Sany is sharpening its Australian push with a tighter dealer model, heavier investment in service and parts, and a product roadmap aimed at wind, all terrain and rough terrain segments. That was the clear message from Rex Chen, who oversees international sales for Sany’s crane business, and Philip White, who supports Sany sales across Australia and leads direct sales for Sany tower cranes Down Under.
“Going international has always been a Sany goal,” Rex said. “We invested heavily in service and parts, and we keep asking customers what they want – then we implement those requests into our products.” He added that Sany often builds an Australian version of key models to meet local preferences on comfort and user experience, not just capacity.
A single national dealer underpins that strategy in Australia. “We’ve got one dealer, and it’s a national dealer,” Philip said. “If a customer buys a crane in Brisbane and sends it to Perth, it’s still the same company supporting it. With multiple dealers, you can end up with gaps or finger-pointing.” Philip also noted that being part of a larger international organisation helps ensure the business “operates honestly and justly”.
Factory footprint and standards
Sany builds wheeled cranes (all terrains, truck cranes, rough terrains) and tower cranes in Changsha, central China, while crawler cranes are produced in Huzhou, near Shanghai. Depending on market conditions, annual crane output can reach roughly 18,000–20,000 units. “All cranes sold internationally are designed to European standard EN 13000, then adapted to local regulations,” Rex said.
Quality control increasingly leans on automation. Rex pointed to Sany’s “Lighthouse Factory,” where robots handle a growing share of production to lift consistency and compress build times. For smaller all terrain models, he said the manufacturing lead time can be as low as three months, with additional time for Australian testing and about a month on the water.
“In the past, customers told us that waiting times were too long, and we listened,” Rex said. “Today, our automated lines and improved processes mean a smaller all terrain can be ready much sooner. Once it’s tested for Australia and shipped, the customer can have their crane in less than five months. That’s a big change compared with the old timelines.”
Product roadmap: wind, all terrains and rough terrains
Wind remains a core growth engine. “China has invested heavily in wind, and turbines keep getting larger,” Rex said.
Sany is responding with large-tonnage crawlers and high-capacity all terrains for wind work: a 1300-tonne crawler designed for Europe with Australian availability planned, plus 300- and 400-tonne all terrains.
Philip said that performance at the wind farm is about more than charts. “It’s not just capacity,” he said. “You have to optimise how the crane is assembled on site and how quickly and efficiently that happens, and you must keep within about 22.5-tonne ground pressure per axle.”
On all terrains, Sany has rolled out its “E Series” for high-end markets, including Australia. Rex framed it as a top-spec line expanding from smaller capacities toward the 300-tonne class and above. Rough terrains are also evolving. Sany’s current 40-tonne RT is 2.98 metres wide, and a 45-tonne model at 2.54 metres is being readied to meet tighter European road envelopes – an approach Sany wants to bring to Australia.
Cab experience and automation
Beyond specs, operator experience is a priority. “We’ve got the new iCab coming as standard,” Philip said. “There’s a function where you press a button and the crane runs through the boom-extension procedure by itself, so the operator can relax their feet and let the system complete the sequence.” The focus on ease-of-use reflects feedback from Australian buyers who ask for comfort and operability, not just lifting chart advantages.
Cleaner power options
Sany is progressing both battery-electric crawlers (telescopic and lattice) and plug-in hybrid all terrains. According to Rex, a 250-tonne plug-in hybrid all terrain has already taken orders in Europe, with more hybrid all terrains on the way. For now, most models support hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO)-type fuels to reduce emissions.
Open to local input and factory visits
Sany prefers to engineer customer-requested changes before delivery and has invited Australian and New Zealand clients to its factories to give feedback on real-world needs. “We’re open to new ideas and we’re happy to host customers on site,” Rex said. “Whatever we say is just words – seeing the factory and the process tells the story better.”
The takeaway is straightforward: a national-dealer model, quicker production through automation, and a pipeline spanning wind, high-spec all terrains and narrower rough terrains position Sany to compete more directly in Australia – while operator-friendly electronics and cab design aim to win over crews who live with the machines every day.