Manitowoc highlights ground-breaking engineering at CICA 2015

Manitowoc Cranes highlighted two of its most notable recent products at the 2015 CICA Conference, organized by the Crane Industry Council of Australia, and staged in Perth, Australia from September 2 to 4. At the event, a Grove GMK6300L all-terrain crane was exhibited, while the company also organized tours to see a Manitowoc MLC650 crawler crane, the first crane of its kind in Australia, which had recently arrived and was being commissioned at a nearby yard. The MLC650 features Manitowoc’s unique and revolutionary Variable Position Counterweight (VPC) system.

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John Stewart, vice president and general manager for Manitowoc Cranes in Australia, said the company was particularly keen to emphasize how the design of its latest cranes helps deliver stronger return on investment to customers.

“The annual conference organized by CICA is the leading event for the Australian crane market, so it was a perfect opportunity for us to give visitors a look at the new MLC650 and also show the class-leading GMK6300L,” he said. “Given the size of Australia, transporting cranes is something that operators pay particular attention to, so it was an excellent opportunity to highlight the innovative design features of our cranes that lower costs for owners, and also make life simpler for them. For example, we have discovered that the MLC650 will save AUS$175,000 compared with alternatives when traveling the Perth to Port Headland route. That’s money in the customer’s hand.”

The 2015 CICA Conference combined an outdoor crane display, an indoor exhibition space and a conference. Manitowoc was present at the event in partnership with its long-time dealer for Western Australia, WATM Crane Sales and Services WA, which is the exclusive distributor for all Grove mobile cranes, Manitowoc crawler cranes and National Crane boom trucks in the region. The company sold both the 300 t capacity GMK6300L shown at the event, plus the 650 t capacity MLC650, which it supplied to Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift.

One of the highlights of the CICA Conference each year is the Manufacturer’s Panel, where senior representatives of the world’s leading crane manufacturers answer questions on the industry. Representing Manitowoc Cranes was Larry Weyers, president and general manager, who was asked to give an update on the new MLC cranes which launched last year.

“The MLC650 and MLC300 are exceeding expectations in terms of customer satisfaction, and demand for them continues to be strong,” he told delegates. “They offer many advantages and the reduction in relocation and reconfiguration time will make the cranes a stand out choice for any site.”

During discussion of the MLC650, delegates also heard from Malcom Smith, national crane operations manager, for Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift, who highlighted the scale of the estimated savings that could be achieved using the MLC650.

“A customer told us that if he had used the MLC650 on a recent project just completed at the Longford Plant in Victoria, he could have saved AUS$5 million,” he said. “To us, the MLC650 - and also the Grove GMK6300L - have been game changers for the Australian market.”

The 2016 CICA Conference will take place September 15 to 17 in Cairns, Queensland.