new grove in texas - manitowoc cranes

A M A N I T O W O C C R A N E S M A G A Z I N E

Volume 10 Issue 4

New Grove in Texas

Special Feature Factory Report

Customer Profile Larsen & Toubro

Manitowoc Finance $3 billion funded

October 2011 English

Contact your dealer or visit www.manitowoc.com/cranesdealer

range in capacity from 8t to 450t (8.5 USt to 550 USt)

Grove cranes

Grove all-terrain, rough-terrain and truck cranes are long-lasting and hard-working. High performance features help execute even the most challenging lifting jobs with strength, precision and control.

Our cranes offer the versatility to tackle any project, with capacities ranging from 8t to 450t (8.5 USt to 550 USt).

Built to performGrove mobile telescopic cranes

W e l c o m e

In Looking Up, we tend to focus on the latest cranes, technology and applications from Manitowoc. These are the stories that appeal most to our readers – the buyers and users of Manitowoc cranes. But it’s easy to forget that these articles count for little if Manitowoc does not get the essentials right – building the cranes in its factories.

In this issue we address that point, with the first in a series of articles looking at Manitowoc’s factories and their latest activities. We won’t be profiling the factories or giving overall views, but will instead focus only on what’s changed. Our reports will look at what new processes have been implemented and how they will improve the performance of Manitowoc cranes.

Our first article looks at Wilhelmshaven in Germany and in particular the Anti-Corrosion Initiative. One of the most interesting aspects of this initiative is how even the smallest changes (for example a better electrical connector or additional corrosion protection for bolts) can significantly improve a crane’s reliability and performance.

The engineers at Wilhelmshaven didn’t restrict themselves to analyzing only major parts and went, literally, to the nuts and bolts of the crane. The end results in terms of improved customer satisfaction are impressive. It seems the Wilhelmshaven engineers have enacted the words of the American basketball coach John Wooden who said, “it’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”

I n t h i s i s s u eC o m m e n t

Copies are available free of charge to crane customers,

dealers, end users and enthusiasts. Material published

in Looking Up remains the intellectual property of

The Manitowoc Company, Inc. and may not be reproduced

without prior written approval. Looking Up is written and designed by:

Publisher: Ingo Schiller

Editor-in-Chief: Ben Shaw

Managing Editor:Katie Propati

Contributing Editors: Amanda Barbarossa

Carole Bolomier John Bittner

Chris Bratthauar Punitha Govindasamy

Cristelle LacourtLeslie Shalabi

Stephen To

E-mail: [email protected]

Subscriptions:www.manitowoclookingup.com

Americas2401 S. 30th Street

PO Box 70, Manitowoc, WI 54221-0070, USA

Tel: +1 920 684 6621 Fax: +1 920 683 6617

EMEA18, rue de Charbonnières – BP 173

69132 ECULLY Cedex – France Tél: +33 (0)4 72 18 20 20 Fax: +33 (0)4 72 18 20 00

Asia Pacific16F Xu Hui Yuan Building

1089 Zhongshan No.2 Road (S)Shanghai 200030 ChinaTel: +86 21 6457 0066

Fax: +86 21 6457 4955

www.manitowoc.com

A number of trade and brand names appear in Looking Up. For ease of design, these are displayed without their superscript or subscript symbols. The most common names are: MANITOWOC®, NATIONAL CRANE®, MANITOWOC CRANE CARE®, MANITOWOC FINANCE®, GROvE®, POTAIN®, TWIN-LOCKTM, MEGATRAK®, MEGAFORMTM, EPIC®, CRANESTAR®, vISION CABTM, MAX-ERTM and RINGER®.

The engineers at Wilhelmshaven didn’t restrict themselves to analyzing only major parts and went, literally, to the nuts and bolts of the crane.

Ben ShawEditor-in-Chief

News ........................ 4Manitowoc around the world.

Job Site Report ........ 8A new Grove RT9150E in the U.S.

Job Site Report ...... 10Potain cranes working on a Portuguese viaduct.

Customer Profile .... 12L&T, one of India’s largest engineering companies.

Special Feature ...... 14Changes at Manitowoc factories.

Special Feature ...... 16A look at the Wilhelmshaven factory in Germany.

Job Site Report ...... 18The first Manitowoc 16000 in India.

Technical Update ... 20The latest engine legislation for cranes.

Manitowoc Finance 22Funding reaches $3 billion.

Crane Care............. 23A report from the APAC Crane Care dealer conference in Perth, Australia.

ON ThE COVER:A new Grove RT9150E rough-terrain crane, belonging to Groves Equipment, works on a refinery project in the U.S. For more see page 8.

October 20113

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At the opening of Manta’s new Singapore facility. Left to right are: Gilles Martin, Manitowoc; Quek Chang Yeow, Manta Holdings; Chung Tze Hien, Manta Holdings; and Thomas Thang, Manta Holdings.

Hovago’s latest order from Manitowoc includes two Grove GMK6300L all-terrain cranes.

N e w s

Manta expands in Singapore

Manitowoc 16000 on Prince Edward Island

Manta, Manitowoc’s Potain dealer for Singapore, has moved to a new sales and service facility so it can offer better service to its growing customer base. The new facility covers 10,220 m2 (110,000 ft2), double the 5,110 m2 (55,000 ft2) of the previous facility. It features a three-story office

building and indoor and outdoor warehouse space.

Quek Chang Yeow, CEO of Manta Holdings, said the move to the new facility was prompted by growing demand.

“Our business has expanded and we’ve added many cranes to our rental fleet,” he said. “At this new facility, we can store all

our cranes in one location and this has improved our service and operations.”

The new Singapore facility is one of Manta’s largest Potain dealer locations and employs 60 people. In addition to Singapore, Manta also has a major Potain dealership in Hong Kong.

Dutch crane rental giant Hovago has added six Grove all-terrain cranes to its fleet. The order is shipping in two parts, with two GMK5220 and two GMK5170 (GMK5275 and GMK5225 in the U.S.) cranes arriving in September. Then, in the first quarter of 2012, two GMK6300L cranes will join the rental fleet at Hovago’s Rotterdam headquarters.

Doron Livnat, CEO of Hovago, said the cranes had Grove’s proven strength.

“We have experience with both the GMK5220 and the GMK5170, so we know exactly what we’re getting,” he said. “Plus we also investigated the GMK6300L which obviously has an excellent main boom, but is also a great all-round crane with exceptional capabilities.

“We are extending our rental fleet and these were great additions, as we know we’ll be able to rent them easily. In fact, three are already scheduled for a long-term lease and the others will be booked into projects shortly.”

hovago adds six Grove ATs

A Manitowoc 16000 played an integral role in the construction of a seawall in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The seawall will reclaim land for the construction of the PEI Convention Center, which is being built by the Charlottetown Area Development Corp. Bert & MacKay Construction managed the project.

The 16000, owned and operated by Irving Equipment, the pile-driving subcontractor, was initially used to drive sheet piling for the base of the seawall. While typical pile driving in marine applications requires a barge-mounted crane, the size and

capacity of the 16000 allowed it to work on land, operating at radii of between 38 m and 55 m (125 ft and 180 ft).

After the installation of sheet piling, the 16000 helped another subcontractor install whalers, the cross beams that support the seawall. Again, the crane worked at radii between 38 m and 55 m. The crane finished its rigorous duty cycle and lift work in mid-August.

Irving Equipment is a crane rental company based in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The company purchased the 16000 from Shawmut Equipment.

A Manitowoc 16000 doing pile driving work on a project in Canada.

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Kelvin Kent

Signing the contract for NIBM to sell Potain top-slewing cranes in Belgium. Left to right are: Philippe Cohet, Manitowoc; Gido Gehlen, NIBM; Adri Van Groningen, Manitowoc; Christophe Simoncelli, Manitowoc; Jean-Marc Desmolles, NIBM; Steve Leenaerts, Manitowoc.

Neil Hollingshead

N e w s

Manitowoc Cranes has appointed two new management roles in Australia. Kelvin Kent is the new general manager of Australia and New Zealand crane operations.

Kent is responsible for expanding the Manitowoc Cranes organization including sales, Manitowoc Crane Care and administration. He brings 30 years of experience in the construction equipment industry, including previous positions with companies such as Atlas Copco, Compair, JCB, Eagle Equipment,

and a former Grove crane dealer. Neil Hollingshead has been

appointed as the sales and marketing director for Australia and New Zealand, and will report to Kent. Since joining Manitowoc in 1989 as an apprentice technician, Hollingshead has progressed through marketing and project management roles, including his most recent position as global product director for all-terrain and rough-terrain cranes. Kent and Hollingshead will be based in Sydney.

Manitowoc’s dealer NIBM is extending its sales area for Potain top-slewing cranes to include Belgium. NIBM already sells Potain cranes in the Netherlands and the Northrhine-Westphalia region of Germany.

BLE, Manitowoc’s long-established Belgian dealer, will continue to sell and service Potain self-erecting cranes and Grove mobile cranes in the country.

NIBM will provide full Manitowoc Crane Care support for top-slewing Potain cranes in

Belgium. This not only applies to new cranes sold by NIBM, but to all top-slewing Potain cranes in the country. BLE will also offer full Manitowoc Crane Care support for self-erecting cranes and Grove mobile cranes. Manitowoc Crane Care includes full parts and service support plus a range of other services.

NIBM has been an exclusive Potain dealer for over 40 years and has supplied construction machinery in The Netherlands since its inception in 1939.

Three Potain tower cranes are helping expand a hydroelectric generation facility at the Holtwood Dam on the Susquehanna River near Holtwood, Pa., U.S.

The general contractor is Walsh Construction, which owns two cranes on the job – a Potain MR 615 and a Potain MR 415 — and is renting a Potain MD 485 B from ALL Erection and Crane Rental Corp.

The cranes are equipped with Potain’s Top Tracing anti-collision and controlled work zone software, which helps manage overlapping operation

zones and alerts the operator if the crane’s jib comes too close to another crane on the site.

As an additional safety measure, Walsh configured the three cranes with the cabs all at the same level to allow eye contact between the operators. But because of the uneven terrain, each crane has a different overall height, ranging from 146 ft to 221 ft (44.5 m to 67 m) high.

The three Potain cranes have been on the job site since October 2010 and will be working through May 2012.

Manitowoc Cranes enhances Australia management

NIBM extends sales area to Belgium

Potain cranes help expand hydroelectric dam in Pennsylvania

Potain cranes on the expansion of the Holtwood Dam in Pennsylvania, U.S.

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Delegates at the Manitowoc seminar for crane customers in South Korea.

N e w s

Master Boat Builders, a specialist supplier of vessels to support the offshore drilling industry, is using two Manitowoc 2250 crawler cranes and three Grove RT530E-2 rough-terrain cranes at its yard in Bayou La Batre, Ala., U.S. The cranes are helping with different stages of boat building. Some of the heavy work for the crawler cranes includes turning the 185 ft (56 m) hulls and positioning the forecastle on the ship’s bow.

The Grove RT cranes were supplied by Cowin Equipment, and the Manitowoc crawler cranes were sold by H&E Equipment Services. All arrived at

MBB over the past two years. The company has built over

50 vessels, each weighing around 1,000 USt (907 t).

The company rigs its 2250 cranes with 300,000 lbs (136 t) of counterweight for lifting the hull sections.

A group of 70 representatives from South Korea’s 20 most prominent engineering and construction companies attended a one-day seminar organized by Manitowoc in Seoul. Over the course of the event, attendees listened to presentations on some of Manitowoc’s largest and most-technical cranes. These included the Manitowoc 31000 crawler crane, the Grove GTK1100 and

Potain’s range of special application tower cranes.

Ho Joon Bang, general manager of Manitowoc Cranes in Korea, said the event helped raise awareness of the available lifting technology from Manitowoc.

“Although delegates know our company, it was useful to show them the capabilities of some of our biggest cranes,” he said.

“There was a lot of interest, particularly in the Manitowoc 31000. Many of the engineering companies present are planning projects that can make use of this crane.”

In addition to learning about new products, those attending also listened to a presentation on the customer-support services available from Manitowoc Crane Care.

Boat builder uses Grove and Manitowoc

Manitowoc meets with customers in South Korea

Two Manitowoc 2250 crawler cranes work on a ship’s hull at the Master Boat Builders yard in Alabama, U.S.

Wiesbauer’s GTK1100 works on its 50th wind power project.

A GTK1100 belonging to Wiesbauer of Germany assembled three 2 MW wind turbines in just nine days. The project also marked the crane’s 50th turbine assembly in four years. These 50 wind tower installation projects are in addition to dozens of other industrial jobs the GTK11000 has completed.

Jochen Wiesbauer, managing director of the company, said the crane has been consistently busy over the past four years.

“The GTK is the most efficient way to install wind turbines,” he said. “It combines the greatest capacity with the least amount of hassle. It is easy to transport, quick to set up and can install a wind turbine in just three days – with very little support. Running and owning a GTK1100 is easy, and we can work on more jobs in less time.”

To construct the latest wind turbines, on the project in Freiburg, the GTK1100 first placed the four mast sections to create a 95 m (312 ft) mast. Then the 68 t (75 USt) nacelles were lifted into position. Finally, came the installation of the rotor blades, for which Wiesbauer used its GMK5220 (GMK5275 in the U.S.) as an assist crane.

Wiesbauer sent a team of just four people to carry out the installation work. The client was Abo Wind AG.

GTK1100 builds 50th wind turbine

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Manitowoc Cranes has named Joe Maslizek as the new vice president of sales for Manitowoc crawler cranes and Grove mobile hydraulic cranes in the North American market.

Maslizek will oversee sales in North America for Grove and Manitowoc cranes, including distribution management and major accounts management in the region. He will report to David Hull, Manitowoc’s senior vice president of sales and marketing for North America.

Hull said that Maslizek’s

industry knowledge will serve him well in his new role.

“Joe has been in the lifting industry for over two decades

— half of that with Manitowoc,” he said. “His knowledge of our cranes, customers and the North American market is a valuable asset to our company.”

Maslizek joined Manitowoc in 2001 as the senior regional business manager for Potain tower cranes. In 2010, he transitioned to director of sales and major accounts for Grove and Manitowoc products. Prior to joining Manitowoc, Maslizek worked in sales and distribution management within the crane and construction industry.

N e w s

Dave Carden

A Potain MC 175 B on a new residential development in Taiwan.

Joe Maslizek

TRT founder honored in New Zealand

Maslizek named VP of North America sales

Taipei tower craneAt this year’s Crane Association of New Zealand conference, Dave Carden, founder of Manitowoc dealer Tidd Ross Todd, was honored for his service to the industry. Carden founded his company in 1967, and has been working with Manitowoc since 1976. He has also been a regular attendee at the Crane Association of New Zealand functions for the past 30 years.

TRT currently sells cranes from three Manitowoc brands: Grove mobile cranes, Manitowoc crawler cranes and Potain tower cranes. The company has twice been Manitowoc’s Asia-Pacific Dealer of the Year for Grove crane sales.

Manitowoc was also prominent in other areas of the conference, after Daniel Smith Industries won Crane Project of the Year for its work on a stadium that used both Grove and Manitowoc cranes. The Forsyth Barr Stadium, which finished in August in time for the Rugby World Cup 2011, featured a Manitowoc 12000, Manitowoc 8500 and a Grove RT760 rough-terrain crane.

A Potain MC 175 B tower crane is working on a new residential development outside the Taiwanese capital, Taipei. The development is being managed by Chung-Lu Archit, a joint venture that includes a subsidiary of Japanese property giant Kajima Partnerships.

JOU International, Manitowoc’s dealer for Potain in

Taiwan, rented the MC 175 B to the contractor. Working alongside it is an older Potain F 25 crane. Together, the cranes are lifting formwork that weighs up to 2 t (2.2 USt), to help build the 30-story building. The crane will be on site for eight months.

Paul Chang, customer support manager for JOU

International, said it was a high-profile project for the company.

“This is a nice project for us to be involved in because it’s in a prime area of the city, looking out over the city and the distinctive Taipei 101 building,” he said. “The contractor likes the strength of the Potain cranes on this project and they are also proving highly reliable.”

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J o b S i t e R e p o r tJ o b S i t e R e p o r t

A Grove RT9150E has been permanently installed at the BASF Petrochemical facility in Groves, Texas. The crane,

which is owned and maintained by Groves Equipment, is on permanent rental to the petrochemical company.

Capacity and reach, in particular, were two of the selling factors of this crane. A capacity of 150 USt (135 t) and an impressive 197 ft (60 m) main boom allows Turner Industries Group, which holds the maintenance contract at the facility and operates the crane, to reach and pick virtually everything that needs maintenance.

Prior to the arrival of the RT9150E, TIG was using a few 75 USt (68 t) rough-terrain cranes to do whatever maintenance they could. But often, lifts were needed that were beyond the capacity of these cranes. The solution was to rent manned and operated cranes to perform specific lifts.

Because of the culture of security and safety surrounding petrochemical facilities, the process of qualifying these cranes and developing a lift plan once they were on site took a significant amount of time. This was sometimes as much as two or three days, says David Hays, one of the crane operators for Turner Industries Group.

“Also, because crane inventories at the rental companies in our area have been greatly diminished throughout the downturn

of the last few years, timing and availability of the cranes we needed to rent was an issue,” he says. “We could not always count on the arrival of the crane that we needed, when we needed it. And then, once it did arrive, we needed to complete certifications and gain approvals for the lift plan. It was taking us a significant amount of time.”

So the decision was made to install the Grove RT9150E permanently at the BASF facility.The crane has been significantly used in its first few months at the facility, says Terry Love, crane and rigging supervisor for Turner Industries Group.

“We use it every day. Some days it’s only for an hour, but some days we are using it for an entire shift,” he says. “By adding this crane to our fleet, we have reduced our dependence on rented day cranes by 75 percent, which has saved us time and money.”

With the boom/jib/insert combination, TIG can reach nearly everything that it needs to within the facility, with the exception of two cooling towers.

“This facility was not built with serviceability in mind, so everything that we need to do to maintain the plant requires lifting either really high or really far,” he said. “Having the increased boom length on this crane has been really helpful for our day-to-day operations.” ◆

Faster plant maintenanceA Grove RT9150E, the company’s largest rough-terrain crane currently in production, has been a welcome addition to the maintenance operations of a petrochemical facility outside of Houston, Texas. Leslie Shalabi reports.

Groves Equipment, named after the Texas town where it was established, has always been a loyal Grove customer. The company was started in the mid-1950s by Martin McReynolds. Steve McReynolds, current owner and president, took over the business from his father Von in 1996. Steve’s son, Trevor, currently works in the company, carrying the business into the fourth generation.

Groves Equipment specializes in providing bare rental cranes to the petrochemical market, which is prevalent in the area.

Its fleet is about 80 percent rough-terrain cranes and 20 percent crawler cranes, ranging in capacity from 9 USt to 150 USt (8 t to 136 t) for the RTs and 100 USt to 300 USt (90 t to 272 t) for the crawlers.

Throughout the last few challenging years, the Groves has fared well. Steve McReynolds attributes this to the relationships that have built up over the years.

“We have great relationships with our customers. We’re well-established, and we’ve been around. That is such a huge advantage when you are competing with companies new to the area – even when they are offering cheaper rental rates.”

While McReynolds has certainly experienced rate reduction like other crane rental companies, a conservative approach to managing the business and investing in new equipment has paid off.

“We are a lean company. I’ve been willing to carry some loads that most business owners would have passed off by now. But throughout the downturn, I have not had to lay off one person. With the help of Manitowoc Finance, we have even invested in new equipment.”

Groves Equipment employs 36 people between its Groves, Texas and houston branches.

Family run

“Because crane inventories at the rental companies in our area have been greatly diminished throughout the downturn of the last few

years, timing and availability of the cranes we needed to rent

was an issue.”David Hays, crane operator for

Turner Industries Group

9

The RT9150E has an impressive 197 ft (60 m) main boom which allows it to handle the majority of its jobs at the BASF facility in Grove, Texas, without having to rig a jib.

J o b S i t e R e p o r t

10


Five tower cranes rented by Manitowoc’s Portugal office are constructing the pylons of the Viaduto

do Corgo in Portugal. The viaduct will be one of the longest and tallest in the country.

The local Manitowoc Crane Care team installed the cranes and will manage them throughout the project. The team is

also climbing and relocating them as work progresses.

Once complete, the Viaduto do Corgo will have a span reaching 2,796 m (1.7 miles). To build enough pylons to cover this distance, each crane will relocate eight times during the project. The cranes have a 45 m (148 ft) jib each and are constructing four pylons at a

time. The pylons are spaced 60 m (197 ft) apart over a distance of 1.6 km (1 mile).

There is one topless tower crane on the project, the MDT 178, which has a maximum lift capacity of 8 t (8.8 USt). The other cranes are all cathead design cranes from the MD line. There is an MD 235, two MD 238s and an MD 265, each with a maximum lift

Potains shape Portuguese viaductPotain cranes are helping construct a viaduct that will form a major part of a new highway connecting Portugal’s city of Porto with the Spanish border. Ben Shaw reports.

The Potain MDT 178 is the only topless tower crane on the Viaduto do Corgo.

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The cranes on the project are building pylons for the viaduct. Working heights will stretch up to 123 m (404 ft).

capacity of 12 t (13.2 USt). This allows the cranes to comfortably handle the average loads on the project, which are 6 t (6.6 USt).

Aside from the regular need to move the cranes to new locations, the other major challenge for Manitowoc Crane Care is continually climbing the cranes. Working heights on the project range from 70 m to 123 m (230 ft to 404 ft).

To achieve such heights Manitowoc Crane Care will need 30 anchors to secure the cranes to the structure over the course of the project. Engineers at Manitowoc Crane Care are designing, producing and installing each of the anchors.

Elísio Rangel, Manitowoc’s area sales manager for tower cranes in Iberica, said the size and prominence of the project makes it a real challenge.

“This is currently one of the highest profile projects in Portugal and one of the most challenging,” he said. “We are working closely with the main contractor to ensure the cranes fulfill their part in bringing the landmark highway to life. So far they have performed very well and the Manitowoc Crane Care team has worked tirelessly, making sure any downtime from climbing, relocating or maintaining the cranes is in line with the customer’s schedule.”

Work on the Viaduto do Corgo began in December 2010, and the cranes will finish work at the end of 2011. The viaduct is part of the larger Transmontana highway, a €600 million ($850 million) project that will connect Portugal’s second largest city of Porto with the Spanish border.

Portuguese contractor Soares da Costa and Spanish company FCC have formed a joint venture to complete the project. ◆

“This is currently one of the highest profile projects in Portugal and one of the most challenging. We are working closely with the main contractor to ensure the

cranes fulfill their part in bringing the landmark highway to life.”

Elisio Rangel, Manitowoc’s area sales

manager for tower cranes in Iberica

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C u s t o m e r P r o f i l e C u s t o m e r P r o f i l e

Star of IndiaOne of India’s best known engineering companies, Larsen and Toubro, is a long-time Manitowoc Cranes customer. Punitha Govindasamy reports.

One of the five Manitowoc 999 cranes owned by L&T.

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C u s t o m e r P r o f i l e

Larsen and Toubro is India’s largest engineering and construction company, with annual sales close to

$12 billion and business interests in 30 countries. It is also a long-time user of Manitowoc cranes, including models from its crawler crane line and the Potain tower crane line, on projects across its business units.

N Srinivasan, head of plant and machinery for all L&T divisions, said the company’s experience with Manitowoc goes back over 30 years.

“We bought the first Manitowoc crawler crane in India back in 1980. It was a Manitowoc 4100W RINGER for work on a power station that Neyveli Lignite Corp. was building in its home town of Neyveli,” he said. “We still have that crane, and today it’s working for Tata Steel in Jamshedpur.

“We’re also a long-time user of Potain tower cranes. Our oldest Potain crane is 24 years old – an E218B G33B. That crane is still working on a project in Mumbai.”

Manitowoc userOne division of the company that has several Manitowoc crawler cranes is the Metallurgical Material Handling Independent Company. The division runs projects in the water, utilities, minerals and mining industries.

MMHIC ordered four Manitowoc 999 and nine Manitowoc 8500 cranes in 2008. Earlier this year, it added four more 8500 cranes. These cranes join a number of 4100W and 4100 S2 cranes that have been in the division for many years. The cranes are often used to build production facilities in steel plants, working for industry giants like Tata Steel, Jindal Steel and Bhushan Steel.

M Govindasamy, head of plant and machinery for this division, said there are

several features on Manitowoc cranes that the company likes.

“The Manitowoc 999 has excellent reach, and we use it for a lot of different lifting projects,” he said. “Overall, Manitowoc crawler cranes are reliable, and they give us very few problems. They are user-friendly and easy to rig and de-rig.”

Aside from the four Manitowoc 999 cranes, there is an additional Manitowoc 999 used by L&T’s Hydrocarbon Construction & Pipelines division. This crane was purchased in 2009, and spent the first year on an oil refinery in Batinder, Punjab. Currently, it is working on a power plant in Talwande, also in Punjab. On this job, the crane is lifting loads of up to 120 t (132 USt) as part of the boiler construction.

In addition to the Manitowoc crawler cranes, L&T owns a large number of Potain tower cranes, which are popular in its other divisions. For example, the Buildings &

Factories Operating Company has a fleet of 60 Potain cranes. Of these, 20 are less than five years old, highlighting the company’s commitment to continuous fleet renewal and investment in the latest technology.

P K Viswambharan, head of plant and machinery for the Buildings & Factories Operating Company, said L&T also has a reputation for innovation with its Potain tower cranes.

“In 2009, we purchased an MC 205 that we converted to a floor climbing crane,” he said. “This was a first for India. Since that time, we’ve converted five more MC 205 cranes for this purpose.”

Potain tower cranes are also used by the Infrastructure division, which works on projects such as roads, bridges, subways, ports and nuclear facilities. Currently, one of the largest single projects for the division is the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station, where there are nine Potain tower cranes. These include a new MD 560 B, and they are constructing a foundation for the nuclear reactor.

Keeping workingN Srinivasan said investing in product support was a key element to success.

“Our reputation has been built over decades, delivering high-quality construction solutions to our clients,” he said. “We’ve learned the importance of investing in our equipment and our personnel. The money we’ve put in has more than paid for itself in repeat business and a growing reputation that we enjoy.”

With India’s booming economy, it’s clear that L&T is now primed with the best machinery to take advantage of the increase in construction activity predicted for the coming years. ◆

A Potain tower crane belonging to L&T’s Buildings & Factories Operating Company.

N Srinivasan, head of plant and machinery for all L&T’s divisions.

M Govindasamy, head of plant and machinery for the MMHIC division.

P K Viswambharan, head of plant and machinery for the Buildings & Factories Operating Company.

Manjit Singh, head of plant and machinery for the Hydrocarbon Construction & Pipelines division.

Davinder Singh, head of plant and machinery for the Infrastructure division.

6

45

3

2

9

1 87

1. Manitowoc, Wis., U.S.Brands manufactured: Manitowoc Year factory opened: 1978

2. Shady Grove, Pa., U.S.Brands manufactured: Grove, National CraneYear factory opened: 1947

3. Passo Fundo, BrazilBrands manufactured: GroveFactory to open: 2012

4. Fanzeres, PortugalBrands manufactured: PotainYear factory opened: 1963

5. Baltar, PortugalBrands manufactured: Potain Year factory opened: 2007 6. Moulins, FranceBrands manufactured: PotainYear factory opened: 1959

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F a c t o r y F o c u s F a c t o r y F o c u s

In recent years, Manitowoc has focused heavily on improving its manufacturing efficiency worldwide. The company has

investigated and tightened up its manufacturing practices by applying lean manufacturing principles at its many factories around the world. There are many unique strategies in place to help Manitowoc factories become more efficient or provide more consistent quality

during the manufacturing process. One of these strategies is an Anti-Corrosion Initiative at Wilhelmshaven, which is highlighted on pages 16 and 17. Other initiatives will be covered in subsequent issues of Looking Up.

In 2008 and 2009 the Manitowoc, Wis., facility in the U.S. added nearly 165,000 ft2 (15,300 m2) of manufacturing space – an increase of 34 percent in manufacturing

space at an investment of $46 million. The facility has also recorded impressive efficiencies with its move to lean manufacturing. Direct labor hours in the Manitowoc 2250 assembly process fell to 470 hours from 534 hours per crane, and manufacturing floor space was reduced by 2,300 ft2 (213 m2).

At the Zhangjiagang, China factory, the facility’s move to lean manufacturing proved hugely successful. Manitowoc’s internal corporate operational excellence department conducted an annual assessment and awarded the factory Gold Status. The company’s manufacturing fundamentals are aligned with the basics of the Toyota Production System and

Next generation manufacturing

Updates at Manitowoc’s global factories are positioning the company for improved crane production. Ben Shaw reports.

1. Manitowoc, Wis., U.S.Brands manufactured: Manitowoc Year factory opened: 1978

2. Shady Grove, Pa., U.S.Brands manufactured: Grove, National CraneYear factory opened: 1947

3. Passo Fundo, BrazilBrands manufactured: GroveFactory to open: 2012

4. Fanzeres, PortugalBrands manufactured: PotainYear factory opened: 1963

5. Baltar, PortugalBrands manufactured: Potain Year factory opened: 2007

6. Moulins, FranceBrands manufactured: PotainYear factory opened: 1959

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11

10

7. Charlieu, FranceBrands manufactured: Potain

Year factory opened: 1956

8. Niella Tanaro, Italy

Brands manufactured: Potain, GroveYear factory opened: 2000

9. Wilhelmshaven, Germany

Brands manufactured: Grove Year factory opened: 1901

10. Pune, India

Brands manufactured: PotainYear factory opened: 2007

11. Zhangjiagang, China

Brands manufactured: Potain, ManitowocYear factory opened: 2005

12. TaiAn, China

Brands manufactured: DongyueYear factory opened: 2008

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F a c t o r y F o c u s

the factory’s general manager, Derek Oh, said the success of lean manufacturing was down to several factors including “strategy, planning, training and execution.” He said they would continue to build on its recent success and look for further improvements.

In Europe, the Moulins factory in France is incorporating lean manufacturing, naming the process MouLEAN. The facility has completely redesigned its general warehouse and assembly hall, in line with the principles of Japan’s Kaizen manufacturing philosophy. The paint line has also been improved, with painting per shift up to 750 m2 (8,100 ft2) versus the previous 600 m2 (6,500 ft2). New workflow processes for masts, trolleys, jibs

and counterjibs have resulted in a 10 percent reduction in inventory space.

Manitowoc’s Charlieu facility continues to integrate the operations from La Clayette, following the transfer in production. The plant’s layout has been completely redesigned with a focus on minimizing component handling and grouping core manufacturing competencies. Hoist production has benefited from a €1.6 million investment in an advanced machining center, and a second investment of €1 million will follow in 2013.

Manitowoc’s facility in Baltar, Portugal has introduced two major lean manufacturing initiatives to streamline the factory’s production. The first was a complete change in the layout of

the welding area to optimize parts flow and reduce component handling. The second was to the facility itself, with a complete reorganization of product flow and an update in the storage areas and factory procedures.

These are just a few of the changes helping Manitowoc’s factories produce cranes in a more-efficient manner with improved build quality. Even though many of the factory changes are recent, the industry already sees improvements in the cranes. With more updates to come, it’s clear that the shift to lean manufacturing and the accompanying factory updates will play a major role in Manitowoc’s strategy to stay at the forefront of the crane industry. ◆

Next generation manufacturing7. Charlieu, France


8. Niella Tanaro, Italy

Brands manufactured: Potain, GroveYear factory opened: 2000

9. Wilhelmshaven, Germany

Brands manufactured: Grove Year factory opened: 1901

10. Pune, India


11. Zhangjiagang, China

Brands manufactured: Potain, ManitowocYear factory opened: 2005

12. TaiAn, China

Brands manufactured: DongyueYear factory opened: 2008

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F a c t o r y R e p o r t

Last fall, Manitowoc welcomed over 150 customers to its Wilhelmshaven, Germany facility to see the latest

improvements in production. Since then, Manitowoc invested millions of dollars in processes to continue improvements to the quality and production times for Grove all-terrain cranes.

Manitowoc uses a Customer Satisfaction Index, a customer survery, to measure product quality and customer satisfaction. It is also a component of measuring facility production. When Manitowoc introduced the independently-verified program back in 2008, its CSI average was 6.6. The average has risen to 7.5 in 2009 and 8.3 in 2010. The company’s goal is to average 9.5.

Thomas Steuer, vice president of operations at Wilhelmshaven, said CSI helps everyone focus on product quality.

“Updates to our current CSI are communicated to all staff, and there are regular meetings to assess the results,” he said. “Our 9.5 target is challenging, and we know we have more work to get there. We are progressing well, and everyone is motivated to achieve our goal.”

One of the key improvements at Wilhelmshaven is the Anti-Corrosion Initiative that started in 2010. As the name suggests,

this improves the cranes’ ability to withstand corrosion, and it includes input from the Quality, Engineering, Production, Sales and Manitowoc Crane Care departments.

Some of the key components affected by the initiative are steel parts, electrical parts and systems, hydraulic systems, and nuts and bolts. In addition to offering better protection for

components, the initiative also emphasizes maintenance through Manitowoc Crane Care, including cleaning and waxing the crane and applying suitable corrosion protection.

The Anti-Corrosion Initiative incorporates a number of new processes in assembling Grove cranes. It extends from the smallest parts of the crane to the largest. For instance, high-strength

Quality and customer satisfactionA new anti-corrosion initiative at Manitowoc’s Wilhelmshaven factory is producing more reliable cranes with longer life spans. Carole Bolomier reports.

One of the production lines at Wilhelmshaven where new initiatives are helping create better cranes.

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F a c t o r y R e p o r t F a c t o r y R e p o r t

Design improvementManitowoc introduced several steps to improve its cranes at the Wilhelmshaven factory, including:

• Paintedvalveblocks

• Coatedtubesandzincnickelcoated fittings

• Stainlesssteelbracketsontherubber damper

• TheuseofGermanstandardICClass 69 K boxes for electrics. These are dust proof and can withstand high pressure washing

• Zinc-flakeprotectedscrewsandgreased threads

• Powder-coatingandgalvanizingattached parts

• Military-standardcannonplugs

• Waxprotectioninsidetheoutriggers

screws are now given a surface protection of zinc coating. They are then tested to ensure durability. In this case, screws are tested to withstand 400 hours in a salt spray chamber.

For the hydraulic components, Manitowoc now uses plastic-coated hydraulic tubes with zinc nickel fittings. Plus, all finished cranes receive a protective wax treatment before delivery.

Erich Nitzsche, director of quality for mobile cranes at Wilhelmshaven, said these measures are at the heart of the Anti-Corrosion Initiative.

“By reducing corrosion, we are seeing significant changes in the expected working lives and reliability of Grove cranes,” he said.

“We have incorporated several changes in our build process to focus on the initiative. The feedback from our customers is good.”

In addition to specific anti-corrosion measures, Manitowoc focused on other areas of the crane, including the quality of hydraulic oil. The cranes now perform a complete flushing of the hydraulic system during start up and have a permanent filtering system, which also runs on start up.

Engineers check the oil quality, specifically in the carrier and turntable, before delivery and add extra filtration as required. Manitowoc’s engineers have found these new processes produce hydraulic oil that is ten times cleaner than before.

Further steps include new cannon plugs that use more durable military housings, and cable installation has been redesigned to minimize water ingress.

Together, these small changes produce a crane that is more reliable, with a longer working life. With even better Grove cranes now shipping out of the Wilhelmshaven factory, it’s no surprise the CSI has increased over 30 percent in two years. However, with the company’s goal of 9.5 still to be reached, improvements are guaranteed to continue. ◆

New electrical boxes, such as these, help protect the crane components. All screws have corrosion protection, and external parts are powder-coated for better durability.

“Our 9.5 target is challenging, and we know we have more

work to get there. We are progressing well, and everyone is motivated to achieve our goal.”Thomas Steuer, vice president of operations at

Wilhelmshaven

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The first Manitowoc 16000 with wind attachment in India is also the largest new crawler crane purchased by owner

Amrik Singh & Sons Crane Services Pvt Ltd. Gurvinder Singh, director at Amrik Singh,

explained the motivation behind the latest purchase.

“We’re heavily involved in wind turbine work, and we’ve found even used cranes built five years ago don’t have the capabilities we need to assemble current and future generations of wind turbines,” he said. “We looked at lots of cranes that can do the type of wind power work we need, but we liked the 16000 with wind attachment best.”

Amrik Singh purchased the crane through TIL Limited, Manitowoc’s crawler and mobile crane dealer for India. The crane arrived in the middle of this year and has since worked on the huge Jasdan 100 MW project in Jasdan near Rajkot, Gujarat. There are more than 50 turbines of 2.1 MW capacity to place on the project, each taking between two and three days to assemble at each location.

With so many turbines on the project, the company recognizes Manitowoc’s FACT connection technology as a key feature in helping rig the crane faster.

Gurvinder Singh said there was more to consider with the 16000 than just its lift ability.

“When we first spoke with TIL about the 16000, we did a lot of research on what we needed from a crane,” he said. “Even though the 16000 had a little more capacity than we were looking for, we decided it was a worthwhile investment and we can secure jobs for it for the next four to five years. Wind turbines in India are getting larger and with

the 16000 we have the perfect crane to assemble them.”

The company is familiar with Manitowoc cranes, as it currently has 20 Krupp all-terrain cranes (a brand acquired by Grove in 1995), including a 550 t (650 USt) Krupp 500 GMT. But the 400 t (440 USt) capacity 16000 is its largest new crawler crane, and also its first Manitowoc.

Prior to receiving the Manitowoc 16000, Amrik Singh used a combination of cranes for wind turbine projects, including the 550 t (650 USt) Krupp mobile crane, plus some smaller cranes around 250 t (276 USt) capacity and larger lattice boom mobile cranes of up to 800 t (880 USt). It was using these to install turbines of up to 2.1 MW capacity. Now, the 16000 can erect these turbines on its own and has the capability to install larger turbines.

Amrik Singh has worked on wind power projects in India since 1993 when it took on its first project for Vestas. That first job involved

the installation of a 250 kva turbine with a 30 m (98.4 ft) tower and a nacelle weighing 9 t (9.9 USt). On the Jasdan 100 MW project the 16000 is lifting 85 t (93.5 USt) nacelles on to towers of up to 80 m (262.4 ft).

And it’s not only wind power projects that will benefit from the 16000. Gurvinder Singh sees numerous other opportunities for the crane.

“Over the next 20 years in India there’s going to be a lot of work on projects like bridges, infrastructure, power plants and cement plants,” he said. “We will need to make much bigger lifts, so large capacity cranes like the 16000 will be busy.”

Amrik Singh & Sons was formed in 1975, although the company’s founder, Amrik Singh, established a trucking company many years before that. There are currently three generations working in the family business – three sons and three grandsons of Amrik Singh. The headquarters is in Mumbai and the company runs 75 cranes in its fleet. ◆

Amrik Singh is preparing for India’s future wind power growth and invested in a Manitowoc 16000 with wind attachment. Punitha Govindasamy reports.

The future for Indian wind work

Three generations of Singh family at Amrik Singh & Sons Crane Services. Sitting from left are: Gurdip Singh, Amrik Singh (founder), Surjit Singh, Daljit Singh. Standing from left are: Satvinder Singh, Tejinder Singh, Gurvinder Singh.

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The first Manitowoc 16000 with wind attachment in India working on the Jasdan 100 MW project.

Te c h n i c a l U p d a t e T e c h n i c a l U p d a t e

The evolution to Tier 4i/Euro 3b engines represents one of the most significant changes in off-highway engine history.

Suppliers like Cummins and Mercedes have years’ worth of engineering time invested in developing new emissions-compliant engines. But it is up to equipment manufacturers, like Manitowoc, to modify and redesign equipment

to incorporate these latest changes.The redesigned engines occupy much

more space and are heavier than previous generations, so it was a design challenge to fit them into the many types and models of cranes that Manitowoc manufactures. Depending on the type of engine, the cranes have to accommodate a new engine and a

different cooling package, air intake system, exhaust system and, in some cases, a urea (SCR) fluid system.

As covered in previous issues of Looking Up, Manitowoc is using two types of Tier 4i/Euro 3b compliant engine technologies to meet the latest emissions standards. Cummins engines (which use EGR technology) are being

New engine redesignImplementing the newest emissions-compliant engines has meant rethinking several major engine systems on Manitowoc’s cranes. Leslie Shalabi reports.

Behind the black metal guard is a diesel particulate filter installed on a crane with a Tier 4i engine. The guard is used to protect people working around the crane from the high temperatures of the filter.

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T e c h n i c a l U p d a t e

This is an exhaust pipe on a crane with more than 1,000 working hours. Notice the insde of the pipe is still shiny and clean and appears to be new. With previous diesel engines, the inside of the pipe would be black after only a few hours of use.

used in cranes sold into the United States and Canada. Mercedes engines (which use SCR technology) are installed on cranes sold into Europe. For cranes sold in other regions of the world, Tier 3 engines are still being used.

Major system changesThere are four major engine systems that Manitowoc engineers had to consider when fitting new engines: cooling, air intake, exhaust and urea (SCR). Redesigning these systems meant either making room for additional components or redesigning existing systems to be more efficient.

For instance, Tier 4i/Euro 3b engines produce more heat than previous generation engines, and a larger cooling package was necessary. However, given the need for either a diesel particulate filter or SCR tank, simply increasing the size of the radiator was not an option. Afterall, there is only so much room in the engine compartment. Instead, Manitowoc engineers worked with suppliers to produce a cooling system that uses more-efficient components, such as fans and radiator core

materials, to dissipate heat more quickly.Another example of better efficiency is

using a variable speed fan on some models. Prior to this change, the fan would run at the same high speed, regardless of necessity. Now, the fan only operates at top speed when it is needed. The result is a more fuel efficient engine that is quieter. It also provides more available power for other functions.

Overhauling enginesTwo other major engine systems were overhauled in addition to the cooling system. The first was the exhaust system. On cranes that will have EGR engines from Cummins, engineers designated out an area for the diesel particulate filter, which is roughly the size of a large muffler. It needed to be located away from other components because the DPF regenerates by heating up and burning off the particulate matter and can cause overheating. Engineers faced the challenge to find the right location on various types of cranes – everything from the largest crawler crane to the smallest rough-terrain crane.

In addition, the air intake system on EGR engines needed to be revamped. A higher level of filtration is required because air cleanliness is of particular importance with EGR engines, so a special, closed, leak-free system had to be created.

Revamp for Mercedes EnginesCranes with the Mercedes SCR engines (those sold into Europe), also needed to be redesigned. In particular, an area for the urea fluid had to be added. Engineers tried, when possible, to locate the fill for that tank near the fuel fill, since those two functions will often be completed at the same time. Also, the SCR unit itself needed to fit into the engine compartment, and the muffler with integrated SCR unit is larger than the previous muffler. Other challenges were the limited shapes of muffler currently available and the additional regulations on muffler installation.

To date, Manitowoc’s global engineering team has been successful in rolling out the first cranes featuring the new engines, and plans for additional roll outs remain on schedule. ◆

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M a n i t o w o c F i n a n c e

Lending milestone

Since it began in 2002, Manitowoc Finance has helped fund $3 billion in crane purchases worldwide. This

has been done with multiple funding sources throughout the world, and driven primarily through traditional lenders such as De Lage Landen and a special 360-day inventory financing program set up with European partners.

Manitowoc works with several traditional lenders in countries around the world. Its long time partnership with De Lage Landen, which began in 2002, now covers crane lending in 22 countries. Since late 2008, it has also had a similar crane financing relationship with BPLG, part of BNP Paribas, in 12 European countries. In Asia-Pacific, apart from the extension of the DLL program into Singapore, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Manitowoc Finance also has its Manitowoc Crane Leasing China (MCLC) captive in China that was established in 2006. It offers direct crane financing and has funded over $140 million of cranes in China. Since 2010, Manitowoc Finance also has partnerships in India with both Tata Capital and SREI-BNP, a joint venture between Srei Leasing and BNP.

Through these programs, Manitowoc customers secure a loan with which to

purchase the crane. Dave Pengelly, vice president of global trade finance, says that while Manitowoc Finance’s goal is not to finance every single Manitowoc crane purchase, it does play a critical role in providing access to funding.

“If our customers can secure funding from other sources, we are happy for them to do so,” he said. “Manitowoc Finance exists to help those who might have trouble accessing funding or enough funding for a crane purchase.”

Manitowoc’s relationship with its lender partners means it has much more knowledge and confidence in equipment resale values than a typical regional lender might have. This means it is often willing to lend more money for certain equipment purchases.

“This can be very helpful in today’s more conservative lending environment,” says Pengelly.

Under these lender partner programs, Manitowoc has helped fund $2 billion in crane

purchases since August 2002. An additional $1 billion has been funded through a different type of program that Manitowoc calls its “360-Day Program” that allows Manitowoc to provide invoices to approved customers out to 360-day repayment terms. Through this program, Manitowoc has funded over $1 billion in purchases worldwide, with a concentration in Europe.

Pengelly says that as the credit market continues to evolve worldwide, Manitowoc Finance will play an increasingly important role in the funding of crane purchases.

“We see Manitowoc Finance as a great benefit for our customers. We understand the market and the challenges faced by our customers in many regions that are experiencing economic uncertainty,” he said. “We strive to find creative solutions that help our customers invest for the future.” ◆

Through its customized lending options, Manitowoc Finance has helped Manitowoc customers worldwide invest in their businesses and the organization is celebrating its latest multi-billion dollar milestone. Chris Bratthauar reports.

Companies such as ALL Erection have taken advantage of the many financing options offered by Manitowoc Finance.

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C r a n e C a r e

Winning partnership

There were nearly 60 delegates at the Manitowoc Crane Care APAC Dealer Conference 2011. The event

highlighted the successes and achievements of Crane Care in Asia-Pacific and outlined plans for the future.

The event took place in Perth, Australia and included a variety of presentations relating to Manitowoc Crane Care in the region. Opening the event was Jack Lee, vice president of Manitowoc Crane Care in APAC, who urged delegates not to rest on their laurels.

“Our theme this year is ‘Win-Win-Win Partnership.’ We continually develop our relationship with our dealers across the region, by understanding their needs and challenges,” he said. “And while recognizing their tireless efforts and commitment, we also want to aim higher, perform better and deliver

the best possible service to those who use Manitowoc cranes.”

Bob Hund, executive vice president of Manitowoc Crane Care, and John Stewart, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Greater Asia Pacific, also gave presentations. Topics at the event included sharing best practices between dealers; the CraneSTAR remote monitoring software; and details of the newly introduced satellite centers linked to the regional contact center in Zhangjiagang, China. These new centers will bring Manitowoc service even closer to customers.

In addition to presentations, delegates were able to discuss certain topics in smaller breakout sessions. Manitowoc will use the

feedback from these breakout sessions to help set Crane Care’s Dealer Development Program for Asia-Pacific. The five-year program will launch next year to help Crane Care dealers develop a consistent and sustainable parts and service business.

Bob Hund said the event was useful for both Manitowoc and its dealers.

“As our organization develops, it is important to update our dealer network on the latest initiatives,” he said. “We have made changes to our contact center in Zhangjiagang and our local facilities. It’s important our dealers know how these developments affect them and the excellent work they do for Manitowoc customers.” ◆

Jack Lee, vice president of Manitowoc Crane Care in APAC, addresses delegates at the conference.

Delegates at the Manitowoc Crane Care APAC Dealer Conference visited Grove dealer WATM in Western Australia.

Manitowoc dealers in Asia and staff from Manitowoc Crane Care planned for the future at a conference in Australia. John Bittner reports.

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Contact your dealer or visit www.manitowoccranes.com/cranesdealer

Premium lifting solutions and dedicated customer support

Manitowoc offers a full range of tough, reliable, high-capacity cranes to meet the lifting industry’s rigorous demands. All of our cranes — backed by Manitowoc Crane Care — are designed for quality and performance, ensuring the highest value for your money.

Premium lifting solutions and dedicated customer support

Manitowoc offers a full range of tough, reliable, high-capacity cranes to meet the lifting industry’s rigorous demands. All of our cranes — backed by Manitowoc Crane Care — are designed for quality and performance, ensuring the highest value for your money.

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