08.02.2011

New top end Potain

Potain has added a new 550 tonne/metre tower crane to the top end of its MD range - the MD560B. The MD cranes are designed for infrastructure work, such as dams, bridges and other large construction jobs and the new model is the largest in the range.

The MD 560 B comes in two versions with 25 or 40 tonne maximum capacities.

Potain says that the new crane offers better jib tip capacities and load curves than its competitors in most configurations. When working with an 80 metre jib the 25 tonne MD 560 B can handle 5.4 tonnes at the jib end, while the 40 tonne version can take 7.5 tonnes to 70 metres or 4.6 tonnes with an 80 metre jib tip.

Two prototypes of the new crane, both 25 tonne models, are working for contractor Dragados on a major expansion to Madrid’s Atocha rail terminal. The cranes will stay on the job site for 12 months and will eventually reach working heights of around 49 metres.

Diego Jurado, sales manager for Ibergruas, the Potain dealer for Spain which supplied the cranes for the project, said: “It only took six regular work days to unload 11 trucks, prepare the ground, erect and commission the highest MD 560 B. We were really pleased, especially since the site has restricted access and many surrounding electrical lines, and we had to make several mobile crane lifts from long radii. Overall, this new MD crane seems to have much faster and easier erection.”
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The Potain MD560B at work in Madrid

Several design innovations on the MD 560 B are intended to make erection easier. Platforms on the counter jib are the same as those on the MD 485 B, but Manitowoc’s engineers have re-examined access to make it easier for riggers. The tie bars are now integrated into the counter jib for faster and safer erection, and each component in the crane has a clearly positioned plate for simple identification.

The jib can either be erected and assembled in the air in three separate pieces or on the ground and placed as a single component, depending on the available space and the size of the mobile crane available. Attaching the jib’s tie bars is simple using Potain’s “pear-shaped” hole system, and assembling the tie bars (and counter jib) is easier with the integrated auxiliary winch.
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A number of new designs on the counter jib and tie bars make the 560B easier to erect

There are a choice of mechanisms for trolleying and hoisting, depending on configuration. The RVF 183 Optima+ frequency-controlled slewing mechanism is standard, while Lifting power comes from the 100 LVF 63 winch in the 25 tonne version or the new 270 LVF 100 on the 40 tonner. The 270 LVF 100 is a 201 kW hoist with a 10 tonne line pull, providing its maximum capacity with four falls of cable.

The 25 tonne crane sits on the 2.45 x 2.45 metres KR849 mast, while the 40 tonner requires the same sized, but reinforced K850 tower to cope with the higher loadings. The MD 560 B will be equipped with Potain’s new Ultra View cab.

Jean-Pierre Zaffiro, global product manager for tower cranes, said: “This new crane shares many common features with the rest of the MD range. We’ve worked hard to make it easier and faster to erect and more productive once it’s working. We’ve improved lifting ability and customers will see a real advantage in the chart, especially at the jib end.”