Manitowoc Unveils Grove GSK55 Mobile Crane

Enlarge Image Grove's GMK3055 mobile crane allows customers flexibility in their choice of tractor.

March 10, 2009 – Manitowoc, Manitowoc, Wis., will introduce its new GSK55 mobile crane at Intermat 2009. The crane combines the lift ability of a Grove all-terrain crane with the flexibility and mobility of a standard on-road truck. It merges the upper works from Grove’s GMK3055 all-terrain crane with a specially designed truck chassis that acts as a trailer. Customers can then use the tractor of their choice to haul the crane to jobsites.

Michael Preikschas, Manitowoc’s senior product manager for all-terrain cranes, said the new crane offers advantages in lifting and transport. “The GSK is a more affordable option for our customers that want Grove all-terrain performance from their cranes but do not necessarily need the off-road ability that the GMK range offers,” he said. “The GSK also has a number of unique advantages that embody Manitowoc’s innovative approach to product development.”

 

The truck chassis has its own 104 kW Iveco engine that provides full power to the GSK55, operating all the crane’s functions, including the outriggers. Because of its standard design, the crane does not need to be tied to any one brand of tractor. This is a useful benefit if the crane is working at a jobsite where multiple trucks are in operation or for customers who operate fleets of trucks. The ability to attach any tractor also means that national requirements for left-hand or right-hand vehicles are easily accommodated.

 

Because of its configuration the crane can offer favorable axle loads for travel. With two axles on the tractor and three on the trailer, loadings do not exceed 9.9 tons on any single axle when the crane is traveling with a counterweight of 12.7 tons, while its gross vehicle weight comes in under 46 tons. These axle loads mean the GSK55 travel configuration is well below the 13.2 tons per axle maximum common in many markets.

 

Lifting specifications for the crane match the GMK3055, so maximum capacity is 60 tons and it has a 141-foot main boom. An optional swing-away jib is available, giving a maximum tip height of 190 feet.

 

Frans Vanwinkel, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Manitowoc in EMEA, said many customers would appreciate the flexibility and easy roading of the GSK55. “Because of the trailer’s configuration, this crane actually has a very small turning circle when it’s on site,” he said. “The emphasis is on flexibility. The GSK55 can travel as fast as the tractor that the customer attaches to it. We think it will be popular with rental companies and also on locations such as refineries where GMKs are regularly used in the same position and rarely moved.”