Global tower crane heavyweight Potain has expanded its line of topless models with the new MCT 185, which is part of its Asian range and is manufactured at the company’s Chinese facility in Zhangjiagang.
The Manitowoc owned tower crane manufacturer said the new MCT 185 is a new 8t capacity model that offers customers “a greater choice than ever before, allowing them to select the perfect topless Potain model for any application”.
According to Potain the model has been designed with urban and infrastructure projects in mind, and shares the same advantages of easier transport and assembly, as well as high efficiency, productivity and reliability, that are the hallmarks of other Zhangjiagang-built MCT models, stretching back to the launch of the first units back in 2012.
Kwong-Joon Leong, regional product manager for Asia – tower cranes, Manitowoc, said: “Topless cranes are becoming the go-to solution for the speed and flexibility they bring to jobsites. The integration of the MCT 185 into our topless range opens up even more possibilities for contractors, and of course it is backed by the industry-leading technical support that is synonymous with Potain.”
Manitowoc’s statement says that the new MCT 185 has a jib that is 65m long, yet the entire upper works of the crane can travel in just five containers thanks to its “intelligent, compact design”. Each crane section benefits from minimised component dimensions and weight to simplify assembly, as demonstrated by the shorter, simpler ballast shape on the counter-jib. This section is available in two lengths – 13.5m for use with a 30-45m jib, or 16m for the 50-65m configuration. This choice in configuration allows projects to plan crane positioning more efficiently, a useful feature as jobsites become more congested.
For assembly, users can choose from Potain’s existing 1.6m (L46) and 2m (L68) mast sections, both of which use pinned joints for fast, easy connection. Also available is the newly introduced 7.5m-high S46JR reinforced basic mast for taller setup, with freestanding heights for the MCT 185 stretching up to 59.2m. On a well-prepared site, the MCT 185 can be assembled in just 1.5 days.
When it comes to lifting performance, the new crane offers a capacity of 1.5t at the end of its jib and a selection of the latest LVF hoists offering close load control and customisable lifting operations, depending on jobsite requirements. Supplied as standard, the newly introduced 30kW 40 LVFC 20 Optima winch comes with a 456m rope capacity and is capable of hoisting 1t at speeds of up to 98m/min. The optional 37kW 50 LVF 20 Optima lifts 1.1t at up to 121m/min; while the 45kW 60 LVFC 20 Optima will move 1t at up to 120m/min and comes with 553m of wire rope.