Grúas y Equipos Cruz del Sur overcomes space-restricted urban jobs with Potain MCH 125

• Santiago, Chile-based crane and construction equipment company has found that its first hydraulic topless luffing jib crane is ideal in constrained city projects due to its flexibility and versatility.

Chilean company Grúas y Equipos Cruz del Sur recently acquired a brand new Potain MCH 125 tower crane, the first to go to South America. The company said the MCH 125 has been playing a key role in challenging urban projects in recent months. Its portable and versatile luffing jib allows for easy maneuvering in tight jobsite conditions and complete lifts.

The MCH 125 is Potain’s first hydraulic topless luffing jib crane. The tower crane combines the advantages of Potain’s MCR luffing jib cranes and MCT topless cranes. Representatives from Grúas y Equipos Cruz del Sur said they are finding it particularly straightforward to assemble and operate on congested sites, making it an ideal choice for work in dense city centers or other locations where space is limited. “We often work in urban areas with lots of buildings in proximity to each other, where the construction of a new structure poses serious logistical challenges,” said Julio Nazer Val, commercial cranes manager at Grúas y Equipos Cruz del Sur. “The MCH 125 plays a key role for our company as, thanks to its practical luffing boom, it can work in all kinds of environments despite space limitations.”

The MCH 125 has a maximum lifting capacity of 8.8 USt (8 t) and a lifting capacity of 2.2 USt (2 t) at its maximum jib length of 164 ft (50 m). The crane also utilizes VVH hydraulic luffing technology for raising and lowering the jib. This feature moves the jib from a horizontal position to 87° in less than two minutes. In addition, the cab can be installed on either side of the crane, enabling the unit to be positioned closer to a building. “These capabilities enable us to lift, turn and lower the jib as needed, overcome obstacles and deliver precise lifts in difficult conditions,” Julio Nazer Val said. “The presence of buildings and other obstructions have not impeded the progress of any of our projects when we use the MCH 125.”

The crane’s unique design offers a number of advantages including fast erection and dismantling. The topless design means less space is needed on site as there is no cathead to assemble at ground level before installation. The MCH 125 design does not require luffing ropes, reducing assembly time. Moreover, its hydraulics are pre-connected at the factory, which further reduces on-site assembly time. The hydraulic luffing design also results in a shorter counter-jib and out-of-service radius when compared with rope-luffing alternatives freeing up valuable space on congested job sites.

Operators will enjoy the increased comfort and visibility that comes with the crane’s Vision 140 cab one of the largest cabs on the market. The entire upperworks of the crane including its full 164 ft (50 m) of jib can travel on just four trucks. Assembly to a height of 131 ft (40 m) can be achieved in less than six hours. As with all Potain cranes, operation is smooth and quiet; and for better utilization for fleet owners, it can be mounted on existing 5.2 ft (1.6 m) or 6.5 ft (2 m) mast sections from the manufacturer’s current range. Jib sections are from the MCR range of luffing jib cranes. There are five jib configurations available ranging from 98 ft to 164 ft in 16 ft increments (30 m to 50 m in 5 m increments).

According to Julio Nazer Val, Potain has a reputation for developing tower cranes with the operator in mind. “Our operators have said they feel confident operating our Potain cranes and have expressed how easy it is to assemble them, from the smaller models to the higher tonnage units,” he said. “Recently, with the new technologies incorporated into modern tower cranes such as the MCH 125, our operators have said they value Potain's contribution to their work even more.”

Grúas y Equipos Cruz del Sur’s fleet includes a variety of Potain tower cranes, between self-erecting and top-slewing models, ranging in capacity from 1.8 t to 20 t. The company also owns Grove all-terrain cranes. Since 1979, Grúas y Equipos Cruz del Sur has been the exclusive partner of Potain in Chile, along with its sister companies ETAC Peru, and Colgrúas, in Peru and Colombia, respectively. The partnership with Potain over the last few decades has helped establish Grúas y Equipos Cruz del Sur, ETAC Peru and Colgrúas as references in the construction industry in South America.