Manitowoc unveils flat top tower cranes for India

Manitowoc has launched two Potain flat top tower cranes for the Indian market at bC India. Both the 5 tonne capacity MCT 85 and 10 tonne capacity MCT 205 are manufactured at its factory in Pune, India.

Thibault Le Besnerais, Manitowoc global product director for tower cranes, said of the MCT 85, “This size is by far the most popular in India.”

It sits on 1.2 x 1.2 metre mast sections for a small footprint and the crane can lift 1.1 tonnes at the tip of its 52 m maximum jib. Maximum freestanding height is 47 m and it is available with a traditional DC hoist as standard or a smoother and faster variable frequency hoist as an option.

The MCT 205 meanwhile can be mounted on either 1.6 x 1.6 m or 2.0 x 2.0 m mast sections. The smaller masts permit a 60 m maximum jib and 39 m freestanding height, while the bigger units allow a 65 m jib and 52 m freestanding height.

Le Besnerais said, “We have seen demand in this market due to the pre-cast concrete building sector, which is growing in India.”

The company has gone to flat top cranes for the Indian market because it believes the easier erection and dismantling of this type of machine will be a key advantage. It also said the lower overall height compared to traditional saddle-jib designs was an advantage, particularly on multi-crane sites.

The 5 tonne class, however, is particularly competitive in India, and Manitowoc said among the other benefits it could offer to its customers was comprehensive aftermarket support. According to Jack Lee, vice president for Manitowoc’s Crane Care service, the company has an unmatched presence in India, with technicians in seven major population centres.

Eric Etchart, Manitowoc Cranes president, added that the company’s long presence in India was an advantage. “We have an installed base of about 1,000 Potain tower cranes in India,” he said.

The company has manufactured tower cranes in Pune for seven years. The facility was acquired from a key distributor, which previously built Potain cranes under licence.

Like many other exhibitors at bC India, Manitowoc expects business to pick up in the country over the coming months, following the landslide general election victory by Narendra Modi’s BJP party earlier in 2014. Raman Joshi, Manitowoc India president, said, “We are waiting for things to start happening. There is a new government in place and a lot of things have been talked about. Now we need to see them happening.”