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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
FEBRUARY 2015
24
JOHNSON CRANE HIRE OFFERS
alternative lifting technologies
J
ohnson Crane Hire is positioning itself
as a heavy lifting solutions provider
rather than a crane hire company as
it focuses on alternative lifting technolo-
gies as being complementary to cranes.
“Adopting alternative lifting technologies
has definitely given us an edge in the mar-
ketplace. This falls within the ambit of our
brand promise, which is total cost effective
solutions,” James Robinson, Heavy Lift
Manager for the Crawler Cranes and Proj-
ects division of Johnson Crane Hire, says.
“We have the equipment, but more
importantly, we have the expertise to apply
to solutions. This is a highly specialised and
niche sector of the market. What sets us
apart is that our experience and intellectual
property reside within Johnson Crane Hire;
we are very much hands-on and in-house.”
Robinson says that while “sometimes there
is no getting away from using a crane,”
alternative lifting technologies come into
their own in terms of expanding into the
African market, or where the need arises.
“We love cranes, but know it is not always
practical to send a crane into Africa. When
it is there it does the best job possible, but
the logistics of getting it there is almost a
project in and of itself. Alternative lifting
technologies are a lot easier to mobilise
and therefore represent a much more
cost effective solution in some instances,”
Robinson says.
“These are ideal when it comes to once-
off projects. As soon as the work becomes
repetitive and we need to have a lot of
flexibility, then cranes are the answer.
However, when you can specifically design
a lift and it follows a certain set of criteria,
then alternative lifting technologies are
the best. We are always on the lookout
for integrated solutions that best meet our
clients’ needs.”
While Johnson Crane Hire has already used
jacking and sliding techniques to great
success on some projects, Robinson says
“there is a range of other technologies
where we have the know-how and are
ready to expand into if need be.” These
include hydraulic gantries and strand
jacking. However, the latest trend is Self-
Propelled Modular Trailers (SPMTs). “These
are modular trailers like Lego pieces with
hundreds of wheels underneath them that
are assembled to whatever size is needed.
It forms a platform that essentially drives
itself.”
The Crawler Cranes and Projects division
of Johnson Crane Hire is ideally positioned
to offer such alternative lifting technologies
to its clients. “We have invested in one of
the latest versions of jacking and sliding
technology, opting for a system that is
ultra portable. This is particularly important
in confined or cramped areas where you
cannot get any other sliding equipment in,”
Robinson says.
In keeping with its focus on total solutions,
Johnson Crane Hire has invested
significantly in boosting its crawler crane
fleet. “We recently expanded our big cranes,
not in terms of capacity, but in numbers.
We now have a 750 t lattice boom truck
mounted crane, a 600 t crawler crane
and a 750 t mobile crane.” Robinson says