Heavy plant manufacturer Manitowoc has demonstrated an innovative new crane at its inaugural lift series at a jobsite in Germany. According to the manufacturer, the GTK1100 has a unique design, allowing access to smaller sites than has been previously feasible with cranes of the same size.
The GTK1100 completed five lifts on the jobsite – a new turbine at a wind farm. The first three were the various mast sections that weighed 62 t, 53 t and 45 t. Next, was the installation of the heaviest element, the nacelle, which weighed 70 t. Finally, the crane positioned the three rotor blades which were assembled on the ground before being lifted as a single 42 t load.
Among those present at the first lift was Frans Vanwinkel, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Manitowoc in EMEA. He said, “The crane worked perfectly on this job and the erection and dismantling was fast and smooth,” He added, “Unlike traditional lifting solutions on projects such as these, the GTK allowed Repower Systems to save on ground preparation costs. These savings come through a combination of reduced space requirement on site and greater stability on uneven ground because of the GTK’s advanced outrigger design.”
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The new crane has a 76.5 m vertical tower which is topped with a five-section 60 m telescopic
boom. It is able to lift loads of over 70 t to heights of over 120 m and is available throughout the Gulf now.