Manitowoc has introduced its most powerful luffing jib tower crane to date from its Zhangjiagang factory in China. The new Potain MCR 815 boasts a maximum lifting capacity of 64 tonnes, which is double the capacity of the plant’s previous top model, the MCR 625.
Designed to meet growing demand for large-scale construction projects—such as bridges, nuclear facilities, and high-rise buildings—the crane offers a strong mix of heavy lifting and space efficiency.
Despite its size, the MCR 815 has been built with dense urban job sites in mind. Its 70-metre jib can be angled upwards to reduce the out-of-service radius to just 16 metres. This makes it suitable for projects where space is tight and crane placement is a challenge. The crane also features a 10-metre counterjib, capable of handling up to 72.9 tonnes of counterweight. Depending on the jib configuration, the out-of-service radius can vary between 16 and 18.25 metres, allowing greater flexibility during installation and operation in crowded environments.
In terms of height, the MCR 815 offers a freestanding capability of 65.6 metres when configured with a jib between 30 and 50 metres. With the full 70-metre jib attached, the crane can stand at 60.6 metres without external support. However, when tied into a structure, its maximum height increases significantly. It can reach 205.6 metres with a 65-metre jib using just four anchoring frames, or climb to 230.6 metres with five frames when equipped with the full-length 70-metre jib, under wind conditions classified by the FEM1.001 standard.
Performance-wise, the MCR 815 is built for a wide range of lifting scenarios. With a 30-metre jib, it can lift its full 64-tonne capacity between a working radius of 4.5 and 18 metres. When a 60-metre jib is used, the crane still lifts 64 tonnes at a working radius between 7 and 19.5 metres, and it can manage 7.5 tonnes at the jib’s tip. With all nine jib sections installed to reach the maximum 70 metres, it lifts up to 7 tonnes at the end in single-fall reeving. For especially heavy-duty tasks, such as lifting large precast concrete elements, the crane can handle 34 tonnes at the tip of a 30-metre jib when set up with two-fall reeving.
To manage such workloads, Manitowoc equipped the MCR 815 with a high-performance winch, the 280 LVFC 213. This winch features a 212-kilowatt motor and supports up to 831 metres of rope. It offers variable line speeds, reaching up to 185 metres per minute when lifting a 2.3-tonne load, or 62 metres per minute with a 6.9-tonne load in three-fall reeving. For efficiency during less demanding phases of construction, the crane can operate in a lower-power mode that optimises energy use across hoisting and control systems. The luffing mechanism, powered by the 150 VVFC 90 hoist with a 110-kilowatt motor, can raise the jib from minimum to maximum angle in just 2 minutes and 20 seconds.
Leong Kwong-Joon, regional product manager for tower cranes at Manitowoc said, “High-profile contractors and large rental houses across Asia and emerging markets will be able to complete large projects faster with the new Potain MCR 815.”
He added, “But despite the impressive size of the new crane, we were also able to harness design architecture from our recent MCR 305 model to ensure we deliver a crane that offers the transport and assembly benefits that customers love with Potain cranes.”