It started sunny and quiet, and then when the people started to come, the rain arrived too. The organisers had said that they expected 190,000 visitors to attend. After the event they claimed that 208,000 had visited, although that official statistic may seem surprisingly high to anyone who was there.
Among the 1,350 exhibitors, those in the crane industry making their first appearance at Intermat were generally disappointed. Although 45% of visitors came from outside of France, according to the organisers, some newer exhibitors felt that it was not quite the international event that they had been expecting. Several said that they were unlikely to return next time (in 2003) unless they were specifically targeting the French market.
But other exhibitors did not mind the general lack of crowds. Paul Winter, export manager at Italian tower crane manufacturer Carlo Raimondi described the show as having “a positive feel, not crowded, but the quality of attendee is good – there are really interested people, both end users and agents/distributors.” While there was nothing especially revolutionary in the world of lifting (is there ever?), and none of the Innovation Awards handed out by the organisers went to crane companies, there was plenty that was new and interesting for visitors to see – so no complaints from us.
The biggest piece of iron was Manitowoc’s 2250 with Max-er 2000 attachments, which overshadowed both Manitowoc’s own 222 with luffing jib and the new Demag CC 2500 nearby. All three were in the colours of Scotland’s Weldex.
The most striking piece of lifting machinery on show was Demag’s new 500t AT, the AC 500.
So attractive and neat is the design of this machine that it looks to be the work of a different designer from cranes alongside it. Not only is this crane aesthetically pleasing, it also has the appealing benefit of being able to operate as a road-legal all-in 300t machine by leaving the counterweight off.
Mannesmann Dematic also showed its familiar AC 25 and AC 40-1, as well as the AC 100 (with redesigned boom pinning mechanism now) and an AC 200.
Liebherr’s stand, as busy as ever, suffered from the large number of construction machines that were squeezed into a small area. Prominence was given to a prototype of a telehandler produced by Liebherr’s factory in Telfs, Austria. But it took some searching to find the new MK 80 truck-mounted tower crane (for which there was insufficient room for its operation to be demonstrated) and the new LTM 1100/2. Liebherr reports that it has now taken 140 orders for this new five-axle 100t-rated AT, close to the number of orders taken for the Demag AC 100.
Also on show was the new 140t crawler from Liebherr’s factory in Nenzing, Austria – the LR 1140. Crawler cranes were also exhibited by Sennebogen and Favelle Favco. These are discussed elsewhere in this issue.
CT Compact Truck’s all-terrain cranes were first exhibited at Bauma ’98. At Intermat they generated a lot of interest from the engineering teams of other manufacturers, whose attention had been drawn by the news that Terex was to start marketing and, from next year, building these cranes.
Also generating interest were Tadano Faun, particularly with its Crevo city crane, and crawler cranes on the stands of Sennebogen and Favelle Favco.
Italian tower crane manufacturer Carlo Raimondi had a strong showing through its French distributor GP Mat International. It showed its new MR 183 GR4 top slewing city crane, two of which have been sold in France to Timelec, a rental and construction company. One is already on site at a commercial development, constructing big sheds, and the other was the one at the show. Quick erection is a major feature and Raimondi says it is the only tower crane on the market with a 66m jib and 1.85t tip load.
PLC control was also shown at Intermat for the first time. The system panel with three inverters (including slewing) was shown mounted on the counterjib assembly of an MR 75 tower crane.
Spanish tower crane manufacturer Comansa last tried a push into France nine years ago, just before the market collapsed. At Intermat this year the company claims that it sold the largest model it had at the show, the LC 2074 flat top, three times over on the first morning.
Innovation is the secret of Potain’s success, according to president and CEO Jean-Yves Bouffault. He claims that 80% of innovation across the tower crane field comes from Potain. The company is accelerating its rate of innovation and spent 5% of its FF1.6bn ($230m) turnover in 1999 on R&D in tower cranes. It employs 60 people in R&D. In five years Potain has developed the world’s largest range of self-erecting and top slewing (including luffing jib and flat top) tower cranes, Bouffault says. The range now stands at 73 models, up from fewer than 50 available at the time of the last Intermat show three years ago.
Potain’s three main innovations at May’s Intermat show: a trailer-mounted self-erector; a new cab and controls; and a new Geo range of MD cranes.
The new self-erecting HDM range is aimed at rental customers who want increased mobility and faster erection times. The HDM series, extending from 10tm to 40tm in capacity, can each be erected in 30 minutes. With this model Bouffault also hopes for success in the predominantly rental orientated UK tower crane market. Most of the Potain self-erectors sold during the show were the new HDM models.
The new Vision cabin design, using electronic control for increased productivity and improved operator conditions, will now be standard on Potain cranes. Because of the high volume being produced the extra cost would be marginal, Bouffault claimed.
A third area of innovation is in top slewing tower cranes. The MD 238, the basic Geo model, was exhibited. Optimised safety during erection and logistical operations was a design priority. It is faster and safer to erect and dismantle, and transport costs are reduced. Container size requirement is down by 40%. Fewer steps in the erection sequence means greater safety. Bouffault claims: “The MD 238 is the safest tower crane to erect and dismantle.” Integral to the new design is a cylindrical tower section at the top of the crane, which reduces wind resistance. Potain sold seven units of the new MD 238 Geo off the stand, including two to its Hong Kong-based dealer Manta.
An innovation not from Potain’s own R&D department was the PC 10T, the portable crane designed by the Australian Ron Laczko which Potain is promoting under licence.
Loader crane manufacturers were represented by Atlas, Bonfiglioli, Amco Veba, Jolly Crane and Fratelli Ferrari. Ferrari showed its new 5tm model 550, which is claimed to be very light for its lifting capacity. It is a development of the 4.2tm model 545 and is particularly suitable for the German market because of the stabiliser width of 4.8m for fitting on 7.5t trucks.
Ormig showed its electric cranes in France for the first time. Both models on show were sold and were the first units bought by the rental companies Mediaco and Sorival. The 9tmE was in Mediaco colours and the 33tmE was in the livery of Sorival, a rental company based near Lille.
Inside the halls, Kobelco had an RK 250 with the cabin mounted on the right hand side. This two-axle machine is rated at 25t, though the chart compares favourably with many 30t truck cranes at longer reach. It is being marketed as a rough terrain crane rather than a city crane, as it has a 26.5t gross vehicle weight and so is not road legal in many countries. It is, however, a more sophisticated machine than most RTs, with such features as an automatic swing arrest system and two cameras to assist the operator. The first unit has been sold to Hanskin of Finland. Kobelco is forecasting sales of between 10 and 15 units a year for this niche market machine.
Cranes occasionally cropped up in unlikely places. Italian manufacturer Macmoter showed a pipe laying machine, the PL 300, that was basically a tracked, slewing excavator base with a crane attachment on the end of the arm and a large rear mounted winch.
While Intermat was undoubtedly big, next year it is the turn of Bauma. And it is already certain that that will be huge.
