IEA Constructors Put Manitowoc MLC300 & MLC650 Crawler Cranes To Work Installing Wind Turbines

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IEA Constructors recently tapped two Manitowoc MLC300 and two MLC5600 crawler cranes to help install about 200 wind turbines as part of a project in Texas. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives Constructors (IEA) recently put four Manitowoc crawler cranes to work installing nearly 200 wind turbines near Sebastian, Texas. The two MLC650 and two MLC300 cranes used traversed roughly 600 combined miles (965 kilometers) during the project. To monitor undercarriage wear and damage (a common issue for cranes used in wind energy applications), Manitowoc and dealer Walter Payton Power Equipment developed a custom gauge system for IEA.

"Beyond Satisfied"

“We’re beyond satisfied with the wear, or rather lack of wear, on the MLC650 undercarriages,” says Jason Ruggles, IEA equipment management director of crane operations. “During this project, our Manitowoc crawlers walked for many miles and, yet, we saw very little wear. Across the whole product line, Manitowoc undercarriages proved to be very durable.” Ruggles says undercarriage wear on the MLC300s, for example, is “significantly less” than competitors’, even after several projects.

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To monitor undercarriage wear and damage, engineers equipped each crane with a custom-made gauge system. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc.)

Reduced Operating Costs

IEA is an engineering, procurement, and construction contractor specializing in renewable energy and specialty civil construction. The MLC300 it used to be a 386-ton (350-metric-ton)-capacity crawler crane with 334.6-foot (102-meter) boom that operators can extend to 393.7 ft (120 m) using Manitowoc’s optional VPC-MAX (Variable Position Counterweight) attachment. The MLC650 is a 716-t (649.5-mt)-capacity crawler with 341-ft (104-m) boom length that’s extendable to 479 ft (146 m) via VPC-MAX.

For the Texas project, IEA’s goal was to continually monitor the cranes’ undercarriages to minimize wear without having to physically measure movement between each shaft, pin, and bushing. Ruggles says IEA needed gauges that could act as a go/no-go indicator and quickly take accurate component wear measurements to provide a visual rate-of-wear reference. Crane-mounted monitors provided a real-time visual display and continuous data reporting to team members. “We’re very happy with the life we’re getting out of the Manitowoc undercarriages and components, and it has contributed significantly to a reduction in our operating costs,” Ruggles says.

Source: Manitowoc