Australia, Product News

Introducing a new mini crawler range to shake up the market

Brian and Sam Evans from Global Machinery Sales (GMS) have always been impressed with the flair of Italian designed and manufactured industrial equipment. GMS has represented the Italian-made CMC spider lift range since 2012 and recently announced it will be representing the BG Lift range of compact crawler cranes.

Global Machinery Sales has stocked the Italian-made CMC spider lifts with great success as reported in the September edition of Cranes and Lifting magazine. 

The decision to bring the BG Lift range to Australia signals a shift in focus for the GMS team, but they will be bringing their experience and passion to the new venture.

“We have been looking at moving into the construction space for two to three years and, last year, we decided this was the next logical step for the business so we proceeded with our relationship and negotiations with BG Lift,” Brian said.

GMS started out small with the CMC range of spider lifts focusing on the arbor sector, but the business quickly recognised the capabilities of the products and how well suited they would be to the construction industry. 

With their industry experience, Sam and Brian were confident about bringing the BG Lift product to Australia, but that did not stop them conducting their due diligence.

The all terrain tracks ensure the spider crane is comfortable on rough terrain and indoors, creating a truly versatile machine.

“For us, it was similar to the process we went down with CMC spider lifts. We researched the brand and the products, and we could see they had an excellent name and reputation throughout Europe. It was obvious BG Lift design, engineer, and manufacture a quality range of mini crawlers.

“We have had good success with CMC being an Italian brand, and so bringing the BG Lift range to Australia made a lot of sense. We then utilised the services of an Italian business consultant to conduct additional research because we wanted to ensure we would be representing a quality product we are proud to sell and also support.

“With the winter months, our arborist side of the business slows, which has provided us with the opportunity to focus on the BG Lift range. We want to understand its capabilities, which will enable us to be supremely confident in the product when we are talking to interested customers,” Sam said.

“The BG Lift range slots into the market really well. It will be simple for operators to learn the controls of the cranes and customers will quickly understand the quality that comes with the machines. Much like the CMCs, we believe customers won’t be able to wait to get their hands on one,” Brian said.

Lifting on construction sites is getting more complex and the importance of mini crawler cranes and the role they play is only going to increase, said Sam.

“Every lift is getting more challenging. Access on construction sites is getting increasingly tight and, despite these restrictions, there is an expectation that lifts will get heavier. The role of mini crawler cranes is only ever going to increase on construction sites,” Sam said.

The BG Lift product will enter Australia with a broad range of lifting capacities ranging from 580kg all the way up to 14.5t. 

The CWE 525 has a 14.5t capacity with a max outreach with a jib of 29.5m giving it an impressive reach for any application.

The multifunction proportional radio remote control provided with an integrated control display, allows the operator to verify in real time all the parameters of the machine to maximise its safety.

“We have a lot of experience with this type of controls on the CMC machines and the feedback has been nothing but positive. The remote controls are all standardised so, if you know one, you tend to be able to use any of them. They are incredibly simple to move. You have great accessibility and vision by not being tethered to the machine,” Sam explained.

The CWE 525 has a removable ballast mounted on the chassis to allow the continuous ‘in shape’ rotation. The ‘X’ configuration of the outriggers allows it to be operated with narrow outriggers and minimum obstruction.

“They have a small footprint as well which means they only need a small area once inside, so they are perfect to work in established buildings,” Brian said.

The rough terrain version (RT) gives the machine even greater versatility. The higher power of the diesel engine (55kW) and the major crawler torque improves the performance during heavy conditions on mud and rough terrain. The generous ground clearance assists getting to challenging sites and allow loading of the CWE 525 to be completed with ease.

The integrated control system gives the crane infinite stabilisation possibilities, automatically upgrading the load limiting device to the situation determined by the position of each outrigger. This allows the machine to be operated at its optimal level of safety.

The M 060 is the smallest in the range with a lifting capacity of 580kg but a width of only 0.780m, making it perfect for compact spaces coming in with a max outreach of 4.25m.

The machines come with an impressive reach.

The ‘pick and carry’ mini crane provides 50° of rotation. Extremely compact and ergonomic, it can fit into the tightest of spaces. Designed by BG Lift to be agile and robust for use in narrow and limited access spaces, it is perfect for indoor and outdoor use.

“We are seeing them going in tunnels and into buildings across Europe that were built in the 1300s and 1400s. They are light and nimble which is perfect.

“They come optioned with whatever the client needs, so they can come diesel powered, hybrid or with battery systems, depending on the type of work they are completing,” Brian said.

“The hydraulic jibs are a big plus, that coupled with the remote control, sets these machines apart from the others in the industry,” Sam said.

“The first machines arriving in Australia will be fully optioned. This provides us with the opportunity to fully understand the product and its capabilities. The first machines will be out on hire providing us with the ability to put them through their paces, to send feedback to Italy and ensure the machines we are offering suit the market perfectly,” he said.

“We will work closely with clients to understand the specifics of what they need from their crane, and we understand every client will be different.

“Having represented the CMC range for some time, we understand the challenges that come with having parts coming from Europe. When it comes to the BG Lift range, we will stock the important fast-moving parts and then provide quick turnarounds for the delivery of parts if they need to come from Europe,” Brian said.

The team at Global Machinery Sales will take a similar approach to the BG Lift range as they did the CMC range of spider lifts, and that’s providing regular feedback to the factory in Italy.

“We enjoy working with the Italians, they listen to our feedback and are always looking to improve their products. Like the CMC product line, we are confident the BG Lift range can be ‘Australianised’, to suit the very varied conditions our continent provides,” Brian said.

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