Potain MCR 160 tower crane new from China

Manitowoc has introduced the 10 tonne capacity MCR 160 luffing jib tower crane. It is a China-built version of the European MR 160. Assembled at the Zhangjiagang factory in China, the MCR 160 offers the same capacity and performance, Manitowoc said. It can have up to 50 m of main jib and capacity is 2.4 tonnes at the end of the jib.

Configurations are possible for internal or external climbing applications. Internal climbing is becoming more popular in Asia for tall buildings because it offers better site coverage with a smaller crane and shorter jib.

Kwong-Joon Leong, regional product manager for tower cranes at Manitowoc, said that one of the MCR 160’s biggest strengths is that it can be assembled on 1.6 and 2 m wide mast sections, making it suitable for internal configuration, even in more limited construction designs. “With the MCR 160 we worked very hard to deliver a crane that can be mounted on narrower mast sections, in addition to our larger 2 m-wide mast sections, which means contractors can use them on more projects,” Leong said. “The end result is a crane with excellent lift capacity as well as great flexibility.”

A choice of three winches includes the standard 60 LVF 25 (45 kW, 2.5 tonnes at 88 m/min), the 55 kW 75 LVF 25 Optima (2.5 tonnes at 95 m/min), or the 100 LVF 25 Optima, a 75 kW hoist that can lift 2.5 tonnes at speeds of up to 128 m/min. Rope capacity on this model is 1,270 m for tall buildings.

“We have had strong interest in the MCR 160 from markets across Asia, such as India, Thailand and Singapore, as well as from customers in Latin America” Leong said. “As contractors and rental companies continue to look for cranes that can manage their work more efficiently, we expect interest in the MCR 160 to increase.”

The MCR 160 is the second Potain luffing jib crane to be produced at Manitowoc’s Zhangjiangang facility, joining the MCR 225 A. The first units have been delivered.