FG Cranes is one of the largest tower crane providers in Western Australia and currently has nearly 50 cranes across the Perth skyline. It also operates a fleet of mobile cranes that consists mainly of Grove all terrains ranging from 60 tonnes to 400t in capacity. The comparatively smaller 25t Kato is a departure from the norm for the company.
Caporn said the arrival of the new Katos are an opportunity to enter parts of the market previously outside the realms of FG Cranes.
FG Cranes in Western Australia has turned to a Kato CR-250Rv to enter the city crane market, purchasing through Tutt Bryant Equipment. Ryan Caporn is FG Crane’s crane manager, and he explains the reasons for purchasing four of the Kato city cranes.
“FG has traditionally provided crane solutions to the Top Tier construction companies in WA in both tower and mobile crane requirements but has never targeted the residential market where Japanese city cranes or “tom thumbs” reign supreme,” he said.
Caporn joined the FG team eight months ago but quickly recognised the company could enter the city crane market.
“Having run a fleet of city cranes for over 20 years starting with 10t models from another supplier, I am always on the lookout for innovations in this space. So, when Kato brought out the new CR250Rv model at 25t capacity, it was of immediate interest. With a little research, they were the only option for FG,” Caporn said.
The Kato CR250Rv is designed for maximum height whilst providing a small footprint that takes up as little space as possible.
The CR250Rv has a new hydraulic luffing and telescoping fly jib based on the 4S concept. The necessary space for jib deployment is almost within boom derricking range at max retraction.
Jib release from the boom can be carried out at any possible boom length and avoiding obstruction at any height.
The CR250Rv has a range of safety features to protect operators and ensure setup is completed with little to no risks.
All jib deployment work can be completed on the ground ensuring climbing to a high position for deployment will be unnecessary.
An important added safety feature on the city cranes is a sonar system on the left side that will notify the driver of obstructions whilst driving.
The CR250Rv has a human detect assist system that monitors blind spots and will notify the operator both visually and audibly, providing added safety on tight city roads.
Parking and stopping is simple for operators with a 360-degree camera showing real time updates of the CR250Rv’s position.
“During training our experienced operators were amazed at the machine’s capabilities. The 360-degree cameras and bird’s-eye view camera from above enables manoeuvrability unheard of before and has now created a new benchmark for the other manufacturers to aspire to,” Caporn said.
The high tensile boom has a 29 metre six-section fully powered round shaped boom to give it impressive reach.
“With class-leading load charts and safety, the new Kato CR250Rv is the biggest innovation in city cranes in 20 years in my opinion,” Caporn said.
“With a reach of nearly 31m, utilising its onboard eight metre hydraulically operated fly jib, this machine can do the work of much larger machines.”
The CR250Rv has a range of outrigging positions to ensure operators can complete a variety of tasks. It can range from two metres through to six, meaning those challenging residential sites can be in the domain of the Kato.
The Kato CR250Rv has a Cummins B6.7 that produces 209kW and a max torque of 1,152NM. It also features a range of technology aimed at assisting operators complete a lift successfully.
The CR250RV has semi-automatic outrigger levelling, with the new outrigger system facilitating the process of outrigger setting. The vertical cylinders extend and automatically stop in a horizontal position while operating the semi-automatic levelling switch.
The 25t capacity city crane also has a range of features designed to make the experience of being in the cab more comfortable for operators.
This includes a 12.1-inch display for the bird’s-eye view camera with easy-to-use icons. It also comes with a powerful air conditioner, a strapless adjustable sunshade, and a shift switch to provide more room for the operator.
FG Cranes purchased its Katos through Tutt Bryant, which provides a range of services for the construction, mining, engineering, and trade sectors.
As a national multi-franchise distributor of earthmoving and construction equipment, Tutt Bryant Equipment exclusively represents a number of global brands in Australia.
“Tutt Bryant has been excellent throughout the whole process and having such a large staff and facilities behind them gives peace of mind for servicing moving forward and backup if there is a breakdown, although, speaking with owners of smaller Kato city cranes, they appear to be trouble- free when maintained correctly,” Caporn said.
Peter Lawgall, business development manager for cranes at Tutt Bryant Equipment, believes the new Katos will change the city crane market.
“As the largest city crane available in the Australian market, the CR-250Rv will take the Kato city crane range to a whole new level,” said Lawgall.
“The focus with this new model is on strength, technology, safety, speed of operation and ease of operation in small spaces,”
The newly-released crane is supported with a full Kato factory warranty and national support through Tutt Bryant Equipment’s extensive service and spare parts network.
“We have been very happy with Tutt Bryant Equipment and FG will run Kato city cranes into the future without a doubt,” Caporn said.