China-built Manitowoc crawlers

The MLC100 is "a world-class crawler crane engineered by Manitowoc in China" and is the first in what will be a range of models, according to the manufacturer. A 150 tonner will be introduced to the Chinese market by the end of 2010 and they will be made in Zhangjiagang where Potain tower cranes have been built since the 1980s.

Eric Etchart, president and general manager of Manitowoc Cranes, said the introduction of the MLC100 fits well with Manitowoc's philosophy. "The best way to serve our customers is to develop and to support products locally," he said. The new crane is designed, engineered and manufactured by Manitowoc in China and marks the manufacturer's return to building small capacity crawler cranes.

Main boom length is up to 73 m while the maximum combination is 58 m of main boom plus the full 24 m of jib giving a tip height of 81.8 m. Power is from a 224 kW Tier III Cummins QSL300 engine. The pilot-controlled hydraulic system is designed to give smooth operation and precise control. It can be transported in four truck loads with 70 m of boom and 24 m fixed jib.

"Transportability, reliability, ease-of-assembly and operating speed were all factors taken into consideration when developing the MLC100," said Gilles Martin, executive vice president of Manitowoc Asia-Pacific. "We used our expertise as a truly global manufacturer to combine the best locally-available components with Manitowoc technology for a new class-leading range of crawler cranes."