Manitowoc's Grove mobile cranes create instant appeal in the cement and petrochemical industries.

Indian crane rental companies have responded strongly to Manitowoc's latest six-axle all-terrain crane, the Grove GMK6300L, with the company reporting particular interest in two of the country's highest profile industries. Prem Nathani, National Sales Manager for Grove mobile cranes and Manitowoc crawler cranes in India, says the crane has instant appeal in the cement and petrochemical industries.

"The strongest interest so far has been from rental companies with clients in the cement and petrochemical industries. The standout feature on this crane is its 80-m main boom and this will allow it to access cement or petrochemical plants and make lifts at very tall heights without needing to attach a jib. Cement and petrochemical plants often have tight industrial layouts with little room for manoeuver. So the fact the GMK6300L can make lifts with just its main boom, where other cranes would need a jib, is a real advantage," says Prem.

The Grove GMK6300L, which Manitowoc introduced at Bauma 2010, com?bines some of the strongest lift capa?bilities in its class in addition to the class-leading 80 m boom. This year has seen de?liveries of GMK6300L cranes gather pace. There are models working in Germany, Italy, the UK, US, China and New Zealand already. Dozens of others are scheduled for delivery in the coming months.

The new crane's design offers unprecedented ease of operation in a full range of applications. In addition to its suitability to cement and petrochemical plants, the crane is perfect for tower crane erection, placing auxiliary services (air conditioning units, elevator equipment, etc) and performing chimney work as well as general rental work.

Li Fook Seng, Manitowoc's Regional Product Manager for mobile and crawler cranes in Asia, says the crane has some im?pressive lift capabilities. "The GMK6300L is really a strong lifter with significant advantages over other cranes with similar boom lengths," he said. "It is designed for impressive picks on its main boom without the need to rig a jib or a Mega Wing Lift capacity-enhancing attachment. For exa?mple, with the boom extended to 74.8 m, it will lift 14.3 tonne, and with the full boom of 80 m, it lifts 12 tonne."

The GMK6300L is also the only crane among its competitors to offer a fully automatic transmission with torque convertor for unmatched performance. The Allison Transmission is a strong, reliable and cost-effective drive-train solution. Its capabilities are proven in the most arduous conditions, and the electronic controls allow it to adapt to its surroundings and provide self-diagnostics for easier maintenance. An integral retarder offers enhanced braking on hills and greater confidence for the operator when moving a heavy vehicle.

The Allison Transmission and Grove's Megatrak independent suspension system provide optimum travel for both on and off the road. The all-wheel steered GMK6300L has the latest steer-by-wire technology included on the fifth and sixth axles. Steer-by-wire uses fewer components making for better use of space and optimised steering angles, reducing tire wear.
Additional design features include a new cab for the carrier. It is similar to Grove's four- and five-axle all-terrain cranes, but it has been adapted to fit the wider carrier of the six-axle crane. It can comfortably accommodate up to three crew members and has more ergonomic posi?tioning of the instruments and controls.

There are five outrigger positions, more than any other crane in this capacity class, giving ultimate flexibility, even in the nar?rowest of sites. Maximum counterweight of 92.5 tonne is made up of two 10 tonne, five 9.5 tonne and two 9 tonne slabs, in addition to the 7 tonne base plate. The optional auxiliary hoist can be rigged together with the counterweight without the help of an auxiliary crane, improving efficiency.

A Mercedes OM 926 LA provides power for the superstructure, and power for the carrier comes from a Mercedes OM 502 LA. The OM 502 LA is an eight-cylinder engine that generates 405 kW, and the OM 926 LA is a six-cylinder engine that produces 210 kW.

Excellent reach is available on the crane with the 80 m main boom capable of working with a number of jib options. Maximum available length with jib is 117 m and the crane can still lift an impressive 2 tonne at this height. A second jib is also offered, a heavy-duty jib with a capacity of 38 tonne.