21.06.2012

First Asian flat top from Potain

Potain has launched its first topless tower crane built in Asia, the MCT 385, with a 20 tonne maximum capacity.

The new crane is produced in Manitowoc’s manufacturing facility in Zhangjiagang, China, and is especially targeted to customers in Asia and other emerging markets.

The MCT 385 has a maximum load moment of nearly 400 tonne/metres and was designed jointly by Potain engineers in Europe and Asia. The end result, according to Potain, is a crane that offers high-quality lifting performance in a design that suits the needs of regional customers.
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The new Chinese built Potain MCT 385 flat top/topless tower crane

The crane has a new two metre wide compact tower providing a maximum free standing height of 64.9 metres with tower sections of either 3.33 or five metre long. Climbing with the crane is made easier as the hook height can be 50 metres above the last anchor point. In addition, the design allows for internal climbing on high-rise applications.

The tower system, compact jib design and streamlined counter jib are all intended to make the crane easy to transport and assemble. The crane also uses a new connection system that makes inserting and removing pins much easier. Riggers also benefit from a full walkway with independent safety line when assembling the jib.

The MCT 385 has frequency-controlled hoisting, trolleying and slewing, for smooth and precise movements. Potain says that it has put the crane through a rigorous eight-month product testing process prior to its official launch, along with extra structural and component testing to ensure the highest levels of product quality were met.
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The crane includes a number of innovations

Raymond Tang, Manitowoc’s regional product manager for tower cranes in Asia-Pacific, said: “There is established value in the cranes we build in Asia that our customers appreciate. Producing a topless crane here gives customers another choice, and we’re extremely pleased with the success of the crane so far.”

After product testing was completed, eight cranes were placed with Potain dealers, seven were purchased by Manta Group, the Potain dealer in Singapore and Hong Kong.

The cranes remain on site, and will continue to be monitored, the company says that feedback so far has been extremely positive and once it is satisfied with the on-site monitoring phase, deliveries will begin, with the first expected later this year.

The MCT 385 fills the gap in Potain’s Asian tower crane line, between the 16 tonne MC 310 and 25 tonne MC 475. The Zhangjiagang factory, was opened in 2005, and employs the latest precision machinery to consistently produce quality cranes, it is one of the few crane manufacturing plants in China to be certified in line with the TüV quality assurance standard.