News Release
Seven Grove GMK6300Ls join Western Australia’s booming mining industry
5/22/2013 Perth, Australia
A Grove GMK6300L all-terrain crane performs a tandem lift at a mining job site in Australia with the help of a GMK7550.
Mining in Western Australia is still on the rise and so too is the number of 300 t capacity all-terrain cranes from Grove. WATM Crane Sales and Services, Grove’s local dealer, ordered seven GMK6300Ls to work in the region’s mining sector. Four of the cranes are already at work with the rest due for delivery over the coming months.
The rising popularity of the GMK6300L among crane rental and mining companies is because the crane can complete more work in less time, and it easily complies with the region’s road regulations, as Anthony Lazenby, managing director of WATM, explains.
“Local WA mining operations are still growing; new mines are being set-up and existing mines are expanding,” he says. “Companies are looking for higher capacity machines that can lift large components, reducing build times significantly. The GMK6300L is ideal. It offers immense capacity and long reach with a very fast set-up, plus it can travel 24/7, making it an extremely versatile and easy to use crane. We will sell more Grove 300 t all-terrain cranes this year than any other Grove model– and we expect the region’s growing LNG sector to be a major market for these machines in the future, as well as the general rental sector.”
The GMK6300Ls, which feature a class-leading 80 m boom, will be used for general assembly and maintenance work at iron ore mines across Western Australia. Jobs will include building machinery, facilities and plant maintenance. Such a long boom means the crane rarely needs a swingaway or boom extension, saving time on site.
Most of the GMK6300Ls are heading to the Pilbara in the north of Western Australia where 75 percent of the state’s iron ore mining takes place. The cranes are expected to work for more than 10 years in the harsh mining environment, and will contend with searing heat and an almost constant workload. Servicing the cranes is crucial ensuring their longevity and WATM is providing on-site support and training to ensure effective routine maintenance.
In addition, WATM offers an extensive range of specialist modifications that the company has developed to ensure that any Manitowoc or Grove crane can be fitted out to meet or exceed any site specific requirements. Modifications include ‘working at heights’ and ‘access and egress’ packages.
Some of the GMK6300Ls were bought to complement or replace older 220 t capacity units that also sit on six-axles.
As well as supplying the GMK6300Ls, WATM provides a wide variety of additional services, including on-site training and full product support across the entire two million km2 area of Western Australia. The company also delivers cranes to its customers up to 1,600 km from its head office in Perth.
The Manitowoc Company, Inc. (“Manitowoc”) was founded in 1902 and has over a 117-year tradition of providing high-quality products and support services that are tailored to customers’ needs. Its 2019 net sales were approximately $1.83 billion. Manitowoc is one of the world's leading providers of engineered lifting solutions. Through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Manitowoc designs, manufactures, markets and supports comprehensive product lines of mobile telescopic cranes, tower cranes, lattice-boom crawler cranes, boom trucks and industrial cranes under the Grove, Potain, Manitowoc, National Crane, Shuttlelift and Manitowoc Crane Care brand names.