They say some places never change. Las Vegas is the total opposite. It never stays the same, as big buildings are torn down and bigger, brasher buildings are hastily thrown up in their place. It has long been a developer’s Nirvana.
Anyone who has not been to Las Vegas since the last Conexpo in 1996 is in for a few surprises this time around, with such fabulous new hotel and casino complexes as the New York, New York and the $3,000-a-night Bellagio, complete with original works of art in every suite.
However, while Conexpo 99 is unlikely to be quite as spectacular as some of the Vegas architecture or offer quite the same gaudy delights as the Vegas Strip, some of the exhibits of cranes and construction machinery at the three-yearly plant show should still be able to turn a few heads and ensure that it is not all one way traffic into the casinos.
Possibly first among equals of these head-turners will be the 21000 crawler crane from Manitowoc, rated at 1,000 US ton capacity. With Grove Worldwide slightly on its heels in the wake of recent corporate upheaval, Conexpo 99 offers Manitowoc a golden opportunity to really steal the show, and the 21000, which sits on eight crawler tracks (a pair in each corner) using M250 and 2250 components, could just do it. Manitowoc is planning to exhibit the first of these machines to be built, which was long ago pre-sold to All Erection which rapidly filled its order books for the machine of which it does not take delivery until after the show.
Manitowoc will also be premiering the 777T, the truck-mounted version of its 777 crawler. The 777T appears to have a better chart than its crawler-mounted progenitor, having a maximum rated capacity of 200t and lifts 1.9t at 79m, compared with the Series 2 777’s 160t maximum load and 61m maximum working radius (where it also picks 1.9t).
If Las Vegas has changed more than a little since Conexpo 96, the same can be said for the crane industry and no company better mirrors the rapid growth of Vegas than Terex. Terex Lifting was a completely different entity the last time Conexpo was held and it was absent from Bauma 98, having difficulty justifying the costs involved. Chief executive officer Fil Filipov’s attitude is that Terex’s favoured shows are Conexpo and, because it manufactures PPM cranes in France, Intermat in Paris (also held three-yearly, in step with Bauma and Conexpo). Such has been the growth of Terex that it is unlikely Filipov will feel that he can afford to stay away from Bauma next time around in 2001, but having missed Bauma 98 he will no doubt be anxious to make a lot of noise at Conexpo to show that Terex can no longer be considered a second division player in the crane world.
“We are the world’s biggest and most diversified lifting company,” Filipov likes to point out, and the Terex display in Vegas will surely offer evidence of both his success and his ambition. For the first time, a Terex display will include tower cranes as Filipov is bringing over towers from his latest acquisitions, Peiner in Germany and Gru Comedil in Italy.
In fact, parent company Terex Corporation, which includes the truck division, has the biggest outdoor space of all exhibitors, at a shade under 30,000 sq.ft (2,760m2), just shading Grove.
Of particular interest will be the new 210 US ton capacity HC 210 crawler crane with luffing jib from American Crane. Originally planned as a 200 US ton crane, it is outperforming expectations. Now under Terex ownership, the sleeping giant has the opportunity at Conexpo to show that it is ready to get back on even terms with Manitowoc. American Crane may also show an 80 ton-capacity, IHI-designed model, badged as the HC 80.
New crawler cranes are also being shown by Favelle Favco (USA) which has this month begun manufacturing a range of both telescopic and lattice boom crawlers from 28t capacity to 75t. The carriers will look familiar, being based on a well-proven design, while the crane on top is a new design from the Malaysian-owned, Texas-based manufacturer.
Also active with new launches for Conexpo is Link-Belt, which will have three new rough terrain cranes, a three-axle hydraulic truck crane and a pair of crawlers, including the “all new” 250t-capacity LS 278H.
Link-Belt’s RTs will be worth particularly close attention as the company’s recent fortunes have been due more to the success of its truck cranes. Certain technological innovations have been added to persuade potential customers that the benefits of a Link-Belt RT are worth paying for. For example, just take a look at the new suspension system on the latest rough terrain models.
With certain major excavator manufacturers absent in 1996, Grove had a dominant presence. Though the internal expertise behind its Conexpo 96 efforts has since left the company, Grove remains the biggest name in the US crane industry and never disappoints. Its major launch for Conexpo 99 is a German-built 180t-capacity five-axle AT, the GMK 5180.
For a full list of who’s exhibiting what, don’t miss our Conexpo Full Preview in next month’s issue.
