Manitowoc has launched the GMK6400 at Bauma 2010, and the company is touting it as the world’s most powerful six-axle all-terrain crane. The crane has a 400-ton maximum capacity.
Neil Hollingshead, Manitowoc’s global product director for all-terrain cranes and rough-terrain cranes, said the company wanted to build the strongest possible crane without compromising usability.
“We’ve concentrated on all aspects of owning and operating cranes, particularly the issues our customers care about, including fuel efficiency, versatility, reach and productivity,” he said in a press statement. “Above all, we focused on strength. Customer feedback told us not to compromise the load chart for a few extra meters of boom. We followed that advice, and when customers see the charts, there are clear advantages over other cranes in this class. This crane is a new design and we believe it sets new standards in heavy lifting for six-axle all-terrain cranes.”
One prominent feature on the GMK6400 is the Mega Wing Lift capacity-enhancing attachment. It helps give the crane its superior lift duties by providing extra support to the boom. It also has a patented self-rigging system that mounts on the chassis and connects to the boom. When the boom is in the working position, Mega Wing Lift extends laterally to stiffen the boom, allowing it to lift greater loads.
With its Mega Wing Lift extended, the GMK6400 offers significant lift capabilities, which are up to 35 percent stronger than similar cranes, the company asserts. Strong load charts made customers demand the 400 t rating. The Mega Wing Lift weighs approximately 10 t and can be transported on a single trailer. Its transport height is approximately 2.5 m.
There are additional innovations, especially in travel. The GMK6400 has a hybrid drive system for travel at lower speeds and is the only crane in this capacity class with this feature. This system, called MegaDrive, is lighter than typical drive systems. It allowed Manitowoc engineers to make other components in the crane more robust while maintaining the same vehicle weight.
MegaDrive also gives better traction on poor surfaces for easier on-site maneuver, especially when combined with Grove’s Megatrak independent suspension system. In also gives the crane more efficient fuel consumption, a lower center of gravity and longer lasting parts. MegaDrive powers the crane when it is accelerating to speeds of approximately 20 km/h, and then conventional drive takes over. MegaDrive activates when decelerating below a similar speed and provides smooth acceleration from standstill and automatic retardation at slower speeds.
