Grove GTK1100 Telescopic Tower Crane December 15, 2007

The Grove GTK1100 telescopic tower crane, unveiled at Bauma, has completed its inaugural lift at a jobsite in Germany, following an extensive test programme at the manufacturers Wilhelmshaven plant. The first unit was delivered in the past few weeks to Wiesbauer, the Bietigheim-Bissingen based crane rental company that helped develop the GTK. The crane arrives across the field with four trailers

The GTK1100's first job was in Ilshofen, Baden Würtemberg, southern Germany where it was used to install a 2KW wind turbine in a field for Repower Systems. The crane is designed to travel on four or five trailers depending on its configuration and local road regulations. The Ilshofen job did not require additional counterweight so its was delivered on four trailers. The Outriggers are lifted into place

The hook block is reeved

The superstructure is raised

...and lowered into place

Up goes the mast

..and locks into the vertical

The pendant supports are lifted into place

The mast is telescoped

The pendants are tensioned and the crane is ready to work The contract was completed with five lifts, the first three being the tower mast sections that weighed 62 tonnes, 53 tonnes and 45 tonnes respectively.

The second tower section weighing 53 tonnes is lifted into place

The top section weighing 45 tonnes is located The nacelle was next, weighing 70 tonnes followed by the preassembled three blade propeller module. Each blade weighs 8 tonnes with the assembled module being 42 tonnes.

The 70 tonne nacelle, the heaviest single load, is lifted

The nacelle is placed lifted onto the 70 metre mast

The Grove GTK 1100 lifts an eight tonne blade in tandem with a mobile crane, assembling the propeller module on the ground

The blade and hub assembly weighing 42 tonnes is lifted into place Jochen Wiesbauer, managing director of Wiesbauer, said: 'The performance of the GTK1100 on this first set of lifts was simply outstanding, because these lifts were the first in a field setting we took extra caution and double- checked everything. But even with this, the cost and time savings compared to other lift solutions were exceptional.' Frans Vanwinkel, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Manitowoc in EMEA witnessed the first job for the GTK and said: 'Unlike traditional lifting solutions on projects such as these, the GTK allowed Repower Systems to save on ground preparation costs thanks to its reduced space requirement and ability to level on uneven ground with its advanced outrigger design.'