Manitowoc exhibited at this year’s Matexpo 2015, displaying a selection of Grove and Potain cranes with long-standing local dealer, Belgium Lifting & Equipment (BLE) and Potain top-slewing tower crane dealer, NEREMAT. The 36th international trade fair for construction machinery took place at Kortrijk Xpo in Belgium from September 2 through 6 and provided the first opportunity for Manitowoc to promote the company’s new five-axle Grove platform and the Potain MDT CCS City tower crane range.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary year, NEREMAT presented two tower cranes, the 12 t capacity MDT 368 and the new Potain MDT CCS City tower crane – the 10 t capacity MDT 219 – which was launched in June at an international presentation in France. This was the first time a MDT CCS City crane has been exhibited at a trade fair. The MDT CCS City range features Manitowoc’s latest Crane Control System (CCS) and between 55 to 65 m jibs, with hoisting capacities from 6 to 10 t.
“We were delighted to showcase the next generation of Potain tower cranes, with features that surpass all performances currently available in the tower crane market,” said Gilbert Neirynck of NEREMAT. “The MDT CCS City range made its debut at the Matexpo trade show and received
a lot of interest from the show’s visitors.”
The user-friendly CCS helps to get more work done faster, with great precision, while achieving the highest level of comfort, ergonomic control and lifting capacity. The new MDT CCS City range will be available for delivery in late 2015.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary year, BLE presented three Potain cranes at the show, including the Igo M14, Igo 22 and the Igo 30. The compact self-erecting tower cranes range from 1.8 t to 2.2 t capacity, and feature jib lengths of up to 30 m radius. BLE also presented two Grove all-terrain cranes, the 60 t capacity three-axle GMK3060 and the 130 t capacity five-axle GMK5130.
“The Matexpo trade fair provided an excellent opportunity for us to showcase our range of Manitowoc cranes to key contacts in the Belgium and international markets, and this year we presented a great selection of both Potain and Grove cranes,” said Paul Spaepen, general manager at BLE. “We’re delighted to have had the opportunity to discuss with customers Manitowoc’s latest offering in the Grove five-axle range - the recently launched GMK5250L and the brand-new GMK5180-1 and GMK5200-1 cranes.”
Manitowoc recently introduced two new five-axle Grove all-terrain cranes to join the popular 250 t capacity GMK5250L. The new GMK5180-1 and GMK5200-1 cranes share several outstanding features and advantages found on the GMK5250L, as well as an optimized counterweight package for maximum flexibility. The new Grove cranes offer optimal boom and jib combinations, featuring a 64 m main boom which can be extended with two 8 m inserts and an 18 m swing-away jib with 40° offset. The 180 t capacity GMK5180-1 has a maximum counterweight of 50 t, and the 200 t capacity GMK5200-1 has a maximum counterweigh of 70 t.
Together with the GMK5250L, the new Grove five-axle cranes are the first in the industry to offer VIAB turbo retarder clutch, which eliminates both fluid overheating and clutch burning, while enabling wear-free starting and braking. It also contributes to fuel savings. And in common with new Grove launches, the GMK5180-1 and GMK5200-1 are powered by a single engine - a Tier IV Final/EUROMOT 4 Mercedes-Benz OM471LA, a six cylinder diesel engine with a 390 kW (520 hp) rating and a maximum torque of 2,460 Nm.
The standardized CCS features in the cab and is a user-friendly interface that Manitowoc is introducing on all new all-terrain crane models, as well as crawler cranes, rough-terrain cranes, truck cranes and tower cranes. The CCS components and operating software have been specifically designed, developed and tested by Manitowoc Engineering and Innovation teams worldwide to ensure the highest reliability standards. The cab also features a new ergonomic jog dial and new joysticks.
Deliveries of the new GMK5200-1 and GMK5180-1 will start from Q4 2015.