Potain celebrates 90 years

It is fitting that Potain tower cranes will take centre stage on Manitowoc’s stand. The event coincides with Potain’s 90th anniversary—it was founded in 1928 in La Clayette, in Saoneet- Loire, France—and on display will be two examples of Potain’s technological advancements: the Hup self-erecting crane range and an MDT 389, the largest of its CCS topless top-slewing tower cranes.

The Hup range includes the Hup 32-27 and Hup 40-30. Potain claims versatility and ease-of-use for these.

They have a maximum capacity of 4t and rear-slewing radius of only 2.25m, enabling them to be positioned closer to buildings - a major benefit when working in tight urban areas.

The Hup cranes are taller than the Igo 36, one of their predecessor models, but occupy the same footprint, again making them ideal for space restricted sites. Three raised positions of the luffing jib, at 10°, 20° or 30°, in addition to horizontal, provide unprecedented options for a self-erecting crane. They have two height options for their telescopic masts and an exclusive new radio remote control with Potain’s Smart Set Up software.

The MDT 389 is the largest topless crane from the Potain line-up to feature the company’s Crane Control System (CCS). This user-friendly operating system offers the highest levels of comfort, flexibility and ergonomic control, reduces installation time and provides unequalled maintenance features, particularly when using Manitowoc’s CraneSTAR Diag tool, a telematics and maintenance system.

The MDT CCS Topless concept enables complex multi-crane installations, and the assembly, erection, transport and maintenance phases are shorter than for previous generations of tower cranes. All of these features lead to a better return on investment, and CCS has been proven to increase efficiency on the job site.

There are two versions of the Potain MDT 389, with 12t and 16t maximum capacity. Both have up to 75m of jib available. The 12t version can lift 3.4t at its jib end, while the 16t version can handle 3.3t.

The tower cranes that will be shown were developed with significant customer input and participation. The cranes were developed with much more speed to market than previous generations of cranes.

“2017 has seen an uptick in construction and infrastructure activity in Europe, so we have selected a pair of cranes that we feel can best serve this region in terms of speed, efficiency and versatility, and also when working on urban job sites,” said Jean-Noel Daguin, SVP, tower cranes at Manitowoc. “We are also featuring solutions that we can provide to stakeholders of the Grand Paris Project, which will accelerate the transformation of Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games.”

“The two cranes we will have on display at Intermat reflect true innovation over their predecessors and prove their value from transport to tear down.”