Albwardy Damen, a specialist shipbuilding and ship repair company in the Middle East, has added a GRT655L to its collection of Grove rough-terrain cranes used at its facilities across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The crane’s combination of a strong load chart and long reach mean the company can use it for both holding large components in place while ships are built or installing new sections on existing ships.
“The new GRT655L is a really versatile unit for us. We can lift and turn large sections at shorter radii or install smaller and lighter parts at long distances on ships we have docked,” Shara Igor Balin, facility manager at Albwardy Damen said. “We have other Grove rough-terrain cranes, so we know the build quality and durability are excellent, and the load charts are always strong.”
GRT655L models for the Middle East are manufactured at the Manitowoc plant in Niella Tanaro, Italy. The crane has a 60 ton capacity and a five-section, 43 meter boom. The optional 7.9 meter to 13.7 meter telescopic boom extension, allows the GRT655L to offer a reach of 59.7 meters.
Other features include a tiltable cab, inverted outrigger jacks, hydraulic disc brakes, load sensing hydraulics and an ECO mode for lower fuel consumption.
“We always get good and consistent service from Kanoo Machinery and there is always the parts availability we need," Balin explained. "Training was provided locally by Manitowoc, including simulator training for the operators. Our operators really love the ease of operation of Grove cranes, especially the CCS control system, and they like the fact they get instant support from the dealer’s team in their own language.”
