Potain marks 90th anniversary

Tower crane manufacturer Potain, owned by Manitowoc in the USA, marks its 90th anniversary in 2018 and France is more than just its home market, as Jean-Noel Daguin, Manitowoc senior vice president of tower cranes, says, “Intermat 2018 is well positioned to address Manitowoc’s key markets, such as France and North Africa. Potain is a leader in the French lifting market and its presence at Intermat is a key priority for the company.”

Daguin continues, “We are also featuring solutions that we can provide to stakeholders of the Grand Paris Project, which will accelerate the transformation of Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games.”

Potain tower cranes are the highlight of the Manitowoc stand. Models on show are the flat top MDT 389 and the self erecting Hup.

The MDT 389 is the largest flat top model with the company’s Crane Control System (CCS), which is available on all Potain top slewing tower cranes and also on Grove mobile cranes. There are two versions of the MDT 389, a 12 tonner and one that lifts 16 tonnes. Both can have jibs up to 75 m, at the end of which the 12 tonne version lifts 3.4 tonnes while it is 3.3 tonnes for the 16 tonne version.

The Hup self erecting tower crane range at present consists of the Hup 32-27 and Hup 40-30. First shown at the 2016 Bauma exhibition, Hup lifts 4 tonnes and the rear slewing radius is 2.25 m, allowing them to be positioned closer to buildings to maximise the use of space on sites in urban areas where space is restricted. Similarly, even though the Hup is taller than its predecessor, the Igo 36, it occupies the same footprint.

Flexibility on the Hup models is provided by being able to luff and set the jib at elevations of 10, 20 or 30 degrees, and the fact that the tower or mast has two height settings.

Alongside cranes at Intermat 2018, Manitowoc is highlighting its range of support services, including Manitowoc Crane Care which includes spare parts, guarantees, aftersales services, on-line support and technical training. Visitors can also learn about the EnCore programme for rebuilding and refurbishing cranes under a guarantee from the manufacturer. The Lift Solutions programme is also represented, which offers engineering services for designing customised cranes for complex job sites.