Samson is pleased to announce the debut of Manitowoc Cranes’ Grove RT770E rough-terrain crane utilizing Samson’s KZ™100, the first synthetic hoist rope designed specifically for mobile cranes today at CONEXPO 2014. KZ™100 and the RT770E can be found at Manitowoc’s Gold Lot Booth 2137.
KZ™100 is a product of joint application development between Samson and Manitowoc, supported by fiber supplier DSM Dyneema®, and ushers Samson into the crane industry. “Samson is very excited to be entering the crane industry by working in a close collaborative partnership with a company as innovative as Manitowoc,” said Michael Quinn, Samson’s director of new market development. “Together, we were able to leverage the experience and technical expertise of both Research and Development teams to bring the market something that is completely new and offers numerous benefits to the end user.”
In an industry where safety is the No. 1 priority, KZ™100 is a lightweight alternative to traditional steel wire rope which provides multiple benefits for safe and easy handling. With the same load pull and load chart as wire, KZ™100 can be used with a 5:1 safety factor. It is 80% lighter than the wire it replaces, making for easy handling/reaving and installation. Synthetic KZ™100 does not rust and requires no lubing. The unique construction eliminates kinking, bird caging, and damage caused by diving on the winch drum. Because of its torque-neutral construction, KZ™100 eliminates load spin and cabling, making it a favorite among crane operators who have lifted loads with the rope.
Mike Herbert, director of product planning and marketing for Manitowoc, said the KZ™100 is a welcome innovation and a value-added option for Grove users.
“There isn’t a better place to launch the KZ™100 than CONEXPO 2014,” Herbert said. “We know that dealers, customers, and even everyday crane enthusiasts will see what a leap in technology this first synthetic hoist rope is for the lifting industry. Partnering with Samson on this application development resulted in a lighter and more innovative product that ushers in a new era of hoist ropes.”
Manitowoc and Samson conducted an extensive lab testing and field trial program to prove the viability of using synthetic rope as a crane hoist line. KZ™100 was tested in the lab to characterize tensile strength, tension fatigue, bend fatigue, and the effects of temperature on the rope’s performance.
These tests were performed at four different testing labs—two Samson labs and two third-party labs. The testing plan required more than 4,000 hours of machine and sample preparation time to complete. The total length of rope manufactured for testing and field trials pursued over the course of this project came to 24,500 feet, or more than 4.6 miles of rope.
In addition to Samson’s tests, Manitowoc conducted reliability tests over more than 280 hours and 14,000 cycles.
The RT770E is 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. The RT770E boasts a 42-meter (138-foot) boom—the longest in its class. The five-section, full-power boom features single-cylinder technology that eliminates the need for a hydraulic hose reel, which lightens the boom, and in turn, the entire crane. The design also eliminates the need to install boom inserts, which requires an assist crane, saving both time and money for customers.
“We’re launching the RT770E into probably the most popular capacity class, so we knew we had to make it stand out from the crowd, and with its boom design I believe we’ve done that,” said Paul Cutchall, rough-terrain product manager for Manitowoc Cranes in North America. “We were able to lengthen the boom without adding more size and weight to the chassis. This enables the crane to be maneuverable, while delivering greater lift capacity and longer reach than other cranes in its class. The combination of the RT770E and the KZ™100 hoist rope is going to generate plenty of interest here at CONEXPO.”
