The big benefits of pick and carry cranes
26 February 2024
Versatility is a key advantage of pick and carry cranes. Niamh Marriott reports.
Pick and carry cranes are highly manoeuvrable and a real alternative to a forklift or telehandler, says UK-based mini crane and materials handling specialist GGR Group, which offers several small cranes for rental.
GGR T-Crane 1060 in pick and carry operation on a considerable slope. (Photo: GGR Group)
Due to their size, they are easier to travel on roads and can access smaller sites with narrow or awkward conditions.
Last year, the company launched its new telescopic boom pick and carry crane with a self-levelling capability.
GGR says its T-Crane 1060 is the first pick and carry mini-crane with self-levelling technology. It has the capacity to lift (to 3.5 metres radius) and transport a maximum load of 990 kg.
Mounted on a crawler tracked platform, the new crane is designed to be adaptable for a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications. It can cope with inclines up to 25 degrees and its self-levelling capability operates on slopes up to 15 degrees, in all directions, to help cope with rough ground.
Maximum lifting height is 7.7 metres (at which it can also carry the load) and its longest working radius is 6.1 metres, where capacity is 450 kg. Fitting a 1,000 kg detachable counterweight allows the overall weight of the crane to be reduced to 2,850 kg for easier transport and to minimise the ground pressure on site.
Power options are either a 300 amp-hour lithium battery and 4 kW, 48 volt, electric motor, or a 17 hp Yanmar diesel engine to run the hydraulics.
New markets
Pick and carry cranes offer attractive capabilities for a range of global projects.
Franna’s FR17C pick & carry crane has a lifting capacity of 17 tonnes. (Photo: Terex)
Late last year, Australian pick and carry specialist Franna, a Terex subsidiary, launched its FR17 C into the Africa, UAE and Latin America markets.
A compact pick and carry model with a short turning radius of 6.77 metres, the FR17 C is an entry-level machine for construction, mining and logistics, as well as city, yard and industrial applications where space is limited.
“For over 40 years, Franna has been a name to reckon in Australia for the design and manufacturing of quality pick and carry cranes,” says Danny Black, Terex Franna general manager.
“Bringing our concept to Africa, UAE and Latin America markets with the FR17 C is an exciting time for us.”
The company sees the FR17 C as the ideal crane to expand internationally with its combination of safety, comfort, and smooth steering flexibility, offering versatility and dependability.
Offering a lifting capacity of 17 tonnes, its compact design enhances manoeuvrability in confined spaces.
Safety features include overload protection, anti-tipping technology and a comprehensive safety monitoring system.
According to Franna, driver fatigue is reduced since there is no clutch pedal to operate, and this along with the full-width, two-person cabin provides better visibility and driving comfort.
The crane is powered by a Cummins diesel engine.
The crane’s “versatility [lends] itself well to road and metro projects and for local hire,” adds Black.
More control with proportional valves
The Danfoss PVG 48 proportional valve installed in the 25 tonne Franna MAC 25. (Photo: Danfoss)
Danfoss Power Solutions, a global supplier of mobile and industrial hydraulics as well as electric powertrain systems, has partnered with crane manufacturer Terex Franna in Australia to improve the performance of its MAC 25 crane. With the PVG 48 proportional valve at the heart of the work and steering subsystems, Danfoss says it is delivering a reliable, precise, future-proof solution.
Franna is a leading manufacturer of pick and carry cranes. For more than 40 years Franna has been a leader in the Australian market. Its products are at work in more than 30 countries around the world.
Franna’s MAC 25 mobile articulated crane offers a lifting capacity of 25 tonnes and a maximum boom length of 18.4 metres. It is designed to offer maximum safety, roadability, intuitive operation, and versatility. True to the company’s heritage, the crane’s design has been tested, proven, and continuously improved over the years.
In 2021 Franna began looking at other options for the MAC 25’s main control valve. The company required a solution that was precise, reliable, and future proof to accommodate increasingly sophisticated electronic control systems. The Danfoss PVG 48 proportional valve, then in development, emerged as the superior solution.
PVG 48 is a pre-compensated proportional control valve for applications requiring flow rates of up to 180 litres per minute. The latest member of the PVG load-sensing valve family, PVG 48 is ideal for machines such as cranes, aerial lifts and wheeled loaders, where precise flow and controllability are essential.
Danfoss launched the PVG 48 valve to the general market in June 2023 with Franna as a key pilot customer. On the MAC 25, the valve turns operator joystick inputs into quick, accurate boom movement.
“The PVG is extremely precise and reliable. It does what you want it to do repeatedly,” says Adam Murchie, Franna project engineer. “It’s the ideal choice for MAC 25 and likely to end up in other of our cranes, too – not least in future launches where more advanced electronic controls are key. We wanted a future-proof valve. PVG 48 is it.”
The PVG 48 valve integrates easily with electric actuators, sensors, and digital controls, opening a range of possibilities. One of them is to automate certain machine functions so the crane assists – or even takes over from – the operator. Such a function can be advantageous in many situations, particularly when instant reaction is required to ensure safety.
With the change to PVG 48, Franna also switched to Danfoss counterbalance valves. Together with PVG 48, they ensure smooth and safe activation of the crane’s boom.
“Controllability is smooth and even – very refined,” says Quentin Bourke, Franna product support technician. “The initial tiny bounce on the front tyres, which you sometimes see when operators raise or lower the boom, is completely gone. Extension or subtraction of the boom is impressively smooth, too.”
Bourke adds that initial feedback from crane operators using MAC 25 with a PVG 48 and Danfoss counterbalance valves is positive, too. “Together with Danfoss, we’ve managed to create the exact kind of MAC 25 crane feel that we hoped for,” Bourke says.
The Danfoss PVG 48 proportional valve is already at work in more than 100 of Franna’s MAC 25 cranes throughout Australia.
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