Manitowoc’s Potain Luffing Jib Cranes Offer Quicker Crane Assembly
Manitowoc completes its latest generation of Potain luffing jib cranes with the launch of the MR 309 and MR 329. These new models follow the introduction of the MR 229 at Bauma 2022, which was the first Potain luffing jib crane to come equipped with the cutting-edge Potain Crane Control System (CCS) and Potain Connect telematics. The entire new generation of cranes reflects Manitowoc's commitment to exceeding the latest standards and incorporating valuable customer feedback gathered through its “Voice of the Customer” process.
Customers demanded quicker and simpler crane assembly and Manitowoc listened. The jib on the MR 229, MR 309, and MR 329 can be mounted horizontally, section by section, while the reduced windvane spans make installation on tight jobsites easier. Accessible platforms and steps promote secure and efficient worker movement, and the counterjib ballast is installed at working height. The positioning of the ballast is made easier thanks to slinging rings and a self-centering system. A redesigned luffing mechanism further streamlines assembly, while an integrated jib-end basket further promotes more secure installation, inspection, and maintenance. Finally, the Potain CCS decreases commissioning time, helping the cranes to get to work faster.
Customers also requested a greater height under pivot and more powerful load charts, which the MR 229, MR 309, and MR 329 all deliver. The MR 309 and MR 329 have been introduced with maximum capacity variants of 16 ton or 25 ton. Despite sharing a common 60 meter jib and a 3.4 t capacity at the tip, their distinct pivot and mast configurations result in differing heights under pivot and load curves.
The MR 309, with its 2 meter pivot and mast configuration, achieves a height under pivot of 49.2 meters, reaching a maximum capacity of 4.3 tons at 55 meters. In contrast, the MR 329, featuring a 2.45 meter pivot and mast configuration, attains a height under pivot of 55.2 meters, with a maximum capacity of 4.7 tons at 55 meters. The new cranes also address the need for a strongly reduced out-of-service radius (9.5 meters to 12 meters) and decreased anchorage frame requirements, delivering improved efficiency and productivity on high-rise and congested construction sites where oversailing is not permitted.
“We've received excellent feedback since the debut of the MR 229, particularly for its ease of erection, minimized out-of-service radius, and the integration of CCS,” said Thibaut Le Besnerais, vice-president of marketing and development at Manitowoc. “Furthermore, customers have praised the seamless operation of the crane from the Ultraview CCS cab. With these achievements in mind, we have high expectations for the MR 309 and MR 329 as they round out this innovative new generation of Potain luffing jib cranes.”
Visit the Manitowoc website to learn more about Potain luffing-jib cranes.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.