Manitowoc Launching The First Construction Crane With Synthetic Hoisting Rope

Manitowoc will launch the first construction crane with synthetic hoisting rope, a technology that has been researched by many, but not delivered, for more than a decade. The new Grove RT770E comes with KZ100, a synthetic rope developed with manufacturer Samson.

Manitowoc believes that the KZTM100 hoist rope offers several benefits. The firm says that it is 80% lighter than wire rope and its torque neutral construction eliminates load spin and cabling. The manufacturer also says that the new hoist material also allows easy handling, reeving and installation, reducing kinking, bird caging and damage from other types of cable-spooling issues. The KZ100 is corrosion resistant and requires no lubrication.

Manitowoc worked with Washington-based company Samson. The two companies conducted several thousand hours of extensive lab testing and a field trial program to perfect the hoist rope's performance and longevity characteristics. Describing the process, Manitowoc said that a combination of lab tests and field trials consumed 7,500m of rope over the course of 14,000 cycles of reliability testing.

The KZTM100 will appear at CONEXPO on the 65t capacity RT770E, a new rough terrain crane from Grove. The rope, sold exclusively through Manitowoc, will be available as an option on all Grove rough terrain cranes in late 2014.

source wireworld