Tutt Bryant Recent Sany Purchase

Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift and Shift (TBHLS) recently took delivery of the first of two 800t capacity lattice boom crawler cranes, the Sany SCC8000A.

Malcom Smith, General Manager, TBHLS explains the reasons for the purchases and where they will be operating.

“There are a number of reasons for the purchases with fleet renewal high on the list. We are looking to diverse out of our Demag CC2800 which is on the east coast and although the 600t capacity Demag is still in the fleet it is 16 years old, and we have been looking to renew this crane. We were also looking to step up in capacity as the jobs and projects are getting that bit larger in size. So, we will be replacing the 600t Demag with the 800t Sany which arrives in February.

“We will also be sending the Manitowoc MLC650 back to the east coast. We’ve had this crane for many years, and it will be operating on Melbourne’s Westgate Tunnel project in September. The new Sany’s will bolster our large crane offering. We used to have a 550t Kobelco which we moved to projects in both the east and west and we sold that crane last year to Fitzgeralds and we didn’t replace it. The new SCC8000As will upgrade our capabilities and replace gear we’ve sold more recently,” he said.

New Technology Features in the New Sany Cranes

“The Sany cranes, like most of today’s crane, with their superlifts, all feature some form of vario or extender frame which enables you to adjust the counterweight in and out. The Sany SCC800A that came into Western Australia has 111 meters of main boom and full superlift,” he said.

The SCC800A arriving in Queensland will have 111 meters of regular main boom, but it will also have a power boom which includes 3.5 metre sections which are fitted into the boom and it will also features a super power boom. This includes two booms side by side for a certain percentage of the boom. TBHLS has also purchased the crane with a short wing jib which can be used to install wind turbines.

“The crane headed for Brisbane is going have greater capacities than anything else on the market right now. So, for the next generation of wind turbines coming up in the future, this crane is certainly very suitable for that work.

“We have also  purchased two lengths of Derrick, 36m and 42m and it will also feature an extender frame which means the counter-weight can go in and out from 18m to 24m,” he said.

The cranes feature the Porsche cab which is designed to provide high visibility for the operator. They also feature world class componentry says Smith.

“Sany has been working and developing the Porsche cab for the past decade or so and it features on all their crawler cranes. It’s a really popular cab with the operators, it’s quite spacious and with the increased visibility enables the operator to thoroughly view his surroundings and operate the crane safely.

“They also feature European winch motors and controls and they are powered by a Cummins engine. These cranes feature exactly the same components and equipment that you will find in models manufactured by other leading crane OEMs. By running this quality of gear, the productivity, reliability and longevity of the crane is greatly enhanced.

“Sany, along with many of the other Chinese crane manufacturers, are progressing rapidly with their product development. We have the factory examining some additional features which we would like to see on the crane which help with the advancement of the machine,” he said.

“From TBHLS’s point of view, Sany is a proactive crane OEM. They are listening to our feedback on the product and acting on the suggestions we put forward. Their response times to improvements and engineering solutions are really impressive and the level of service they provide is excellent.”

Sany Critical Spares

“We have sat down with Sany and identified all the critical spares which may be required if the crane was to break down. These will be supplied in containers for each of the units we have coming. This means we will have stock in Australia and we won’t be relying on delivery from China or from Europe, stock will be available locally.

“Time is of the essence when you are operating big cranes and most of the time the cranes are critical parts to the projects they are working on which means it is essential we have utilisation and availability with these pieces of equipment,” he said.

Chinese manufacturers are pushing the boundaries in terms of capacities and capabilities with Sany developing and deploying the SCC40000A, a 4000t capacity lattice boom crawler, and Zoomlion launching the W12000-450 a 450 tonne capacity tower crane, the world’s largest Top-Slewing tower crane, leading the era of super-large tower cranes, says Smith.

“The Chinese manufacturers are constantly evolving, examining the market and listening to their customers in Europe, the US, Australia and China. I understand Sany has a significant position in the Vietnam wind industry sector where there are a number of 700t and 800t capacity cranes completing multiple wind tower projects.

“Sany engineer and manufacture highly productive machines and they are looking at what the industry requires, and probably looking at what the opposition is developing. Like all OEM’s, Sany is focused on providing a competitive edge with its products.

“When we have had conversations with Sany about improving the product, we have seen improvements. With the first units were received from Sany, we made suggestions on how they could be improved. By the third unit, the changes we suggested had been included. Their engineering teams are really cooperative and responsive. They will also send kits for the initial units we’ve purchased enabling us to retrofit the upgrades.

“From our point of view, this type of relationship is excellent for us. We are listening to our customers and registering their feedback and the comments they might have when they are using the equipment, we then discuss this with Sany and they are listening. Sany has taken a very progressive approach with the way they are evolving the product.

“They are constantly looking to improve with what I call ‘one percenters’. They are addressing these one percent issues to bring themselves up to a level where they are now competing with the other OEM’s and with some products, I’d say they are leading the market,” said Smith.

“We have a strong relationship with the engineering teams at Sany. When we have made suggestions about increasing the wind speed or increasing the lifting capacity or asking if we can run both winches at once to do a rotation, they are very reactive in examining the possibilities and then coming back to us with solutions. Their engineering capability and the speed at which they respond is excellent.

“From our perspective, our customers, the end users are able to complete their jobs without delay because of that. Rather than having to wait for or pay for additional engineering to done which could take months with lead times and also the impact Covid has had on supply chains around the world. Although the pandemic has significantly interrupted the global markets our relationship with Sany has continued to operate seamlessly,” he said.

Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift and Shift Upcoming Projects

The first Sany SCC8000A is on site in Western Australia and start operating in February. Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift and Shift have lined up several projects for both cranes.

“The first project has been delayed slightly and we started lifting in February. From there the crane moves immediately to another project in Iron Bridge where it will be based, for upwards of nine months.

“The crane headed to Brisbane is going to be busy with projects planned along the East Coast. It will look impressive with the twin boom, the luffing fly, the power boom, and the superpower boom are all great features. The crane is one of only a few in Australia that has these configurations available. It’s going to be a versatile crane which goes from a standard 800 to a heavy lift 800 and with the extender frames it matches any of the European cranes operating in today’s market,” said Smith.

“We think it’s great technology and our CC88 operator has been in the seat, driving and familiarising himself with the crane here in Perth. He said the operations were simplistic making it a very easy crane to drive. He has been operating the largest crane in our fleet and probably the largest slew ring crane in the country and he rates the Sany product. He says they are strong, reliable and they are true to their load charts,” he said.

SOURCE: Cranes and Lifting Magazine

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