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“There are a number of reasons for purchasing the new MAC25-4. With Dré and now Lila working in the business, we have experienced significant growth and the new Franna will help share the increased workload,” said Tony.
“Also, we are constantly examining the fleet and investing in new cranes to increase the size of the fleet and replace older machines. As with most crane hire businesses, our Frannas have proved to be the ‘work horses’ for our fleet and I’m sure the new MAC25-4 will be no different.
“But probably the main reason for the new Franna, and certainly the ‘colour popping’ paint scheme, is down to Lila. When we decided on the new MAC25-4, Dré, Lila and I sat down and discussed the colours. We are always looking at different themes for the cranes and Lila came up with this ‘colour popping’ concept. We haven’t branded the crane as yet, we’re still working on this, but we are super grateful to Franna for the way they’ve been able to deliver the colours.
“Lila and Dré have made such a huge difference since joining the business and Lila has decided she wants to learn the business from the ground up, so, she’s taking her Dogman ticket and Operator tickets and she’s going to drive the new Franna,” said Tony.
“Both Lila and Dré continue to juggle their university commitments whilst working full time in the business. Our new ventures like the traffic control business are going from strength to strength and we have more ideas for the business which will be explored in due course,” he said.
The Franna MAC25-4 features a maximum lifting capacity of 25 tonne and offers maximum safety, excellent roadability, intuitive operation and unmatched versatility. Its design has been tried, tested and proven in a range of difficult lifting applications and is still a customer favourite today.
McPhan’s MAC25-4 comes with the Superlift (SL) upgrade which increases load chart improvements by up to 30 per cent and works in tandem with the existing counterweight, adding a low slung additional counterweight piece to the rear of the machine, increasing the rated capacity of the machine. It also features a maximum boom length of 18.4m and a maximum hook height of 18m.
Other features on the McPhan MAC25 -4 include:
- Rear Body Handrails
- Auto Grease System
- 15t Spreader Bar with the Deck Mounting system
One of the key safety features on the MAC25 is the Franna Safety Radar system. This offers a ‘real-time’ calculation of the crane’s rated capacity throughout the full range of articulation and boom extension, giving the operator feedback of what level of articulation or boom extension will bring the crane into a danger zone where the crane would be overloaded.
Taking as much of the “human element” out of the lift as possible is central to Franna’s safety objectives.
Unlike conventional Load Moment Indicators (LMI), which only tell you the percentage of rated capacity for the current lifting position, Franna’s Safety Radar shows the operator a simple and clear visual radar map of the safe working area for the load being lifted and, most importantly, for the actual working environment of the crane – i.e. its front/ rear and side slope. Franna’s Safety Radar will help to predict the safest options for the next stages of the lift.Increased resolution of rated capacity is made possible by finer measurement of articulation pitch and roll angles, allowing for improved machine capability.
Another key safety feature is the Franna emergency bridging key which provides an additional layer of safety that complements the existing safety features of each crane.
The emergency bridging key has been designed to maintain operational flexibility, while providing an additional safety interlock. Site safety is enhanced through the provision of a removable key which can be held by authorised site personnel, providing greater control of site lifting practices.
The McPhans worked closely with Matt Mills, Terex Franna’s Sales Manager.
“Matt has been awesome. He’s very thorough, very easy to deal with and he makes the whole sales and delivery process very smooth. If there were more people like Matt to deal with, the world would be a much better place,” said Tony.
The McPhans’ renewal of the fleet won’t be stopping with the MAC25-4 with a new Franna AT40 also on order.
“We are operating in a very competitive environment and although we tend to focus on what we are doing and not pay much attention to our competition, we do like to stay a few steps ahead where we can. The MAC25-4 is the largest capacity Franna on the Central Coast and we are really looking forward to the arrival of the new AT40. We think this will be a game changer for the business,” said Tony.