Membrey’s Transport and Crane Hire celebrates its 60th birthday with the arrival of a new Franna AT40, the third in the fleet.
Membrey’s Transport and Crane Hire celebrated its 60th birthday with the arrival of a new Franna AT40 in Melbourne and the opening of a new branch facility at Crestmead in Logan, west of Brisbane.
The new Terex Franna AT40 articulated pick and carry crane is a true workhorse for any construction site, featuring a huge maximum lift capacity of 40t, and boasting 44 per cent more load moment than the MAC 25.
The AT 40 features a three-axle design that eliminates the need for a removable counterweight. The third axle control system also raises axle three when operating on a work site, providing a similar turning circle as the MAC 25. Maximum road speeds of up to 75km/h allows the operator to move swiftly and safely from job to job.
Additional features include a full width isolated cabin, articulating counterweight, and increased cabin storage.
The AT40 also comes with Franna’s Dynamic Load Moment Indication (LMI) system. First released in 2013, Dynamic LMI remains a pillar of safety, underpinning the electronic control and user experience offered today. The system is designed to offer ‘real-time’ calculation of rated capacity, taking into account boom configuration as well as chassis articulation, pitch, and roll, enabling continual assessment of structural limitations, forward stability, and side stability.
Not only that, the increased resolution of rated capacity the crane enjoys is made possible by finer measurement of articulation pitch and roll angles, allowing for improved machine capability compared to previous generation LMI systems. When operated on a jobsite over undulating terrain, the rated capacity will be updated continually, providing instantaneous information on the percentage utilisation of the machine (0–100 per cent of available capacity).
When the crane is operating on a side slope or undulating terrain, operators are no longer required to manually calculate a reduction of rated capacity; the Franna Dynamic LMI does that.
The crane also comes with operator- settable maximum working height, a maximum working radius, and a percentage of rated capacity. These features further enhance the safe operation of the machine when site conditions get tough and are available in retrofit form for all Mercedes-powered Franna cranes.
Membrey’s transport and crane fleet is impressive by any standards and the AT40 will no doubt be an excellent addition. Membrey’s managing director Craig Membrey provides more detail.
“We continue to invest heavily in our fleet and the last 18 months has seen the business invest in four new Frannas, two additional Maeda mini crawlers, several new trucks including trays and heavy rated vehicles, along with several new JLG boom lifts, light towers, scissors lifts, telehandlers, and forklifts,” he said.
“Membrey’s approach to the equipment we operate has always been about ‘Best of Breed’ and ‘Brand Loyalty’. To that end, our fleet of articulated pick and carry cranes are Terex Frannas and our all terrains are Liebherr and, of course, our heavy haulage fleet is Kenworth,” he said.
Membrey’s operates eight all terrains with capacities ranging from 40t up to the Liebherr LTM 1350 -6.1 with a 350t capacity. There are 12 Frannas in the fleet ranging from 12t to 40t capacities, including three AT 40s. The fleet also includes a Kato MR 13t capacity city
crane. ‘The Beast’, the recently arrived Liebherr LTR 1220, adds a completely
new dynamic to the fleet. The move into Brisbane has been some time in the planning and Membrey is excited about the possibilities.
“We have a lot happening within the business and we’ve been looking to diversify and expand our operations for some time. We are experts in end-to-end transport and logistics solutions, including craneage, and many of our customers in Victoria operate up and down the east coast.
“The move to Brisbane reflects the changing needs of our clients and the projects they are managing. As borders become less relevant and with renewed focus on experience and professionalism, Membrey’s capabilities set the standard our clients expect,” he said.
“Initially we’ll have a focus on some of our specialty trailers to support current opportunities and this will be quickly expanded to respond to customer and project needs. To start with, we will base a couple of Frannas there to support current activities, and on the transport front it will be what Membrey’s is best known for. Bigger is better and this will include support vehicles.
“We recently signed a lease on a yard in Crestmead in the west of Brisbane and there’s a lot of development happening in the region. The move gives us a solid foot hold in south east Queensland and we are very excited at the prospect of servicing existing and new clients with our ‘make it happen’ approach throughout the region,” said Membrey.
Membrey’s general manager, Leigh Canet speaks about the importance of the Terex Franna relationship and the benefits Membrey’s enjoy well beyond the standard supplier/customer model which he largely attributes to Terex’s customer-centric approach they instil within the business and customers.
“The industry leading benefits of Terex are underpinned by strong relationships with their customers and industry. At a time when we all face challenges with parts, supply chains, staffing and the broader costs associated with today’s markets having strong & reliable trusted relationships to support our business is absolutely invaluable,” he said.