes the onus off the team to make a split-second decision which might not be right,” he said. Residential, industrial, commercial, and infrastructure projects will all benefit from this calculation tool. CICA
Queensland funded the development of this tool and have now made it available to anyone who wants to access it, to encourage and maximise its use. This tool is available to everyone in the
crane industry, not only in Queensland or Australia, but also internationally. Find it in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, just type in “CICA Calc”.
IN MEMORY OF DES CURNOW CICA wishes to honour the life of Desmond Thomas Curnow, simply known as Des, who unfortunately passed away on the 25th December, 2018 aged 74. Des was born on the 1st July 1944 in South Australia, where he began his business life as an apprentice boiler maker. In time, he would find himself working alongside Robert Way (CICA Life Member) who became a very influential figure in Des’ career, and they formed a life-long friendship. In the early 1980s, Des moved himself and his family to Sydney believing the move would provide him with more career opportunities and a brighter future. After moving to Sydney, Des worked for crane companies such as Generals, Mars and All Cranes Sales and Service. He held many varied roles with
these businesses but always in middle to senior management positions. In 1988, Des brought a crane business called Lift and Shift and changed its name to Combined Lifting Equipment – a name he traded with until his untimely passing. Des sold both new and used cranes and for a number of years, and he was the NSW distributor for Franna cranes. He also sold tower cranes, the Mi Jack product and a machinery movement product called the Power Attack. Des was still actively selling cranes and the Power Attack product up to his passing. Outside of cranes, Des had a passion for older cars and drag racing,
fortunately, his family shared in this passion and he was able to share this with them. In his younger days, Des also raced speed boats. Des was a true gentleman who contributed significantly to everyone who had the pleasure of meeting him. Our deepest sympathies go to his wife Helen, two sons, Darren and Brett, and their families. Vale Des Curnow (01/07/194425/12/18) September 2019 CAL / 27
CICA CONFERENCE PROGRAM
CICA CONFERENCE, HUNTER VALLEY, OCTOBER 17TH-19TH CICA’s big event of the year, the annual conference and exhibition will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, NSW on October 17-19 this year. The conference program features world class speakers, technical workshops specifically targeting today’s industry issues and popular sessions including the crane manufacturers and crane owner panels. The exhibition will highlight the latest technologies to impact the crane sector. The keynote speaker is inspirational athlete and New South Wales Australian of the Year for 2019, Paralympic gold medallist, Kurt Fearnley. THURSDAY 17 OCTOBER 2019 2.00pm
Crane Display Open
3.15pm - 3.45pm
CICA AGM (CICA Members Only)
6.00pm - 10.00pm
Welcome Reception, Exhibition Opening & Networking Dinner
FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER 2019 8.30am - 8.40am
MC Introduction: Marianne Van Dorslar
8.40am - 8.45am
CICA President’s Welcome: Tom Smith
8.45am - 8.50am
Conference Chair’s Welcome: Jeff Wilson
8.50am - 9.35am
Opening Keynote: Kurt Fearnley
9.35am - 9.55am
Platinum Sponsor: Pace Cranes
9.55am - 10.25am
Morning Tea
10.25am - 10.35am
Networking Dinner Sponsor: Manitowoc
10.35am - 11.35am
Manufacturers’ Panel Liebherr Australia, Manitowoc Cranes, Sennebogan Cranes, Tadano Oceania, Terex Australia, TRT (Aust)
11.35am - 11.45am
Gold Sponsor: Tadano
11.45am - 12.45pm
Lift of the Year Award Entries
12.45pm - 1.25pm
Lunch
1.25pm - 1.30pm
Lunch Sponsor
1.30pm - 2.00pm
Technical Presentation - Articulated Mobile Cranes TRT (Aust)
2.00pm - 2.30pm
Technical Presentation - Articulated Mobile Cranes Terex Australia
28 / CAL September 2019
2.30pm - 3.30pm
Cyber Fraud - Safe on Social Media Kirra Pendergast
3.30pm - 4.00pm
Afternoon Tea Technical Workshop
4.00pm - 5.00pm 7.00pm - 11.00pm
Business Workshop Road Access Innovations Workshop Damien Hense, CICA, Robert Chow, LGAQ and Simon Buxton DSG (TAS)
Operator Competancy Nigel Mainland, WorkSafe NSW & Patrick Cran, CICA
40th Anniversary Dinner at Ben Ean Winery
SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER 2019 Technical Workshop 9.30am - 10.30am
Business Workshop
Lift Supervisor Workshop Alice Edwards, CICA
Industrial Relations Gareth Jolly & Craig Boyle, Minter Ellison
10.30am - 11.00am
Morning Tea Technical Workshop
11.00am - 12.00pm
Business Workshop
High Risk Workshop Nick Hopkins, John Holland & Tom Clark, Fulton Hogan
SWMS, CoP, SMS and Toolbox Talks Alice Edwards, CICA
12.00pm - 12.45pm
Lunch
12.45pm - 12.50pm
Lunch Sponsor
12.50pm - 1.05pm
CANZ Update: Tony Gibson
1.05pm - 1.35pm
Technical Presentation - All Terrain Cranes Liebherr Australia
1.35pm - 2.05pm
Technical Presentation: All Terrain Cranes Manitowoc Crane Group
2.05pm - 2.15pm
Gold Sponsor: UAA
2.15pm - 2.45pm
Afternoon Tea
2.45pm - 3.30pm
Crane Owners’ Panel Nick Morris, BOOM Logistics Marcus Rigney, Load 28 Chris Kolodziej, Cranes Combined
Rick Mussarra, Cranecorp/Goldfields John March, JPM Crane Hire Wayne Matherson, Matherson Crane Hire
3.30pm - 3.50pm
CICA CEO Update Brandon Hitch
3.50pm - 4.00pm
Announcement of People’s Choice Awards
4.00pm - 4.10pm
CICA President’s Wrap Up Tom Smith
7.00pm - 11.59pm
Gala Awards Dinner September 2019 CAL / 29
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CICA MEMBER PROFILE
NOTHING ROUGH ABOUT THIS DIAMOND Diamond Valley Mobile Cranes is a family-owned and run business. Its origins date back to 1968 when it started with one man, Martin Kienhuis, and one crane. ONCE ESTABLISHED, THE BUSINESS evolved over the years and approximately 18 years ago, Martin’s youngest son Brandon started his own crane company which contracted to his fathers’ business. Over the 18 years, Brandon grew his business and four years ago he bought Diamond Valley Cranes from his father. The purchase included the business name and a few cranes and in December 2018, the company moved to a brand new, purpose-built facility in Somerton, North of Melbourne. Diamond Valley Mobile Crane Hire boasts a host of cranes, with the fleet specialising in tight access applications. Paul Roche is the CEO of Diamond Valley Mobile Cranes and following a 15-year career in the transport sector he joined the business five years ago and gave us an insight into the company’s fleet. “Our biggest crane is a 60t Liebherr and we go down in size from there. Our fleet includes Frannas, ‘bubble cranes’, a 45t Liebherr and four Maeda mini crawler cranes varying in size from 2.8t up to 4t,” said Roche. “One of the Maedas is small enough for us to walk through a 700mm doorway. The bubbles are a mixture of Katos and Tadanos and we also run a couple of crane trucks and a couple of 7t truck mounted slew cranes. “The majority of our work is in the domestic construction market with clients including builders like Metricon, Simonds, Porter Davis and a lot of the work relating to steel installs,” he said. “We’re also well known for pool and
Paul Roche, CEO, Diamond Valley Mobile Cranes.
spa installs and this is now quite a large part of our business which has been growing over the last few years. This is the reason why we have exhibited at the Pools and Spa show and why we are SPASA members,” he said. According to Roche, customer service is a key focus for the business. “We are very focussed on customer service and we try to ensure that every job is completed to the customers satisfaction and expectation. We’re big on that,” he said. “We’re going through the ISO 9001 accreditation process and a big part of that is ensuring every job is completed to the satisfaction of the customer and ensuring we adhere to the Australian Standards and safety standards.” The business also offers turn-key solutions for customers. “For every enquiry, we offer a free site inspection and we’ll take care of everything associated with the job. For example, when we install of a pool, we’ll take care of the traffic management, the delivery of the pool if required, power drops, telephone drops and council permits to access road ways and shut
down road works,” said Roche. “We’re a ‘one stop shop’ solution, so the customer doesn’t need to arrange traffic management or call the power company to let them know what’s happening, we’ll organise the whole thing from start to finish “With every job, we run a risk matrix. If there are any concerns or constraints around issues like limited space or power, our Business Development Manager, Ben Allshorn, will drive out and take a look at the site and we’ll draw up a lift plan accordingly. We do whatever is needed to ensure the lift is completed safely,” he said. Roche works in with other crane businesses to cross hire cranes if he doesn’t have the right crane for the job, and they also help with the lift planning. “We have good relationships with other crane companies. We cross hire to them regularly and we use their cranes when we need bigger equipment. We also share knowledge, for instance they provide the lift plan studies for us which frees up our time to concentrate on what we do well,” he said. Putting the customer first has been the September 2019 CAL / 31
CICA MEMBER PROFILE
reason behind the success of the business. “We are 100 per cent focussed on customer service and we believe we are second to none when it comes to putting the customer first. Our phones are on 24/7,” he said. “Our phone system diverts to mobiles after hours and at weekends and there are a number of us who will travel out to look at jobs at short notice. We are always available and there is no job too big or too small. If a job requires a bigger crane, we’ll cross hire with other local crane companies which works well for us,” said Roche. Geographically, Diamond Valley Cranes concentrates its efforts in and around Melbourne and its CBD. “We do travel up and down the peninsula and we’re happy to go anywhere for the work. We even find ourselves up and around Bendigo for customers who only want to use our services,” said Roche. He also confirms the company’s focus on regularly maintaining the fleet. “Maintenance of the fleet is critical. We
used to outsource our maintenance, but we felt we should have more control over that side of the business and we recently put on a mechanic, he’s been with us for six weeks,” he said. “He has 25 years’ experience with Komatsu and he’s an absolute gun mechanic. We can see he’s already made a massive difference to the day to day operation of the business,” he said. A lot of thought has gone into the choice of cranes in the Diamond Valley Crane fleet. “Our fleet is all about which crane is going to best suit the job. In my opinion, the three axle Liebherrs are by far the best cranes in that 45t to 60t category and you cannot beat them,” said Roche. “For us, it’s all about size. The Liebherrs are especially compact machines and it’s the same thing with the Kato – it’s a brand new 13t ‘bubble’ and it actually has a smaller footprint than our seven tonners,” he said. “Our fleet is designed so that the next size crane is capable of covering the work
of the smaller crane directly below it. So, if the 13t crane isn’t available the 16t machine will still fit and do the job and when we can’t get the 16t machine, the 45t will still fit. Our fleet is about diversity and we are able to shift assets around to get the customer’s job done,” said Roche. “The crane trucks are generally locked in for a couple of specific customers for truss and steel deliveries,” he said. Diamond Valley Mobile Cranes has been a member of CICA for 10 years and in the last four years, Roche has taken an active role in the association. “I now sit on the steering committee for Victoria and Tasmania and I also attend the National Reference Group meetings,” he said. “I like to keep up to date with all the developments in the industry and help to drive change around issues like traineeships and licences. It also helps me stay on top of requirements with Australian Standards and changes in safety. It’s great to be part of CICA and we see plenty of value in it,” said Roche.
Diamond Valley is currently going through the ISO 9001 accreditation process to help ensure every job is completed with customer satisfaction and adherence to Australian Standards.
32 / CAL September 2019
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IN FOCUS / FULLERS MOBILE CRANES
NOTHING IS A PROBLEM AFTER 30 YEARS STRONG Fuller Mobile Cranes is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. “Nothing is a problem” has been the company’s ethic over the years and this has helped to shape and define the business and the solutions it offers.
Fullers operate with a planned and focussed crane fleet covering all general lifting and more specialised lifts.
34 / CAL September 2019
FULLERS IS A THIRD-GENERATION FAMILY business that originated from Larry’s father Colin’s rigging business. The business is now run by the hands-on father and son team, Larry and Kane Fuller under the guidance and watchful eye of Larry Fuller, Managing Director. Together, they run a strong, reliable and successful company. They speak about their lives in the crane industry and their plans for the next 30 years. “I’ve been around this business since I could walk, my life has been cranes. I’ve been raised with cranes and if you have a father in cranes and you don’t work with him, you pretty much don’t see him,” said Kane.
When Kane left school, Larry encouraged him to get a trade, which he did. The day he was qualified, he left and started work in the family business full time. “I learned about the business from the ground up through dogging, driving and rigging. I then moved to supervisor and allocator and now general manager. The operations are run through me while Dad is out on site overseeing our men and interacting with clients,” he said. Fullers operates with a planned and focused crane fleet which minimises capacity gaps to cover all general lifting and more specialised lifts.
“We’re running 17 cranes with the biggest being a Grove 250t. As far as slewers are concerned, we range all the way from 8t, 16t, 40t, 55t, 80t, 90t, 100t, and 130t. We have a number of 25t Frannas and one 20t Franna. To build on our Franna fleet, we’ve got a 40t on order. The smallest crane is a 4t UNIC crawler. We predominantly run Groves, but we also have some Demags. We tend to stick to a brand on the basis that if our operators can drive one crane, they can drive everything,” said Kane. “From Larry’s original two cranes, our fleet has grown over the years. We have monitored the construction sector in Sydney and planned our fleet around the changes and requirements to meet the demands of our customers. “Our aim has been to build a quality fleet with no gaps in capacity, so we don’t go from a Franna to an 80t machine. We have closed the gaps all the way along the line, so if one crane can’t manage the lift, the next in the line will. We’re probably looking at one more crane for the fleet which will be larger again because we need to stay up there in terms of capacity. “Typically, we are working with tierone builders. We target this sector of the market and being a smaller hire company it’s a bit harder for us, but we win contracts that the larger hire companies would be happy to work on, totally on our merits,” he said. Fullers have been involved in many of the infrastructure projects that are shaping Sydney today. “We’ve had a number of major projects on WestConnex which speaks for itself and we’ve played a role on all of the infrastructure projects in and around Sydney. These include the M7, the Wynyard Walks, Barangaroo etc. We also do a lot of work with the tier-two builders which is the bread and butter work for our industry. But we are targeting the larger end of the market where the projects have a four-year duration and we can plan the business around these,” said Kane. According to Larry his business is focussed on what it does best, and everyone goes by the ethic “nothing is a problem”. “We target the work that suits the
experience of our employees as well as the quality and capabilities of our machines, whilst upholding a family owned and family focused business,” he said. “As far as our crew is concerned, we have 38 men crewing the the cranes and seven of us back in the office managing the business. I’m focussed on keeping the company compact, I’m not interested in having 40 cranes and the amount of staff
why we try and purchase new cranes, depending on wait time not used cranes. 90 per cent of our fleet was purchased new which makes maintenance much easier,” said Kane. “We try to keep a 250-hour schedule which helps to stay on top of the machines. We have found Grove to be very progressive and innovative with its range and also with product support and service.
Larry and Kane Fuller.
required for that size of fleet. For me, it’s the quality of our men that are winning us the work. The relationships we have on site are excellent and our guys go above and beyond what’s expected, and guess what? We’ve got a happy project manager who will book us for future lifts,” said Larry. Fullers value and enjoy long term working relationships with companies like Adco, FDC, Richard Crookes to name a few. Many have been clients since Larry first started servicing the Sydney market, and like Fullers, they have evolved and remained competitive and relevant in an ever-changing industry. Maintaining long term working relationships with clients is one of reasons Fullers has been in business for 30 years and beyond. Maintenance of the fleet is a priority for the business. “We’ve got a fulltime mechanic who works in our yard and also on site. He worked for Grove, went out on his own and now works for us which is perfect for our fleet maintenance. Maintenance is a key issue for us and it’s one of the reasons
If we’ve got an issue and need to call any of the service guys they will be here within the hour or they are good enough to diagnose problems over the phone,” he said. Safety is a key issue for the business as it is for the industry as a whole. One of the company’s strategies is for Larry to conduct spot checks on the team. “We try to assess each employee once a month. I turn up on site with a check list which we call high performance evaluations. I arrive unannounced and watch the crane operating from a distance and then get closer to see what’s going on. It then becomes a case of explaining to the crew what I saw and explain where his set up could have been better and so on,” said Larry. “There’s an acknowledgement from the employee and a sign off ensuring everyone is on the same page. I make sure they listen and take my responses on board, it’s important for them to focus on everything they do and to keep learning, that’s why all of this comes from the top,” he said. Understanding the complications September 2019 CAL / 35
IN FOCUS / FULLERS MOBILE CRANES
of the project and providing the right solution are critical. “We visit every site to understand the job and if lift studies need to be done prior, we do that before we send the crane to site. Lift studies are very much part of the day-to-day life of our crane business. We do a lot of ours in house and we also use a third party of specialist engineers. They check issues that we wouldn’t necessarily think about like ground pressure with the concept of rolling weights, chain angles and side loading lugs,” said Kane. The Fullers heavy lift team of professionals has vast crane experience across mobiles, crawlers and tower cranes can work on multiple projects at one time. “They work on full CAD library and rigging calculations. They’re Independent and really experienced in the building industry and possess all the relevant software licences, personal indemnity and public liability insurances, which you definitely need. They’re an asset to us,” said Kane. Bringing new blood into the business is also an important strategy for the Fullers. Larry mentioned that their approach has always been to upskill the staff. For more than 20 years, the company has been bringing in new staff into the business. “We take our time to upskill them which brings loyalty. Our leading operator started on our 30t truck crane and has since operated every crane we’ve bought and he’s now operating the 250t crane. We develop our guys as the business is developing,” said Larry. “We are proud and thankful to have employees that have been with us for 20 years, a lot of our staff have been with us over 10 years. This reflects what Fullers aims for – building professional and loyal staff,” he added. Kane provides an example of the strong relationship the Fullers have with their employees. “We are celebrating our 30th year in business this year and we organised a surprise party for Larry on the date. To honour dad’s great achievement and success in business we had a custom-made footy jersey made which every employee signed, it’s framed and takes pride of place 36 / CAL September 2019
“We visit every site to understand the job and if lift studies need to be done prior, we do that before we send the crane to site. Lift studies are very much part of the day-to-day life of our crane business.
in his office,” he said. “On the evening, only two staff were unable to attend the party to celebrate. One couldn’t make it due to ill health and, the wife of the second had just has their first child. Partners, wives and kids were there, and it was a real family affair. We had the function at a new pub in Marsden Park which we helped build originally with one of our long-term valued clients. A number of our staff were also given a jersey for service over 10 years as they helped build the success we have today. “Our guys see him as ‘Big, Bad Larry’. People know him as a gruff, no-nonsense, old school crane guy, but to see the staff congratulating him on his achievements and listening to his stories from back in the day and laughed at his first company name, Llubtish Cranes. They realised he’s got a soft side, as long as you do the right thing,” said Kane. Kane said that the company knows if they provide a positive work environment the return on our investment is going to be much better. He said that would be a reflection on the business because if their staff are happy at work, it comes across in everything they are doing which makes the client happy. “We believe this approach separates us from the rest. We’re big enough to take on the big projects but we’re not too big to recognise that our staff’s priority is the wife and kids. We’ve always been family orientated,” he said. According to Kane, the industry is in a transitional period with key industry identities retiring, long-term family businesses sold or closed, and this presents a great opportunity for their business. He said that the Fuller family started in the business of rigging and that is where the love of cranes, and progression into cranes, came from. “This love has been passed down from my grandfather to my father and now
to me. I have two young sons and I’m hoping they will want to get involved and continue the family tradition,” said Kane. “For all its traditional values, this industry is changing, and technology is driving the change. Just look at the cranes, they are packed with new technology to ensure we complete lifts efficiently and safely. There’s plenty of companies resisting this change but we’re not one of them, we’re already a few steps ahead,” he said. Larry explains the reasoning behind the purchase of a larger crane. He describes the Grove 250t as a great crane that has opened up new markets for their business. “Before this, we didn’t have tower crane work, smaller bridge beams and culverts work, we are in these markets but there are a few jobs we are missing out on. We know we have great relationships with the clients, and we know the addition of a larger crane will put us in to a position where we can do almost anything our clients ask of us. “We are looking into purchasing a larger machine, but we can’t purchase it until we get a bigger yard. With one more large crane, we believe we’ll have a complete fleet,” he said. Larry explained that when they decided to target the major projects, it took them awhile to get some traction, but they showed clients how a well-planned fleet means they didn’t need 80 cranes to provide a complete service. “Now we are included on all the big tenders and we are being recognised for getting these jobs done with a far more personalised service. “When clients are dealing with Fullers, they are dealing with the owners of the business and they know we approach each project with the same level of professionalism, they know we won’t let them down and nothing is a problem,” said Larry.
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The Melrose “Evolution”
Gregg Melrose Managing Director gregg@melrosecranes.com.au +61 418 299 800
Available with either of the 50m or 84m main boom options; this 500 Tonne Liebherr LTM1500-8.1 is extremely versatile & quick to erect.
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IN FOCUS / MELROSE CRANES
EVOLUTION CONTINUES FOR MELROSE CRANES The Melrose crane fleet is under continual review with additions catering to the changing demands of the construction sector. Cranes and Lifting finds out more. GREGG MELROSE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, Melrose Cranes understands his business has to grow with the demands of the construction industry. The latest additions to the fleet are testament to this ongoing evolution. “We’ve just bought our largest all terrain, a Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 and this purchase reflects our intention to continue the evolution of our company to new levels,” said Melrose. “Right now, the business is at a genuinely productive level and this crane is the most suitable we could have purchased given the demands of the market. We were interested in purchasing a 650t, which is physically the same size, but they are unavailable for two to three years and, as I’ve said before, you need to plan the shape of your fleet carefully or you can get left behind,“ he said. “We may yet buy a 650t and I’ve spoken to the OEM’s about it and that’s
on the potential purchases agenda, but at the moment we need to compete in our own market and continue to offer our customers everything they expect from Melrose Cranes; and this crane brings it.” The Liebherr LTM 1500 is suitable for a huge range of applications with a range of boom systems. Its load capacities can be further increased with its Y boom guying (superlift gantry). SOME KEY FEATURES INCLUDE: • Maximum load capacity is 500t at a radius of 3m; • Telescopic boom is from 16.10m to 84m; • Lattice job from 6.0m up to 91.m; • Maximum hoist height 142m; • Maximum radius is 108m; • Number of axles - eight; “The big point of difference is that we were able to negotiate both hydraulic booms in the deal with Liebherr (ie; 50m
Shaun Russell, Logistics Manager, Tony, Gregg and Ryan Melrose.
+ 84m). With this crane the boom has to come out (for transport), no matter what length, so you are always going to require a support crane and a big support float,” said Melrose. “In Europe they put the boom together on-site using hydraulic jacking style trailers and assist cranes. We were the first people in the world, I believe, to ask Liebherr if it was possible to turn up on site with 84m of boom with the Y guy gantry fitted, lift it off and put it straight into the crane. From our perspective there’s 84m of telescopic available in 1.5 hours, with the Y guy already fitted. “On site, and we’re yet to do an exact study, that might take 4.5 to 5.0 hours if you do it the traditional way. I’d like to think we can manage it in potentially 3.5 hours with 165.0 tonne of counterweight and the saddle, which is a major bonus to our clients,” he said. According to Melrose, the construction sector continues to escalate with Tier One builders increasingly focused on improving safe work practices and more efficient site management processes. “Everything is increasingly regimented in the construction sector with more permits and compliance required, decreased timeframes and space issues on sites. We’re trying to help customers with these constraints. They might be using other suppliers now, but the fact is we can put 34m more boom length into our crane in far less time than you can put 50m of hydraulic boom and then 34m of bolt on flyjib,” he said. “I think the LTM 1500 8.1 will provide an extremely strong point of difference. We still have the enormous lifting power September 2019 CAL / 39
IN FOCUS / MELROSE CRANES
of a 500t with its normal 50m boom and this will compete in the market we work in. We believe we run our cranes better than anyone else in terms of logistics and even if our competitors follow, we have an ace to play and we intend to remain a step or two ahead with it. That’s how I see this machine,” said Melrose. Liebherr Australia has worked closely with Melrose to ensure the crane had the right specification and could be delivered within the required time frame. “Liebherr has been great, particularly Tom Grady. Liebherr understand the time restraints we are faced with and they’ve been very supportive with pricing, offering all sorts of value adds,” he said. Melrose explains how the LTM 15008.1 came to his notice. “OEM’s are always providing us with details of what equipment is available throughout their global network. This process started with and update on a 2017 model 500t, traded in Europe on a bigger Liebherr machine. The 500t suited our needs but it didn’t have all the options we wanted. Liebherr were able to accommodate our requirements and provided the crane fully equipped and to our specification,” he said. “The new crane will do similar work to our 450t crane, but heavier lifts with higher reach capacity. In the past I think we have possibly been overlooked when in contract negotiations because other suppliers have bigger cranes and customers think ‘we need to use them because they’re the only one that has one,’” said Melrose. “It’s a competitive market, it always has been and always will be, and our competition will obviously use any advantage as best they can. When we first purchased the 450t we dominated for three years, because it was the only crane of that size on the East Coast,” said Melrose. “The competition then bought a 500t providing an advantage for a while, and when we had one each it was tit for tat. Then, when the tunnel boring machines got bigger, the competition bought a second 500t enabling dual lifts into excavations, and we couldn’t afford the 40 / CAL September 2019
purchase at that time. “There’s no reason a 450t can’t dual lift with the 500t. For us, it’s about continually providing our customers with the right solutions. The new crane won’t change our customer base that much, but it will provide us with different opportunities. I expect more tower crane, air-conditioning and cooling tower companies will ring because of the long boom, and I certainly hope that happens. I also believe wind farm maintenance contractors will ring more often because we can now service a rotor on 80m hub height turbines. Melrose confirms the crane sector slowed towards the end of the financial year. “The purchase of the LTM 1500 8.1 wasn’t ideal timing for us, as the EOFY wasn’t great for any crane company in Sydney. Due to certain factors, including the two elections, there was a slow-down. But we’re planning ahead, and we’ll be spending $10million plus in this six-month period with another 55T all terrain just delivered and more custom built TRT transport equipment to support the fleet. “For the company to spend such a substantial sum means I have great confidence in what Sydney is doing. It doesn’t mean we’re limited to Sydney; we are quoting on projects outside of the Sydney market, but these are harder to win because of the number of big cranes available in every state,” he said. “However, there are certain niches where we see opportunities to attack and you might soon see a number of Melrose cranes sitting on wind farms, in a gas plant shut down or mine, for example. We want to vary the nature of the work and not limit ourselves to Sydney. However, in today’s booming construction market MCR is well placed to continue doing what we do best, and will continue to do so,” said Melrose. TRT is an important partner when it comes to the equipment supporting the crane fleet says Melrose. “TRT supply the float and dolly for our crawlers and other equipment to be relocated and manoeuvrability is a major issue
Left to right: Mick Melrose, Business Development Manager; Paul Churchill, Technical Manager; Wilson Cheah, Logistics Coordinator and Michael Biviano, WHSE Manager.
on Sydney’s streets. As far as logistics is concerned, we are focused on doing everything better, it might cost more money but if it improves productivity it’s going to be beneficial in the long run,” he said. “We have the TRT designers talking to us about a new model heavy 5x8 float with computerised steering and all sorts of other technology. For the day to day equipment, TRT also design and build a quality, light weight tri-axle trailer and we’ve ordered five of these special trailers because you can get 30t of counterweight on their backs. That’s 150t of the 165t of counterweight required for the LTM 1500-8.1 which leaves one more base plate section which we can put onto a standard fleet trailer with some TRT outrigger mats. We’re ready for the 500t in terms of the ancillary equipment required to carry luffing fly carousels and the like and TRT has provided plenty of valuable input,” said Melrose.
Melrose Cranes’ investment in new technology also reflects the priority Tier One builders are placing on site safety, especially when it comes to articulated pick and carry cranes. “In terms of safety, I have always endeavoured to set the company apart from the rest. I want to see Melrose Cranes also evolve in terms of its commitment to safety and show the market we don’t sit on our hands,’ said Melrose. “Safety is paramount in our industry and some builders have had reservations about articulated pick and carry cranes. We feel confident TRT, the manufacturer of the TIDD articulated pick and carry, has designed a great product with “Slew Safe” and that’s the reason we’ve retrofitted it to our four existing 25t TIDDs,” he said. In addition, all of Melrose’s articulated cranes have dynamic LMIs fitted, further increasing their safety.
“We’ve also invested in two new TIDD 28t Superlift model machines, not only for their capacity, but for their versatility and cost effectiveness. The basic 28t TIDD crane outlifts a MAC25 Franna (with Superlift fitted) using only its normal roadable counterweight. We can match the MAC25 without a support vehicle, which is financially beneficial because the cost to run separate vehicles around behind the TIDDs is negated. When the TIDD is boosted to full 28T capacity by the addition of an 1100kg Superlift counterweight, only a big ute (or similar) is required to be in support. We are sure our competitors will look to order the TIDDs, so we got in early. “The Slew Safe technology is a feature safety teams will love. We are planning a forum in our yard for every safety manager in the top 10 builders. We’ll demonstrate how the system works and show them that safety is the top of our tree. We want them to be comfortable
within their own constraints,” he said. Melrose also confirms the market will see a major change in terms of the presentation of the company’s entire fleet, over time. “21 years in and I’m still disappointed how I inherited our red, white and black colours because it was never my first choice. Originally, I registered a company called Black and White Cranes, but the start-up budget did not extend to a fleet repaint. At the time, there were no other red and white crane companies and as we grew, I continued to paint the fleet red and white. Other companies joined the Sydney market and chose our colours. “At long last, we’ve decided to bite the bullet and change to a new colour scheme. We’re starting off with the Heavy Lift Division which includes the bigger cranes and the new 500t. We haven’t changed the colours, we are still red, black and white. I’m just making black the new red,” said Melrose. September 2019 CAL / 41
IN FOCUS / PRESTON HIRE
THE REVOLUTIONARY SUPERHERO OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Markus Preston, Preston Hire Group Managing Director, discusses the evolution of the SuperDeck system, the industry and future plans for this product. Installation, relocation and removal of a SuperDeck from a building can take as little as 20 minutes per movement.
42 / CAL September 2019
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, JOHN PRESTON designed and manufactured the first SuperDeck after significant research, innovative thinking and persistence to create a product he believed would transform building site productivity and improve safety for site personnel. With his history of innovative, forward thinking designs including a highly successful modular scaffold system he launched in 1985, Preston moved his attention and focus to understanding the benefit of the crane loading platform and how he could create a safer system that would dramatically improve multi-level and in particular high rise construction. “In the 1990s, John recognised that loading platforms could be the key to increased productivity and safety on building sites – yet the designs and materials of the time limited effective site management and timelines,” Markus Preston tells Cranes and Lifting. “At the time, platforms on building sites were fixed (non-retractable), largely made of scrap steel, and were unsafe. Whilst the advent of the fixed platform improved construction they needed to be staggered on every floor level to allow access and to avoid crane rope hinderance. This approach obstructed the closing and waterproofing of the floor from the weather, therefore builders would remove fixed platforms as soon as they could to “close out the building,” he said. The first evolution of an improved loading platform was in 1994 when the Transformer Platform was born. This was the first commercially successful, easy to use, vertically stacked retractable platform available on the market. The Transformer Platform offered many improvements compared with previously used platforms;
however, Preston believed a safer and more effective loading platform could be created. He knew there was a better way and rather than thinking of a single unit basis he would create a “system”. A system that would revolutionise construction, not for his own commercial success but for the improvements that would be realised in high rise building construction methodology as well as safety for all those working on construction sites around the globe. From a commercial perspective however an unintended consequence and by-product of the vertical stacking method meant the life of Preston SuperDeck on a construction project was lengthened, further enhancing its value. Significant reviews and analysis of the Transformer Platform ensued in the following years. After a great deal of imagination, effort, and investment around design, engineering, manufacturing and testing, the Preston SuperDecks was successfully launched in 1998. “The SuperDeck loading platform system can be stacked vertically and rolled in and out as required as opposed to traditional fixed or static platforms that must be staggered throughout the building. It also doesn’t require any mechanics or electrics that add potential greater risk of breakdown and costly delays to construction. The ability to ‘stack” the retractable SuperDeck vertically simplifies material handling by allowing cranes uninhibited access to the platforms above or below,” he said. Markus was one of the first SuperDeck supervisors and installers of this exciting new product in Australia. He recognised that the SuperDeck would transform the industry, yet it would require guidance, expert knowledge and training to ensure the product could reach its full potential and that the customers were supported in their adoption of the product. “Customers quickly recognised they were making an investment in the success of their site by using the Preston SuperDeck System vs previous fixed platforms. This required a significant mind shift when previous fixed platforms were $10 per week (or free!) and the SuperDeck was $240 per week, so much
of the formative years after the products development was spent educating the market of its benefits,” explained Preston. “Installation, relocation and removal of a SuperDeck from a building can take as little as 20 minutes per movement, depending on the level of experience and skill of the installers and the installation methodology ie. prop or bolt down method. Unlike other products, the Preston Hire SuperDeck can be installed using just two props or two bolts when the bolt-down method is required. We knew this would deliver massive time efficiencies and we all know how precious a commodity time is,” he said. “Clients can also benefit from hidden
pipes to carpets and bathroom fittings,” Preston recalls. Preston told Cranes and Lifting that they are often asked about the ongoing development of the SuperDeck in subsequent years since its launch. The extensive and rigorous research and development conducted on the Preston Transformer platform in 1994 resulted in a superior product being created in 1998. As a result of this analysis, the SuperDeck design has largely been the same for the last 22 years. Like every product, they review and evolve their design with small incremental changes to ensure it is always delivering superiority. Yet keeping it simple has always proved
“The SuperDeck loading platform system can be stacked vertically and rolled in and out as required as opposed to traditional fixed or static platforms that must be staggered throughout the building.”
cost savings thanks to the SuperDeck system. The simplicity of our design allows a single person to operate the retractions. In addition to the obvious speed advantages, costs can be minimised through less labour hire needed to perform each retraction. On average, we believe the SuperDeck system can save sites up to $13,500 per deck over a 30 week hire when compared with alternate loading platform providers who require more man power to complete the same job. Keeping it simple has always proved our greatest design asset.” “Interrupting and changing the way builders had always planned their construction process was initially difficult and required creative thinking to cut through and encourage trial of the SuperDeck system. Yet three years after its introduction, the SuperDeck had captured over 95 per cent of the loading platform business and every builder insisted on using this type of equipment. Customers quickly realised the advantages, savings and safety they could now deliver to their build. Some sites had over 35 SuperDecks on three sides of the building using them for everything from loading bricks and
best as any electrical, mechanical or other change can often result in malfunctions which is downtime for the client, or worse, personnel injuries. The company regularly see other products attempting to enter the market, yet the safety, design, quality materials and workmanship of the SuperDeck continues to exceed the rest. That is why the SuperDeck is still the market leader decades later, according to Preston, and there are now over 3000 Preston SuperDecks that have been manufactured and used worldwide. The SuperDeck was the first retractable platform system and all platforms are known globally as SuperDeck or “Prestons” by some. It is evident that customer satisfaction is paramount to how Preston Hire does business. Clients have influenced expansions within the Preston Hire fleet and even integrated their own corporate identity and specific needs into the livery application. “We work closely with our customers and regularly gather feedback on our product. We identified some customers needed higher load ratings. Our SuperDecks can be modified to meet these September 2019 CAL / 43
IN FOCUS / PRESTON HIRE
higher load demands as required and are engineer certified. The introduction of the 4.2 SuperDeck was a custom solution for clients who required larger loads and bigger build footprints. Preston Hire introduced the 4.2 SuperDeck over 10 years ago to meet this need,” said Preston. Preston Hire also offers clients custom decks including a change in design, colour and logo for a unique corporate livery application to ensure specific construction aesthetics are met. Preston said that the maintenance of the fleet is very important. The company possesses trained factory staff, an onsite boilermaker and fabrication team. All equipment is quality controlled with an extensive pre-hire and de-hire process. This ensures all damages are repaired by the next hire. “We respect the appearance and quality of both our own products and our customer’s sites, therefore every delivery of a SuperDeck to a new site receives freshly painted, full functioning SuperDecks that always look brand new,” he said. “Our staff are industry trained, experts
in their field and highly professional whilst also being great people! All staff are cross-product trained with extensive knowledge about SuperDecks, SuperCranes and our specialist Access Equipment, SuperElevate. This ensures Preston Hire delivers a single point of contact for customers who work with us across multiple product categories. “Operation familiarisations are an important part of working with our customers. We induct all users to ensure the product is understood and all safety measures are taken. We feel it is our responsibility to work with our customers in this way,” he said. SuperDecks were manufactured in Australia until 2007. Increased manufacturing costs became unsustainable in Australia prompting a partnership with an engineering and manufacturing company in China who rigorously meet and maintain our safety standards. All Preston Hire SuperDecks have certified engineering and are quality and safety checked before dispatch. The entire fleet are capable of 5 tonne loads
The ability to “stack” the retractable SuperDeck vertically allows cranes uninhibited access to the platforms above or below.
44 / CAL September 2019
as a standard. The fleet consists of three primary sizes 2.2m, 3.2m and 4.2m wide allowing for the different demands of customers. Other specialist sizes are available in various states to meet specific market requirements. “Being a specialist in the retractable loading platform market for so many years teaches you about who to trust and how to best provide your clients with a balance between the best quality equipment, cost and safety. Time and time again over the past 25 years, Preston Hire have seen platform competitors come and go and unfortunately, it’s often at the expense of our valued clients and their safety on site. Our philosophy has always been to run our own race, always deliver the best and strive for excellence in all we do. We won’t be deterred or put off course by others in the market,” said Preston. Preston Hire strongly believes that cheaper alternative products that potentially compromise the level of quality, will not necessarily deliver savings in the long run. It has the belief that reduced quality can also reduce safety. Hence, its Preston Hire SuperDecks are a safety conscious system ensuring increased risk and safety compliance that is required today across the construction landscape. “If Preston Hire simply delivered to the market lower cost products to meet competitive costs, we firmly believe we would not be the success we are today,” Preston said. The installation of a SuperDeck unlocks a chain of events in the build timeline. Delayed delivery would result in lost time and potentially a flow on effect for other materials needed on site. “We are committed to saving time for our customers therefore communication is key to success. Our Operations Department communicates directly with appropriate site personnel to ensure delivery is planned and executed seamlessly. We recognise that our credibility is at risk if delivery is not met, so we take this responsibility very seriously,” Preston said. Preston Hire services customers across all corners of Australia with the company’s branch network established to
ensure all states and locations have access to Preston Hire equipment. “At our core, innovation has always been key at Preston. We have always sought to be an initiator of change in our quest to improve the way things are done. Our view is that there will be continued growth in the construction of multi-level construction and buildings will continue to get taller as urbanisation continues. Additionally, there will be continual pressure to construct faster and cheaper whilst at the same time more safely,” he said. Preston explains how research and development around the SuperDeck, has always been undertaken and always will be a priority. Despite leading the market, Preston recognises the need to maintain competitiveness. Over the years, there have been many design, engineering and functionality improvements. One of their more recent projects was around
engineering improvements. In the spirit of seeking to innovate and lead the way, they modified the installation methods of their platforms to reduce the number of props and bolts required to fixing. The benefits of this innovation ensured quicker installation, relocation and removal of their product that saved both money and time. In addition, it reduced reaction forces on slabs which has the benefit of lowering the cost of construction. “It is with our long term understanding of the nature and workings of the product as the inventor and the continual improvements we make, that we are still able to deliver one the most cost-effective solutions in the market today,” said Preston. “The first Preston business was incorporated in 1969 thus marking this year the 50th year of our Preston business. We recently stepped up our R&D program around the future of the SuperDeck and related products demonstrating our
commitment to be at the forefront of the industry. We will continue to lead from the front and run our own race, reinforcing why we are the market leader. It is incredibly exciting to see what the next generation of the Preston and we encourage you to watch this space,” he said. While Markus has his eyes on the future, he also recognises the enormous feats of the past and the magnitude of what John Preston established. “I would like the industry to recognise the significant contributions that my father, John Preston, has provided to the construction industry globally. His commitment to increasing worker safety and cost savings for many customers worldwide must be applauded. I sincerely thank him for his guidance in my early years and the business acumen he has taught me. Together with my leadership team, we all strive to continue his legacy for the future of Preston,” he said.
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IN FOCUS / SURF CITY CRANES
Bryce O’Brien, Liebherr Sales Manager, QLD/NT/PNG handing over the keys to Sharon and Jon Morrish.
BARRELLING THE SWELL FROM CITY TO SURF How a husband and wife team, turned a dream into one of the largest crane businesses on the Gold Coast. WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE AND satisfaction a major priority, Surf City Cranes boast a modern crane fleet providing lifting solutions from northern New South Wales to the Gold Coast and North Brisbane. Sharon and Jon Morrish first moved from Brisbane to pursue Sharon’s role as General Manager of The Southport Yacht Club at Main Beach on the Gold Coast. Sharon had prior managerial experience in leagues clubs as well as on Hamilton Island. Jon worked in construction roles with scaffolding crews as well as dogging and operating a tower crane at the redevelopment of the once famous Pink Poodle. He then took a full-time position as an operator with a long-standing general crane hire company on the Gold Coast.
“I read a book by Robert Kiyosaki called “Rich Dad Poor Dad” which advocates the importance of financial literacy, financial independence and building wealth through investing in assets and this triggered the inspiration to travel to Melbourne to purchase our very first crane from James Equipment,” Jon tells Cranes and Lifting. “The crane was a Tadano TR200M-4, rough terrain crane which we still have today. A few years earlier, we had moved into a house in Currumbin, and we used the equity in the home to buy the crane. At the time, it felt like we had gone to the casino and thrown everything on one number,” he said. Jon explains how they settled on the company name. “We spent hours writing down dozens of business names and it wasn’t until Sharon had an event at the club, a yacht race called Surf to City, that we found what we were looking for. Surf City Cranes (SCC) summed up our intention to provide crane hire services from the Gold Coast to Brisbane,” he said. With an overdraft and very little cash
and two small children, Sharon worked endless hours at the club while Jon drove from site to site knocking on doors looking for job opportunities. By mid 2007, and with the construction boom in full swing, SCC was busy cross hiring with other crane companies to cover projects and the business got busier. By the middle of that year, Sharon and Jon had another child, made their second purchase, a 50t crane to cover a long-term dry hire contract and Sharon left her position to concentrate on their own business and the family. 2008 saw SCC selected as the “go to mobile crane” provider for the Banora Point upgrade project with Abi and Seymour Whyte JV. “The business kept growing year on year and with the amazing quality of the staff we attracted, more investment in quality reliable used cranes and telehandlers was needed to support the construction growth from Brisbane to Byron Bay in northern NSW,” said Sharon. Surf City Cranes also proved its ability to diversify with an invitation to tender for labour hire for the construction of the Nauru Detention Centre in September 2019 CAL / 47
IN FOCUS / SURF CITY CRANES
The new Liebherr LTM1090-4.2, 100t Class all terrain on the road capabilities without support vehicle.
Micro Indonesia. This meant operating numerous cranes with capacities ranging from 25t mobiles up to 180t crawler cranes, semi-trailers and telescopichandlers. SCC were supplying up to 30 staff on a fly in fly out basis for two years. More recently, SCC completed the Dyandra underpass for the soon to be second Brisbane airport runway as well constructing a brand-new quarry crushing plant for Boral at Kingsholme/Yatala. With 17 mobile cranes with capacities from 12t up to 130t, 4 tele-handler forklifts and numerous trucks in the fleet, the company recently took a major step with the acquisition of a brand new Liebherr four axle 100t class all terrain crane, the LTM 1090-4.2. “The purchase was a direct result of upgrading the fleet and investing in the future with the advanced new technology from Liebherr’s mobile crane division. The LTM 1090.4.2 features technology, we believe, will be a benchmark for years to come,” said Jon. “In my opinion, the LTM 1090 4.2 is the latest, new age development in roadable, 4 axle, 100t class all terrain mobile cranes on the market. This machine will service any customers needs in the 40t to 80t class division, without the need for additional support transport or additional counterweights,” he said. “It offers a massive 60m full powered boom pinning system with the all-wheel steering system allowing manoeuvrability 48 / CAL September 2019
in tight access areas. It also offers the operator simplicity of operation in terms of crane set up,” said Jon. “The full counterweight option and additional fly/jib makes this machine a leader in its division for radius lifting of 700 kg at 62m radius from the centre of the crane. This model has replaced an 80t class machine from Liebherr and when you compare similar charts the new crane’s 8.8t counterweight configuration compared to the full 14.5t counterweight option offered, means a massive increase in the crane’s capabilities,” he said. Today, the SCC fleet consists of the following class of machines: • 1 x 2.5t Manitou Buggy Forklift; • 3 x Manitou telehandlers with capacities from 3t to 12t; • 4 x Frannas with capacities from 12t to 25t; • 1 x 13t city crane; • 4 x 25t Tadano rough terrains; • 6 x all terrains with capacities from 35t to 130t; • 1 x TATRA all terrain 12.5t Hiab; • 2 x Scania tray tops; • 1 x Mack tray top and trailer; SCC offers this equipment on dry hire rental for project works including carpark construction, airport redevelopment, defence centre upgrade and construction, road and highway building, quarry shutdown and construction of new plants. Sharon said that the work they do influences the make-up of the fleet.
“We were asked to supply a telehandler, so we went out and purchased one; we needed a couple of crawler cranes, so we dry hired them. We do our due diligence and research what the market requires, if the machine is under-utilised, we chase up a market in that area to increase its use or sell the unit if need be,” she said. “To ensure the fleet is well maintained, we have had our own in house experienced, qualified mechanic and we also outsource to manufacturing contractors and business operators to maintain and service our equipment,” she said. “We maintain each crane as per the manufactures specifications and frequently more depending on the type of work the crane is conducting.” In December 2018, after many years of recording and improving systems, SCC obtained its QES ISO Accreditation in 2018 for Quality, Safety & Environment. “We have our code compliance for government work. We also conduct annual crane inspections as well as quarterly lift testing and tagging all of which is above and beyond industry standards,” said Jon. “The accreditation not only raises the bar and encourages ‘buy in’ from staff and employees, it also offers customers a guarantee for benchmark systems and processes and assists our customers to win projects in conjunction with their own ISO accreditations and standards,” he said. “We have thought about how we can be more efficient in all aspects of the business, how to provide detailed plans for projects, improve job site efficiencies right through to the improving the flow of maintenance jobs in the work shop. We encourage our staff to lift the bar every day and to be better than they were yesterday. For this to happen, we have to provide a safe, happy and motivated work environment,” said Jon. SCC staff levels can range from 20 to 40 depending on the number of projects being handled at any one time and according to Sharon, staff retention levels are high. “SCC might be a family business, but it is really about everyone who works with us in the business, it’s their lively hood and
it’s part of who they are,” she said. “We have staff who have been with us for 10 years and we also have staff that we bring in for specific projects. We are just starting to look at mechanical traineeships, in the past the paperwork has been a deterrent but as we have grown, we can see the benefits of offering traineeships and we are ready now,” said Sharon. Typically, SCC is recognised as providing solutions for commercial builders. These have mainly been Tier Two builders, but over the last 18 months the number of Tier One builders engaging with them has increased dramatically. “We have had the same customers since we started,” said Jon. “We provide a stressfree solution and we build relationships with our customers from Northern NSW to North Brisbane and all of South East Queensland. Everything we do is designed to go above and beyond with the service provided to our customers,” he said. For SCC, safety always comes first,
®
as Jon points out. The company has a number of measures in place to ensure lifts are conducted safely. These include pre-starts, lift plans, toolbox talks, CoR certificates. “We also conduct site inspections prior to every first lift, and we use programs like Liccon or Kranxpert,” he said. Maintaining relationships with suppliers is also a key strategy for SCC. Sharon explained that they have been using the same suppliers for over 10 years and they have the believe if people do the right thing by them, they will do the right thing by them. “The support we receive from our suppliers is very important, we need support on the ground, not online,” she said. As far as the future is concerned, Surf City Traffic Control and Surf City Tower Cranes are on the list for possible developments. “In early July, we put a couple of staff
through traffic control training and we are now compliant,” said Sharon. “We’ve been investigating tower cranes, but market prices are very low, so we will continue to do our research. Currently, we are adopting digital platforms throughout the company, developing our own app and we continue to thrive on change.” “The current market conditions mean margins are small which lead to crane prices being at their lowest in 12 years. It’s a tough market as compliance expenditure has increased by 15 per cent, labour has increased, but hourly charge out rate is lower,” she said. “Our team are everything to us, they are exceptional, and we believe there is no better when it comes to customer service. Our aim is to help our customers with the best and most economical solution. We value our company, we believe that safety comes first, we appreciate and reward our team of people, and we thrive on change,” said Sharon.
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IN FOCUS / UAA Subcontractors need to understand about risk transference, who’s responsible for the planning, the supervision and the carrying out of the lift.
WHO’S RESPONSIBLE WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG? Do crane companies genuinely understand the liabilities they face when signing a contract and who’s responsible if something goes wrong? Cranes and Lifting finds out more. CRANES COMPANIES FACE AND ASSESS risk every day. Working with Hicksons Lawyers, UAA makes an important contribution to the industry by highlighting existing risks around contracts and seeking to reduce them. According to George Grasso, UAA Chief Services Officer, there are significant liabilities. Issues arising from crane contracts which not all crane companies fully understand. Along with George Grasso, Hicksons Lawyers partners, Paul Hendriks and Dr Tim Channon, discuss some of these issues.
“We have been working with Hicksons Lawyers for 30 years. Their understanding of the industry and the commercial intention and role of our policies has been an important part of allowing UAA to partner with our clients to provide a premier insurance product and service to our clients,” said Hendriks. “We want to continue our conversation with the industry in relation to issues coming from crane contracts including the potential pitfalls, the variables, what liability may be imposed by a principal, what to
look for in contracts surrounding dry or wet hire conditions and what impact such contracts may have on insurance coverage. “When we have to look at an insured’s contract in the context of determining whether the insured is liable for an event or whether the insured has a right of recovery arising from that event, one of the biggest bugbears is that a number of crane operators treat the process of entering into a contract as purely procedural event,” said Hendriks. “It is a procedure, but sometimes September 2019 CAL / 51
IN FOCUS / UAA
Good brokers know what questions to ask and advise on how not to be exposed to potential liabilities and find ways to remove that level of exposure.
little thought is given as to what constitutes the agreement or whether in fact there is clarity in the agreement. When you enter into an agreement, a basic question to ask yourself is what commitments am I agreeing to. “These are legally binding agreements; they can be enforced and so they are very serious matters. On one level, you are trying to ensure there are no disagreements as to who the parties to a contract are, there’s no question about the crane that is the subject of the 52 / CAL September 2019
contract and no disagreement about the price or period,” he said. “You then ask what else is the agreement obliging me to do. Agreements are, in large part, about risk transference. They set out rights and obligations between the parties and allocate risk between the parties.”. “There are two big determinants in that. The first is the subject matter of the agreement. For example, whether it’s a dry hire or wet hire will have significant implications as to who
is responsible for the planning and supervision of the lifting operations. The second is an issue of economic power. It’s alright for lawyers to talk about insisting on terms within the contract, but more often than not, the contractors are given a document and told to take the job or get nothing. The unfair contract legislation may come to their aid,” said Hendriks. Dr. Channon elaborates on other contractual related issues. “Subcontractors need to understand about the risk transference, covering issues such as who’s responsible for the planning, the supervision and the carrying out of the lift? Who’s responsible for the maintenance? Who’s responsible for specific geotech reports? Who’s responsible for the crane ties designs? “Other issues include what’s going to happen if there’s a problem? If there’s a delay on site due to an unforeseen problem, who’s going to be responsible? What is the formula for determining what the rights are between the parties?” he said. Another issue relates to the provisions dealing with insurance and indemnities which are often set out in contracts. “These provisions are critical, and the obligations in relation to insurance, cover a whole gambit of scenarios. As far as indemnity and insurance obligations go, we strongly recommend, given the importance of the provisions, that operators get their insurance broker to advise on what risks taken on in the contract are insured. More often than not, there are provisions in these contracts which cut across and conflict with the policy the insurer has already issued,” said Grasso. “The classic examples are a limitation on the right to recover. Without these terms, there would be a right to recovery and such terms could result in an insured not being covered under its policy. UAA is very good at working with brokers on these issues and prides itself on this. Good brokers will know what to look for, what advice to give and know
what questions to ask UAA in relation to a contract,” said Hendriks. The effect of not getting proper advice can be devastating to the crane operator’s business. “Many contracts are pretty well organised in the sense that the broker can usually go to the area most relevant to the insurance obligations. Often, the insurance provisions and the indemnity provisions sit side by side. Another example is liabilities attaching to an insured which may see the insured fall foul of their policy, including in relation to proportional liability regimes,” said Channon. “When it comes to understanding what obligations are attached to the insured, the answer isn’t always easy. But good brokers know where to look and know what questions to ask of the insurer as well as advising on how to go back to the principal contractors to inform them that they don’t want to be so exposed to potential liabilities and find ways to negotiate with them to remove that level of exposure. To put it simplistically, there are contracts where the tier-one contractors or principal contractors are enforcing agreements on subcontractors, like crane hire companies, where the intention is to expose them to liabilities despite whether the client is the cause of the incident. Even if they are not involved in the incident, because they’ve signed this overarching agreement, the tier-one principal contractors have the ability to apportion their overall liability across subcontractors. In that way, they reduce their potential risk, reduce exposure to their insurance company and reduce costs in terms of premiums,” he said. According to Grasso, crane companies will sign a contract for commercial reasons without fully understanding the implications. “There is a risk that subcontractors will feel pressure to sign or they won’t get the job. They don’t go to their brokers to see if their insurance covers the risks they are being exposed to. Very few insurers will accept a liability a client has exposed themselves to with a principal contractor if the liability is
not caused by the fault of the insured.” He said. “Australia and in particular New South Wales is very litigious. With greater pressures around OH&S and increased involvement from regulatory bodies, we want to make sure the industry obtains the appropriate advice and negotiation tools to go back to the Tier One contractors or any principal contractor and negotiate appropriate terms to suit both parties without losing out on work. And they need to make sure they follow up on their obligations. Many contractors agree to insure their principal and they don’t, exposing themselves to an uninsured loss,” said Grasso. Other issues include evidence. Mostly gone are the days when a contract was formally signed and handed back, with one copy going to each party. A lot of these agreements are sent electronically but sometimes there’s no acknowledgment the parties have accepted the terms of agreement. It’s critical for these contracts and agreements to be acknowledged. “I think it’s critical for the industry to be more vigilant on this because if it goes wrong, the information in the document will be heavily relied upon. It’s not just from a monetary liability perspective, it can also apply if someone gets injured or there is a fatality, there’s a reliance on understanding who’s responsible in the lead up to these incidents occurring,” said Channon. Keeping a diary of events is also a critical discipline, according to Grasso. “Not enough information is captured on job sites. We often see scenarios where an incident has occurred, and the operator or supervisor of the crane company states the site said it was OK to operate the machine in a particular manner or the set-up of the machine was alright. There’s too much hearsay and not enough evidence. It can come down to simply keeping a daily diary and noting who it was you spoke to, date and time, what was clearly stated, and this may stand up in court. The industry needs to pick up this discipline again.
Everybody has a smart phone and there are a variety of apps that ensure this information is captured. The industry could improve on mitigating some of their risks and exposure by ensuring they keep a form of a diary,” he said. Understanding the chain of responsibility is equally important says Hendriks. “In this day and age with OH&S issues and obligations, under the legislation you cannot delegate obligations imposed on you by the workplace safety legislation. It’s amazing how many times there is a lack of clarity as to who is responsible for devising the safe work method statement and who’s actually in charge of the lift,” he said. “People’s safety is the issue and there shouldn’t be any lack of clarity about how the lift is conducted, what method is being operated and who’s in charge. It’s a critical element of the contract. This is relatively easy when it comes to dry hire but not so straight forward when you wet hire and gets even more complicated when you hire out the driver and not the rigger or the rigger and not the driver,” said Hendriks. Grasso emphasises the point when he says that there have been scenarios where they have requested the client provide them with lift plans only to learn they’ve (the client) been provided by a third party. “It’s important we understand who that party is and there has to be an agreement that whoever designed it, is responsible for that lift and its implications,” said Grasso. “People need to understand what their contractual obligations are. If they do, at least they are open to entering into an arrangement with open eyes. It may be there are certain terms they can negotiate and others they can’t but at least they can make an educated decision as to whether they will accept a certain level of risk. Risk should come with some reward so the insured may take on the risk, but he may need to increase the price of his services to do so. Open eyes enable them to make informed decisions,” he said. September 2019 CAL / 53
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IN FOCUS / JOHNSON YOUNG Johnson Young work closely with tierone customers winning projects as a result of engineering capabilities and adaptability to requirements.
COMPANY CULTURE KEY TO LIFTING STANDARDS Brent Young and Reece Johnson drive a dynamic, customer-focussed crane business renowned for its versatility and project management abilities on Victoria’s major infrastructure projects. Cranes and Lifting reports. FOR OVER 18 YEARS, BRENT YOUNG HAD various roles with one of Melbourne’s largest crane hire businesses, before launching his own brand in 2010. “I worked as a rigger and in various crane crew roles and after five years, I moved into a management position. For the remainder of my time I worked on the operational side of the business,” he said. “By the time of the GFC, I was ready to do my own thing but waited for the Melbourne infrastructure boom. In 2010, I launched Young Plant Hire which had dry hire equipment including crawler cranes. In 2016, I made the transition from dry hire to a wet hire company with the addition of a 55t Liebherr all-terrain crane. Brent Young Cranes (BYC) was officially open for business. “Due to the number of infrastructure
projects coming online, I was in a position where one mobile crane led to four new plant acquisitions inside of 12 months. This included a new Superlift MAC 25t Franna, a new 13t Kato City Crane and a 130t all-terrain Grove,” said Young. “We were initially involved with the level crossing removal projects but the real kick-starter for our business was the Fulton Hogan M80 EJ Whitten Bridge widening project which put us on the map in terms of being a project supply company. This was the first major project that BYC ran exclusively, and it was a great achievement for both the customer and us,” said Young. Reece Johnson first started working with cranes as a boilermaker on major infrastructure projects with John Holland. “After working on major projects
around Melbourne for about 6 years, I moved solely into the crane division where I started working with the larger cranes. I was taking on more and more responsibility and was appointed the operations manager when Brent left.” He said. Brent and Reece had worked together for many years before forming their business partnership. “I’ve known Reece for over 15 years and we’ve always got along professionally. I was responsible for employing Reece in senior positions on crews working with fairly large cranes on key infrastructure projects across the state and also interstate, so we’ve always had a healthy working relationship,” said Young. “When I moved on, it was no surprise that Reece was my successor as Operations September 2019 CAL / 55
IN FOCUS / JOHNSON YOUNG
Manager. This gave him the insight and the knowledge of the management side of how a business works,” he said. Two years ago, in October 2017, the pair decided to form a partnership as Johnson and Young Cranes with Johnson becoming a joint director of the business. Since then, it’s seen consistent growth. “The decision to invest in Brent Young Cranes was fairly easy, I wanted to see my hard work go towards something that I was passionate about instead of building someone else’s company. Brent’s business was growing rapidly, and it made sense to join forces,” said Johnson. “Since the restructure of the business to Johnson and Young Cranes in 2017, the business has been trading as Brent Young Cranes. From 1st October, 2019, two years to the day that the partnership began, we’ll completely rebrand and now trade as Johnson and Young Cranes,” he said. Young explains how important it is to have good relationships with their crane suppliers. “When Reece first invested in the business, he and I sat down to create a business plan, examining the directions we wanted to go, who we wanted to be working for, and what equipment we would need to do this. At the time we spoke to a couple of major suppliers
Brent Young and Reece Johnson. 56 / CAL September 2019
including Liebherr and decided to go with them, mainly because of the support their team offered but also because of the strength and capacity within their cranes. We work well with all our suppliers and they supply great equipment,” he said. “The first bulk order was for four new cranes included a new LTM 1060 3.1, two LTM 1250 5.1s and an LTM 1400. We originally had an LTM 1100 on order but changed that to the second LTM 1250 5.1. This model is a very successful option for us with its versatile configurations.” “We are constantly adding to the mix of our fleet, adding cranes that will cater to our current workload, both the projects we are involved with currently and tendering for. We had previously been using dry hire cranes for specific jobs and we’d outsourced large capacity cranes to fill gaps in the fleet. We have always felt that having our own equipment puts us in a more secure position,” said Young. “We entered the larger capacity crawler crane space with the acquisition of a Demag CC 2200 and we are confident this will help open doors to the heavy-lift space. Our fleet now stands at 17 cranes, which ranges from a 3t Maeda mini crawler up to right through to the 350t and 400t cranes,” he said. “Not long ago, we were completing the
smaller jobs on these big infrastructure projects and we had to step aside for the bigger lifts. We wanted to be in a position where we could be a ‘one-stop-shop’ and realised we didn’t want to be dependent on third parties to complete our lift plans. We’ve now addressed that with the purchases of the much larger capacity cranes,” said Johnson. The crane fleet is supported by the company’s own transport fleet. “From our perspective, the business is being built around the project works requirement and our adaptability to change quickly. These are our key strengths. We’ve got a lot of experience in that heavy-lift area and we wanted to manage this ourselves,” said Johnson. Predominantly, the business is working on Victoria’s “Big Build” projects, the marquee projects around the state. “We work closely with tier-one customers and we win projects as a result of our engineering capabilities and our adaptability to tier-one requirements. Our level of responsiveness and urgency to major projects is second to none. The whole business is focussed on customer service,” said Johnson. Young was recently appointed to the CICA Victoria steering committee. “The committee is involved in the decision-making process ensuring our industry council is focused on the important issues facing the crane sector. Current issues include training, road access for cranes, and includes mapping. It also involves the technology features in lifting equipment and new crane technology,” he said. Young also recognises the importance of the crew at Johnson and Young Cranes and how vital attitude is to the successful outcome of projects. “We have a crew of 65 and they are a major reason for the success of the business, they have taken us to where we are today. The culture throughout the business makes it work and it’s important for our people to feel invested in the work we are doing,” he said. “Our culture is reflected in the way our people conduct themselves, especially when on-site. It’s based on accountability – owning your responsibilities. We are
only as strong as our weakest link and as good as the people around us. There are no grey areas in our business culture; it’s very much black and white – we do things to a standard. There’s no ‘it’ll be right’, our actions are definite, and our crew understand this. “We empower our people to make decisions on our behalf. If something isn’t right, they have the ability to make decisions there and then with our full support. They understand our customers are integral to our business and meeting their demands and expectations is key. It’s one thing to stand up and say what you are going to do, it’s another to bring this attitude into every action you perform,” he said. “Reece and I have been doing this for a long time now and that’s not coming from a position of complacency. When we spoke about the business plan, we wrote down what we thought our strengths were
®
and what could we do better. Together, Johnson and Young have introduced a lot of the elements that make the business better for their people. Empowering them and always showing respect is a big part of that culture. “Understanding the work-life balance is one of the challenges in the industry. When you are working up 70-80 hours a week, you have to remember we have families and we want to have time to watch them grow. Reece and I have young families and that was part of the decision to form our business partnership,” said Young. For Johnson, the sign of good company culture is how it performs under pressure. “As we grow, we are finding it easier to recruit good people and that comes down to the workplace environment we have here – it’s a place where people want to come to work. We have set our
standard, and our customers know it. In our industry, we are always facing pressure. This can be pricing pressure, availability pressure, time pressure, there are pressures from different angles. The business is dependent on how we and the crew manage them,” he said. “We are obviously aware of the need to bring young blood into the company and the industry as a whole. We have one apprentice at the moment, and he came through the CFMEU CICA traineeship program,” said Johnson. “The average age of our team would definitely be below the industry demographics of between 40 and 50. For us, the crane sector is a key industry that the younger generations are looking to get into it, it’s quite lucrative but it also comes with demands and challenges. We are keen to attract people with the right attitude to mould into the next generation of operators,” he said.
The AC 300-6
© Tadano Demag GmbH 2019. Demag is aDemag trademark of Demag IP © Tadano Demag GmbH 2019. is a trademark of Holdings Demag IPGmbH. Holdings GmbH.
The AC 300-6
Above and beyond. Above and beyond. Take your business to the next level with the new Demag AC 300-6. It delivers class-leading reach combined with strength, including the ability Take the next level theTo new Demag AC 300-6. to liftyour 15 t business on a fullytotelescoped 80 mwith boom. allow for high versatility, It delivers class-leading reach combined with including the ability the AC 300-6 can be adapted to the needs of strength, a variety of jobs and is the to lift 15 crane t on ain fully m boom. allow for The highHAV versatility, smallest thetelescoped Demag AC80 range with aTo luffi ng jib. and the ACcomponents 300-6 can be adapted theDemag needs of a variety of— jobs and is the many are shared to with 5-axle cranes increasing smallest crane the Demag ACreducing range with luffing jib. The HAV your return onin investment and theaamount of spare partsand many components are shared with Demag 5-axle cranes — increasing you need to have on hand. your return on investment and reducing the amount of spare parts Above. Ahead. Always. you need to have on hand.
tadano.com.au | 1300 823 266 Above. Ahead. Always. 28.08.19 18:02
IN FOCUS / DANA SAC
NEW SERIES OF BREVINI WINCHES IMPROVES SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY IN CONSTRUCTION The new series of highperformance winches has a modular design suited for mobile and stationary applications. IN LINE WITH THE CONTINUING PRODUCT development program of Dana SAC Australia, the company announced the release of latest series of high performance Brevini winches. The BWE Series winch range is ideal for use in mining, construction and materialhandling applications, as well as other mobile machinery and stationary industrial applications. Each winch in this new series features a compact, high-speed piston motor for efficient operation, and the range will offer 13 different sizes to support lift capacities from 990kg to 30t. The BWE winch range has a modular design and expands the capability of Dana’s current product range for off-highway and stationary industrial applications to cover more applications. All the winches in the range are suitable for electric motor input, both for mobile and stationary applications. Offering lift capacities from 8.5t to
The BWE series offers lift capacities from 8.5t to 16t.
16t, the first four of the new winches are designed for medium-sized crawler cranes and rough-terrain cranes. Explains Greg Bunn, Dana SAC Australia’s Managing Director, “Safety and performance are important considerations in construction applications. To meet these needs, we have designed and engineered this next generation of winches with best-in-class
“Dana’s new winch range includes a fully integrated system that provides end users with the tools necessary to avoid damage to the winch and the crane, and most importantly, protect personnel on the jobsite.”
safety, efficiency, and control. “Dana’s new winch range includes a fully integrated system that provides end users with the tools necessary to avoid damage to the winch and the crane, and most importantly, protect personnel on the jobsite,” said Bunn. Smaller winch sizes in the new series will be introduced in late 2019, while larger versions to support lift capacities from 22 to 30t will be available in 2020. The larger winches are designed for drill rigs and rubber tyre gantry cranes along with numerous stationary industrial Applications in marine and offshore drilling. The winches meet safety certification standards for major international organisations governing these applications. September 2019 CAL / 59
SUPERCRANE 673 - Darlington, SA TM
SUPERCRANE From Mini Crawlers, Hydraulic Crawlers and Large Cranes up to 70t, all equipment is available for wet or dry hire.
© Tadano Demag GmbH 2019. Demag is a trademark of Demag IP Holdings GmbH.
The new CC 2800-2
Better than ever. What do you expect from a new Demag crane? Most certainly that it does everything a little better than its successful predecessor. That’s why you should definitely get to know the new Demag® CC 2800-2 crawler crane! Its optimized transportability, its maximum system length of 192 meters, its lifting capacity of up to 600 tonnes and the powerful drive train of the Demag® CC 3800-1 make it the first choice for many projects. See for yourself. Above. Ahead. Always.
IN FOCUS / TWO WAY CRANES
TWO WAY CRANES: THE PHOENIX RISES Frank Zammit, managing director and owner of Two Way Cranes, recently completed the acquisition of Gillespie Cranes – his second acquisition in as many years. Yet two years ago, Zammit faced every crane owners’ nightmare, and potential disaster, when fire ripped through his crane yard. CRANES AND LIFTING RECENTLY MET with Frank Zammit, John Gillespie and Danny Adair, three individuals with over 100 years combined experience of working with and managing cranes. Zammit was an early school leaver and a boilermaker for six years. His brother was working for Deno’s Cranes as a crane driver. He had asked Deno to give him $300 a week for one month and, following which, if he was good enough, to give him a fulltime job and he’d get his dogman ticket. After the month, Deno gave Zammit a fulltime job and the ticket. He worked for Deno for two years and then, just after the 2000 Olympics, Zammit bought his first crane. “I was unable to get a loan, so I went to a broker not really knowing what they did. He gave me auction value only, a total of $155,000 but the purchase price had been $200,000. Deno’s Cranes gave me credit of $45,000 which I paid back in 12 months. I stayed with Deno’s for four years in total. Being a firstgeneration crane owner, I knew I needed to learn about the business and this time provided a good opportunity,” he said. “Frank Vella, who now owns Asset Rigging and I became business partners and we sat over a coffee one day and decided we couldn’t call the business Zammit and Vella. He asked me how you control a crane and I answered with a two-way radio and that’s how the business got its name,” said Zammit. The business was launched as Two Way Rigging and became Two Way Cranes and Rigging and it went very well for six years. According to Zammit, Vella didn’t want to continue growing the
Danny Adair, John Gillespie and Frank Zammit.
business because he wanted to stay with his rigging – which he carried on with and still is successful at it. “He (Vella) has played a big part in where I am today and has been a good mentor for me over the years,” Zammit said. “I went out on my own with five cranes and I was still driving, dogging and allocating. I had one employee, Scott Slender who helped with allocating and after a few years, Mary Ellis joined the business along with Yan in accounts. Together, we built the business to a level where we had 17 cranes,” he said. However, Zammit decided that the business had to grow and went searching for a business to acquire. He looked into a few businesses, but nothing eventuated in the beginning. Then, an opportunity arose.
“I heard through Jeff Wilson from Finlease, that Danny (Adair) was looking to sell his business. Interestingly, my business had always worked for Gillespies and DJ Adair Cranes as a sub hire crane company – that’s how I built the business. I have always done the right thing and never pinched business from the companies that I’ve worked with. In 2018, Danny and I secured the deal and in 12 months I did the same with John (Gillespie),” he said. For John Gillespie, his company started in 1950 when his father started it up. He said that in those days, the industry was very much about small cranes and “home built” cranes from small engineering firms. Most of the cranes were back enders put on a variety of old trucks. The younger Gillespie joined the business in 1969, just at the September 2019 CAL / 63
IN FOCUS / TWO WAY CRANES
time when hydraulic cranes were starting to come into the industry and there were only a few around. “We had about six back ender hydraulic cranes. At the time, the slewing cranes were all lattice boom cranes with manual outriggers where the guys had to pull out the outriggers and screw jacks to get them to work. I could see hydraulics was the way of the future and we bought our first hydraulic slewing crane, a 9t CAP LS 20,” Gillespie said. The 1970s was a rapid time of change and a lot of crane companies that did not believe in hydraulics did not survive this transitional period, according to Gillespie. These companies closed and the new companies emerged saw that hydraulics was going to be the way of the future. “Hydraulics completely changed the crane landscape and many people including me didn’t envisage the massive impact hydraulics would have on not only ours, but every industry” said Gillespie. Danny Adair, like Zammit had left school early. He started out as an apprentice diesel fitter. “I quickly saw the guys on the outside of the fence had a better job and I was spending all day covered in oil and grease because back then, the cranes were not that flashy. So, I decided to defect and went to work for my father who was also into cranes. I worked for him, off and on, for six years and then went out on my own in 1987,” said Adair. When he first started, he launched with a 10t TMS Tadano on a MACK carrier and slowly chipped away at growing the business. Back in the 1980s, Adair said it was more profitable if one had small cranes. In the late 1990s, he started buying 30t truck cranes and then, bought all-terrain cranes in 2002. “Every year we tried to add to the fleet. When we got into the civil work, we realised we had to grow our fleet and our capabilities or we would be left behind,” he said. Acquiring – the only way forward To have a chance in the infrastructure sector, Zammit realised acquisition was the best course of action. He realised it 64 / CAL September 2019
Two Way Cranes brings three strong companies and brands together with a focus on customer relationships and maintaining quality.
“Hydraulics completely changed the crane landscape and many people including me didn’t envisage the massive impact hydraulics would have on not only ours, but every industry.”
would be very hard to get his business up to the level that Adair and Gillespie were operating at. He could keep growing the business but to make inroads into infrastructure projects, he realised he had to be a tier-one crane business. “Working with Danny and now John, provides an amazing insight into what is required to be a tier-one crane company. I’d only ever had three people in the
office and when I first visited Danny’s office, he had six or seven people. Now I understand why, it’s because of all the procedures that are in place. It would be very hard to get that position of understanding on your own,” he said. With the purchase of Gillespie, Two Way Cranes’ position in the infrastructure arena is reinforced. Zammit said that Gillespie’s developed
long relationships with clients was key for him and he’s always learning more about the business. “John has a different way of working and thinking to Danny, so by combining their styles and experience and adding my way of managing the business, it helps immensely,” said Zammit. Gillespie feels the business is in the right hands and is looking towards the next phase of his life – retirement. He tells Cranes and Lifting that he will be looking to be leaving the industry and “not coming back”. “I will give Frank every possible assistance, whatever he wants or needs I’ll be there for him, I’m only a phone call away. As Frank said, it’s great to get other people’s opinions but at the end of the day it’s his business and he’s going to need to make the right decisions,” said Gillespie. HOW IT ALL NEARLY FELL APART Despite the success of Two Way Cranes with merging of the businesses, the acquisitions nearly didn’t happen. “Yes, two years ago we faced everyone’s nightmare, a fire. I had traded in my first 80t all-terrain on a 2012 90t machine from Baden Davis Crane Connection. I took my son on holiday and one morning I received a phone call from my wife advising there had been a fire in the yard,” said Zammit. “The fire destroyed that crane, the one parked next to it and wrecked my new LTC. The Federal police arrived and sealed the whole place off as a crime scene. Fortunately, I had CCTV cameras everywhere, the police looked at the footage and confirmed that no one had touched the crane for two days and the surviving cranes were released at 1pm. “All the cranes were pitch black inside and out. Ben Baden helped clean them and they were back to work the next day. I needed a place to operate from and rented from Ben and moved everything there. It was a mess for a while getting phone numbers diverted and so on. Essentially all the details you don’t think of,” said Zammit. The business had to relocate for seven months while my place was slowly
The “new” Two Way fleet includes 35 cranes ranging from a 350t Liebherr to a 2t loader, and includes 10 Frannas, 20 rough terrains and the trucks and trailers that support the fleet.
rebuilt. They had to operate from different yards, so it was unsettling for a while, but Zammit said everyone stuck together, and he continued on with the plans with Danny. Zammit confirms the integration of the businesses will be gradual and introducing new blood to the business a priority. Bringing together three businesses, the assets including the people was always going to be a challenge. Zammit’s first objective was to reassure the staff with many having been with the businesses for many years. “Since purchasing Gillespies, I’ve spent time with the staff and learnt that many have been involved long term, up to 18 years in some cases, and I was really happy to hear that. They were nervous at first, so I told them to feel free to ask any questions, they did, and I answered them freely and they walked happy,” said Zammit. “Obviously, there’s going to be a transitional period. Danny and John have been operating different systems which we are going to need to streamline. We’ll be moving the business to the Gillespie offices here in Glendenning,” he said. The “new” Two Way fleet includes 35 cranes ranging from a 350t Liebherr to a 3t Maeda, and includes 10 Frannas, 20 all terrains and the trucks and trailers that support the fleet. “The industry response has been quick and positive, I’ve had really good feedback and, over the last few weeks, numerous phone calls with customers asking questions which I’ve answered honestly,” said Zammit. For Two Way Cranes, the big focus at the moment will be to get the message into the market and to retain the Gillespie customers, to earn their trust and to continue to deliver the best service possible. “I’ve worked well with Danny and his
customers over the last 12 months and it’s been a positive transition and we intend to do the same with John’s,” Zammit said. Adair concurs and believes that at the end of the day, the core business is going to be the main contractors. “John has worked on different projects and for different contractors and our big focus is to hold onto this business, provide the contractors with the same level of service and maintain the relationships,” Adair said. “We’ve all got pretty good contacts in infrastructure and at the moment there’s a lot of tenders out there for new work. We’re always on the invite panel and if you get invited to tender you are heading in the right direction,” he said. Zammit’s vision extends three ways – short, medium term and long term. Bringing three strong companies and brands together, he plans to focus on customer relationships, maintain the quality in everything they do and grow the business slowly. “Obviously, the last two years hasn’t seen slow growth, in fact, I doubt the industry has seen anything quite like this before. I realise it’s a big story and I’m lucky to be telling it,” he said. “I want this to be a dynamic business, so we’re making a commitment to developing a trainee program. My son is one of the first in the program and hopefully, he enjoys the industry and ultimately becomes a second-generation crane company owner. “We’re not going to take people who have bought their dogman ticket. We’re going to recruit into the traineeship program. I’m a boiler maker by trade and believe anyone with a trade has the ability to fit into a structure, become a good dogman and then an operator. If you’ve got a trade, you’ve had some structure behind you and that helps,” Zammit said. September 2019 CAL / 65
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IN FOR THE LONG HAUL TRT recently launched the TIDD PC28 pick and carry crane throughout Australia and New Zealand is a key development in the company’s quest for continued growth and long-term commitment to industry. Cranes and Lifting reports. TRT IS VERY MUCH A FAMILY OWNED business. Eighty-eight year old Dave Carden, is the founder of the company and remains very much involved in the business on a day to day business. He owns the business equally with sons Bruce, Manufacturing Director, and Robert, Engineering Director. TRT Chief Operating Officer, Lawrence Baker and Country Manager, Stephen Dance, discussed the recent history of the company, its philosophy towards manufacturing and the short and medium-term plans and objectives for the company’s continued growth. “Our head office is in Hamilton New Zealand which is home for our design, engineering and manufacturing,” said Baker. “We’re proud to say we are a little different to other manufacturers in that we have brought almost everything in house. Approximately 98 per cent of The TRT facility in Murrarie, north of Brisbane.
everything we manufacture is done on site by our team of 180 people based at our Hamilton facility, giving TRT full control of both quality and output.” The company’s core businesses include the design and manufacture of purpose-built heavy trailers, the TIDD pick and carry crane. Within this manufacturing capability, they also design and manufacture for special projects. For example, they recently designed and built a trailer for an overhead gantry for a customer in Brazil. The Gantry trailer was built for the Albras Aluminium Smelter near Belen on the Amazonian delta, northern Brazil. Itis designed to enable quick change over of pots on the smelt line dramatically reducing downtime. The 135t SWL Gantry is mounted onto the two TRT designed lifting pillars, which raise the gantry 6.5m. Featuring 5 steering, rows
of 8 axles, this gantry trailer was one of the bigger trailers designed and built in Hamilton at the time. In addition, they have also completed a number of Defence projects both here in NZ and Australia, including manufacture and integration of 150 tipper bodies to RMMVA units with Rheinmetall Defence, under Land 121B for the Australian Defence Force. According to Dance, service, parts backup and support is also a key focus for TRT. The business had started through developing innovative technology for trailers and cranes and they have stayed focussed on the innovation and smarts for more than 50 years delivering what others find “difficult”. “While we build some feats of transport engineering, we can’t offer the best without aftermarket support for customers,” said Dance. TRT then developed a full aftermarket parts supply operation for heavy transport, and crane markets, all the while developing expertise in house skills to become one of the largest suppliers of after market parts for the crane and transport sector in New Zealand and Australia. They are now leveraging this expertise, in their crane and heavy transport parts division in Australia and are expanding rapidly. Recently, they increased their warehouse space and capacity in Murarrie to meet this demand. “We boast a huge parts team in New Zealand, almost 50, and we have more representatives on the road than any other parts supplier. In the transport sector, we partner with OEM manufacturers including, Mercedes Benz, Freightliner, IVECO, Scania and many leading aftermarket parts brands. In Australia, we are supporting the growing numbers of the TIDD crane, and as the Manitowoc September 2019 CAL / 67
IN FOCUS / TRT
and Grove dealer in Queensland, we offer a full range of parts and service. While we carry parts for most crane makes and Japanese equipment, we also support our Australian trailer customers as well,” said Dance. Baker speaks about the strategic approach TRT, and the Carden family, has taken to growing the business. “In the early 2000s, Bruce and Mary Carden relocated to Australia and began promoting the business. They quickly got the brand and TRT’s products into the market and won significant levels of work, particularly with trailers and our Traction Air CTI system, which were manufactured in NZ. Once the Australian business was established, they moved back to NZ and Bruce was appointed as Manufacturing Director,” he said. TRT is also the longest serving Grove dealer globally, having represented the brand since 1975. Two and a half years ago, on the back of this success and experience, TRT was approached to take over the Queensland distribution of the Manitowoc and Grove cranes. This also gave them the opportunity to take over the Manitowoc Grove facility in Murarrie, which just outside Brisbane according to Dance. “To support this operation, TRT, led by Robert Carden, acquired B&N Cranes, owned at the time by Troy Hand, who has remained with the business and is now our Crane Service and PNG Manager. B&N Cranes was a crane servicing and refurbishment business, dealing with all makes and models of crane. We were able to retain all the technical experience and expertise from B&N’s team and combining with the Manitowoc team formed what is now TRT Australia,” said Dance. “We started with a small team of 10, today we number 43. The growth has been rapid and significant, we’ve doubled our turnover in that time, and we are expecting growth of more than 20 per cent for 2019” he said. According to Baker, the TRT board expects to capitalise on the company’s strengths. “I was brought into the business 18 months ago and the board has given me a clear directive, to focus on growth for the 68 / CAL September 2019
TRT Country Manager, Stephen Dance and Chief Operating Officer, Lawrence Baker.
next three years, and we are on track,” he said. “It’s fair to say we realise there is only going to be so much organic growth in the business, so we have to look at new opportunities. One is the focus on the new TIDD PC28 and another, the parts and service areas of the business.” “The South Island distribution centre came online last October, and this provides the parts business with a national footprint in New Zealand. This expansion has been rapid, moving to new larger premises in May this year. In November 2018, we became the Hiab distributor in New Zealand for all of their equipment brands and more recently, the HIAB installation and service agent in Australia. Other areas of growth include our Traction Air central tyre inflation (CTI), which we are launching in Sweden for the European market,” he said. Growth is also expected from traditional as well as these new areas of the TRT business. “Our new state-of-the-art ESS trailer was launched at the Brisbane Truck Show in May and the response was very positive. We’ve recently expanded our seats range successfully into the marine and office/ control room sectors, and plenty more of diversification is planned to meet customers’ expectations,” said Baker. “When I started, we had a staff of 182, which has grown to more than 240 across
both countries. We expect this to be 290 within the next 12 months. Much of this growth is based around the launch of the TIDD PC28 pick and carry crane and increased numbers of trailers in Australia, as we expand our manufacturing capabilities. “We estimate the market for pick and carry cranes to be between 15 and 17 units per month and this new crane challenges the function and more importantly the safety of the existing options. We sell directly and through our dealer networks. The demand on our supply chain is six months in advance, so we are full swing into production. Given the current demand, we are forecasting a dramatic increase in numbers by 2020,” said Baker. TRT launched the TIDD PC28 at an industry function in mid-May and Dance explains how the event was received. “There were two strategies with the launch, we needed our customers to see this new innovation in the new PC28, but were also focussed on general risk governance, and organisations that work with or advise tier-one companies about safety and duty of care,” he said. “The evidence for pick and carry rollovers is quite alarming and we have spent a lot of time and investment in research and development around the safety of the PC28. At the May launch with TRT and June launches with distributors, WATM and Crane Connection, we had
a number of safety representatives from industry, including Worksafe ACT, and those that work with Tier One companies, linked to reviewing and rewriting compliance and expectation standards in industry. “Feedback has been very encouraging. From a governance perspective, we were told we had met and even exceeded the market’s expectations, but that the PC28 had met the requirements to have this class of articulating crane accepted onto tier one sites, where in some cases the pick and carry crane has been excluded due to ongoing safety concerns,” he said. “Customer feed back has also been very positive. We launched the first TIDD pick and carry, the TIDD PC25, five years ago and we have listened to customer feedback every step of the way, incorporating this into the design of the new PC28. We believe we have it right, and given the results, so does the market. Features like the fully automated 4 section boom and Slew Safe generated extremely positive feedback during the demonstrations at the launches and we are still getting it now,” said Dance. The relationship with the Manitowoc Grove is very important to TRT. “The relationship with Manitowoc Grove started in 1975 when the first Grove unit landed in New Zealand, where TRT manufactured the TIDD Crane Carrier. Dave Carden flew to the US, without an appointment, with a set of drawings. He rocked up to the factory and said ‘we’ve had one of your units delivered into NZ and I think I can help make them better.’ He didn’t leave until he was seen by the design team, and that was the start of a long and very successful relationship,” said Baker. Both Baker and Dance recognise the potential the Queensland market has for the Manitowoc and Grove brands and their dealer relationship. Manitowoc Grove have reaffirmed this commitment with TRT, with both organisations recently signing a 10-year distribution agreement for Queensland. “Manitowoc Grove have advised us that we are currently one of the higher performing of their global distributors, which was very pleasing. We plan to build
on this success by continuing to develop the local market, and with our new 10 year agreement, we are here for customers for the long haul” said Dance. “Over the last three we have seen a slow recovery in the Queensland market. Previously, we had seen a high level of used equipment being bought and this is now being fully utilised,” he said. “As the market grows, we are seeing companies investing in new equipment and last year’s growth was as a direct result of crane sales from around the state. We have stock in the yard and on order for delivery, to make sure that our customers do not have to wait months for a delivery, and because we are confident, we know what the market needs. “Normally a crane is ordered to customer specifications; it would be manufactured and delivered sometimes taking as long as 8 months. So instead, we have cranes ready for delivery. With various market sectors in Queensland experiencing growth, including mining, infrastructure and major construction projects, TRT are in a position to expand and grow with their operations,” said Dance. The Queensland operation also has a strong focus on parts and support. “Since establishing TRT Australia we have grown this parts and support operation seven fold,’ said Baker. “Parts are a key element of our customer support
promise and we can only see continued growth as long as we continue to provide the expertise and meet the delivery expectations. Leveraging off our already established international supply chain from the New Zealand parts operation, which far exceeds the size of Australia – at this stage,” he said. There is another 4000sqm backing onto TRT’s Murarrie facility so there is plenty of capacity for growth on the site. With TRT’s projected growth in Australia, plans are currently being considered for development of this area. The TRT trailer business is headed up by Bruce Carden, Director of Manufacturing. “Bruce often reminds the team that TRT only batch builds in two, ‘that’s because if we are not constantly improving on the last two, then we are not challenging ourselves to do better, he says.” “I joined the company 18 months ago and within a month I watched a ‘state of the art’ trailer leave the factory. At the Brisbane Truck show, we launched the successor to that taking heavy transport trailer technology to the next level. He is already talking about the improvements that can be made to the next model. The trailer business has seen some really strong growth in Australia, and we can see further opportunities as the market remains strong,” said Baker. The ‘special build’ gantry.
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IN FOCUS / SANY CRANES
SANY IS COMING; AND IN A BIG WAY Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer SANY Heavy Industries has been supplying equipment into the Australian crane sector for some time. Crane performance and customer feedback has been relayed to the factory in China to assist in the product development program and SANY is now ready for a major push into the market. Cranes and Lifting reports. MANY IN THE AUSTRALIAN CRANE SECTOR may be surprised to learn that heavy equipment manufacturer SANY has been quietly going about its business for the last decade. This low profile approach has been building towards the Chinese firm’s next step in the Australian market. Crane and Lifting recently spoke with two of SANY’s heavy lifters, SANY, Director of SANY International Headquarters, Wanchun Zhou and SANY, General Manager of SANY Australia and New Zealand, Nitin Khanna, to better understand this strategy and the company’s plans for the Australian and New Zealand markets. “SANY is number one in China and our market share has been growing since the middle of 2016. We realise that if we want further dramatic growth, we must take on the international markets. Over the next five years, SANY will focus on these markets but we need to do things right,” Zhou says. After a significant downturn in
the domestic construction equipment market, the Chinese economy rebounded significantly in the second half of 2016 and local manufacturers began experiencing growth. SANY’s market share has improved significantly and it has been growing much faster than any other Chinese manufacturer, according to Zhou, who adds that SANY’s success is reflected in its logo and business philosophy. “SANY’s business philosophy is based on ‘quality changes the world’ and we are committed to manufacturing a highquality premium product, no matter what,” he says. “When you examine the SANY logo, you will see that it consists of three ones. These symbolise the company vision, to be a first class company, to develop first class talent and to make a first class contribution to the world.” Zhou says, last year’s combined sales revenue was US$7 billion ($10.4 billion). “For the past 10 years, we have had products operating in mature markets
like Australia, Europe and the US. This presence has not been to gain market share in a short period, we have to be patient in these markets. From an image and branding point of view, it takes time for the customer to gain confidence in a brand. We have excellent product, but we need to ensure it meets with local certifications and is compliant with regulations.” Over the past decade, SANY has used its market experience to continue a development program across all product lines. According to Khanna, SANY has been patient with its global plan. “The past 10 years has been about research and preparation for SANY. We have taken our experience back to the factory and invested heavily in research and design across our product lines. We now see ourselves ready to grow dramatically in markets like Australia, it’s good timing for the brand,” Khanna says. SANY has cranes operating in Australia as well as the entire range of
Zhejiang SANY Equipment also boasts a state-of-the-art testing yard capable of holding complete prototype tests, comprehensive testing and commissioning processes.
September 2019 CAL / 71
IN FOCUS / SANY CRANES
concrete machinery. An example of this is the Chevronoperated Wheatstone Project, one of Australia’s largest resource projects. Located at Ashburton north, 12 km west of Onslow in Western Australia. The Wheatstone Project is a joint venture between Australian subsidiaries Chevron, Apache Corporation, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), Shell and Kyushu Electric Power Company (Kyushu) together with PE Wheatstone Pty Ltd (part owned by TEPCO).The initial phase of the project consists of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains with a combined capacity of 8.9 million tonnes per annum along with a domestic gas plant. Two crawler cranes from SANY have been working at the construction site. One was operating on a 15m high concrete platform with guide rail. As the only equipment working at this height, the SCC8300 crawler crane assumes the lifting tasks of large steel frames, flagstones and other construction tools under the 59m main boom working condition. The second SCC8300 was lifting the pipelines, and was the only crane conducting these lifts. Combined, both cranes were integral to the success of the project. According to SANY, the project had a high safety standard requirement for the
crawler crane and after installation and debugging, the excellent performance and stability of the SANY crawler cranes earned praise from the customer. Zhejiang SANY Equipment is the global production base for SANY Heavy Industry crawler cranes. It boasts a testing yard capable of holding complete prototype tests, intelligent production lines and comprehensive testing and commissioning processes. SANY crawler cranes are utilised across a broad range of industries including nuclear, wind farms and civil construction in 40 countries across the globe. According to SANY, the SCC3600A crawler crane is known as the number one crane in the world in its class with the maximum lifting capacity of 3600t. The innovative boom system of herringbone dual base ensures a strong lifting power which is especially good for super lift applications. Powered by two water-cooled, fuel efficient and low emission 6-cylinder Cummins engines with rated power of 641kW/rpm, SCC36000A crawler crane shows great productivity and economical feature. The four-track, eight-drive system of the main machine and counterweight produce a small, even ground pressure and is easier to transport. Moreover, the precise and reliable synchronised control system realises a synchronised rotary and
Zhejiang SANY Equipment, the global production base for SANY Heavy Industry crawler cranes, boasts intelligent production lines. 72 / CAL September 2019
walking control of main machine and superstructure. “Over the past decade, SANY product has been well received by the Australian market. When you talk about the crane, construction, road and concrete sectors there is no doubt that customers have full confidence in our equipment and brand,” Khanna said. “For us, Australia is a mirror for other international markets, so if we are successful here, other global markets will look at SANY differently,” he said. “Our approach to the Australian market has been slow, patient and deliberate,” Khanna says. “The emphasis needs to be on service, aftersales and product support as well as equipment configuration. We have spent time studying the market, ensuring we introduce the right type of models rather than introduce product we think the market will buy,” he said. “We have done our due diligence and flown under the radar because we want our approach to be right from the beginning,” he says. “Chinese products are normally regarded as mid-ranged compared to European, US and Japanese brands which compete at the premium end of the market,” Lee says. “From the beginning, SANY has developed a premium product range. From design through to performance, quality and reliability, customers acknowledge that SANY products are on par with premium products but we have a decided competitive cost advantage,” he said, “that is our unique position.” SANY has divided the global market into regions including Latin America, Africa, the Middle-East, Australasia, Russia, Southeast Asia, US, Europe and India. To support the 10 plants in China, SANY has major manufacturing hubs in Brazil, India, the US and Germany. “Over the next five years, we have big and dramatic plans for the Australian market. We want to be market leader in each segment. That’s a clear goal, not just cranes, but every segment including mining, construction and ports, concrete. There’s a mega construction boom in Australia for years to come and we want SANY to play a major role,” said Lee.
LIFTING INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS Two Way Cranes recently completed the acquisition of Gillespie’s Crane Services We now offer customers: A modern fleet of 35 cranes with capacities ranging from 3t to 350t A state-of-the-art professional service from a team with experience second to none Strict adherence to quality standards and safe work practices on every project Our safety record is impeccable, and we hold current AS/NZS 4801 Occupational Health and Safety certification See why we are your ideal partner for your next construction project.
02 9622 8830 | info&twowaycranes.com.au | www.twowaycranes.com.au
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IN FOCUS / RUSSELL TRANSPORT
Russell Transport recently took delivery of the Lift-N-Lock portable hydraulic gantry system that can lift and shift up to 320t.
ACHIEVING THE COMPLETE LOGISTICS SOLUTION Russell Transport offers complete logistics solutions; transport, lifting and freight terminal services. With their new portable gantry system and a focus on service with safety, the business continues to grow and diversify. RUSSELL TRANSPORT WAS FOUNDED by Roy Bayley Russell in 1925 and has remained a family business for 94 years. Today, the company is run by the third generation, Ken Russell, Director of Operations and Julie Russell, Director of Support Services, and they continue to impart the same family business traditions and values instilled by their father, Philip, and grandparents, Roy and Beryl. Russell Transport operates from various locations across South East Queensland, providing versatile solutions to customers Australia wide. The company is structured into two divisions; Contract Distribution and Industrial Resource Services. Russell Transport’s Contract Distribution Division has a wide range of operations covering on-line grocery deliveries, steel products, building and construction materials and liquor distribution. Additionally, they
run several other regional transport operations along the east coast. The Industrial Resource Services division provides a complete logistical solution including; heavy haulage, Freight Terminal services, Specialised and General transport and lift and shift solutions. Russell Transport invested in quality people, equipment and technology to provide lift and shift capabilities include a 200 tonne Skidding and Skating system and their brand new 320 tonne Lift-N-Lock. The business initially started with one truck delivering kerosene for the Commonwealth Oil Refinery in 1925 and has seen a steady growth and diversification. Over the years the service offerings have transformed into complete end to end logistical solutions across multiple industries. The drive for continual improvement and surviving the tough times has been passed down from one generation to
the next. With a focus on service with safety, Russell Transport has made South East Queensland its base of operations, with four depots. The head office and workshop services has been based in Eagle Farm since 1970 after moving operations from New Farm. At Lytton, their second depot operates to service the Port of Brisbane, and depots on the Gold Coast and on the Sunshine Coast provide the coverage for their contract distribution operations. The Lytton facilities offers freight terminal services including full Australian Quarantine Inspection Services, such as washing, inspections, clearances and fumigation. The site is an accredited customs bond secure facility, designed to handle anything from small boxes to heavy mining equipment. According to Isabella Burke, Assistant Operations and Key Accounts Manager, Russell Transport, the latest addition to the Russell Transport fleet is very exciting. September 2019 CAL / 75
IN FOCUS / RUSSELL TRANSPORT
Damien Pollock COO, Isabella Burke Assistant Operations Manager, Ken Russell Director.
“We recently took delivery of our Lift-N-Lock, a portable hydraulic gantry system that can lift and shift up to 320t. With its ease of mobilisation and lifting capacity, it has the ability to provide more efficient and safer lifting and installation options compared to large mobile or crawler cranes,” she said. “The efficiency gains can be astronomical just in the mobilisation. The system only takes four semis to mobilise it anywhere, whereas the mobilisation costs of one or two large mobile cranes can become a huge cost to complete the same operation.” The Lift-N-Lock product arrived in July and is a US-produced system manufactured by J&R Engineering. “It provides us with ideal lifting capabilities for applications such as installing transformers, generators and industrial machinery. Generally, places mobile cranes can’t access or would then require the use of very large capacity cranes to achieve the lift or task required. It’s an excellent solution for heavy and specialised lifts and provides a crucial piece of the puzzle in supporting our goal of end to end solutions,” said Burke. “This system offers flexible solutions for controlling the final installation or unload point. With full remote control, it can remove operators from risks and dangers, and allows flexibility of vision for the crew operating the unit. However, for some sites like airports 76 / CAL September 2019
that require non-wireless operations it has a cable option,” she said. The J&R Engineering Gantry system features the exclusive Lift-N-Lock cam locking technology, which provides true continual load protection throughout the duration of the lift. In the unlikely event a lift cylinder would lose pressure or otherwise fail, the system will immediately engage to hold the load in place. This ensures that a suspended load is never inadvertently lowered or dropped The Lift-N-Shifts cam lock system will hold the load indefinitely. Essentially, the system has a mechanical lock out system and not a hydraulic lock. The Lift and Lock and Skidding and Skating service dramatically adds to the capabilities of Metro-Lift Crane Hire, a mobile crane hire business also owned by the Russell’s since 1991. “Metro-Lift is our dry hire crane business which offers a variety of lifting solutions Australia wide. Currently, our fleet of 16 cranes, ranges from a 12t city crane to a 280t crawler. Our cranes are predominantly operating in Queensland however we have previously had cranes operating in New South Wales, Western Australia and America, if it works for both parties, we can provide a lifting solution,” said Burke. According to Burke, across the business’s they operate, the fleet is designed to be versatile with its capabilities and capacities focused
to deliver outcomes their customers require. “Recently, we’ve seen a significantly higher level of demand from the mining sector, leading to strong utilisation of our Heavy Haulage operations which goes hand and hand with our lifting and shifting options we have within our group. Adding the Lift-N-Lock into our fleet has come at a perfect time,” she said. Russell Transport are focussed on ensuring customers are provided with the right solution for the right application. “My job is to confirm our capabilities with our clients and to establish what services they require and then ensure our team offers our services in a co-ordinated approach. I maintain contact and provide any KPI data they require. To build long term relationships, clients must be satisfied with our offering which includes an understanding of the required levels of compliance, maintenance and proof of delivery required,” she said. “At Russell Transport and MetroLift, we talk with the client and work out exactly what they need and which of our services will be best suited to meet their requirements. For example, a client based in the city will probably do very little kilometres and spend more hours operating the crane, but cranes hired in central Queensland will spend more time travelling because the jobs just aren’t close together,” said Burke. “As we evolve and re-shape our offering with new lift and shift options, we continue to be ready to support new project opportunities. The resource behind the equipment team includes a compliance team that maintains our accreditation standards (AS) and industry accreditations through to an in-house Engineering Support team that offers CAD drawings and simulations. To offer end-to-end solutions, we must ensure all the pieces work together safely, on budget and in a compliant manner. With our range of equipment and support services, we are ready to deliver a piece or the entire end to end project,” she said.
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IN FOCUS / TUTT BRYANT
TUTT BRYANT FINDS THE MISSING LINK Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift recently added a Link Belt TCC 1400 to its fleet for a remote application in Western Australia. Cranes and Lifting finds out more. TUTT BRYANT HEAVY LIFT & SHIFT IS ONE of the major crane hire, heavy haulage and special projects providers in Australia. Operating one of the largest crawler crane fleets in the region supported by other lifting and haulage assets, it has key operation centres in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, Darwin, Karratha and in NSW’s Hunter region. Malcom Smith is the National Operations Manager, Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift and Shift, and he provides an insight into the companies crane fleet. “As far as the Tutt Bryant fleet is concerned the majority of our cranes are crawler cranes. We support various OEM’s and we have machines from Terex Demag, Manitowoc, Hitachi Sumitomo, Grove, Liebherr and a couple of Kobelcos, but the majority of our fleet would be Hitachi Sumitomo,” said Smith. “With the tele-crawler fleet, we have two Link Belts which are TCC 1100, 100t machines. We bought these in second hand from Singapore, through our parent company, Tat Hong. We also brought in two 80t Sennebogens which have been well supported by Pace Cranes in Sydney,” he said. Tutt Bryant recently purchased a new Link Belt TCC 1400 and according to
Smith it complements the fleet nicely. “There are a number of reasons for purchasing the Link Belt TCC 1400. It’s the best in class in terms of capacity and boom length, it’s very flexible in the way it transports, it’s self erection features and its ease of use are second to none and we’ve received first class product support through the Baden Davis Crane Connection,” he said. Link-Belt has been building tele crawlers for ten years and like the other models in the range the TCC-1400 is
designed to be “a robust, simple, and reliable telescopic crawler crane for a wide range of users.” According to the manufacturer, it’s its 59.5m power, pin and latch boom is in six sections and is the longest in its class. A three-section bifold lattice fly jib extends to a maximum tip height to 78.9m and can be carried on board. Its capacity chart at radius rivals lattice crawlers of a similar base rating. Power is from a 320 hp (239 kW) Tier IV Final Cummins QSL diesel driving variable displacement piston pumps
Operating in remote environments, equipment needs to be very reliable, basically bulletproof and easy to operate. September 2019 CAL / 79
IN FOCUS / TUTT BRYANT
“For us, it’s about testing the machine and assessing market acceptance of the machine in lieu of a big rough terrain or all terrain. We do believe this machine will sell itself, and in time, we can continue to build a fleet of this sized machine and maybe, into the future, we’ll endeavour to move up into the 200t or even 250t categories.” which include(s) a new auto idle feature to improve fuel economy. Engine speed is automatically reduced to idle after ten seconds of no functions being used. Preset engine speeds are then resumed on demand according to function. “From our point of view, we were attracted to the overall package the machine provided as well as the support from the Link Belt factory in the US on top of the local support,” said Smith. “The availability of the machine was also a factor. It was a stock machine and we had a requirement for a specific machine with that sort of boom length for a job for BHP at South Flank which is where the crane has gone. We shipped it from Sydney to Perth where we undertook all the training. The crane was then transported to site where it will see approximately 12 months hire, maybe longer,” he said. Another noteworthy feature is the electronic inclinometer with capacities for lifting at up to 4° out of level sideways. The electronic swing brake is linked with the Link-Belt Pulse system to allow the operator to define a work zone and create a virtual wall with audible alarms and function stop. There is a tilting cab and a camera system for rear view and winches. For easier maintenance there are PTFE boom slider pads that don’t need grease while, for the points that do, there is a centralised lubrication system. Pressure ports for the hydraulics are also grouped together, while pressure readings can also be taken from the in-cab Pulse monitor. Hydraulic pilot operated control valves were chosen to be simple and dependable. In transport, the main load weighs under 44t, and for assembly it has tapered axles instead of traditional stub axles for easier side frame installation. The TCC counterweight removal system attaches 80 / CAL September 2019
for the maximum 23t (approx.) of upper counterweight and is a six-piece modular design that allows for capacity charts with partial counterweight. There is also 11.4t of carbody counterweight. “We have two 80t and two 100t’s capacity machines so the addition of the TCC 1400 with a 127t capacity seemed to be a nice fit, a little bigger in size to what we had previously,” said Smith. “There’s a lot of competition in the 80t and below category in the tele-crawler market, especially on the east coast. There’s probably not as much competition on the west coast, but we felt there would be a bigger market for larger rather than smaller cranes,” he said. “For us, it’s about testing the machine and assessing market acceptance of the machine in lieu of a big rough terrain or all terrain. We do believe this machine will sell itself, and in time, we can continue to build a fleet of this sized machine and maybe, into the future, we’ll endeavour to move up into the 200t or even 250t categories,” said Smith.
Smith explains the relationship with the Baden Davis Crane Connection goes back years. “Tutt Bryant has a very strong relationship there, and personally speaking, I’ve known Anthony and Ben for many years. For us, operating in such a remote environment, especially up in the Kimberley and the north west of WA, and the majority of our projects are remote, we need our equipment to be very reliable, very robust, basically bullet proof and easy to operate,” he said. “But when there is a mechanical problem, we need it to be fixed relatively easily and we need parts and technical support to fix it. We need to be able to react quickly because if a machine is down it means huge costs through lost productivity. In remote locations where the team are all FIFO, it’s not as if you can send them to another job whilst a bit of equipment is repaired,” he said. The Link Belt TC 1400 features a lot of technological advancements with new concepts, new ideas and improvements from the TCC 1100s, including remote diagnostics which help when it’s operating so remotely. “It will be interesting to see how the machine performs over the longer term. There are only two machines currently in Australia, but it’s a great machine. It’s been working for about a month and so far, the customer has been nothing but positive towards the machine,” said Smith.
Link Belt TCC 1400 is best in class in terms of capacity and boom length and it’s very flexible in the way it transports.
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IN FOCUS / FRANNA Moving with the market, the additional capacity of the AT 40 has been invaluable on certain jobs – Metcalf Crane Services.
FRANNA TO UNVEIL THE ROAD AHEAD AT CICA CONFERENCE Franna will once again participate in this year’s CICA Conference from 17-19 October 2019 in Hunter Valley, NSW, where it will relaunch the Franna brand and showcase the new AT 40 and improved MAC 25. Cranes and Lifting catches up with General Manager, Danny Black, to find out more. EARLIER THIS YEAR, TEREX ANNOUNCED the sale of Demag mobile cranes and changes within the organisational structure of the company, which included the Franna Cranes business becoming part of the Terex Materials Processing segment. These changes coincided with the decision to relaunch the iconic Franna brand, which has been a household name in Australia since its inception back in 1978. Danny Black, General Manager of Franna Cranes said, “The relaunch of the Franna brand not only provides sentimental value to our customers and team members, but also helps us align ourselves with the culture in the Terex Materials Processing segment, to which Franna is now a part of. These changes will enable us to focus on the benefits which the Franna brand has historically been renowned for – a brand focussed on exceeding our customers’ 82 / CAL September 2019
expectations with innovative solutions and exceptional ongoing support.” Another exciting element of Franna’s brand relaunch is a fresh focus on international exporting. Danny Black said that given success of their pick and carry product offering in the domestic market, Franna have identified a number of exporting opportunities for their solutions. He also announced that Thomas Coulter has been appointed as the new Franna International Sales Manager and will be available at the CICA conference to discuss international dealership opportunities. THE LAUNCH OF THE AT 40 The Franna AT 40 is the result of a collaborative, Terex-wide design project and incorporates the latest technology with engineering excellence. This articulated crane boasts 44 per cent more load moment capacity than the Franna
MAC 25. The 3-axle design eliminates the need for a removable counterweight and the third axle control system raises axle 3 when operating on a work site, providing similar turning circle as the MAC 25. Additional features include a full width isolated cabin, articulating counterweight and increased cabin storage. Mike Atherden, Principal Engineer at Franna explains, “Customers have been asking for a higher capacity crane and the AT 40 is our solution.” Metcalf Crane Services, a Franna AT 40 customer stated, “The new AT 40 has been a great addition to our fleet. Moving with the market, the additional capacity of the AT 40 has been invaluable on certain jobs. Coupled with the obvious benefits of having no requirement for additional counterweight, the machine is proving a valuable asset every day.”
Borger Cranes, another AT 40 customer commented, “When two market leaders work together, great results can be achieved. Borger Cranes was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Franna on the new AT 40. It is a great crane and allows us to better serve our customers in higher capacity lifting applications. Being the first AT 40 in NSW, it has certainly drawn some attention and we believe this will be a successful partnership going forward.” THE NEW AND IMPROVED MAC 25 The latest options available on the MAC 25 are customer-led and address the ever-changing demands of the pick and carry customer. With consideration to our large market share and number of pick and carry cranes in operation, safety is at the heart of Franna. First released in 2013, Franna’s patented Dynamic
LMI remains as a pillar of safety, underpinning the electronic control and user experience offered today. The system is designed to offer “real-time” calculation of rated capacity taking into account boom configuration, as well as chassis articulation, pitch and roll, enabling continual assessment of structural limitations, forward stability and side stability. Increased resolution of rated capacity is made possible by finer measurement of articulation pitch and role angles, allowing for improved machine capability compared to previous generation LMI systems. When operated on a jobsite over undulating terrain, the rated capacity will be updated continually, providing instantaneous information on the percentage utilisation of the machine (0100 per cent of available capacity). When operating on a side slope or undulating
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terrain, operators are no longer required to manually calculate a reduction of rated capacity; the Franna Dynamic LMI does that –making every lift safer. OTHER OPERATIONAL AIDS INCLUDE: • Automatic counterweight detection; • Operator settable maximum working height; • Maximum working radius; • Maximum front axle weight; • Rigging limits; • Percentage of rated capacity; Speaking about the upcoming CICA show, Craig Hain, Sales Manager said, “Our Franna team look forward to seeing our customers and partners throughout CICA to introduce these latest innovations and offer their experience and expertise to customers who are seeking maximum safety, efficiency, performance and serviceability.”
IN FOCUS / FINLEASE
THE BENEFITS OF ACCELERATED DEPRECIATION Finlease explains to Cranes and Lifting how Accelerated Depreciation can benefit crane businesses with a turnover of up to $10 million. AFTER THE 2016 AND 2017 BUDGETS, much of the publicity surrounded the ability for larger businesses to claim 100 per cent depreciation on assets purchased for less than $20,000 (now $30,000) through the reclassification of small business to incorporate companies with a turnover of up to $10million. According to Jeff Wilson a partner at Finlease, this is “small change” compared to what became available to those companies under the Simplified Depreciation Rules. Under the Simplified Depreciation Rules, company owners can actively elect to place all of their assets in a pool for depreciation purposes and claim
depreciation rates of 15 per cent in the first year and 30 per cent in each subsequent year (on a Diminishing Value [DV] basis). “This was previously a benefit only afforded to companies with a turnover of less than $2 million but has now been opened up to much larger organisations. Even two to three years on, we are still seeing companies completely unaware of this very significant benefit,” said Wilson. “Owners of businesses in such capital-intensive industries such as manufacturing, transport, civil construction and other related fields should take heed of this depreciation
bonanza,” he said. The best way to explain this is via the following example: Artarmon Cranes runs a fleet of 20 cranes, has a turnover of $8 million per annum, a profit of $1 million per annum and resultant tax bill of $300,000 per annum. The current written down value of their crane fleet is $4 million, and they have been historically depreciating their cranes at 10 per cent DV ($400,000) per annum, which was expensed prior to the $1million profit. In 2017, Artarmon Cranes (who are now reclassified as a Small Business) placed all of their cranes into the new Simplified Depreciation System prior
DEPRECIATION COMPARISON 10% V 30% ON $4 MILLION Standard Depreciation
Accelerated Depreciation
10% DV
30% DV
each year ($) Opening Balance
cumulative ($)
4,000,000
each year ($)
Difference
cumulative ($)
each year ($)
cumulative ($)
4,000,000
2017
Depreciation
400,000
400,000
600,000
600,000
200,000
200,000
2018
Depreciation
360,000
760,000
1,020,000
1,620,000
660,000
860,000
2019
Depreciation
324,000
1,084,000
714,000
2,334,000
390,000
1,250,000
2020
Depreciation
291,600
1,375,600
499,800
2,833,800
208,200
1,458,200
2021
Depreciation
262,440
1,638,040
349,860
3,183,660
87,420
1,545,620
Closing balance
2,361,960
816,340 Depreciation comparison 7.19 MOD on $4mil V2 (figure 1)
84 / CAL September 2019
Under the Simplified Depreciation Rules, company owners can actively elect to place all of their assets in a pool for depreciation purposes and claim depreciation rates of 15 per cent in the first year and 30 per cent in each subsequent year (on a Diminishing Value [DV] basis). to June 30th, 2017 claiming 15 per cent DV depreciation in for the 2017 financial year and 30 per cent for 2018 and beyond on their $4million fleet. The depreciation in 2017 climbed from $400,000 (10 per cent DV) to $600,000 (15 per cent DV) with the extra $200,000 in depreciation claimed reducing their taxable profit from $1 million to $800,000 resulting in the tax bill being reduced from $300,000 to $240,000. The depreciation in 2018 climbed from $360,000 (10 per cent DV) to $1,020,000 (30 per cent DV) with the extra $660,000 in depreciation reducing their taxable profit from $1 million to $340,000 resulting in the tax bill reducing from $300,000 to $102,000. It is important to remember the diminishing value methodology of this accelerated depreciation, which on the above figures shows the following profile in the table for future years: Although the example has been used for a crane company, this could easily be applied to companies who require large amounts of expensive equipment such as manufacturing, earthmoving equipment, transport or concrete pumping companies, just to name a few. There are two additional aspects which provide further benefits. DEPRECIATION OFFSET RULES Under the pooling provisions within the simplified depreciation system, all assets sit in this pool. If an asset which has been depreciated to say $100,000 (as a part of an overall $800,000 pool) and it is sold for $300,000, there is no immediate “profit on sale” extraordinary income issue and resultant tax bill. The overall
pool is simply reduced to $500,000 ($800,000 - $300,000). In other words, there is not a tax liability created on the “profit from the sale of asset” because it simply reduces the balance of the pool for future depreciation. In this context, the profit on the sale is simply the value of the asset sold, relative to its written down value (WDV). Similarly, when a new asset is purchased for say $600,000 after the sale of the old asset, the pool value would increase from $500,000 to $1.1million. “Now remember, the depreciation rate on this overall pool is 30 per sent DV, 15 per cent for the first year on any new asset coming into the pool and then 30 per cent for each year after that,” said Wilson. “The level of depreciation claim will alter each year as a function of this, however at substantially higher levels than previously claimed prior to entering into this accelerated depreciation pool,” he said. DEDUCTIBLE PREPAYMENT OF EXPENSES The other benefit available to larger companies with a turnover up to $10 million per annum is now the ability to claim deductions for the prepayment of up to 12 months on allowable expenses. For profitable companies with good cash flow, this is an ideal way to pre-pay some of next year’s expenses and receive a tax deduction for them this year. In a tax regime where you not only have to pay this year’s tax but also prepay next year’s expected tax via the payas-you-go (PAYG) percentage estimate of turnover on your quarterly businessactivity-statement (BAS), any reduction in these expenses are beneficial.
Jeff Wilson with 24 years experience financing heavy equipment.
At the risk of being a government groupie, this change in the recalibration of small business from $2 million to $10 million in annual turnover has given an enormous number of businesses some real benefits in increased legitimate tax deductions which will go a long way to preserving cash. “As the largest employer of people in Australia, small business has, through the above initiatives, been given a more supportive environment from which to grow and prosper. “As the late Kerry Packer most famously said during the 1991 Senate Enquiry ‘if anyone in this country doesn’t (legitimately) minimise their tax, they want their heads read’,” said Wilson. If you are a company involved in such capital-intensive industries, who historically incur significant tax liabilities or expect to do so, it is advisable to speak with a specialist in this area or your accountants as a matter of absolute priority to investigate this significant opportunity. A useful link to understand this concept can be found at: https://www.ato.gov.au/ business/depreciation-and-capital-expensesand-allowances/simpler-depreciation-forsmall-business/ September 2019 CAL / 85
Borger cranes is a family owned and operated crane hire and rigging business. Based in Sydney, we have large depots in Glendening and Newcastle, NSW.
Borger cranes maintain a modern fleet of cranes and equipment and our fleet boasts two of the largest all terrain cranes on the east coast. With every job, our experienced and industry trained team delivers high quality performance and nothing but excellence. Borger cranes getting the job done for you.
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED Glendenning Office
Newcastle Office
Lot 2 Kilto Crescent Glendenning, NSW 2761
13B School Drive Tomago, NSW 2322
(02) 9832 1044 (02) 9832 1033
(02) 4961 3002 (02) 4961 4561
BORGERCRANES.COM
IN FOCUS / ROBWAY SYSTEMS
THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF CAMERAS ON CRANES The crane sector is steadily embracing the safety benefits and productivity gains digital camera systems offer. Cranes and Lifting finds out more from Jon Koval from Robway Systems. CAMERAS ON CRANES ADD A MEASURE OF safety to the job site. They can increase productivity and speed whilst decreasing the number of accidents and property damaging incidents. For construction workers on the ground, cameras provide a degree of assurance that everything is under control with every lift of the crane. Jon Koval, General Manager, Robway Systems highlights the various types of crane camera technology and their relevance to different applications. Crane safety requirements come from many sources including national workplace safety organisations, industry association design and safe use standards, codes of practice, and industry best practice. The responsibility for ensuring compliance doesn’t rest with any single individual; responsible parties can range from a worker on the job site to company directors and owners. When hazard identification and risk mitigation are assessed, reversing cameras are typically considered. However, other failure modes may not be detected by standard safety equipment installed on a crane. Some of the following failure modes could be detected with a camera monitoring system installed on the crane. • Failure of luffing ropes and hoist ropes; • Personnel struck by loads; • Fixed and mobile plants struck by loads; • Reversing hazards; • Personnel struck by cab/ counterweights during slewing; In each of these cases a video monitoring system could be an effective prevention measure.
WINCH CAMERA Layering of winch ropes is critical to safe use of the crane by preventing damage to luff and hoist ropes. In some cases, a single wide-viewing-angle winch camera can be used to view multiple winches. If this is not possible, a single camera can be positioned above each winch. Cameras can also be positioned at the boom tip for monitoring the head sheaves.
View of the load in a tower crane application.
LOAD CAMERAS Attaching and detaching the load is a simple task with a camera system. A load camera provides a view of the load and the surrounding construction site. Due to the power of the camera lens, the image remains sharp when zooming and even during extreme weather conditions. Hoisting the load over a building can be a difficult task without a camera. Being able to observe a load continually during a lift is invaluable to the operator, especially in cases where the operator does not have a direct line of sight to the load throughout the lift. If the operator can identify a hazard a fraction of a second before being notified by a rigger, it can make the difference between hazard avoidance or serious injury or worse. An auto-focus zoom camera allows the operator to observe the load in great detail particularly in tower crane applications. A 7-inch monitor is ideal for one or two cameras. For multiple cameras, a 12-inch monitor may be used to show up to five camera images formatted on one screen. It is also possible to configure multiple screens enabling the operator to select a specific angle or view of the operation being performed.
PROXIMITY RADAREYE SYSTEM RadarEye is an integrated, active view system designed to detect and see objects in zones obscured from the operator’s view. The RadarEye system detects stationary as well as moving objects in a designated coverage area offering additional safety and efficiency. With the RadarEye system the operator is actively warned with audible tones that increase in rate as objects come closer. A detected object is highlighted on the monitor enabling the operator to respond, preventing damage to the crane and other equipment as well as injury to personnel. The SRD sensors rugged in design and feature shockproof and waterproof casing which are not affected by adverse weather condition like snow, rain, mud and or temperature changes. RadarEye is capable of visualising the radar-zones on the display so as soon as a person enters the zone it activates a transparent visualisation (standard/custom preset settings) to ensure the driver is aware of the potential danger. In addition to RadarEye, cameras can be used to provide a 360 degree view of the perimeter of a crane. September 2019 CAL / 87
IN FOCUS / LIEBHERR
REACHING THE 10,000 MILESTONE MCG Cranes recently took delivery of a used Liebherr LTM 1350-6.1 mobile crane, the 10,000th used crane to be supplied by Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH since the company was founded. MCG CRANES STARTED BUSINESS IN 2006 as an Australian family-owned company with just a single mobile crane. From the very beginning, the company focused on providing its customers with additional benefits and now, just 13 years later, MCG Cranes is one of the largest crane contractors in Victoria. The company now has a 90-strong workforce with a large fleet of mobile and crawler cranes and over 40 tower cranes for the growing construction industry in the Greater Victoria region in Australia. The LTM 1350-6.1 is an addition to the top end of the MCG Cranes fleet. It is now the company’s largest all-terrain crane. The 350t crane is a perfect fit for the MCG Cranes business model for erecting and dismantling its own tower cranes. “The design of the ballast and the Y-guying to increase the lifting capacity convinced us of the quality of the LTM 1350-6.1 from the very start,” says Glenn Martin, owner of MCG Cranes. Other performance features, such as the boom length of 70m and the good lifting capacity values at large radii, also helped with the decision in favour of the LTM 1350-6.1. As a result of the current lead time for a new LTM 1350-6.1, the option
to buy a used crane was very welcome to the owners of MCG Cranes, Mick, Glenn and Danny Martin. “We were able to work very well with Mick, Glenn and Danny from the outset. The decision to buy the used crane was made very quickly and all three provided us with great support from the beginning to the delivery”, Tom Grady, Used Crane Manager, Liebherr-Australia, tells Cranes and Lifting. After a one-week intensive training course on site and the subsequent crane handover, the LTM 1350-6.1 was able to showcase its performance by erecting and later dismantling a construction crane at a residential block. Liebherr has a large selection of used mobile and crawler cranes. Crane experts inspect every machine before it is sold to ensure that used cranes also deliver maximum safety. As Liebherr is the manufacturer, it can adjust the crane configuration to meet the customer’s needs. For example, MCG Cranes ordered a remote control and preparations to operate the crane with a dolly. At the manufacturing plant, Liebherr modified the crane so that it could be licensed in Australia.
First job for the LTM 1350-6.1 was to erect and later dismantle a tower crane.
Liebherr has its own repair centres at the factory site in Ehingen, in Oberhausen and Alt Bork as well as in a number of other countries within the worldwide Liebherr sales and service network. In Australia, Liebherr’s presence not only includes sales and service sites for mobile and crawler cranes in Sydney, but also local technicians for more remote areas.
The 10,000th used crane with the repair centre team at Liebherr in Ehingen.
September 2019 CAL / 89
IN FOCUS / MEMBREY IMPERIAL MAINTENANCE
MAINTAINING MEMBREY’S FLEET Membrey’s Transport and Crane Hire place a major emphasis on maintenance and nothing but the best lubricants are required. MEMBREY’S TRANSPORT AND CRANE HIRE has been in the business of transport and crane hire for over 50 years. Managing Director, Craig Membrey, took over the business from his father in 1989 and he has steadily built the business and the crane fleet ever since. Membrey’s Operations Manager, Daniel Narkiewicz, told Cranes and Lifting that the business continues to have a strong focus on maintenance. “I’ve been around cranes for over 19 years and with Membrey’s for that time. I’m responsible for the operations of the company and I answer to the boss on everything relating to the operations of the business including fleet allocation control, maintenance of the fleet, back and forth with the work shop, booking jobs and managing hire enquiries,” he said. “We run 18 cranes with capacities varying from 2t-350t. We predominantly run Liebherr in the fleet and we have Frannas, Katos and right down to a small UNIC mini crawlers. The maintenance of the fleet is managed in house unless there is a major issue. Mitch is our full-time crane technician and he helps manage the maintenance of the cranes. I know he works closely with Imperial Oil Lubricants and uses a number of their crane specific Shuttle Boom Grease products. “We’re using Imperial Oil’s Panolin Orcon TEF2 Boom Grease on pretty much all the cranes and it’s the number one go to as far as boom lubricant is concerned. It’s been an excellent product, it’s been performing really well, and it’s also a lot cheaper than going through the manufacturers for boom grease,” said 90 / CAL September 2019
A host of Imperial products help maintain the Membrey fleet.
Narkiewicz. Panolin Orcon TEF2 Boom Grease is a speciality lubricant for the lifting industry, specifically designed for telescoping boom cranes. Panolin Orcon TEF2 uses a synthetic thickener and contains PTFE (Teflon) to provide a long-lasting friction reducing lubricant for sliding surfaces. Less friction means longer wear pad life and much less boom chatter, allowing for safer crane operation. Aside from boom grease, Membrey’s also use Lube-A-Boom crane products supplied exclusively Imperial Oil as the Australian distributor. These products cover various other important applications on all forms of cranes as follow; Lube-A-Rope – is a thin wire rope and cable lubricant containing moly to provide maximum lubrication and protection. This product protects equipment against dust, dirt and water mitigation that can often increase friction and lead to failures. Lube-A-Rope wire and cable lubricant will not fly off – it clings and keeps working long after the initial application and importantly penetrates the core of the wire rope to prevent fatigue and extend the wire rope life. Applications include chains, sprockets,
cables, wire ropes, marine maintenance, industrial maintenance, drive chains, hoist chains and automotive maintenance. Lube-A- Gear is an open gear lubricant made with high quality residual stock and extreme pressure additives. This formulation is diluted with a flammable solvent that evaporates rapidly. The residue that is left on the gear surface is a tacky film that will not harden or flake off even at low temperatures. Lube-A-Boom Dry Film aerosol forms a thin quick drying fil that provides long wearing lubrication protection. It is ideal for high temperature applications where parts are exposed to continuous friction. The formulation contains extreme pressure additives for heavy duty applications which helps repel dust and contaminants and provides excellent adherence properties. As this product is a “dry film” it is ideal for use on extendable outriggers, smaller cranes with telescoping booms and aerial work platforms. “The service from Imperial Oil is great. When we need products, we ring them, or we have a member of their team call in and see our people. They are very easy to deal with and have everything we need when it comes to crane lubricant maintenance,” said Narkiewicz.
Built Australian.
Built tough
Humma are the only Australian made and owned pick and carry crane. Manufacturing since 1996 the flagship model is the high capacity Humma 55-25. With 55T capacity and self levelling suspension, the Humma 55T is the world’s highest capacity and safest articulated pick and carry crane in the world.
Proudly Australian Made and Owned for over 20 years.
Distributed and serviced by
www.hummacranes.com.au
www.australiancrane.com.au
IN FOCUS / CHEVRON FINANCE
Financing of mobile and tower cranes made easy with Chevron Finance.
MOBILE AND TOWER CRANE FINANCING Chevron Equipment Finance is one of Australia’s leading mobile and tower crane finance experts offering competitive rates and a professional Australia wide service. CHEVRON EQUIPMENT FINANCE OFFERS crane finance solutions for mobile and tower cranes from 10t to 1,000t and boasts significant experience funding Franna pick and carry cranes as well as all types of Liebherr, Grove and Demag mobile and crawler cranes. Quick approvals, no or low documentation finance, and flexible leasing options are available for all established operators. “Whether you’re buying a new or used crane, it’s extremely important to match the lending structure to the maintenance cycle of the asset. If the structure you use isn’t correct, there is a risk you could get to the end of the finance contract and have a large balloon at the same time the 10-year inspection is due – which can be a very costly experience. Our specialists understand these risks and can help implement a lending structure to suit your situation,” said Chevron Equipment Finance Director, Chris Bradd tells Cranes and Lifting. “Recently, a large client of ours 92 / CAL September 2019
was looking to purchase a 600t Terex CC2800 to complete a specific job. The crane was 7 years old and the job was scheduled to last only 18 months. Not wanting to own the crane after the job was complete or to hold the risk of having to complete the 10-year inspection the client came to us for a solution. We were able to customise an operating lease solution which would give the client the ability to lease the crane over 24 months and at the end of the period, simply hand it back to the finance company if they didn’t want to keep it. In the event more work was secured, they had the option to re-lease the crane though they had the flexibility to simply hand it back. This gave them the confidence to acquire the crane to complete their own project without the use of contractors, which greatly increased the margin on their job. They were able to do that without the risk of owning the crane after the job or having
HERE IS THE SIMPLE FIVE STEP APPLICATION PROCESS: Step One: Complete the Chevron Equipment Finance Pre-Approval form – which includes five easy questions at www.chevronfinance. com/pre-approval Step Two: From the details provided, one of Chevron Equipment Finance’s specialist crane finance brokers will be able to instantly determine whether you’re eligible for approval. Step Three: If the chances of approval are high, the broker will request a small amount of information from you which can easily be sent via email. Step Four: Once the information is received, the broker will spend approximately 10 minutes on the phone to properly understand your situation and requirements to ensure the most appropriate lender is found. Step Five: All going well, 24-48 hours later you will receive notification of the approval.
to undertake the 10-year inspection,” said Bradd. Chevron Equipment Finance is able to arrange no deposit finance for applicants with industry experience. Often a deposit or collateral security (such as another piece of equipment owned by the applicant) is required when financing cranes for a start-up business. However, because Chevron Equipment Finance takes the time to better understand a business, it can often avoid or minimise the amount of equity a customer needs to contribute. There are a number of factors that will affect the interest rate on a crane loan. The best interest rates are offered on cranes that are less than five years old at the time of purchase. Chevron Equipment Finance can also arrange finance for older cranes but the interest rate may not be as sharp, based on the
“Whether you’re buying a new or used crane, it’s extremely important to match the lending structure to the maintenance cycle of the asset.
increased risk of an older asset. Lower interest rates may also be offered to an applicant if they have a stable business history with at least two years’ financial statements. At the moment, crane finance rates are as low as 3.49 per cent which is the lowest, they’ve ever been. You can lock these rates in for up to seven years too, so now is an excellent time to finance if you’re in the market for a new crane. Chevron Equipment Finance requires no proof of income for loans up to $500,000 where the applicant has been
in business for at least two years, they are purchasing a new or near new crane, they have at least 12 months good payment history on a similar asset, the applicant is asset back and their taxes are paid and up to date. It may be more difficult to obtain finance if an applicant has a limited or poor credit history. However, Chevron Equipment Finance has several lenders that will consider minor credit issues including rent-to-own products which are much more flexible than traditional lending options.
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IN FOCUS / SCHAEFFLER
TOMORROW’S MOBILITY TODAY Schaeffler technology combination creates new condition and torque monitoring system to optimise machinery uptime. Cranes And Lifting finds out more. SCHAEFFLER HAS COMBINED TWO OF ITS proven measuring technologies to create a new condition and torque monitoring system particularly suitable for rotary and adjustment drives in the wind power and shipbuilding industries, in large cranes and in construction and mining machinery with turrets and winches. Schaeffler’s Australia’s digitalisation initiatives are available through nine company locations across Australia and New Zealand, which deliver proximity to market while connecting Schaeffler Australia with the experience and resources of the global Schaeffler Group, which has some of the world’s major food, beverage, manufacturing, materials handling, minerals and resources, and primary product processors among its global customers. The combination of Schaeffler’s SmartCheck and TorqueSense technologies – is already shaping “mobility for tomorrow” to a significant degree with a strong focus on Industry 4.0 technologies. SmartCheck from Schaeffler Australia is a compact, innovative, modular online measuring system for continuous monitoring of machinery and process parameters on a decentralised basis. It can be used on assemblies where such monitoring was previously too costly. Schaeffler’s TorqueSense torque measurement module offers a mechatronic solution that allows applications and processes to be monitored and controlled with significantly greater precision, as the torque is recorded right where it is applied. The combination system is the product of the long-term development partnership of Schaeffler and Bonfiglioli, which is a global market leader in yaw and pitch drives for wind turbines. This partnership 94 / CAL September 2019
led to the creation of a compact Industry 4.0 solution package, says Schaeffler. In addition to the vibration diagnosis system of the Schaeffler SmartCheck detecting incipient damage at a very early stage, the new combination can detect and limit peak loads and frequencies using the precise torque signal. “Using algorithms that are based on their application expertise, Bonfiglioli converts such data into information throughout the entire lifetime of a wind turbine, for example. Thus, online reporting on relevant performance indicators is provided, for example including the general “health” status of the geared drives, possible critical conditions, and abnormal behaviour of the yaw systems due to predictive monitoring,” according to a Schaeffler spokesperson. A CLEVER COMBINATION The Schaeffler SmartCheck device performs frequency-selective condition monitoring of bearings, gearboxes, electric
motors, pumps, fans, and machines based on solid-borne vibrations. Conspicuous frequencies can be automatically attributed to damaged components using only one Schaeffler SmartCheck. A temperature sensor is also integrated into the device. The torque signal and speed signal of the Schaeffler TorqueSense are sent, preprocessed and supplied to the machine control system and/or maintenance department with the vibration signals that are also analysed via the SmartCheck. “The addition of operating data on torque and speed to the SmartCheck condition monitoring system opens up several new scenarios. In the simplest case, the system allows the monitoring of torque peaks and their frequency and thus an evaluation of the utilisation level and the derivation of load-based maintenance measures. The signals can also be integrated into the operating strategy for drives and initiate torque limitation or shutdown functions,” says the Schaeffler spokesperson.
Schaeffler’s new condition and torque monitoring systems are suitable for large cranes.
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IN FOCUS / WEST CRANES AND HUMMA
The Humma 35-25 features a 21m power boom.
20-YEAR-OLD PICK AND CARRY STILL HUMMING ALONG Almost 20 years ago, Gary West purchased the second Humma ever manufactured. Today, it’s operating as well as ever and he’s added another three to his fleet. WITH ALMOST 50 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE, Gary West from West Cranes & Access Hire knows a thing or two about cranes. His company boasts the largest mobile crane hire and access boom hire fleet in Western Victoria. He has owned and operated Humma articulated pick and carry cranes for nearly 20 years. West told Cranes and Lifting he first encountered the Humma at a crane conference and exhibition in 2000. “I was at a crane conference when I first met Peter Dalla Riva from The DRA Group and he had the Humma 20-25 96 / CAL September 2019
on display. We started chatting about the crane and I was comparing it to the competitive product,” he said. “At the time, we were working on a job that required a small slewing crane. We knew a pick and carry would have worked better, but the boom on the pick and carry we were operating couldn’t reach. The Humma, with the longer power boom could have and that got me interested. The Humma also had a bigger engine so it immediately ticked all the boxes and we decided to buy it,” he said. Initially, West had difficulty financing
the Humma. He said that when they went to the bank for financing options, none of the finance companies knew about the Humma. This is because it was a new product and they wanted to know if it would keep its value and they were sceptical. “As it was the one of the first machines, they weren’t sure about the quality and whether DRA was going to keep making them or was it going to be a one-off, prototype machine,” he said. “Back in 2000, money was tight, and the bank said ‘you’ll need a guarantee
from the manufacturer, stating they will buy back the crane if we couldn’t make the payments’. We were the first to finance one of these machines in Australia and without this sort of guarantee they were reluctant to release the money. “The only way to get the finance over the line was for Peter Dall Riva to guarantee it, and he did. He could then get the Humma into the market to prove they were fine and a viable alternative. He could also prove they could hold their resale value, which they have. Dalla Riva gave the guarantee and we’ve stuck with him for the past 20 years and he’s stuck by us. He’s grown his business significantly in that time and we have ours,” said West. West’s first 20t Humma was only the second produced and the first in Victoria and on the strength of its performance he’s gone on to invest in more Hummas. “We bought our first 35t machine four years ago which was the first in Victoria and that’s been an excellent machine. With the first 25t machine, we found a few little things that we thought Dalla Riva could improve on and he readily accepted our feed-back. Over the years we’ve helped him with the R&D on the Humma and, to his credit he’s taken a lot of our suggestions on board,” said West. “Being a small company, we are very hands on, and we conduct 90 per cent of our own maintenance so we understand the machine inside and out and understand where improvements can be made. “We’ve now got three 35-25s in the fleet and it’s an excellent machine. It has a 21m power boom, they’re quick down the road, the air springs make for a comfortable ride, there’s no cabin noise or steering vibration and they’re tough and easy to operate. They’re also easy to fix because of the simplicity of design,” he said. “They use well known components like the Cummins engine, the hydraulic rams are made in Italy, the air bag suspension is the same as those on the big trucks and many of the components are off the shelf,” said West. The 35-25 has also opened up a
number of new markets for West. He said that with the continual drive for safer work practices on construction sites, tierone builders are de-rating lifting charts to 75 per cent. “If you have a 25t machine and de-rate it by 25 per cent, you’re removing a lot of capacity. Of course, it’s the same issue with the 35s but even with the reduced 25 per cent they are still at the upper end of the lift market,” he said. West has been impressed with the long-term performance of the 25t Humma with a lot of hours clocked on it and not run into problems. “We haven’t touched the semi hitch and there’s been no problem with line boring of articulation joints or pivot part,” he said. According to West, the Humma still has the original bearings and there’s been no boom cracks and no replacement of wear pads. He said that the Cummins engine hasn’t been touched either. “If you maintain your equipment as the manual says, you will get a good run out of it. If the manufacturer uses the right components in the first place and the machine isn’t stressing too much, you will get those sorts of hours,” said West. West confirms the out lay for the Humma might be a bit more compared to competitive products but over the life of the crane the initial price is not an issue. “In my opinion, they’re not that much more expensive compared to competitive products but over the life of the crane, it would be miles in front,” he said. ON TO BIGGER THINGS Chris West became the sole director of West Cranes & Access three years ago increasing the company’s scope of works and is currently interested in looking at the new 55t Humma. Chris told Cranes and Lifting that the company is in early talks with companies that have a project coming up that would suit this size of machine. “They really like the 35t machines because of the extra capacity and we’ve mentioned the 55t to them,” said Chris. “The whole point of the 55t is it’s lifting capacity and it’s ideal for heavy lift
situations like moving a quarry crusher that weighs 30t plus. You can pick it up, put it on site or move it into a shed for example. Without that type of lift you’d have to take the roof off the shed. One issue with the 55t is we can’t register it in Victoria at the moment – we’d have to float it. It’s not out of the question that we’ll get one, for sure,” he said. “Since we acquired the first Humma 19 years ago, it’s been busy. The wind farm sector has helped and there’s been a fair amount of infrastructure locally with roads and bridge work. There’s a fair amount of work in the mines and quarries. Because the Humma is so good on the road, it enables us to work in a much bigger radius from our yard,” said West. West confirms the support from the DRA team has been first rate. “The support from the DRA Group has been absolutely terrific. If there’s an issue, we ring Peter Dalla Riva junior because he’s grown up with the Humma, designed them and he knows them backwards. We call him and ask, ‘what’s wrong here Pete’ and he’ll tell us straight away. “I can’t fault the back up and support. If there is a part he can’t provide, he’ll tell me who supplies him, they are very transparent with us and that’s really refreshing. I think they are like that with everyone,” he said. “A couple of years ago we did a couple of wheel studs and I rang him and said, ‘what’s going on here?’ he said, ‘you are probably loose,’ and I said, ‘yes it might have been, but we did the tension up with a tension wrench following your guidelines’. He said, ‘give them another 10 newton meters because we might be a bit low on them’. “We banged them up another 10 newton metres and we haven’t had any trouble since. He then sent me over 10 new wheel studs and nuts at no cost. They really look after you that way and I reckon we’ve still got seven or eight of them in our spare parts. The DRA Group has been a good partner and the Humma has proved to be a great work horse for our business,” said West. September 2019 CAL / 97
IN FOCUS / BORGER CRANES
BORGER CRANES FIRST FOR NEW SOUTH WALES Borger Cranes recently took delivery of the new Franna AT 40, the first of the new 40t model delivered in New South Wales. Cranes and Lifting finds out more. FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS, BORGER CRANES have been providing lifting and rigging services to the greater Sydney, NSW and interstate construction sectors. With over 70 cranes and depots in Sydney and Newcastle, it’s fleet of crawler and all terrain mobile cranes is capable of lifts from 3 to 600t. Employing 300 staff, the company is owned and run by the Borger family. Brothers Shawn and Nathan pride themselves on their fleet of cranes which features the newest models of most of the major brands on the market. “We work hard to provide the customer with the right crane for the job, and the purchase of the Franna AT 40 is an example of how we are able to provide
Michael Portelli has been driving Frannas for Borger Cranes for eight years. 98 / CAL September 2019
this service,’ said Shawn Borger. “At Borger Cranes, we try to implement the newest and latest technology with our cranes to make improvements for our drivers, so they are more aware of the site and more aware of assessing and managing risk,” he said. “If you are operating 20-year-old technology, this isn’t always possible and it is more likely incidents will occur, so we’re certainly keen to embrace new technology to make operations safer,” he said. Michael Portelli has been driving Frannas for Borger Cranes for about eight years. “We’ve just taken delivery of the first 40t Franna in New South and its certainly an impressive crane. We’ve got customers looking at the crane and we’re already building a pipeline of work for it,” he said. “It’s certainly a major step up from the 25t machines I’ve been driving. Compared to the 25t Frannas there’s a lot more function relating to the technology and it’s obviously a lot bigger with massive increases in power, lift capacity and boom length. The first drive to a job site was interesting, it handled really nicely,” said Portelli. The AT40 is by far the largest Franna ever built by TEREX and it’s a bold engineering project. The AT40 is the first three-axle crane with a pick-andcarry capacity of 40t on boom lug and 30t on hook block. Powered by the same Mercedes OM 906 205kW diesel and Allison automatic transmission used on the popular 25t Mac 25, the new crane has a four-section 19.8m fullpower boom offering 19m maximum hook height. On site, the rear (third)
axle is raised on its hydro-pneumatic suspension to provide 4x4 wheel drive and the same wheelbase as the Mac 25. On the highway the 32t GVW crane travels at up to 75km/h with axle loads of up to 11.5t fully counterweighted. “From an operational aspect, we’ve got an extra meter in the boom and the joystick controls make everything more sensitive to control. You can bring the winch down milometers at a time which is really good for site work and from an operator’s point of view, the steering has been brought back from 40 to 35 degrees which makes driving much easier,” said Portelli. “The AT 40 features the zero to five-degree side slope which de-rates and that’s a really good safety feature. This Franna is ideal for lifting heavy machinery and I reckon it can do the job of three cranes. It’s also perfect for general lifting in construction like tilt up panels. “The market has been asking for this sized Franna and now we have it. I’m looking forward to spending time in the seat and getting a real feel for the crane,” he said. “We are also very safety focussed and offer additional OH&S/EHS to our clients. We also have four fulltime draftsmen/engineers managing our AutoCAD design specialist solutions inhouse, and our clients benefit from these as well,” said Borger. “Because we offer small, medium and large cranes, a crane for every application, Borger cranes are operating somewhere in NSW every day in sectors including infrastructure, renewable energy mining and general construction,” he said.
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SAFETY IN FOCUS / BLOKCAM
A SYSTEM TO REDUCE LIFTING HAZARDS
The system is compact with military specifications designed housings and plugs, so the risk of water ingress is basically zero.
BlokCam is a wireless camera system that provides view and sound to the crane operator enhancing safety on construction sites. Cranes and Lifting finds out more about its uses. A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF CRANE-RELATED injuries are caused by uncontrolled loads striking personnel in the area surrounding the hook block; this is an extremely hazardous area where 21 per cent of injuries occur. BlokCam is a wireless camera system that can be quickly and easily deployed to the hook or block or boom tip of a crane. The sound and view from the camera are then transmitted and received wirelessly via the antenna systems to a screen in the cab. This allows the operator to see and hear the load and surroundings, providing an unobstructed, live audio-visual feed of the critical areas that working in the blind would never allow. Modern construction sites are becoming more and more congested and as buildings are going higher, crane operators are required to place their loads in even more restricted and tighter areas than before. The probability of impacts and collisions
are still as great if not more so. Having BlokCam fitted with its clear and uninterrupted audio-visual feed allows the operator to respond to any adjustments to avoid any potential accidents before they happen, allowing for a safer and more productive lift. According to a university study in the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, having a camera system installed on a crane can help increase productivity by up to 39 per cent in the blind and 27 per cent in the open. The highest factor in many below the hook accidents occur in blind lift situations where the operator is completely reliant on the radio communications, which can fail for a number of reasons, leaving a delay in the message and a potential incident happening. BlokCam reduces the blind lift by giving the operator live audio and video footage and the ability to see and hear what’s going on below the
The crane operator can now have eyes and ears from BlokCam allowing detailed views of the load, site and its surroundings. 100 / CAL September 2019
hook and around the load. The crane operator can now have eyes and ears from BlokCam allowing detailed views of the load, site and its surroundings. This provides the ability to communicate with the dogman, slingers and signallers with any information necessary to move from point to point in a more controlled environment and enhances the ability to communicate more efficiently. Crane operators have a lot of responsibility when operating a crane; long shifts in difficult conditions can cause additional stress, especially in all weather conditions. BlokCam helps to reduce this stressful activity by verifying the radio communications, bringing the operators that step closer to being in touching range of the load and site areas with a visual view that confirms the loads security, balance and any hazards below and around the load. JD Rigging is the New Zealand distributor for BlokCam. Leigh McDonald, Auckland Managing Director, exhibited at the recent CANZ conference and exhibition. “We first used the BlokCam product over a year ago and we have been the official agent for 10 months. We had been using an American system for a
client which we found to be very basic and not well designed or built,” said McDonald. “There were also a number of issues around water damage and different packages had to be purchased to be able to use the system with a luffing or hammer head crane, and this increased the cost quite considerably. “Our client needed a second system and I found BlokCam through Linkedin. We purchased a unit which was much cheaper than the American brand and it could be used on any crane. The client’s job was operating two cranes, so we were able to directly compare the performance of the American system with BlokCam. BlokCam was by far the better system,” he said. According to McDonald, the BlokCam system provides a number of features and benefits. “The system is compact with military-spec designed housings and plugs, so the risk of water ingress is basically zero. It’s very quick and easy to install and maintain and features a high-definition (1080) wide lens camera with audio and full 30-day loop recording function. “With a multi camera system, you can monitor load under hook and also the winches and it has the option for full remote access. The system can be installed on any crane by the operator and swapped between cranes very quickly. It can cover any type of crane, from a tower, mobile, crawler, ship to shore, luffing or hammer head/flat top etc.,” he said. “BlokCam is very proactive in its approach to research and development and also technical support. We have been looking at more specific systems for the gantry/overhead and Ship to Shore (STS) cranes, following a few enquiries from clients. The system also comes complete in its own rugged carry case, which can be couriered or flown to any site without the risk of damage. “The response from the market has been very positive. Clients have received good feed-back from sites and one
Leigh McDonald, JD Rigging, NZ. Rigging.
Blokcam is a wireless camera system that can be quickly and easily deployed to the hook or block or boom tip of a crane.
“BlokCam is very proactive in its approach to research and development and also technical support. We have been looking at more specific systems for the gantry/overhead and Ship to Shore (STS) cranes, following a few enquiries from clients.”
client who has four units, has made it a policy that no tower crane is to be used on a site without a BlokCam installed. At present, interest is mainly from vertical construction sector and tower cranes, but a few mobile/crawler crane operators have shown interest. Clients have also been surprised at the low cost of the system, compared to others that offer less specification and functionality,” said McDonald. “Response from clients has been very positive and they are surprised at what the system offers compared to other products. With the new approach to health and safety on sites and new legislation about to be introduced, we can see these types of systems becoming the norm in the near future. We took on the BlokCam agency knowing we had to be ahead of the game by offering a quality solution to the New Zealand market place,” he said. According to McDonald, BlokCam
was well received at the NZ conference and exhibition “This was the first time JD Rigging has exhibited at a conference and the feedback from delegates was very positive. It was interesting to see how many companies were not aware of the technology now available. We were able to present JD Rigging as not only a rigging and equipment service provider, but also a company offering full turn key solutions,” he said. “We are working with a couple of companies from the conference which have specific uses requiring some system upgrades and additions. JD Rigging will also offer a lease unit in the near future for tower, mobile/ crawler customers, so they can use it on a short-term hire basis or on trial for a future purchase. I strongly believe that once a company has hired the BlokCam system a few times, they will see the true benefit of owning a system,” said McDonald. September 2019 CAL / 101
SERVICE AND SUPPORT / MANITOWOC
CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT: THE KEY FOCUS FOR MANITOWOC With a new Service Manager and Smartphone App, Manitowoc is ramping up its service and support for Grove and Potain. Cranes and Lifting finds out more. TODD CARNEY RECENTLY JOINED Manitowoc as the Service Manager for the New South Wales operations. His appointment brings an increased focus on customer service and support. “The role includes the day to day running of our service technicians, booking in service work and ensuring the right parts and equipment are available when required. I’m also responsible for the general maintenance that goes through the workshop here in Blacktown, Sydney,” said Carney. “I also liaise with our customers to ensure we are providing the best quality service and to the levels they expect. I’m a diesel mechanic by trade and worked for other crane companies few years ago, then left the industry. When the opportunity came up to work with Manitowoc, I grabbed it with both hands. It’s a great company to work for,” he said. Customer support and service is the key focus for Carney. His role covers New South Wales, which involves looking after their technicians in Sydney and across the state. Their focus is to ensure that their customers are able to keep their cranes operating. “If we are Manitowoc’s free diagnostic mobile app increases crane providing the uptime. right levels 102 / CAL September 2019
of service and support, their cranes are operating, and their businesses continue to thrive with our products. Downtime on cranes can cost our customers a lot of money,” Carney said. The Blacktown facility includes a large warehouse from which most of the parts are shipped. Other parts will be sent from the overseas factories in France, Germany and the US depending on the part needed. Manitowoc keeps a large amount of stock in Blacktown – something that provides them with the ability to ensure that repairs are done quickly. They carry parts for both the Potain and Grove brands, as well as parts for their crawler products. “Historically, we know what parts are in demand, and our inventory and stock holdings reflect this,” said Carney. “In the case of a problem with ‘big ticket’ items, which we don’t have in stock, depending on the urgency of the part we will have it shipped via sea-freight, it can be air-freighted if it’s urgent,” he said. “If there’s a crane down, we go into emergency mode and get the part as soon as possible. “In terms of trouble shooting problems on our cranes, an error code is displayed on the instrument panel if there is an issue. We now provide our customers with a phone app which enables them to understand what the error code means. This enables them to determine if they are able to manage the issue to get the crane operational,” he said. The “Manitowoc Diagnostic Code App” helps users diagnose technical issues with their cranes right on their phones. In the past, when cranes had technical issues, Manitowoc customers would struggle to interpret the diagnostic codes that would appear on the main display of the crane’s
cab. Specialised technicians would have to be called to the job site with proprietary equipment, and any time spent waiting affected the project schedule. Now, with this freely available smartphone app that instantly tells users what codes mean, crane owners can begin working on solutions immediately, boosting their uptime. “We also have our service technicians on the phone talking to the customer to get the crane operational. If the issue can’t be fixed this way, we get our technical person out to site to fix the issue as soon as possible,” said Carney. “There can be late nights and early mornings with our technicians on the phone to customers, we are all on call to ensure the customers gets the best possible service and support,” he said. “Borger Cranes recently bought their second new GMK 6400 which is here in our workshop, it’s been ‘PDI’ed’ and its ready to go,” said Carney. “As part of the new crane, they’ve opted to have a new hand rail system put on the boom. The system provides the riggers and the operators greater mobility when they are rigging up without the constraints of a harness and tether but still providing that same safety required when working at heights,” said Carney. “These hand rails are bonded on with a product we have sourced from Sika, so we don’t have to make any structural changes to the boom. It’s a bonding and curing process we go through to actually mount the hand rails onto the boom and the glue provides a permanent fixture,” he said. “It’s a product Sika has spent a lot of time researching and developing and it has a vast array of different applications and it’s a product that suits this application down to a tee,” said Carney.
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3D LIFT PLANNING / A1A SOFTWARE
A1A SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNING LIFT PLANS A1A Software LLC announces the winners of its 2018 Lift Plan of the Year Competition. Cranes and Lifting reports. THE AWARDS PROGRAM IS FOR COMPANIES that use A1A Software’s 3D Lift Plan as a sales tool, for bid proposals, crane selection and setup, lift planning, and documentation. Project submissions were for jobs that were completed last year. Six entries were selected as finalists, then voting was opened to the public. “More than 1,000 crane industry professionals voted for the best lift plans,” said Tawnia Weiss, President of A1A Software. The competition focussed on creative and practical use of 3D Lift plan to solve challenges of the jobs. Riley Pettrone, Project Manager for La Grange Crane Service, received first place for his lift plan detailing a twocrane lift of a 120,000 pound steel bridge section over the Calumet River. The project was conducted for Copenhaver
This view shows the final placement of IDOT Item number 113 being set in place.
104 / CAL September 2019
Construction and the Illinois Department of Transportation. Second place went to Brent Genseke, project manager for Rockford, Illinoisbased Area Erectors; and Jose Sosa, while employed by Ed Bell Construction Company, from Dallas, received third place for his use of 3D Lift Plan on a Texas Department of Transportation state high improvement project. AWARD WINNING LIFT PLANS For the bridge project, La Grange Crane Service assembled the bridge sections off site and barged them to the location. The lift plan involved positioning each crane on opposite sides of the river. The company used their 550t Grove GMK 7550 and 350t Grove GMK 6300L to make the pick. Pettrone, devised the pick plan using 3D Lift Plan and engaged with all bidding contractors early to accurately bid the project’s crane scope. “Using 3D Lift Plan to correctly scale the cranes and jobsite,
allowed us to accurately bid the project, and allowed us to price accordingly,” said Pettrone. According to Judy Mooncootch Jr., President, 3D Lift Plan is integral to bidding, budgeting, communications, and safety. “Using 3D Lift Plan early in the process reduces changes to logistics and the chance of going over budget,” said Mooncootch. She explained that it also streamlines communication through the life cycle of the job, which can extend many months, and involve lots of different people. “But most importantly, 3D Lift Plan is integral to communicating with the crane operator, so that he or she is fully informed and has confidence that the lifting scenario was well planned,” said Mooncootch. When building a plan in 3D Lift Plan, Pettrone typically starts by working off blueprints and information gathered from site visits. Then, he overlays Google Earth images imports crane data and site data. “It enables customers and contractors to envision not only the crane, but how a crane will interact with all the other
obstacles a construction site imposes,” said Pettrone “A fully informed field team ensures that all working parties are on the same page come pick day,” he said Genseke the project manager for Rockford, Illinois-based Area Erectors, who was awarded second place for his use of 3D Lift Plan to select the right crane for the job, explains that the structural steel and precast concrete erection company uses 3D Lift Plan in a variety of ways. “It starts in visual sequencing, identifying the heaviest/longest reach lifts, and ends in the transfer of information to the operator and field foreman. Genseke’s winning lift plan was for the construction of Kishwaukee Health & Wellness Center. “In this scenario, the miscellaneous metals scope was delayed in fabrication, so we had to come up with a creative way to set a monumental stair,” he said. After considering and eliminating
several other options, the only plan that remained was to scope the crane boom through a window opening. The challenge became finding a crane with necessary capacity and reach to work in the confined space and deliver precise load handling. “Using 3D Lift Plan in conjunction with erection drawings and actual field measurements, gave me the tool to see if the Grove TMS500E-2 could handle the job,” Genseke said. Finally, Sosa, who received third place for his use of 3D Lift Plan on a Texas Department of Transportation state high improvement project. In all, eight structures required critical lift planning. “3D Lift Plan was the primary tool used to aid us in deciding to utilise internal crawler cranes or outside hydraulic cranes. We referenced the extensive library of cranes to check the various outside vendors different setups
which can affect overall cost of the lift. And, the software was used to determine placement and setup which drives many factors such as the building of pads, diversion of drainage and traffic, beam access, rigging needs, and manpower volume and skillset,” he said. THE REMAINING FINALISTS WERE: • Matthew Brady, from Extreme Steel Crane and Rigging Inc., Warrenton, Virginia, for replacement of limestone steps on the South Portico of the White House. • Tom Robinson, from PSC Crane and Rigging, based in Ohio, for a hospital construction project. • Trapper Wyman, from Mansfield Crane Service Corp., Mansfield, Pennsylvania, for removal of a reciprocating compressor skid from an oil and gas production facility.
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NZ IN FOCUS / HI LIFT
Bill Houlker (Liebherr), Tom Curran (Liebherr), Thomas Schröder, Aleksandra Meissner (both Liebherr) and Barrie Mabbott (Hi Lift).
MOBILE TOWER CRANE FIRST FOR NEW ZEALAND Hi Lift Cranes recently took delivery of the Liebherr MK 88, the first mobile tower crane in NZ. HI LIFT CRANES, NEW ZEALAND IS family owned and one of the longest established crane hire businesses in Auckland. General manager and director, Barrie Mabbott recently took delivery of a Liebherr mobile tower crane, the MK 88. He caught up with Cranes and Lifting to provide background to the acquisition. “Back in 1999, I merged my panel propping and formwork hire business with Hi Lift Cranes. It was operated by Ken & Joy Drury and their son David, as a general taxi crane business. David was trying to change the direction of the company to focus on the installation of precast concrete, which was a relatively new way of commercial building construction and not that prevalent 20 years ago. At the time, blockwork was king in New Zealand, but through the work of Alan H Reid Engineering promoting concrete lifting systems, the precast concrete industry was taking off,” said Mabbott. 106 / CAL September 2019
“The New Zealand market has developed differently to Australia where precasters tended to own their own cranes, and the supply, delivery and install was one package. In New Zealand, crane hire companies get a lot of work from main building contractors to install precast concrete, while the precasters supply and deliver only. This allowed us to corner a niche in the market supplying cranes, labour & propping systems as a package and build the Hi Lift brand,” said Mabbott. 10 years ago, Mabbott started working more closely with Governing director Ken Drury, helping with the cranes side of the business and when Drury stepped back from the day to day running of the business Mabbott took over the role. “You can’t do that as a relative newbie without a good bunch of people around you, and Hi Lift has always found and kept good people. I’ve got a core team whom I value very highly and they’re vital to the successful running of the
business,” he said. Hi Lift is based in South Auckland in a suburb called Wiri, near the airport and tends to focus on the Auckland market. “We have a good relationship with the contractors, mainly medium sized who specialise in building big sheds, super markets, low rise apartment buildings, the businesses that make up 80 per cent of the commercial construction industry in and around Auckland. We don’t look for work too far out of Auckland and when we do it’s because an existing client has asked us,” said Mabbott. “Our crane fleet is geared towards erecting precast, so we don’t generally go for long boom machines, more those that are ‘grunty lifters’. Our fleet ranges in size from a brand new 160t Liebherr, an older model Demag 150t AC435 which we generally use as a site crane, a couple of Grove 5130s, a couple of Grove 4100s, one brand new and one six years old. There’s a Liebherr LTM 1100, a couple of older 80s, a couple of LTM1055s, a
couple of 30t Katos, a Franna, and at the bottom end a 10t Kato. “We don’t have big mobile cranes in the fleet, so we’ve never been able to compete in the ‘maintenance market’ applications such as re-roofs, changing condenser and air conditioning units, working with elevator companies etc. We can’t do any of that, generally because we can’t reach,” he said. Mabbott is involved in rowing and is a selector for Rowing New Zealand. As part of the role he gets to Europe each year to watch the world rowing championships. “On one of the trips, I saw a Liebherr mobile tower crane in use for the first time. I called our local Liebherr agent, Tom Curran, and he told me about the MK 88. He sent me a video with some specifications, and these got me thinking. I asked him why we hadn’t seen any of them in New Zealand,” said Mabbott. With a compact, manoeuvrable design the MK 88 is ideal for inner city lifts.
“Tom said you won’t see them in Australia or New Zealand because they are too heavy to get on the road, and there can be travel restrictions due to the large front and rear overhangs. Travel restrictions don’t really bother us because some of our older cranes have boom trailers and always travel restricted outside peak hours for travel around Auckland, so that was never really an issue. I asked Tom how much overweight was the MK88? He said not really that much but no one has been keen to bite the bullet and invest in one so far,” said Mabbott. Curran arranged a visit for Mabbott to visit the Liebherr, Biberach factory two years ago where Liebherr put on a display and demonstrated the crane. “I went up in the cab, had a play with the controls and thought we must be able to make this work. I invited the sales engineer from the factory to New Zealand and a few months later we sat down in my office and figured out some nuts and bolts as to how we could get the MK 88 ‘roaded’. A year later and the machine is here,” he said. The MK 88 has a compact, manoeuvrable design and is therefore perfect for jobs in densely populated inner cities. The mobile tower crane is frequently used as a taxi crane and is highly adaptable and absolutely made for short-term hoisting work. SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE MK 88 MOBILE TOWER CRANE INCLUDE: • Lifting capacity at maximum radius 2.2t; • Maximum radius 45m; • Maximum lifting capacity 8t; • Maximum hook height 59.1m; • Luffed jib position 15/30/45; • Slewing radius 3.55m; • Travel speed 80 km/h; • Operating weight 48;t The crane spent three months in Liebherr’s Auckland’s facility before Mabbott could take delivery. “I wanted the machine to weigh under the permitted axle weights and not crib into the allowable tolerances.
Transport Specifications were commissioned by Liebherr to weigh the crane. They used individual scales under each wheel and weighed the machine over 100 times. It was heavy either on axle one, two or three, with only axle four consistently under. When I say heavy, we are only talking between 10 - 100kg, so it wasn’t a lot, but you can’t alter things too much on the carrier or the upper unit because there isn’t much to adjust that isn’t permanently fixed to the crane,” he said. “In the end, we’ve got it ‘roaded’ by doing a mix of things. The MK88 comes with a standard Liebherr toolbox on the back and we stripped weight out of that. We removed the outrigger pads and outrigger feet off the front to reduce weight, and they’re carried on a support vehicle now. Liebherr stripped some weight out of the hook and traveller assembly. It sounds a simple enough fix now, but at the time, every set of weighing’s had to be scrutinised by Biberach, and any suggested remedies approved by them, so as not to void the machine warranty and not compromise the crane lifting capacity,” said Mabbott. “We have a clear vision of how the MK can change the market,” says Mabbott. The MK crane is ideal for the many tight construction sites in central Auckland, according to Mabbott. As it requires very little space, both in terms of assembly and in terms of its footprint, road closures can often be avoided. Plus, the MK can be placed directly at the building in question thanks to its tower crane structure. As well as cost savings, Mabbott is looking forward to shorter and more flexible operating times as the MK is very fast and quiet when in use thanks to its electric drive, which is also especially useful at night. Two of his crane operators have already been trained and are full of enthusiasm. They are above all impressed with the one-man concept as well as the lift cab, which enables the crane operator to always have the load in view. “The interest in the machine was intense and I feel we’ll have a busy time ahead of us as news about the MK88 spreads,” said Mabbott. September 2019 CAL / 107
NZ IN FOCUS / KITO PWB
KITO PWB TRANSFORMS MANUFACTURERS PAINTING PROCESS
New Zealand’s largest electrical transformer manufacturer, Etel, recently installed a conveying and lifting system featuring remote controlled KITO electric hoists and trolley units. ETEL IS NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING manufacturer of distribution transformers supplying to customers throughout New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. The hoisting provision and commissioning part of the project was delivered by Bridon Cookes, KITO PWB’s distributor and the largest lifting specialist in New Zealand. The challenge was to deliver a turnkey solution to minimise effort and maximise production. The final design included three carousel runway beam assemblies assembled next to each other, each running through a respective spray booth painting/baking/curing stage. A railway and cart system was configured to effectively link the carousels together so that loads could be interchanged. Rob Smit, Applications Engineer,
Each carousel runway beam system features seven KITO Electric Hoists and Trolley units with each unit operating independently by remote. 108 / CAL September 2019
Bridon Cookes, managed the complete hoisting package and commissioning of the project. “Each carousel runway beam system features seven KITO Electric Hoists and Trolley units with each unit operating independently by remote, with the function to have unison operations. The carousels were designed to have suspended tunnels as such so that the hoist and trolleys could travel within and be protected from the spray booths overspray and the heat of the ovens. “All up, it was a great project and a very effective, quality solution for the client,” Smit tells Cranes and Lifting. KITO PWB supplied 21 KITO 2t ER2 Electric Chain Hoists close coupled to 21 KITO 2t MR2 electric motorised trolleys. The hoists required radio remotes to be fitted to allow the operators
to operate the hoists remotely. This would normally in the KITO PWB hoist assembly shop in Melbourne. However, due to the expedient nature of the project, Bridon Cookes organised a contractor to finalise this element of the project at their facility in Auckland. KITO electric hoists are of high quality and reliability. KITO is the only manufacturer in the world who nickelplates its load chains, which guarantees low wear and high strength. In addition, the load chain is protected against corrosion. The electric chain hoists use optional frequency converters for gently lifting or lowering the loads. This allows precise positioning of the components, especially during assembly. Among all this, the carbon friction clutch protects against overload. KITO’s Motorized Trolley Series MR2 is designed to be user-friendly and highly efficient even under the harshest conditions. Wherever loads need to be lifted and transported safely and precisely, the KITO MR2 Motorized Trolley Series is an ideal choice. In combination with the ER2 Electric Chain Hoist Series, KITO offers the perfect symbiosis for all sorts of lifting and travel applications. The KITO MR2 trolleys are easily attached to a wide range of beam flange sizes (flat-flanged or tapered beams) up to a beam width of 300 mm. For more information customers are advised to contact customer service support. In addition, the MR2 Trolleys Series offer as standard equipment sealed protection of the trolley (IP55) which contributes towards the utilisation of the hoist, also under harsh outside conditions. Andrew Betts, Export and Marketing
“The carousels were designed to have suspended tunnels as such so that the hoist and trolleys could travel within and be protected from the spray booths overspray and the heat of the ovens.” Executive, KITO PWB, explained that KITO’s motorised trolleys are available from 125kg to 5t capacity so that customers can choose the capacity that meets their specific needs with higher capacities that are available on request. The MR2 is available with single traversing speed and contactor control or with dual traversing speed by means of a frequency inverter. The product variant with the frequency inverter is suited for handling sensitive loads as it provides for particularly smooth start and stop movements. The MR2 trolleys feature an extremely durable and reliable pull-rotor motor
Etel recently installed a state-ofthe-art conveying and lifting system featuring remote controlled KITO electric hoists and trolley units.
brake for a higher precision load control, deceleration and a long service life. A heavy-duty motor with high-horsepower, cooling fins and standard thermal motor protection provide top performance and enhanced efficiency of the hoist. “Different kinds of energy supply systems like for instance the KITO cable hanger or the C-rail festoon system are available on request and therefore provide protection to the power supply festooning system. Furthermore, the side guide rollers are supported by four ball bearings which smooths trolley motion and reduces wear of the wheels and beam,” said Betts.
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NZ IN FOCUS / MINI CRANES NZ
MINI CRANES ARE BIG IN NZ Mini Cranes NZ started with one man and a spider crane. Today, there’s a crew of eight and eleven spider and mini cranes in the fleet. Cranes and Lifting investigates. CLINTON ADDENBROOKE AND HIS WIFE Rosey, started Mini Cranes NZ in 2016 and as the name suggests they only have mini cranes in the fleet. From the outset, it was obvious they had found a niche in the New Zealand construction industry. Addenbrooke left school at 16 and tried his hand at a few different jobs before finding the construction industry aged 20. “Initially I was a rigger, but it didn’t take long to realise that operating cranes was what I really wanted to do. I was fortunate to work with some great people from a number of different construction and fabrication companies who encouraged me to try it out. Once I realised my passion, I never looked back! Before starting our business, I operated cranes in New Zealand, Australia (QLD, NSW and WA) and also New Caledonia,” he said. Addenbrooke took a break from the crane industry to look after their first
child and when they learned they were expecting a second child he and his wife took the opportunity to start the business. “Spider cranes had interested me from the moment I first saw them operating in Australia and it was clear that they were under-utilised on NZ construction sites, so it seemed a natural fit. We started with one man, a spider crane and a ute and trailer and we now have a team of 8 people, 11 spider cranes, mini cranes and mini crawler cranes in a mixed fleet of Maedas and UNICs. “The fleet’s capacity ranges from 2.9t to 4.6t and we have two tilt tray trucks (5t and 8t) that we transport the larger cranes on, and a heavy-duty trailer that we tow behind our utes to transport the spider cranes.” he said. Mini Cranes NZ is a husband and wife team. “I do the day to day running of the business and my wife does most of the
A mixture of models is key. Each has its advantages, but some jobs have very specific constraints requiring a particular model to ensure the job is a success. 110 / CAL September 2019
compliance and systems documents in the back ground while still working her normal job. Her joke is that she’s my ‘not-so-silent business partner’,”, he said. Addenbrooke has a simple philosophy for the business. “We focus on one thing and do it properly. We aim to provide support to contractors and complete difficult and awkward jobs with a minimum of fuss. Ultimately, this allows them to minimise the risk that some tasks may pose to their projects,” he said. “We provide this service by investing in a modern innovative fleet and we are always looking for new ideas that will complement our business. We invest a lot of time in training our operators to ensure they perform at the highest level and get the job done safely and on time,” said Addenbrooke. “Many clients are unaware that New Zealand has a specific qualification for operating mini cranes. All our operators have this qualification, and this has enabled us to pick up work. In some instances, health and safety audits have identified existing operators only held mobile crane operating tickets but were not qualified to operate the mini crane that they were using. We’ve been called in when this type of scenario emerges,” he said. We have various models of Maedas and UNICs in the fleet. Some are better suited to certain jobs than others and having that flexibility and ability to satisfy our client’s needs is a must. As an example, some of our fleet have dual fuel options (petrol/electric, diesel/electric). This enables us (and other contractors) to work comfortably indoors or in areas with low air volume changes without the need to deal with fume extraction,” said Addenbrooke. Like all crane owners, Addenbrooke
Clinton Addenbrooke, Mini Cranes NZ.
is keen to see his assets working to their full potential and studies market trends before investing in new machines. “The key to this is the mixture of brands and models. Each has its own advantages and whilst there are definitely overlaps in suitability for particular jobs, some jobs have very specific constraints requiring a particular model to ensure the job is a success. We carefully consider the specifications for each addition to our fleet alongside jobs in the pipeline to identify which potentially best suits the needs of the market,” Mini Cranes NZ is focussed on the maintenance and has two operators who are also mechanics. “We have good relationships with the crane suppliers, Pace Cranes for the Maedas and Crane Sales NZ for the UNICs. If we have any difficulties, they are just a phone call away ready to help or point us in the right direction if we are struggling. We also have a maintenance system in place that follows the manufacturers’ recommendations. This can sometimes be quite challenging on the longer-term jobs when the crane is in the basement six levels down or on the 20th floor of a high-rise,” said Addenbrooke. Mini Cranes NZ will take on most types of work, from structural steel and pre-cast panels on large construction sites to installing an outdoor fireplace or spa pool in someone’s back yard. “Clients engage us to take on
awkward jobs that others are hesitant to perform because they know we will always do our best to figure out the most efficient method to complete the job. We don’t have a typical customer profile, we work with the big tier-one builders, artists installing large sculptures and homeowners wanting to put in an outdoor fireplace. We pride ourselves on treating every customer respectfully regardless of their crane knowledge,” said Addenbrooke. “Most of our work is within Auckland, however we often travel as far as Hamilton and Whangarei. We consider work in all New Zealand locations and have also undertaken a few jobs outside of our ‘usual’ areas. Our aim is to leave every job with a satisfied client who calls us for their next job, providing great customer service is pivotal to this,” he said. Appropriate training of operators and well-maintained, reliable plant and safe lift practices are paramount to Addenbrooke. “Our modern fleet has the latest safety features which ensures that cranes are not damaged due to over lifting and sound operator knowledge and use of our JHA/ SWMS ensures that lifts are appropriately planned and executed safely,” he said. “We recommend that site visits are conducted prior to providing a quote, but ultimately it is the client’s decision to take us up on this (or not). Either way, safety is paramount so if a lift cannot be performed safely for any reason, our
operators are empowered to refuse to do it. We evaluate the load and the site constraints against the load charts to determine which of our fleet is most suitable for the job,” said Addenbrooke. Bringing new blood into the business through a traineeship program is also a priority for Addenbrooke. “We are very passionate about taking on trainees. When I entered the crane industry, it was tough to find someone who was willing to take on a trainee crane operator. I want to encourage others into this career to ensure the future of the industry is in good hands. We have taken on one trainee each year for the last two years and have had very good results. They learn from the ground up shadowing me or the more experienced guys on different jobs, learning how to use the cranes to their full potential,” he said. Support from the supplier is a huge factor for Mini Cranes NZ. “If a crane is down on site you want it back up and running as soon as possible. We are fortunate to receive excellent aftersales service from both Pace Cranes and Crane Sales NZ and sometimes they are able to source parts from overseas faster than we can get them in New Zealand. The service teams are fantastic to deal with over the phone and do everything they can to help us with any issues we encounter,” said Addenbrooke. “We intend to continue to grow the business and deliver high quality services to all of our clients throughout New Zealand. Our desire to run a modern innovative fleet means that we will respond to changing needs in the market during this time and we are excited for the opportunities that this will provide us,” he said. “At the moment, the Auckland construction market is buoyant which has driven growth within the industry. The forward work-load appears to be strong but levelling off to some degree. We are keen to see where the economy will head over the next few years and hope that we are well-placed to respond to the corresponding changes in the market,” said Addenbrooke. September 2019 CAL / 111
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NZ IN FOCUS / CRANES ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND 2019 CRANES AND LIFTING CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
CRANES ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND 2019 CONFERENCE OVERVIEW More than 200 delegates attended one of the Crane Association of New Zealand’s (CANZ) most successful annual conference to date. Cranes and Lifting was there to catch the highlights. HELD AT THE MARLBOROUGH CONVENTION Centre in Blenheim, it was the perfect location to celebrate the productive commitment of the industry. People throughout the country, including delegates from Australia and as far away as Japan, descended on the CANZ Conference – titled Keeping the Balance – from July 17-19. Welcoming attendees in an evening reception were The Originals, the companies who first joined the Association in 1975. And for new CANZ Chief Executive, Sally Dunbar, it was a celebration of collaboration – as well as an opportunity to continue her understanding of one of the country’s principal industries. “This conference was one about networking and connecting, as such, the conference prided itself on the opportunity for delegates to come together in the one place, to meet new members and catch up with old ones. “This industry wouldn’t be what is today without its continued partnership and participation from a range of stakeholders. “So, for attendees to continue that relationship, not only with sponsors but wider business partners, other associations and our counterparts across the Tasman – Crane Industry Council of Australia – was hugely beneficial.” This was evident by the number of exhibitors (24), Sally says, ranging from suppliers of crane machinery, and design engineering and training, to certification and associated crane supporters. “We had so many people and businesses enquiring about hosting a booth that it speaks volumes – we could
(left to right): CANZ greets CICA. Tony Gibson, President CANZ, Brandon Hitch, CEO CICA, Sally Dunbar CEO CANZ and Tom Smith, CICA President.
have had 50. Next year the venue will accommodate anyone who wishes to be part of the CANZ Conference,” she says. Titan Equipment, Terex and Kato were voted Best Booth by conference attendees, while Marinetec Engineering & Construction Ltd Managing Director, Dwayne Pool, was awarded Exhibition Passport. While Sally says attendees were impressed by the exhibitors’ calibre, they were “absolutely blown away” by the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre – which hosted the Gala Awards Night Dinner. “The Heritage Centre was just so impressive with its collection of planes and its cinematography-like experiences. One of these highlights was the Dangerous Skies presentation , utilising CGI to immerse us in one of the most brutal battels of World War II – The Battle of Stalingrad.” The award’s venue aside, Sally says the calibre of conference speakers were impressive, too. Hosted by Master of Ceremonies, Greg Ward, attendees took particular
pleasure in hearing keynote speaker, Mike Allsop. An airline pilot, Everest mountaineer, adventurer and extreme marathon competitor, he spoke to the power of goal setting, emphasising that anybody can accomplish extraordinary things. Other standout speakers included Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive, Peter Silcock, who is renowned for his knowledge and experience in managing membership organisations, government advocacy, strategic planning and building strong partnerships. Construction Health & Safety New Zealand General Manager, Jon HarperSlade, and Heavy Haulage Association Chief Executive, Jonathan BhanaThomson, also had listeners enthralled. “Their passion for their respected organisations shone through in their presentations. But to be honest, every speaker spoke well and were passionate about the industry,” Sally says. However, she says the three-day event wouldn’t have been possible without September 2019 CAL / 113
NZ IN FOCUS / CRANES ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND 2019 CRANES AND LIFTING CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
Project of the Year - Titans Cranes Ltd; Lift of the Year - Titan Cranes Ltd.
the sponsors, with special thanks to the Association’s top three – Perception Group/NZ Print, Skills, and (UANZ) Underwriting Agencies of NZ PTY Ltd. “We’d also like to thank UDC Finance who have been with the Association from the start – they’ve been our longest servicing sponsor and business partner. Thanks to them for their continued loyalty and ongoing support.” Premiere sponsors were CablePrice
Life Membership: Grant Moffat (HEB Construction)..
PTE Trainer of the Year – Maurice Davis of Safety’n Action. 114 / CAL September 2019
Crane Trainee of the Year – Joshua McDougall of Ian Roebuck Crane Hire Ltd.
and HSC Cranes. With so much going on, attendees were especially looking forward to the Gala Awards Night Dinner. The Awards were presented by the Association President, Tony Gibson. The winners were: • Crane Trainee of the Year – Joshua McDougall of Ian Roebuck Crane Hire Ltd; • Crane Trainer of the Year – Allan Collins (Digital Training and Assessment Ltd); • PTE Trainer of the Year – Maurice Davis of Safety’n Action; • Training Company of the Year – Major Oak Safety Training Ltd; • UDC Project and Lift of the Year – Project of the Year was Titans Cranes Ltd; Lift of the Year was Titan Cranes Ltd; • Weighload Trophy – Scott McLeod of McLeod Cranes; • Life Membership – Grant Moffat (HEB Construction). While there were no applicants for Lift of the Year, judges Tom Curran and Ron Brown, ONZM, deemed a lift installing curved segments using two cranes a world-first. “Titans were told that this techspan precast concrete arch structure is the first arched concrete structure built in New Zealand in the last 13 years, and is the first time in the world that two cranes have been used to install curved segments,” the judges noted.
Training Company of the Year – Major Oak Safety Training Ltd.
“This saved the client approximately $100,000 in earth works due to the fact that a stream would have to be diverted to install them in a conventional manner.” For all the success of this year’s conference, one stands out for Dunbar. During the Annual General Meeting, she submitted a remit to attract individual members to build diversity and inclusiveness within the Association. “We’re now a more inclusive Association – so no matter who you are, there is a place here in the Association for you,” said Dunbar. Additionally, the Election of Council saw Tony Gibson re-elected as President; Jan Coton confirmed as Vice President; and Immediate Past President continues to be Scott McLeod. Councillors: Paul Berriman (Fletcher Construction Ltd); Stephen Broomfield (Ancon Building Products); Grant Moffat (HEB Construction); Karl Leonard-Rogers (Allcrane Sales and Services Ltd); Kirsten Davidson (Titan Construction Equipment Ltd) – Associate Representative; Tom Curran (Liebherr) – Associate Representative; and Carl Rankin (Skills) – ITO Representative. Outgoing CANZ Chief Executive, Rod Auton, who stepped down on July 26, says he isn’t worried about the Association’s future. With Dunbar at the helm, he says the Association will be in capable hands as it looks to cement itself as a leader within New Zealand’s wider industries.
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