Manitowoc welcomed more than 320 guests to its factory in Niella Tanaro, Italy, to celebrate the launch of the new Potain Hup 40-30. The Hup 40-30 is the second model from the new Potain Hup range, after the Hup 32-27, which was launched at bauma 2016.
On September 29th and 30th, several of Manitowoc’s most important customers and dealers from across the continent, along with local leaders in Italy attended the event. These guests were the first to see the Hup 40-30 in action, with a series of live demonstrations that highlighted the crane’s innovative features. Visitors were also taken on a tour of the factory in Niella Tanaro, which has just completed a full year of updating and upgrading its manufacturing capabilities.
The Hup 40-30 official launch
The new Hup 40-30 is a pioneering self-erecting tower crane, which was first shown as a prototype at bauma 2016. It is part of a new generation of self-erecting cranes that replace the Igo series and boast a range of innovative design and technology features.
Jean-Pierre Zaffiro, global product director for Potain self-erecting cranes at Manitowoc, said the new Hup 40-30 represents a new era in self-erecting cranes, with new technologies enabling more versatility than ever before.
We are at the forefront of self-erecting crane development and our new Hup 40-30 demonstrates this,” he explained. “We have introduced several new features with the Hup range that will increase speed, efficiency and versatility for our customers. These advancements will certainly increase return on investment for many lifters.”
A double celebration
Visitors to the Niella Tanaro factory were able to see the many upgrades to its facilities that have been completed over the last year. Manitowoc has invested significantly in new equipment and manufacturing methods at the plant to further improve quality and bring more efficiency, innovation and standardization to crane design.
These developments are in line with The Manitowoc Way, a standardized manufacturing program that is being applied across Manitowoc’s factories around the world. This strategy incorporates lean manufacturing philosophies and focuses attention on adaptability to a changing market, along with customer needs. These practices are helping to improve return on investment for Manitowoc customers.
“Welcoming hundreds of visitors to the Niella Tanaro factory for the launch of the Hup 40-30 is also a perfect way to celebrate the upgraded factory here,” says Diego Borgna, SVP, global manufacturing tower cranes. “This factory is now one of Manitowoc’s most modern manufacturing facilities and uses a completely integrated lean production system known as The Manitowoc Way.”
Some of the factory improvements include new cutting and tooling equipment, including laser and plasma cutters that ensure the highest level of precision for all crane components. Welding robots that feature the latest technologies ensure precision welding to the highest manufacturing standards. The new jib production line is semi-automatic and designed specifically for the jibs on Hup cranes. A new painting line, which covers 2,000 m2, includes a shot blasting station with 16 turbines that are 50 m long, as well as a new high quality painting and drying process. These are among several other factory upgrades and improvements.
“Niella Tanaro remains an important manufacturing site for our company, so we are delighted to strengthen our position here,” concludes Borgna. “In order to reinforce our standing as the leading global manufacturer of self-erecting cranes, we will continue to produce more innovative crane solutions that drive profitability for customers. The combination of delivering better return on investment and market needs has been the key driver in the renewal of the plant.”