Manitowoc has launched its new Potain MCR 305 luffing jib tower crane, which was jointly developed by French and Chinese engineers. This model is built at the company’s factory in Zhangjiagang, China, and will be sold across Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

The design of the MCR 305 has been optimised, which significantly reduces the number of points where the crane must be secured to a building as construction grows upwards. This means more efficient assembly and less expense for contractors, saving time on the tight schedules that high-rise projects demand. For example, with the existing MCR 295 A configured with a 60 m jib, 11 anchor points are required to reach a height of 192.6 m. However, using the new MCR 305 with the same jib, just six anchor points are needed to reach 194.3 m.

The MCR 305’s reduced out-of-service radius is another highlight. For example, with a 60 m jib, the out-of-service radius of the MCR 305 is just 12.5 m, compared with 22 m for the MCR 295 A in the same configuration. Lowering the out-of-service radius allows contractors to place more cranes on constrained jobsites, making more lifting options available and delivering better space optimisation.

The increased load charts make the MCR 305 more attractive for high-rise construction, as it can handle heavier loads, said Leong Kwong-Joon, regional product manager for Potain tower cranes at Manitowoc.

“We’ve had extensive conversations with customers and the insights we gained have helped us develop an impressive new luffing jib crane. Strength gains are realised along the entire length of the jib. There are also great savings for customers in climbing higher faster, and better productivity with a substantially reduced out-of-service radius.”

According to Manitowoc, basic design, wind performance, and wind tunnel tests for the crane were carried out in France, while the Chinese team completed the structural design and test verifications. Each jib position and lifting point on the crane was subject to an extensive design and analysis process lasting several months.

The MCR 305 offers two versions: the 20-t-capacity MCR 305 H20, and the 25-t-capacity MCR 305 H25. With a 60-m jib length, maximum tip loads are 3.1 t for the H20 version and 3 t for the H25 version. There are multiple winch options, depending on customer preference, including HPL (High-Performance Lifting) options, with up to 1,200 m of wire rope available.