Potain launches new heavyweight MDT 1609 and delivers first model to Germany

• Potain launches the MDT 1609, its largest topless tower crane, featuring a 40-ton maximum capacity and an 80-meter jib with 14.1-ton capacity at the jib end.

• The first MDT 1609 was delivered and installed at Karl Bachl Betonwerke in Germany, enhancing yard operations by efficiently handling heavy precast concrete loads.

• Advanced features include an integrated energy storage system for reduced energy consumption, the Crane Control System for precise handling, and Potain CONNECT™ telematics for remote diagnostics and maintenance.

• Installation involved a custom adapter engineered by Manitowoc Lift Solutions and Moser Baumaschinen to fit the crane onto an existing mast, demonstrating tailored engineering solutions.

• Karl Bachl Betonwerke is part of the BACHL Group, a leading European construction and building materials company with extensive operations across multiple countries.

• The new crane is the largest in the Potain range of topless cranes, with a 40 t maximum capacity and the ability to lift 14.1 t at the end of its 80 m jib.

• German building materials and construction giant BACHL Group has received the first crane.

• Manitowoc Lift Solutions provided design and engineering support so the crane could be installed on an existing mast at the customer’s facility.

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The first of Potain’s impressive new MDT 1609 tower cranes has entered service at the headquarters of building materials specialist Karl Bachl Betonwerke in Bavaria, Germany. Maximum capacity for the crane is 40 t, and it can work with up to 80 m of jib. Jib end capacity is 14.1 t at 80 m, and the crane is now the largest topless crane available from Potain. At the Karl Bachl Betonwerke facility, the MDT 1609 has been erected at a height of 40.2 m.

The state-of-the-art tower crane is one of the most powerful in its class and sets new standards for the precision handling of large loads. At Karl Bachl Betonwerke, it is used to move goods in the storage yard. A key advantage is the 80 m reach, which allows the company to optimize yard space, streamlining loading and pre-loading for shipments. The high-performance crane operates two daily shifts, handling a variety of loads, including precast concrete segments weighing up to 40 t.

Intelligent technology for optimal performance

The MDT 1609 features state-of-the-art technology, including an integrated energy storage system that captures kinetic energy from lowering loads and recycles it, thereby reducing the crane’s overall energy consumption and contributing to Karl Bachl Betonwerke’s sustainability goals. There’s also Potain’s Crane Control System (CCS), which delivers controlled handling and facilitates commissioning so crane operations can be set in just 15 minutes following installation.

Karl Bachl Betonwerke is harnessing Potain CONNECT™ on the new MDT 1609, the on-board telematics system that enables remote diagnosis and maintenance, helping customers maximize uptime. With Potain CONNECT™, maintenance tasks are easier, and operational reliability improves.

Seamless set-up on site

The Potain MDT 1609 was installed at the Karl Bachl Betonwerke facility on an existing circular mast of the previous tower crane on site. To manage this integration and installation, long-standing Potain dealer Moser Baumaschinen and Manitowoc’s specialized Lift Solutions team developed a special adapter to seamlessly connect the upperworks of the MDT 1609 with the existing mast. The 3.2 m-diameter adapter measures 1.55 m tall and weighs 7.5 t.

“Each project for Lift Solutions is unique because we are tailoring engineered solutions specifically to the project. For the MDT 1609, we required all our engineering know-how and close cooperation with Moser Baumaschinen, with whom we’ve worked for over 30 years as a Potain dealer. The result was a huge success. The Potain MDT 1609 is the first in an exciting new line of Maxi-MDT cranes – high-performance topless cranes with the latest technology to tackle some of the most challenging applications,” said Bernard Ecabert, Lift Solutions manager for tower cranes at Manitowoc.

Karl Bachl Betonwerke is part of the BACHL Group, one of Europe’s leading names in the construction and building materials segment, with 2,600 employees across production and sales sites in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, and Croatia. The company was founded in 1926 and produces a range of building materials, while its construction division handles projects from industrial and commercial construction to road building.