Gulf Construction Online - Manitowoc rolls out two new models

Cranes

The GCK3045 is Manitowoc’s first in the city crane category.

Manitowoc rolls out two new models

01 August 2009

MANITOWOC, one of the largest providers of lifting equipment for the global construction industry, has launched two new models – the innovative new GSK55 mobile crane and the GCK3045 city crane.
The GSK55, unveiled at Intermat 2009, combines the lift ability of a Grove all-terrain crane with the flexibility and mobility of a standard on-road truck. It merges the upperworks from Grove’s GMK3055 all-terrain crane with a specially-designed truck chassis that acts as a trailer. Customers can then use the tractor of their choice to haul the crane to jobsites.
Michael Preikschas, senior product manager for all-terrain cranes, says: “The GSK offers advantages in lifting and transport. It is a more affordable option for customers that want Grove all-terrain performance from their cranes but do not necessarily need the off-road ability that the GMK range offers.”
The GSK also has a number of unique advantages that embody Manitowoc’s innovative approach to product development, he points out. The truck chassis has its own 104 kW Iveco engine that provides full power to the GSK55, operating all the crane’s functions, including the outriggers. Because of its standard design, the crane does not need to be tied to any one brand of tractor. “This is a useful benefit if the crane is working at a job site where multiple trucks are in operation or for customers that operate fleets of trucks,” Preikschas says. “The ability to attach any tractor also means that national requirements for left-hand or right-hand vehicles are easily accommodated.”
Because of its configuration, the crane can offer favorable axle loads for travel. With two axles on the tractor and three on the trailer, loadings do not exceed nine tonnes on any single axle when the crane is travelling with a counterweight of 11.6 tonnes, while its gross vehicle weight comes in under 41.8 tonnes. These axle loads mean the GSK55 travel configuration is well below the 12-tonnes per axle maximum common in many markets.
Lifting specifications for the crane match the GMK3055, so maximum capacity is 55 tonnes and it has a 43 m main boom. An optional 8.7 m/15 m swingaway jib is available, giving a maximum tip height of 60 m.

Grove mobile crane
The GCK3045 is the first city crane from Manitowoc’s Grove brand and offers a number of advantages over other cranes in the market. It was designed with a focus on maximising possible applications for greater utilization, says its manufacturer.
Neil Hollingshead, global product manager for all-terrain cranes and rough-terrain cranes, Manitowoc, says: “This crane has been developed in partnership with Kobelco Cranes, who have solid experience in the city crane field. With our technical and marketing expertise and unsurpassed product support through Manitowoc Crane Care, we anticipate the GCK3045 to generate a lot of interest among rental company owners. Its compactness and manoeuvrability make it the perfect fit for many urban job sites located in congested areas or narrow spaces.”
The crane is a compact three-axle, single cab unit with a ‘boom down’ design. It has a 45-tonne capacity with a 34 m boom and an optional 6.3 m/10.2 m ‘twist’ jib. As the name suggests, the twist jib attaches through a simple elevation of the boom and then a twist of the jib by the operator before bolting into position. The entire operation is a one-man job, minimising set-up time on site. It can also be done without the need to set-up outside the crane’s width of 2.55 m, meaning full boom and jib can be rigged in a very small area.
With dimensions being crucial for city cranes, the GCK3045 offers some excellent attributes: It has a 9.07 m length and 3 m height, in addition to its 2.55 m width. Also for working in narrow locations, the crane has a choice of five outrigger positions. Furthermore, there is an ability to operate with odd outrigger settings (where outriggers can extend to different lengths on either side of the crane).
The GCK3045 has a 34 m full power boom, which is the longest in its class, according to Hollingshead. The boom also has a special mode offering four additional boom telescoping combinations, enabling the customer to select the optimum telescoping configuration when planning a lift.
The cab has excellent ergonomics with a highly intuitive graphic LMI display as well as hoist and rear cameras, which transmit to a display on the dashboard for better working conditions and less operator fatigue.
Power for the crane comes from a six cylinder 330 kW diesel engine, and the maximum travel speed is 80 km/h.
The hook block for the crane stows automatically for easier preparation ahead of travel. And once moving, travel is smooth. For off-road manoeuvring, there are crab and cramp steering modes for maximum flexibility.
The Manitowoc Company is a multi-industry, capital goods manufacturer with more than 100 manufacturing and service facilities in 27 countries. To meet such varied and highly specific needs, Manitowoc is structured to fully meet the region- and task-specific needs of a diverse clientele. Its cranes business enfolds Manitowoc-lattice-boom crawler cranes, Potain tower cranes, Grove mobile hydraulic cranes and National Crane telescoping cranes, which are built, sold and serviced at multiple locations on five continents.
To cover the Middle East region, well-established local dealers with intimate market knowledge are supported from the EMEA headquarters in Ecully, France, and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, Italy and Portugal. There are also numerous smaller regional offices to ensure the region receives the attention it warrants.
New facilities and a new Manitowoc Crane Care network complete the market-leading service and sales provision from Manitowoc. The company has recently promoted Eric Pommier to the position of vice-president at Manitowoc Crane Care for the EMEA region. He replaces Thibaut Le Besnerais who will be moving to another position within Manitowoc. Pommier was previously an operations project manager at Manitowoc. In his new role, he will focus on EMEA aftermarket customer support services of Manitowoc Crane Care, working closely with the region’s cranes management team.