GMK5250XL-1 & GMK6400 All-Terrain Cranes Pitch In At Northern Australia LNG Plant
Equipment supplier Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift recently added two new Grove all-terrain cranes to a fleet supporting a maintenance project at a major liquid natural gas (LNG) processing plant in Australia’s Northern Territory. The new 250-tonne (300-U.S.-ton) GMK5250XL-1 and new 400-t (450-U.S.-t) GMK6400 joined eight other Grove cranes supplied by the fleet hire and logistics solutions provider at the site near Darwin, NT.
“We carefully selected this fleet to provide a good mix of capacities for maximum flexibility, with their class-leading boom lengths providing optimised access to all areas of the plant,” says Tutt Bryant Senior Divisional Manager Rob West. “We added the new models for extra capacity, fleet refreshment, and to provide more versatility. The long-boom GMK5250XL-1 means it can take on work where we previously relied on larger cranes. We purchased the GMK6400 because we knew we could use it for some heavier tasks, but we also knew we’d get good utilisation from it in the future.”
A Gamut Of Grove Cranes
The Ichthys LNG processing facility at Bladin Point near Darwin, operated by the Japanese INPEX Group, is one of the largest and most complex in the world. Other four- to six-axle Grove crane models used on the project include a 90-t (100-U.S.-t) GMK4090, two 100-t (115-U.S.-t) GMK4100L-1 units, a 95-t (110-U.S.-t) GMK5095, a 130-t (165-U.S.-t) GMK5130-2 model, a 150-t (175-U.S.-t) GMK5150L, and two 300-t (350-U.S.-t) GMK6300L cranes.
“The lifts we undertook on the turnaround are all well within the capabilities of the cranes,” West says. “But it was vital that work progressed smoothly as there were a lot of picks to perform so the plant could get back online as soon as possible. We’ve been really pleased with the reliability of the Grove cranes, as well as their speed, flexibility, and manoeuvrability.”
The Grove GMK5250XL-1
Grove says its 250-t GMK5250XL-1 crane has the longest boom in the five-axle category at 78.5 metres (257.5 feet) long. The Twin-Lock, eight-section main boom can reach 109 m (358 ft) of hook height with available jib and boom inserts and the longer of its optional 11.2- and 17.8-m (37- and 58-ft) swingaway jibs.
With its optional MAXbase variable outrigger positioning system, the GMK5250XL-1 can lift up to 9.9 t (10.9 U.S. t) with its standard boom at maximum height, or up to 1.3 t (1.4 U.S. t) at a maximum working radius of 74 m (243 ft). The single-engine crane uses a 523-horsepower (390-kilowatt), Euromot 5 Mercedes-Benz diesel engine to power both its carrier and its superstructure.
The 60,000-kilogram (130,000-pound) GMK5250XL-1 has all-wheel steering with crabbing modes, a MegaTrak independent suspension, and an optional VIAB integrated turbo retarder clutch for wear-free starting and braking. The 10x6x10 (optionally 10x8x10) crane has a relatively small footprint, the manufacturer says, and an 80-t (88-U.S.-t) maximum counterweight load.
The GMK5250XL-1’s ergonomic superstructure cab can tilt up to 20 degrees. The user operates the crane using Grove parent company Manitowoc’s Crane Control System.
The Grove GMK6400
Grove’s 400-t GMK6400 was the winner of a 2013 Innovation award from ESTA, a European lifting and transportation trade association. It features a removable outrigger box, a self-rigging auxiliary hoist, and the self-rigging MegaWingLift attachment which can boost the crane’s capacity by nearly 70%.
Grove says the 72,000-kg (158,730-lb) crane has the best load chart in its class. The GMK6400 has a 60-m (197-ft) boom and a 136-m (446-ft) maximum hook height. A Mercedes-Benz V-8 engine powers the crane, which uses a steer-by-wire system for its all-wheel steering. The GMK6400 uses Manitowoc’s Megatrak suspension system and the MegaDrive hybrid drive system.
Find The Right Grove Crane
CraneTrader.com.ae hosts hundreds of new and used Grove cranes for sale, including all-terrain cranes like Grove’s GMK5250XL-1 and GMK6400 models.
Source: Manitowoc