Moritsch, founder of Comedil and later of Recom, died in 2011 in his native Italy but the Recom company has continued in the hands of his son.
Since then, Redigonda’s relationship with the Moritsch family has continued. Last year an exclusive dealership agreement was announced between Concrane Sales and Recom Moritsch—the Moritsch family’s new, or reborn, crane manufacturing company.
Concrane is equally a family concern. When Redigonda decided that Canada needed a crane that could withstand its harsh weather conditions it was he and his grandson Daniel Wright who worked with the Moritsch family to create the machine that they wanted. “For over a year our two families worked together making improvements to issues that we have encountered with other cranes” he said.
“Along with upgrades to improve safety and efficiency, a beautiful, large climate-controlled cabin was added. The catwalk, ladder, platforms and railings around the counter jib have all been galvanized and the structure has been coated with an antirust zinc base. The electric panels are stainless steel to protect from rust and corrosion and the electrical components are all winterized to accommodate our freezing temperatures and snowy conditions.”
The first of the Recom Moritsch new cranes arrived in Canada last spring, but the real challenge started to be met when temperatures started to dip below freezing and snowy and icy conditions hit. “That’s when the headaches usually start,” Redigonda explained. "Any moving part on a crane can be affected by the freezing temperatures. The hydraulic system, motor, hoists, even the electrical panel can go down. There are steps you can take to help avoid any major damage to the crane, such as letting it warm up before operating and going slowly. But some machines are just no match for Mother Nature."
“This winter has been a particularly harsh one in the Greater Toronto area” said Daniel Wright. “We had quite a few snowy days and days with frigidly cold temperatures that really took a toll on some of the equipment. Downtime costs money and there were many days when we had multiple calls from customers whose cranes were down or required service. We never received any calls or complaints regarding the Recom cranes though.”
Hardrock Group were one of the first in Canada to purchase a Recom crane, in 2017, and have since added more Recom luffers to their fleet. Concrane reports comments from a crane operator from Hardrock who operated a Recom RTL265 luffer on a Toronto jobsite. He said that no special maintenance was needed on the crane for the winter. Insulators were brought in for the oil tanks, as that is one precaution they usually take with their cranes, but they didn’t end up being used on the Recom as they were not needed: Recom cranes come equipped with a built-in heater to keep the oil from thickening. Thick oil flows and lubricates poorly, bringing increased risk of damage to mechanical parts.
Concrane added the crane operator’s comment that they sometimes encounter some small electrical issues during the colder months but had no issues with the Recom crane whatsoever; they attributed this to the stainless steel electrical panels and winterized components .
When the crane’s work in the downtown Toronto core was completed, it was taken down. Again Concrane report a representative from Hardrock Group. “It only took us around six hours. Other cranes usually take us all day.”
Redigonda is confident that these orange and grey luffers and hammerheads will increasingly become a fixture in construction sites. “The Moritsch family have really listened to what we want and need out of a crane in Canada,” he says. “Everything, down to the familiar simplified Canadian-style internal climbing system, has been considered, studied and implemented.” And, according to Redigonda, the Moritsch family continues to listen. “Whenever a customer has a specific need or modification, the Moritsch’s are fully prepared to work together to build a customized solution.”
Recom Moritsch’s full range of luffing jib and low-top hammerhead cranes will be available this year. Four are expected to arrive in Canada by summer 2018. As reported here in our February issue Recom Moritsch has recently acquired fellow Italian tower crane makers GP Autolift, adding flat tops to their current offering. They are currently producing cranes from 6t to 12t and aim to have six new models available by the end of the year.
