Manitowoc show stoppers unveiled at CONEXPO 2014

There are eight new cranes among the dozen or soappearing at the Manitowoc booth at CONEXPO 2014. Manitowoc is occupying its familiar position in the Gold Lot (stand number 2137), but this year has extended its space to 37,800 sq. ft (3,500 sq. m) to make room for the array of large machines it will present.

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The products on show include two show-stopping crawler cranes, the 300 t (330 USt) MLC300 and the 650 t (720 USt) MLC650, both of which feature the breakthrough Variable Position Counterweight (VPC) technology. Also, visitors are able to explore a host of cranesfrom across the company’s Grove, Manitowoc, National Crane and Potain brands.

Larry Weyers, executive vice president for Manitowoc in The Americas, said CONEXPO is extra special for the company this year.

“As a company we’re always really excited to participate in CONEXPO, but this one is especially memorable for us,” he said. “We have taken a bigger booth than last time andbrought more cranes. But for us the equipment is just part of it. CONEXPO is our opportunity to show the industry our total commitment to our customers, from supplying the best cranes through to supporting those cranes over their working lives, and then on to helping with their next purchases. Many of our customers have been buying our cranes for decades and we’re proud of the strong relationships we have with them.”

Crawler cranes

Aside from the giant new crawler cranes at the show, there is a third Manitowoc crawler crane, the 165 t (182 USt) capacity MLC165, which launched at bauma 2013 in Germany earlier this year. With three new cranes, all introduced within a 12-month period, Manitowoc is reinforcing its position as the North America’s most trusted brand for crawler cranes.

Mobile cranes

From the Grove brand of mobile cranes there arefour cranes, including two that are making their North American debut. The RT770E and RT540 are new from Grove’s rough-terrain crane range.The 65 t (70 USt) RT770E offers unmatched boom reach of 42 m (138 ft), making it the new class leader in the popular 60 — 70 USt category. The RT540, meanwhile, is an updated version of the RT540E.It has the same 35 t (40 USt) capacity and 31 m (102 ft) boom, but features the updated CCS operating system that was introduced earlier this year and will be rolled out across Manitowoc’s entire brand platform.

From the GMK all-terrain crane range the company is showing two of the most popular units of recent times, the GMK6300L and GMK6400, two six-axle units with capacities of 300 t (350 USt) and 400 t (450 USt) respectively. The GMK6300L offers a huge 80 m (262 ft) main boom, while the GMK6400 offers unparalleled lifting ability combined with a series of award-winning innovations.

Other mobile cranes on Manitowoc’s CONEXPO booth aretwo new boom trucks from National Crane, including the NBT60, the largest ever built by the company. This 54.4 t (60 USt) capacity crane features a 39 m (128 ft) boom, the longest in its class. Even with the larger size of the NBT60, the crane will still be roadable without the need for additional permits in most parts of North America.

There is one unit from the NBT15 series which actually comprises three individual models from 9.1 t (10 USt) to 16.3 t (18 USt) capacity. The three cranes, NBT 14, NBT15 and NBT16, offer a load of new technologies and some of the longest boom lengths and highest capacities for boom trucks in their class.

Rounding out the mobile crane contingent on Manitowoc’s booth is the CD5520 industrial crane, the largest in the range. The crane, from the Shuttlelift brand, offers an18 t (20 USt) maximum capacity and a 16.6 m (54 ft 6 in) main boom. The crane’s design is totally new and will act as a template for future models from both the Shuttlelift and YardBoss brands.

Tower cranes

The Potain brand of tower cranes is represented with a new luffing jib tower crane plus the world’s largest self-erecting crane. The MR 418 luffing jib crane is the first in a new line from the company. It’s ideal for working on power stations or super tall buildings, and can be fitted with the giant 201 kW (270hp) 320 LVF 120 hoist.

The Igo T 130 self-erecting crane, meanwhile, has a 50 m (164 ft) jib which gives it huge coverage of small and medium sized job sites. It can also vary its working height, depending on project requirements. Manitowoc expects that the crane will strongly appeal to customers with experience of the older Potain HDT 80, one of the most popular self-erecting cranes ever to work in North America.

Other services

In addition to cranes, there is a strong showing from the customer support division, Manitowoc Crane Care. Information on training, parts, service and support is available, as well as details on the global network of EnCORE refurbishment centers, which is continuing to expand worldwide.

Those wanting details on crane financing can also find plenty of information on the company’s stand, availablethrough Manitowoc Finance.