Italy has a long history as a crane-making nation – one might even argue the longest. The world’s first patent, awarded to the famous Florentine architect and engineer Filippo Brunelleschi, was for the hoists he designed for use in the construction of the massive dome of Florence Cathedral between 1420 and 1436. His barge-mounted hoists could be described as both mobile and, to some extent at least, hydraulic!
The growth of the Italian crane industry after World War II became a phenomenon unlike any seen elsewhere in the world and it was the emergence of hydraulics and telescopic booms combined with the post-war reconstruction boom that provided the spur.
The manufacture of mobile cranes in Italy began in earnest during the 1950s. Among the first Italian crane makers were Belotti, Corradini, Fiorentini, Ormig, Marchetti and Autogru Rigo, all located in the industrial north of the country and all of whom entered the business producing either small yard cranes or mechanical lattice boom cranes. Of these, Ormig was the first to achieve real volume-production status with its 7.5t industrial crane introduced in 1955, selling some 5,000 units. Indeed the earliest hydraulic cranes designed and produced by several of Italy’s pioneering manufacturers were, like those of most other countries, variations on the yard crane concept.
Unlike the UK and US manufacturers of the time, Italian crane makers were heavily reliant on their domestic market – lacking the benefits of established presence in export markets and overseas distribution. Consequently, virtually all of their efforts focused on the needs of local customers. Being small and facing a daunting number of domestic competitors, Italy’s crane makers had neither the financial resources nor, at that time, the orientation to attempt to become serious players in the international marketplace.
Up until the 1970s most manufacturers primarily served local regional customers and did not even sell their cranes nationwide. For example, Belotti of Genoa focused on the handling needs of the port while Rigo in Verona concentrated on building cranes for the local marble industry and for the needs of Campari, the aperitif producer. Gradually, manufacturers diversified to cover additional market segments including the needs of Italy’s international contractors such as Snamprogetti and Impregilo. By the early 1970s Italy was home to approximately 50 manufacturers of mobile hydraulic cranes – about as many as the rest of Europe combined. Most of these began as small family companies producing a dozen or two cranes a year, though some, such as Ormig, soon developed a substantial manufacturing capacity.
Though some Italian products were peculiar design concepts, most were remarkably well engineered and often innovative. Initially almost all of the most popular telescopic mobile cranes were capable of pick-and-carry mobile lifting and had some degree of road travel capability. The majority were variations on industrial yard cranes.
Also popular was the telescopic truck crane with enlarged mono cab design (as opposed to a swing cab). These cranes were also capable of pick-and-carry work and with capacities typically in the 10t to 40t range. The first Italian telescopic truck cranes were produced during the mid-1960s with Autogru Rigo being one of the pioneers. As in other parts of Europe, Italian users of these small but heavy-duty truck cranes demanded improved off-road travel performance, and 4×4 wheel drive quickly became a necessary specification feature. Within a few years the ranks of domestic truck crane producers had grown to include dozens of companies. Among the most prominent were Bedoni, Belotti, Castelli, Continental, Corradini, Cristanini, Marchetti, Ormig, Rigo, and Trojsi. Though most small truck cranes employed self-made vehicles, several manufacturers relied upon the Italian truck manufacturer Astra to provide their carriers.
Although pick-and-carry is a key feature of the numerous yard cranes and small truck cranes produced in Italy, true rough terrain cranes have also long been a favourite concept. Thanks to the import efforts of Co.Ma.Co Srl of Seregno, Galion’s cab-down RTs established a strong reputation in the Italian market during the late 1960s and inspired Locatelli and Bendini to enter this field. These companies developed competitive lines of cab-down RTs and during the 1970s gravitated to swing cab designs. Fiorentini, Marchetti, Ormig, Rigo, Trojsi, Autogru CF, Fargh, Fiori, G&C, and even Merlo, the telescopic handler manufacturer, all began to offer RTs.
The 1970s saw the growth of telescopic truck crane designs up to 90t, all featuring upper swing cabs. Corradini established a reputation for the quality of its products and its clean designs but the competition remained fierce even in these larger size classes. Continental, Hyco, Marchetti, Ormig, Rigo, and Trojsi all participated, and FMC SpA producing a European version of its 45t Link-Belt truck crane. The pace of development was aided by the support of Astra, which developed crane carrier chassis of five-, six- and even seven-axle designs.
A somewhat separate sector of the industrial handling market also began to develop. Beginning as a manufacturer of tower cranes, Valla SpA of Calendasco developed the first of its line of unique V Kart mobile industrial cranes in 1962. The simple and small V Kart cranes featured forward-mounted wheels at the end of a pair of long horizontal legs combined with tight rear steering, making them ideal for handling and transporting awkwardly shaped heavy loads.
Valla cranes as small as 2.5t capacity were developed with an articulated joint connecting the ride-on drive unit to the crane structure. These mobile telescopic cranes soon took over the complete production of Valla. In 1969 Valla added the option of emission-free, quiet, battery-electric power to its line that by then covered cranes of up to 12t capacity. Several other Italian crane makers including Bencini, Manghi, Marte and Natino followed Valla’s concept. By the mid-to-late 1970s annual domestic demand for this class of industrial crane was above 200 units.
In 1975 a newcomer entered the market. Icoma Industriale SpA of Milan, previously the distributor for Grove and American Hoist, brought out the Hyco line which bore more than a passing resemblance to Grove’s cranes. During the same year another new company came to the fore. Crane carrier chassis producer CVS, based in Piacenza, effectively took over the supply of crane carriers to many of Italy’s truck crane manufacturers that had to date been the domain of Astra. Somewhat mysteriously, some of the staff of Astra joined CVS and within a relatively short time Astra ceased production of crane carriers. CVS first began making three-axle 30t capacity carriers and soon afterwards added four-axle carriers suitable for cranes of 50t to 65t capacity and then five- and six-axle carriers for truck cranes up to 170t capacity. FMC Link-Belt, Corradini, Italgru and Continental as well as Pinguely of France were among the first to use the CVS vehicles. In 1979 CVS supplied its first carriers to Gottwald importer CiBi to allow imported crane uppers to be mounted on local carriers to meet local regulations and reduce t costs. CVS also introduced the FP 4425, the first all terrain carrier designed and manufactured in Italy. Within a few months this was being used by Belotti, Fiorentini, Italgru and Marchetti of Italy and Pinguely of France, allowing these companies to use rough terrain crane uppers to enter the all terrain crane market. By this time CVS had produced some 300 crane carriers including about 10 for Gottwald.
In 1981 Cerioli began using CVS carriers to convert 30t Grove RT uppers into all terrains. CVS also provided Cerioli with four-axle truck carriers to support 75t truck crane uppers to allow them to meet Italian road regulations.
But the recession of the early 1980s was tough and CVS’s production halved in 1984. It looked for other markets and diversified successfully into port terminal tractors. However it also benefited from Grove’s inability to develop a competitive two-axle all terrain and in 1984 won an order to provide the carrier for the new 35t Grove AT 735S.
In 1982 Germany’s Krupp tapped the RT line of Hyco under an OEM supply contract used to complement Krupp’s own product line in certain overseas markets. In total Hyco exported eight cranes in 1982 and 44 in 1983, with many going to Algeria under the supply agreement with Krupp. Hyco’s sales fell from about 116 units in 1982 to about 65 the following year.
Many Italian manufacturers were inactive for a few years during the recession but as the market recovered in the late 1980s, several dusted off their drawings and started up in production again. Hyco and Ormig diversified into container stackers – a sector in which Belotti had long since been a leading player. Valla extended its line of industrial cranes upwards in size class, introducing a 20t articulated model in 1986 that featured two cabs, allowing road travel. Others looked for opportunities where they lay. Agis, the crane making subsidiary of the large contractor SOIMI, formed a partnership with Germany’s Mannesmann Demag in 1988. Demag supplied a two-axle all terrain carrier and Agis built the upper and assembled the crane. The result was the 35t capacity AC 105 all terrain.
21st Century
In recent years firms such as Locatelli, Marchetti and Autogru Rigo continued to promote their RTs, ATs and city cranes in head-to-head competition with the powerful German and US importers. But most Italian manufacturers have concentrated their efforts on niche markets such as industrial cranes or special truck cranes. The healthy growth in the sales of battery-electric powered industrial cranes was fostered, not just by the long term persistence of industry leader Valla, but also by Ormig and Bencini. In 2002 Valla made available the 900E, which at 90t capacity was not just the largest battery-electric powered mobile crane ever built but also the largest industrial pick-and-carry crane. It was powered by 96V batteries and a 48kW electric motor.
Meanwhile Ormig, Eurogru Amici, Idrogru, and Marchetti continued to enjoy limited success in the small but expanding market for large commercial truck-mounted truck cranes of 60t to 80t capacity, largely aimed at traffic authorities and rescue services. Others joined this market, including knuckle-boom crane makers Stern and Cormach as well as TCM, SCM and Isoli, making competition for the limited demand very tough.
From 2000 to 2003 domestic Italian demand for rough terrain cranes as well as export demand for Italian RTs continued to rise – contrasting dramatically with trends in most other markets. Manufacturers of the growing spectrum of battery electric industrial pick-and-carry cranes also enjoyed expanding international demand. This has meant that recent years have proven very satisfactory for the likes of Terex Italia/Bendini, Locatelli, Valla and Ormig. However, those Italian manufacturers heavily focused on all terrains, especially Marchetti and Rigo, have found conditions more challenging as the leading German manufacturers of all terrains have grown to dominate the Italian market as well as most export markets.