Canada’s first Grove TMS9000-2’s main boom has helped R&D Crane Rental save hours on the job site by eliminating the need to install a swingaway jib
Lighter, longer, stronger. That was the mantra behind the design of the Grove TMS9000-2, when Manitowoc introduced the crane last February.
It was these same attributes that led R&D Crane Rental to be the first Canadian company to take delivery of the new-model truck crane.
For the Burnside, Nova Scotia-based rental company, the TMS9000-2 represented an oppportunity to grow its business.
“We’re a relatively new company, and we wanted to add a crane to our fleet that would boost our reputation in Canada,” said Alex Jenkins, operations manager of R&D.
“We feel that the TMS9000-2 has done that. The main selling point for us was the longer main boom. Other comparable cranes only have 142 ft. of main boom, while the TMS9000-2 gives you 169 ft. That extra reach has saved us hours on the job since we don’t have to take a swingaway jib on and off the crane.”
The TMS9000-2’s added reach is already coming in handy on the jobsite. R&D is putting the crane to work to help build a new Marriott-branded hotel in Halifax, where the crane is hoisting formwork panels at radii ranging from 42 to 45 metres. The crane is expected to work on the project until the end of the month. Jenkins also credits the crane’s weight and 115-ton capacity with giving R&D an edge.
“The TMS9000-2 has a comparable gross weight to that of a lower-capacity crane, but you also get extra boom length. This makes it easier to get proper road permits in our region,” Jenkins said. “The crane has worked almost every day since we acquired it. It gives us the reach we need to adapt to a wide range of jobsites.”
R&D is a division of the Cherubini Group of companies and provides crane services to numerous industries, including construction, commercial, marine, wind and residential. R&D’s team of certified operators, engineers and managers have used Manitowoc cranes on a number of projects, including the McDonald Bridge project near Halifax, where the company used a Manitowoc 16000.
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The company purchased the TMS9000-2 from Shawmut Equipment, a Manchester, Connecticut-based dealer of Manitowoc, Grove, Potain and National Crane products that has served New England and the Atlantic provinces of Canada since 1957.
With the crane’s increased reach comes increased capacity across all load charts. The crane’s 115-ton capacity makes it the strongest four-axle truck crane on the market with the best load charts in its class, according to the company. Both the boom and chassis are stronger on the TMS9000-2 than previous cranes, so there is more capacity across all radii. On average, load charts with maximum counterweight have improved by about five per
cent over its predecessor, the TMS9000E.
The new model also shares the same counterweight system as the TMS9000E, so owners are able to interchange counterweights and wing weights from the previous-generation crane, giving them flexibility in configurations across an entire fleet.
Crane Control System
Overall operational efficiency is improved with the inclusion of the Crane Control System (CCS), Manitowoc’s standardized operating system that works across several crane brands and models.
The TMS9000-2 offers six simple predefined boom sequences to maximize crane utilization. As well, it incorporates powerful features found in CCS-equipped Grove all-terrain products. This includes a highly intuitive boom configurator mode that makes it quick and easy to select the optimum boom position and length for a specific lift. The operator simply inputs lift parameters and the system calculates the best configuration.
“The Manitowoc Way”
The Grove TMS9000-2 reflects advancements in design and manufacturing borne from “The Manitowoc Way,” the company’s program to deliver innovation at increased velocity that improves customer return on investment.
The program puts the company’s customers at the focus of new products and seeks to include them early in the design stage.
For the TMS9000-2, a multi-disciplinary, cross-functional team was put together to design the new-generation crane. This included representatives from design and engineering, quality control, production planning, sales, purchasing and manufacturing. Manitowoc customers were also included, as they were asked to provide feedback that would directly benefit them on the jobsite and increase their own profitability.
This accomplished two goals for Grove. First, customers had direct influence on the crane at an earlier stage, which will lead to increased utilization and return on investment in the field. Second, the speed at which the crane was brought to market was dramatically improved, with the TMS9000-2 being produced at only one third of the time it took to introduce previous generation cranes.
“The Grove TMS9000-2 represents a significant advance in truck crane power and flexibility. With improved roadability, reach and capacity, companies will be able to complete a wider range of jobs at a lower cost, increasing utilization and return on investment,” said Harrison Hipple, product manager for truck-mounted cranes at Manitowoc.
“We know for a fact that customers are eager to have this new crane join their fleets because they have been with us from the beginning, helping us design a crane that will have a real impact on their own profitability.”
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