MSG Krandienst (MSG) took delivery of its new GMK4100L-1 and GMK5150L at the Manitowoc factory in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, in October. The new all-terrain cranes from northern Germany will strengthen the capabilities of MSG’s primary location in Kehl, Baden-Württemberg, with the GMK5150L replacing its predecessor, a GMK5130-2, and the GMK4100L-1 replacing a competitor crane.
MSG currently offers customers a total of 16 Grove cranes from its four locations in Germany and France, ranging from the GMK3060 to the GMK6400. MSG’s five, five-axle Grove cranes form an integral part of the fleet. Their high capacities, flexibility and maneuverability lead to the cranes being frequently deployed for the assembly of precast concrete and steel construction elements, or as auxiliary cranes in the wind power sector.
MSG has been running a GMK5150L from the Freiburg site for the last three years.
“The Grove GMK5150L is a reliable crane with a 60 meter mast and 11.8 ton load capacity on the long main boom. We have had a very good experience with its performance so our decision to purchase another GMK5150L was a quick one," said Managing Director Björn Jatz.
The new GMK5150L has several features, including aluminum alloy wheels, the Manitowoc Birdview 270 degree camera system that improves the operator visibility and a 17.8 meter hydraulic swingaway jib.
“The jib comes into play when we are carrying out special chimney filter changes in steel mills, for example, or completing roof work from a distance. That’s when we need the strong load charts and long reach the 150 ton Grove offers us,” Jatz explained.
Any jobsite, anywhere
The second new Grove all-terrain crane to join the MSG fleet, the GMK4100L-1, left the factory in Wilhelmshaven, even before the official crane handover ceremony, for its first job erecting a tower crane in Freiburg. The taxi load charts combined with the compact design is particularly impressive on this 100 ton crane. With a vehicle width of just 2.55 meters, it can easily travel to even the most confined city center job site. The GMK4100L-1 can carry up to 6.7 of counterweight with 12 ton per axle and has a towering 60 meter main boom.
“With a 48 ton driving permit, the crane can be moved to any project comprehensively. The MEGATRAK independent suspension on the GMKs is another unique selling proposition for Grove. It gives us the necessary ground clearance when the terrain off-road becomes more difficult,” Jatz said. “The GMK4100L-1 is also the second of MSG’s cranes to have the same construction. Given the Section 29 driving permit in Germany, in the future, it will be essential to have identical machines in the fleet.”
