Manitowoc Launches 100-Ton Grove Taxi Crane
March 2, 2016 - Manitowoc has introduced a Grove all-terrain crane for the global market. As with other recent Grove launches, the crane offers unique innovations and class-leading capabilities in the taxi (road traveling) category. Deliveries of the new, best-in-class GMK4100L-1 will start in quarter three 2016.
The four-axle Grove GMK4100L-1 boasts the best load charts in its class and its compact design makes it easy to access and maneuver on the narrowest of job sites. The new 100-ton capacity crane replaces the GMK4100L, and is part of a new generation of Grove taxi cranes. Grove was the first manufacturer to produce a 100-ton capacity crane on four axles when it introduced the GMK4100L. Now, the GMK4100L-1 has raised the bar even higher with some notable improvements. The AT crane not only offers the best load charts in this class in its maximum counterweight configuration, but also in its most common taxi configuration with a weight of less than 12 tons per axle (a common axle load limit in many countries). Compared with the GMK4100L, the new GMK4100L-1 delivers 6.9% better load charts overall in its 26.2-ton maximum counterweight configuration, according to Manitowoc.
In the taxi configuration with a 6.7-ton counterweight, the GMK4100L-1 boasts an increase of 9.3% improved performance. Even when operated with the maximum roadable 19.9-ton counterweight for up to 16.5 tons per axle, the crane sets a new benchmark in its class.
Customers in North America will also benefit from the crane’s fully removable counterweight—which reduces the basic crane’s GVW to the lowest level in the four-axle category for a 100-ton rated machine with a 196-ft. boom. Boosting the crane’s overall reach is a 59-ft. telescopic swing-away jib which can be extended with a 26-ft. boom extension for a total jib length of 85 ft.. The telescopic swing-away jib offers an improved offset of 0 - 45°.
Jens Ennen, senior vice president all-terrain and truck-mounted cranes at Manitowoc, said the new GMK4100L-1 is the result of improvements and innovations developed at the factory in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, where the crane is built. “We have focused strongly on bringing superior reliability, return on investment, ease of transportation, user friendliness and capacity to this crane,” he said.
The GMK4100L-1 is more compact than its predecessor, making it even easier to access narrow job sites. With 14-in. tires, the crane boasts a 8’4” width versus the 9 ft. of the GMK4100L. Overall it is also 1’8” shorter, making it more maneuverable on congested jobsites. The GMK4100L-1 is powered by a single engine, reducing the weight of the crane and allowing it to carry more counterweight which delivers superior lifting ability.
The Tier IV F/EUROMOT 4 Mercedes-Benz OM470LA is a six-cylinder diesel engine with a 320 kW rating at 1,700 rpm and a maximum torque of 2,100 Nm at 1,300 rpm. The crane is also available with an equivalent Tier 3 engine. Better profitability for users is available through the inclusion of the Fuel Saver function on the Tier IV F/EUROMOT 4 engine. Life is also made easier for the operator with Manitowoc’s new Crane Control System (CCS) and the new Boom Configurator Mode. The standardized CCS is a user-friendly interface that Manitowoc is featuring on all new crane models. The CCS components and operating software have been specifically designed, developed and tested by Manitowoc engineering and innovation teams worldwide to ensure the highest reliability standards.
The highly intuitive Boom Configurator Mode makes it quick and easy to select the optimum boom position for a specific lift. The operator inputs the lift parameters such as radius, load or boom length to be moved and the system calculates the best boom configuration. Once the operator selects the preferred option, the boom automatically extends to the required length.
The look of the crane has also been improved with a facelift that includes a new ergonomic carrier cab. As one would expect, trademark features such as the TWIN-LOCK boom pinning system, MEGAFORM boom shaping and MEGATRAK independent active suspension, are all included in the new GMK4100L-1.
