Get Financing450-Ton Grove GMK6400-1 All-Terrain Crane Puts A.W. Leil Back In The Wind Farm Maintenance Game
A.W. Leil Cranes and Equipment had a major problem. The contractor and rental services provider didn’t have a crane strong enough to service many wind turbines in its area of Nova Scotia—including windmills it had originally erected in the early 2000s. The company found a solution in the load specifications of the 450-ton (400-metric-ton) Grove GMK6400-1 all-terrain crane.
“Our largest crane was 400 tons, which usually left us just shy of being able to service larger wind towers, so we recognized there was a need to upsize,” says A.W. Leil President Ryan Long. “We were initially looking at 500- to 650-t machines, but once we started doing careful comparisons, plotting out every tiny detail in a spreadsheet, the GMK6400-1 kept shining through.”
Outsized Performance
The Grove GMK6400-1 mobile crane has a 197-foot (60-meter), five-section main boom that can combine with an optional luffing jib to attain a maximum tip height of 448 ft (136 m). It is the strongest six-axle crane on the market, according to Grove, which enabled A.W. Leil to once again compete for maintenance jobs on wind farms.
“We’re not a huge company,” Long says, “but our fantastic new crane helps us punch above our weight.”
The GMK6400-1’s MAXbase variable-position outrigger system increases its lift capacity on irregularly shaped work sites. Its optional MegaWingLift attachment also boosts the crane’s lifting performance, especially when used with a luffing jib. The MegaWingLift feature can self-rig in less than 20 minutes.
Have Crane, Will Travel
The 158,730-pound (72,000-kilogram) GMK6400-1 joins A.W. Leil’s sizable fleet of Grove TMS truck cranes and National Crane boom trucks. After its delivery to the company’s Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, location in December 2022, the crane set out on its first job on a wind farm on Prince Edward Island and has been too busy to return “home” since. The GMK6400-1’s road-legal status was an important selling point, as the crane is required to travel long distances in the sparsely populated area.
“Taxi work is crucial for us, so the icing on the cake is that we can just head straight out, trailing a boom dolly behind,” says Long. “Other machines in the region have to spend extra time and work sending extra permits, trucks, and boom launching before every single mobilization. In the end, that’s added cost to the customer. The GMK6400-1’s easy roading really has been a major turning point for us.”
Safety & Convenience
The Grove GMK6400-1 has a 12 x 8 x 12 carrier with a 577-horsepower (430-kilowatt) Mercedes-Benz diesel engine and a ZF Traxon 12 automated transmission. The crane’s upgraded hydraulic system supplies faster flow, which results in quicker operating speeds and smoother motions, the manufacturer says.
The GMK6400-1 is equipped with the latest Grove superstructure cab, which can tilt up to 20 degrees. The operator runs the crane using Manitowoc’s CCS (Crane Control System). A.W. Leil Crane and Rigging Supervisor Ryan Bruce highlighted some favorite features, such as the handy plug-in ports for the remote handset that eliminate trips back to the cab.
“But the best thing about it has to be the safety package,” says Bruce. “Manitowoc has outdone itself with the amount of fall protection and the easy erection of safety rails on everything from boom to jib.”
Find The Right Cranes
CraneTrader is the premiere advertising hub for new and used Grove lifting equipment, including all-terrain cranes such as Grove's GMK6400 models for sale.
Source: Manitowoc