Grove, crane, Manitowoc--Three new Grove cranes introduced at Manitowoc Crane Expo

October 19, 2010—Nearly 900 customers and dealer personnel attended Manitowoc Cranes’ Crane Expo demonstration event held at the company’s facility in Shady Grove, Pa., Oct. 3-8. Three new Grove cranes were on display among the 24 models showcased.

Two rough-terrain cranes made their debut at the event. According to the company, the 150-ton capacity RT9150E is the world’s largest rough-terrain crane, and its 197-foot main boom is the longest on any current production rough-terrain crane. The RT765E, rated at 65 tons, is an upgraded model, replacing the RT 760E in Grove’s product line. It features 13 percent improved capacity in a four-section, 110-foot full power boom. It will be available after the first of the year with a Tier IV Cummins QSB 6.7 diesel engine. It is turbocharged with Cummins diesel particulate exhaust filter/muffler, and requires maximum 15 ppm sulphur content fuel. For buyers outside the U.S., a similar Tier III-compliant engine is available.

The RT9150E tops the company’s RT product line in terms of capacity and reach. It combines the upperworks of a Grove GMK5165-2 all-terrain crane and the lowerworks of the 130-ton RT9130E rough-terrain crane. The result is a high-capacity crane that sits on a compact and durable carrier. Unlike Grove’s other rough-terrain cranes, this one features a 197-foot pinned boom, rather than full-power boom.

The main boom utilizes Grove’s patented Twin-Lock pinning technology for a lighter boom with greater strength. Customers can achieve a maximum tip height of 208’10”. Maximum radius with the main boom is 180 feet and at this distance the crane can lift 3,800 pounds.

Other key features include two counterweight packages—the standard 39,000-pound counterweight and a heavy lift package; counterweight and outrigger boxes can be self-removed/installed for ease of set-up and tear-down; and a new operator’s cab with full vision design. Manitowoc is offering a choice of engines for the crane. A Cummins QSC8.3L engine with a 300 hp rating is available for customers in the U.S. This engine is Tier IV-compliant. Outside the U.S., a Euro Stage III compliant-version is offered.

Three test units are currently working in the field as part of Manitowoc’s Pre Production Partner (PPP) program. They are clocking hours at electric power and nuclear power facilities under construction in North Carolina and doing maintenance on a corn processing plant in Iowa. The first production units will be on display at ConExpo.

The third new crane from Grove is the six-axle GMK6300L. This 350-ton capacity all-terrain crane was launched at bauma 2010 held in Munich, Germany in April of this year. This was the first time the crane was seen in the United States. It features a 262-foot main boom and a 121-foot jib. Applications targeted for this long-boom machine include tower crane erection, placing HVAC or elevator equipment, and other high lifting tasks.

A new cab on the carrier has been adapted to fit the wider six-axle crane.

“The GMK6300L is a remarkably strong crane with significant advantages over

other cranes with similar boom lengths,” said Andreas Cremer, regional product manager for all-terrain cranes in North America. “It is designed for substantial picks on its main boom without the need to rig the jib or Mega Wing Lift. For example, with the boom extended to 245 feet, it will lift 15.8 tons, and with the full boom of 262 feet, it lifts 13.2 tons.”

The model on display is expected to be delivered to Central Contractors Service, a member of the ALL family of companies, in Chicago, Ill., in December. It will then go into service as part of Manitowoc’s PPP program. Regular production of the machine is expected to begin in mid-2011.

NBT50 and NBT55 models now have removable counterweight.

Also announced at the event is a new removable counterweight design for National NBT50 and NBT55 models. According to Brian Peretin, vice president sales and marketing for National crane, traditional boom trucks are not typically equipped with this feature. The advantage for the user is that it provides greater flexibility in distributing gross vehicle weight in order to meet various road transport requirements when driving these 50- and 55-ton truck-mounted across across state lines, he explained.

In addition, National is now offering a package option for most models in its product line. Packages include the most popular features and benefits at a cost advantage to the buyer.

“We were encouraged by the interest our customers and dealers showed during the event,” said Larry Weyers, executive vice president for Manitowoc Cranes in the Americas region. “While many areas of the economy are still very slow to recover, a renewed interest in infrastructure development, plus the generally positive outlook across the energy industry, has given us hope for a solid recovery,” he said.

Source: Lift and Access