Manitowoc announces plans at customer dinner

Manitowoc Crane Group has announced plans to build a new 250t crawler crane in Europe, designed specifically to make inroads into the European market. The news was announced in Paris at a dinner on Thursday 15 May during the Intermat show.

The dinner was attended by about 250 people, including customers, distributors and many employees of the Manitowoc, Grove, Potain and Manlift divisions off the group.

It was also revealed that a new 55t Grove all terrain, the GMK 3055, would be available by the end of the year. Highlights of this machine are a six-section 43m main boom and a new compact carrier, with an overall length of 10.9m, including boom overhand, and a chassis length of less than 8.7m.

The new crawler crane, called the 15000, will be built in Grove's factory in Wilhelmshaven in Germany. With an initial rating of 250t (although it may end up being slightly stronger), it is the same class as the 999, but has features specifically designed to improve Manitowoc's competitiveness in Europe.

Differences between the 999 and 15000 include: - different operators platform and tilt cab - Can bus electronics, not solid state - different boom, with round chords rather than angle chords (although it will still use the #149 luffing jib that the 999 uses) - Mercedes engine rather than Cummins.

Another significant difference is that the 15000 will have slab counterweight sections and the plan is that new GMK all terrain cranes will have interchangeable counterweight sections with this lattice boom crawler.

Shipping of the 15000 begins in December, Manitowoc says, and the new model will be exhibited at Bauma in Germany next March.

The Potain MD 485 tower crane, that was designed originally with the US market in mind (All Erection has bought the first two. units), is also being adapted for the European and Asia markets, Manitowoc said.