In terms of aftermarket support, CCS again offers benefits to owners with parts commonality.

Prem Naithani,
Sales Director,
Manitowoc Cranes India & Sub continent,
Mobile & Crawler Cranes.

New technology and the transition to digital platforms bring a number of advantages to the mobile crane segment in terms of operation. “It facilitates faster set-up, smoother control and greater accuracy. Customers also benefit from greater consistency in design,” says Prem Naithani, Sales Director, Manitowoc Cranes, India & Sub continent, Mobile & Crawler Cranes  Excerpts from the interview…

Is there a shift in technological preferences / requirements being put forth to you by your buyers? How do you meet these requirements?

Customers want more flexibility and speed from their cranes. They want to be able to handle more jobs and complete work faster. That impacts several areas of crane design, from travel configuration, through to job site set-up, and on through lifting speed and tear down. We have developed a
number of technologies that are designed to deliver on this. Take, for example, the Boom Selector App which forms part of our unique CCS control system. With this we have developed a technology that automatically sets the boom for the required lift. The operator simply inputs a few details and CCS takes care of the rest. Previously, this task would require the operator to spend time looking through load charts (which can sometimes run to 5,000 pages!) and even then there is always the potential for errors.

That is just one example of how new Grove technology is helping customers get more from their all-terrain cranes.

What has been the impact of leveraging the benefit of digital platforms in the mobile crane segment?

New technology and the transition to digital platforms bring a number of advantages to the mobile crane
segment in terms of operation. It facilitates faster set-up, smoother control and greater accuracy. Customers also benefit from greater consistency in design.

One of the big advantages of our CCS platform is that users not only see it on all our new Grove all-terrain cranes, but also on the vast majority of new Grove rough-terrain cranes and truck cranes. It is also on our Manitowoc crawler cranes and Potain tower cranes. Delivering this kind of familiarity builds reliability into operator performance, as crane drivers know exactly what to expect from the crane’s controls. All told the combination of user-friendly interface, full graphic display, ergonomic controls and parts commonality makes for a powerful package that delivers significant increases in operational efficiency.

What is the impact of the same in the aftermarket support space?

In terms of aftermarket support, CCS again offers benefits to owners with parts commonality meaning they need to keep fewer spares on site. There are only seven major components that make up CCS, simplifying service and maintenance and delivering better reliability. Each can be easily replaced if necessary, or even switched from another machine for the purposes of completing a job.

Give us a brief on the significant features on the operator cabin comforts, controls and other embedded systems provided especially in terms of safety of cranes and site personnel?

Each Grove CCS unit features the same control layout, including a jog dial and central display with standardized symbols. The CCS platform was the first control system from Manitowoc to benefit from development in the company’s Product Verification Centers (PVC) where individual components are tested in a variety of environments and applications. This means Manitowoc is able to predict future behavior and this in turn improves reliability and operating performance.

The ergonomic layout of CCS also means that the operator no longer needs to stretch for controls because everything is within reach. Also, because of the standardized design it means operators can move from one Grove to another without having to familiarize themselves with a new layout – again, delivering better operations.

What is the scenario with regard to the availability of skilled operators and technicians? Also tell us the initiatives taken by your company?

Recruiting skilled operators and technicians to the crane industry has been a challenge for many years now. Generally speaking the crane business has to work harder to attract talent and it is an initiative that would benefit from cross-industry co-operation. For those that are in the industry, professional development remains crucial, particularly given the increasingly complex nature of lifting challenges and the changing technologies in Grove cranes. We offer a comprehensive training suite for different roles and seniority levels. Our training is available both online and via our dealer partner Tractors India Limited.

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