Grove GTK1100s available for rent

From August Manitowoc is offering its GTK1100 specialist crane for rent on individual projects.

The GTK, which consists of a large telescopic mobile crane upper works mounted on a vertical telescopic mast, was launched in 2007 and has found application in Europe, Asia and Africa.

The man behind the rental initiative is Thibaut Le Besnerais, vice president of sales for used cranes, rentals and special application cranes at Manitowoc. "The GTK1100 has proven itself to be an efficient and profitable crane for its owners, who like its transportability and efficient lifting," Le Besnerais explained. "We want to extend those benefits to customers who may need it for a particular application yet do not need to purchase it outright."

To go with the crane, Manitowoc also offers assistance in job planning and operation.

Details are available from Manitowoc dealers.

* In a similar vein South African lifting and transport specialist Vanguard has moved its GTK1100 to Australia where it is making it available for rent from a base in Melbourne. Vanguard plans to send the GTK1100 to industrial relocation jobs and wind turbine installation projects throughout Australia and Asia.

Bryan Hodgkinson, Vanguard managing director, said the GTK1100 was already generating interest because of its ease of transport. "We target projects for the GTK1100 not only in Australia, but also projects across Asia," Hodgkinson said. "The GTK1100 is incredibly easy to move and is a cost-effective option for customers. We have already submitted quotes for a variety of projects, and there is strong interest from the market. We have no doubt the crane will be a tremendous success in this region."

Vanguard used the GTK1100 in South Africa to place nine turbines on a wind project, the largest being a 2.5 MW capacity turbine set on an 85 m tower. The crane is lined up for a 100 turbine wind farm scheduled to start in 2013.

Hodgkinson said shipping the crane from South Africa to Australia was relatively simple. "The GTK1100 is not only simple to move by road, but also by ship. It breaks down into only a few containers and is easy to manoeuvre at its final destination. We are already receiving job inquiries, proving our initial good feelings on the crane."

The GTK1100 lifts 78 tonnes up to 118 m, and at 13 m radius. It transports on five trailers and has a wheeled carrier and luffing telescopic boom connected by an 81 m telescopic mast. Four spreaders at the top of the mast attach to outriggers at the base for stability.

The crane requires little space to set up and has a simple rigging procedure, making it well-suited to crowded, urban sites or wind farm projects where there is little space to rig the boom at ground level, Manitowoc said.