Transdata takes Brazil’s first Grove GRT9165

The crane is working in the demanding oil and gas sector, providing service support to offshore platforms 24/7. Transdata’s customer commissioned the crane for its reliability, capacity and maneuverability at a constricted jobsite.

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Brazilian company TEM – Transdata Engenharia e Movimentação (Transdata), which specializes in complex handling and lifting operations, has acquired a GRT9165, currently the largest rough-terrain crane from Grove. The crane is the first of its kind to go to Brazil and it will be used for supply and maintenance operations to support offshore oil platforms in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

The three-axle crane has a maximum capacity of 165 USt (150 t) and it was delivered directly to an offshore support base in Niterói in February 2020, where it will remain for two years. It will be used exclusively by a Transdata customer that specializes in supply and maintenance support for offshore platforms and other oil and gas infrastructure.

Fabio Gaeta, executive director at Transdata, said their customer needed a powerful and reliable crane, capable of coping with the 24/7 demands of the oil industry.

“After a detailed analysis of our customer’s requirements, our engineering team evaluated load charts and other specifications for potential crane options. We reached the conclusion that the most suitable equipment for the job is the Grove GRT9165,” he said. “The crane is carrying out a wide range of activities on site. It supports PSVs (platform-support vessels), which means lifting machinery and parts used in oil and gas exploration and production. These are very demanding tasks, which must be carried out around the clock. Aside from capacity, mobility and agility were also key factors, and despite its size, the GRT9165 can maneuver in small areas.”

Versatility and comfort

The GRT9165 crane is manufactured at the Manitowoc plant in Shady Grove, U.S., and was created after an extensive Voice of the Customer process, to ensure its design is capable of meeting the most demanding requirements. Grove’s product development process also prioritizes durability and ease of service to maximize customer uptime.

The GRT9165 is equipped with four steering modes that increase maneuverability and facilitate crane positioning. Another attractive feature is Grove’s new wider, full-vision cab, which maximizes the operator’s comfort and visibility. The new cab also features a standard three-camera package for additional awareness on the jobsite as well as the ability to tilt the cab up to 20°.

The GRT9165 also boasts a 205 ft (62.5 m), six-section MEGAFORM boom with a TWIN-LOCK pinning system — the best in class set-up for both reach and lifting performance. The crane’s manual or hydraulic bifold swingaway jib with offsets of up to 50° improves reach over obstacles and increases jobsite versatility.

Full marks for the team

Manitowoc Crane Care provides comprehensive customer support to crane owners worldwide, including extensive services in Brazil. All Grove GRT cranes are backed by Manitowoc’s standard two-year warranty, and this combination of warranty and service support was another factor that influenced Transdata’s decision to invest in the GRT9165.

“The warranty was a very important factor in our purchase decision, and the response speed of Manitowoc Crane Care is very good,” Gaeta said. “Few manufacturers have a team ready to support us whenever and wherever we need them. The Brazilian market is very well served by Manitowoc.”

Headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, Transdata provides complex cargo handling solutions for some of the country’s largest industrial segments, including refineries, wind farms, hydroelectric plants, steel mills, and mining operations. The company owns ten Grove cranes, eight of which are rough-terrain models and two of which are all-terrain cranes.