Manitowoc launches Grove GMK5250L all terrain

Manitowoc has announced a new Grove all terrain crane for the global market. The 250 metric ton capacity Grove GMK5250L is claimed to have the strongest reach and load chart of any five-axle crane. It also offers fantastic maneuverability and class-leading driver comfort, which it delivers thanks to its inclusion of a VIAB turbo clutch and integrated retarder – the first ever mobile crane to feature the system, the manufacturer said.

The VIAB turbo clutch eliminates both fluid overheating and clutch burning, while enabling wear-free starting and braking. It also contributes to fuel savings and on the GMK5250L fuel consumption is estimated at approximately 30 percent below that of its predecessor, the GMK5220.

The “L” designation for the GMK5250L indicates it is a long boom all terrain crane, and in this case the main boom is 70 meters, which also includes Grove’s Megaform shaping for better strength and stability.

Boosting overall reach is a 21 meter hydraulic swing-away jib, which can be extended with either an 8-meter boom extension, two 8-meter jib inserts, or a combination of both for a total possible jib length of 37 meters. For optimum usage, the full jib can also be operated while the crane is working with its full 70-meter boom length extended. Another benefit of the jib is its ability to offer increased offset of up to 50 degrees compared to a typical 40 degrees on other Grove cranes in its class - plus there is an optional integrated heavy duty jib available.

The GMK5250L is powered by one engine - a Tier IV Final/Euromot 4 Mercedes-Benz OM471LA, a six cylinder diesel with a 390 kW (520 hp) rating and a maximum torque of 2,460 Nm. It drives the carrier and powers the superstructure, managed by one simple and reliable angular gear box, the manufacturer said. A single engine means lower fuel consumption during operation, reduced overall weight and less maintenance, meaning the crane is far more economical.

With its 12-ton per axle configuration, and dimensions suited to global roading requirements, the compact Grove GMK5250L is designed to offer excellent roadability. Compared to the GMK5220, the gross vehicle weight has been reduced to give customers more transportation options, including the ability to carry more equipment on the crane.

Special attention has also been given to the appropriate axle group spacing and specifically the fact that this exceeds 8 feet (2.4 m) – a strict requirement for roading mobile cranes in North America. There are additional design features that make the crane far easier to move in countries with stricter axle loading requirements, such as the USA, Canada, Norway, Australia and Japan.

“Customer return on investment has been the key driver in the development of this ground-breaking machine,” said Jens Ennen, senior vice president, all terrain and truck cranes at Manitowoc. “To create a highly versatile crane that is suited to job sites around the world, it was important for us to focus on specifications and load-charts. Customers can expect high utilization rates with this crane too, as we anticipate excellent reliability. We are expecting the GMK5250L to continue the success of other Grove introductions of recent years, such as the GMK6300L which is one of the most popular Grove all-terrain cranes of all time.”