A tipping point appears to have been reached in the mini crane sector. More widespread understanding of the versatility of the machines, and tighter economic conditions increasing the value of this versatility, has lead to a boom in business. Manufacturers and dealers are now focusing on continued expansion, through ongoing promotion to end users and new technologies and capacities.

Christer Dijner, managing director at Kranlyft, a distributor of Maeda mini cranes, says: "Overall, business is booming. The exception is Russia, and the Middle East is a bit slow, but Europe has been very good in 2014 and so far in 2015. People are more conscious of cost at the moment, so smaller cranes are popular because of their versatility. We work through dealers-the best market in 2014 was France, where we have several local distributors rather than just one.

"In Europe, the majority of work conducted-around 60%-by mini cranes is in glass handling and construction. We also supply other sectors-our MK1043, introduced this year, is being used at a Peugeot car factory, and the Bridgestone facility in Hungary is using a MC104.

"Our strongest markets are Germany, Benelux and France, and the UK looks like it is starting to grow. We normally have cranes in stock, but last year we started to have delivery times due to the demand. The MC285 accounted for 45-50% of sales, but suddenly there were delivery times of a year on the MC405 model, which is typically used for construction projects. We have sold around 30 units of our MK1033 crane already, and delivered the first one this year. We are expecting solid growth for the next two years.

"People still don’t fully understand the concept of mini cranes. It always requires someone who loves the product to get mini cranes started in a national market. For example, we have been working with customers in Saudi Arabia for two or three years, and are now providing them with more training in the UK-they are perfectionists and want to understand all the parts of the cranes and what they can do.

"There is no free marketing for mini cranes, as there is for larger cranes- the work completed by mini cranes tends to be indoors, so people do not see them in operation. For example, at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai there were four mini cranes working indoors, lifting glass from street levels and setting it- but we weren’t allowed to take photos to promote the job. Similarly, at our projects in mosques in Saudi Arabia, photographs are not permitted.

"We have to break the habits of customers who want, for example, 25t or 50t cranes. The younger generation coming through are more adaptable and open to the idea of using mini cranes. Our distributors are building portfolios of photos of jobs where the cranes have been used, to illustrate to customers their versatility. We are also creating better awareness by using axis-based charts rather than traditional load charts, which enable operators to better visualise what the cranes can do.

"Flexibility is key for mini cranes. One of our latest developments is the revamped LC range, which now feature Stage 3B engines. We have updated the names of the models, such as changing the LC1385 to the CC1485, to reflect that where we previously used parts from Komatsu, the cranes are now fully produced by Maeda."

Carl Cooper, sales and aftersales manager for Valla at UK distributor Hird-which also distributes Maeda- has seen similar success in the spider crane sector, and increasing interest in the pick and carry sector.

"The spider crane side of the mini crane business is currently booming- nobody can get enough cranes at the moment," says Cooper.

"This is being driven by the construction sector, mainly through glass-handling projects-there is an increasing amount of glass being used in the architectural design of new buildings. Hird also supplies glass vacuum lifting equipment to accompany spider cranes, which results in more growth. Buildings are also being constructed closer together, resulting in less access and more mini cranes being required.

"We worked with Manitex Valla to provide the 12t ES crane, which has a longer boom, and to supply an equivalent 18t unit as well. It can lift the smaller loads at a full radius of 16m. We’re now able to provide more specifically what customers want. The main aims of our customers are to reduce handling, reduce manpower, and to speed up completion of jobs.

"Pick and carry cranes are increasingly being used in the manufacturing industry. Customers are learning more about them and using them more. They reduce manual handling, which cuts the risk of damage to goods and the health of staff. Operators carry out risk assessments for larger lifts but staff can get hurt lifting smaller weights. If the cranes are quick to set up and easy to operate, it encourages the operators to use them regularly for small lifts-response time is critical. The option of electric cranes is also important-we offer electric cranes up to 40t-as it enables the cranes to be used indoors.

"Promoting pick and carry cranes is a bit of a catch-22 situation-whilst spider cranes are usually visible when in operation, pick and carry cranes are typically hidden away indoors.

"But, we are increasingly working to promote them, by working with companies such as Virgin and Shell to promote the cranes and the idea of using them for a number of applications.

"The cranes have to be straightforward to operate because if it’s not a contractor using a crane, then the customer may not have a dedicated operator and could be using it as a secondary skill. Therefore the cranes we have on hire are basic modules, to keep operation simple.

"We don’t want to hire to a customer who doesn’t understand the training requirements for operating a mini crane, so we give all the necessary information to our customers, offer the A66 training course to customers’ staff, as well as operator hire services.

"Hird offers rental services to allow customers to try mini cranes before potentially buying them. We offer the whole package of services, including training, after-sales, contract lifting-which all makes it easier for customers to start using mini cranes."

Across the Atlantic

It’s a similar story in the USA, where manufacturers such as JekkoUSA have been working to promote mini cranes, says national service manager Rich Caudill: "The market for mini cranes is growing, as we find new avenues for them. They started primarily in the glazing industry, but are now used in sectors including waste water processing plants, power generation and beyond. We’re also aiming to sell to refineries, and are currently talking to our customers about this. "It’s tough to educate

customers-we’re not just selling a crane, we’re selling an idea and a new way of doing things. People have often done things a certain way for many years. But, when we have got our foot in the door we have had success.

"We use trade shows to promote the use of mini cranes-not just crane shows, but exhibitions specific to the individual end use sectors where we’ve had success. "We took over the Jekko line of mini cranes in 2011, and we’ve since grown into major metropolitan areas all over the US, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Texas.

"Recent improvements to our cranes have included making the machines stronger, longer and lighter. We also added the ability to monitor stability and the load on the crane, which increases the capacity and safety of the machine.

"The cranes often operate in tight, confined spaces, so 90% of our cranes in the US have a mechanical or hydraulic jib, to improve versatility. Jekko cranes can also stow the jib on the crane without affecting the capacity of the machine.

"All our cranes are dual-powered and can run on either diesel or electric power-packs, making them suitable for the wide range of jobs, both indoors and outdoors, for which mini cranes are used. For example, we recently had one of our cranes, supplied through a rental company, erecting steel components outdoors-that same crane is now operating electrically inside a mall.

"The future looks good-the US economy is getting better, and mini cranes are here to stay. They’re a way of doing business more efficiently and safely, and there are still new markets and opportunities out there."

New technologies

There is more to come in terms of new machines from Jekko, with the Italian company set to launch two new models next year. Jekko sales and marketing manager Mauro Tonon says: "We have developed two new models since Bauma 2013, and we plan to introduce them at Bauma 2016. One is an electric 4.5t pick and carry crane with rotation of the front arm-it expands our capacity range as our largest pick and carry crane is currently a 2t model.

"We are also developing a 6t cabin crane. This is a new sector for our company-our customers asked us to design one with the same boom system as the SPX1275. One of the advantages for our customers is that they can buy the cabin and crawler from us, and we can install the electronics, LMI system and boom.

"This type of crane has proved very popular in the UK, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore. It’s our expectation that we will be able to supply a complete range of cranes, with or without cabins.

"The SPX424 is the best-selling model in Europe, and features a jib with two hydraulic extensions and one manual extension. It was launched in 2014 and since then we’ve had a lot of orders for it. The largest-capacity crane in our range is the 7.5t SPX1275-it is the only crane on the market with the capacity to pick and carry a load of 2t through 360 degrees while driving. This is managed by the integrated LMI control system.

"Our sales are increasing year-onyear- we are currently the third-largest manufacturer of mini cranes and are aiming to have a 20% share of the world market by 2019."

Wrap-round hydraulic jib

UK-based GGR, which sells and hires UNIC mini cranes, covers a range of sectors and regional markets, says managing director Gill Riley: "As well as distributing cranes, we have the biggest hire fleet of mini cranes in the UK, covering capacities from 1t to 10t. We’ve worked on projects such as The Shard in London, the Hinckley Point nuclear power station, the Westfield shopping centre, as well as Network Rail projects and wind turbines.

"Our cranes have been used underground in the work for Crossrail- the project demanded clean emissions and so used our Eco range of electric cranes, which are available in capacities up to 2.95t and are also used on public sites such as shopping centres, where there is a need for quiet and emission-free operation. The glazing sector is also huge for us. "We hire the cranes in the UK, but sell to other markets as well, including Australia, Dubai and South Africa."

At the recent Intermat show, GGR launched two new spider cranes with hydraulic searcher hooks and fly jibs, improving flexibility and reach. The 2.9t URW295-2 has a 700kg hydraulic searcher hook, increasing the overall hook height to 12.2m, with a radius of 11.6m. The fly jib provides a hook height of 11.6m and a tilt angle range of 0-60º. The URW706-2 has a maximum hook height of 25.9m with its 800kg searcher hook, or 24.5m with its hydraulic fly jib.

The fly jib and searcher hook are designed to provide greater control and to reduce time, allowing the operator to move the position of the load when close to the installation point, without needing to reposition the crane. The technology also enables the crane to manouvre around obstacles and operate in restricted spaces.

Latest model from the Netherlands

Dutch manufacturer Hoeflon has introduced its C6 compact crane, showcased by UK dealer John Taylor Crane Services at the recent Vertikal Days show.

"What struck us about the C6 is its key advantages over other cranes in the market," says the UK company. "It is compact yet has better duties than other compact cranes of a larger size. At 750mm wide it is in the same size class as the Unic 295 and Maeda 285, however it has great duties with capacity being in class of the Unic 376 and Maeda 305, lifting 210kg at 14.5m. It carries the capability of 16m height and 14.5m radius on board.

"The C6 carries everything on board including outrigger pads, searcher hook, hoist winch and even the remote control. This makes it so versatile for transporting either on a pick up or trailer and helps eliminate things being left on site. Another advantage is the diesel or 220v electric power options as standard.

"The C6 has been developed to relieve construction workers, glass installers, steel workers and people in similar professions of much of the heavy lifting associated with their work. The response from Vertikal Days has been tremendous as people within the industry welcome new and innovative cranes. The infinitely variable outrigger configurations along with the sliding variable monitored ballast position were a great hit. The fact that all functions are monitored, making it extremely safe, was positively received."