Manitowoc Cranes will feature the unique cranes and attachments it offers for the wind power industry at WINDPOWER 2014, including a brand new crawler crane. The event takes place May 5 to 8 in Las Vegas, NV, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Manitowoc will occupy booth #5004.
The most notable crane that Manitowoc has for the wind power industry is the new Manitowoc MLC650 crawler crane. The 716 USt crawler crane can be rigged with up to 351 ft. of Wind Attachment boom with an extended upper boom point in standard live mast configuration. In addition, it includes an array of innovative features, most notably its unique Variable Position Counterweight (VPC).
The patented VPC system automatically positions the counterweight to fit the required lift. The counterweight moves along the rotating bed and is automatically positioned based on changes in boom angle. Advantages for customers include reduced ground preparation, lower ground-bearing pressure and less counterweight, without sacrificing capacity.
Dustin Soerens, Marketing Manager for Manitowoc lattice cranes, says the Manitowoc MLC650 is ideal for wind farm work, where towers are growing taller and nacelles are getting heavier.
“To date, customers were typically limited to cranes that required an assist mechanism or fixed mast configuration to raise the amount of boom needed to serve the 330 ft. wind tower market,” he says. “The MLC650 Wind Attachment can be raised unassisted, in live mast configuration, saving setup time and retaining on site mobility. Additionally, the new VPC-MAX capacity-enhancing attachment allows the MLC650 to raise even more boom to service the emerging 394 ft. tower market, and beyond.”
Manitowoc representatives will be at the booth to discuss several other products that are used in the wind power industry, too. The Manitowoc 16000 crawler crane, for example, has been a fixture on many wind farms, both for turbine installation and maintenance. The 440 USt crawler has a 315-foot boom and has the option of using the 16000 Wind Attachment or Boom Raising System.
The 16000 Wind Attachment boosts the maximum height and short-radius capacity of the standard Manitowoc 16000 crawler crane, enabling it to install most 2.5 MW wind turbines (and several larger ones) on towers ranging from 262 to 279 ft.
Additionally, Manitowoc’s Boom Raising System can be added to the 16000 Wind Attachment, allowing the crane to raise more boom to set wind turbines on towers up to 330 ft., without the need for an assist crane. It increases the available boom length to 351 ft., plus 25 ft. for the extended upper boom point.
The Manitowoc 18000 has also been a valuable tool on wind farms with its 500 USt capacity and 400 ft of boom with extended upper boom point. It’s been used on some of the largest wind farms in North America.
“The Manitowoc 16000 and Manitowoc 18000 crawler cranes are still great tools for the wind industry, and they are finding plenty of work out there,” Soerens says. “Combined with the all-new Manitowoc MLC650, our company has a plethora of options for this burgeoning industry.”
