Brazil’s push to expand its infrastructure is gaining new momentum in 2015 as hundreds of large-scale projects—including dams, high-speed rails, roads, energy generation plants, mines and industrial farms—are planned or already in progress throughout the country. Anticipating the development, Manitowoc built a modern 82,000 sq. ft. facility in 2012 in Passo Fundo, in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. The factory is the first of its kind in Latin America, supplying Grove rough-terrain cranes and, more recently, Potain tower cranes.
The first Grove RT765E-2 rough-terrain assembled at the Passo Fundo factory has taken part in some of Brazil’s most-prominent infrastructure projects of the last three years. Owned by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-based Lauer Engineering, the 65-ton capacity RT crane performed vigorous lifts at an expansion project at Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), a large-scale steel company in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The crane was onsite for 16 months, helping erect new steel production and storage facilities in an ambitious expansion plan.
CSN was just the first of many stops on the Brazilian crane’s journey. Soon after leaving the project at CSN, Lauer’s crane helped build Rio de Janeiro’s new subway line number 4, connecting the districts of Ipanema and Barra da Tijuca. The RT765E-2 worked day and night helping unload construction materials arriving on trucks; lowering glass, steel components, tools, and train tracks to the underground subway level; and removing dirt and debris from the subterranean tunneling operations.
According to Lauer, the Grove crane will remain at the public transit development site until mid-2015. The 10-mile-long railway will have six stations and will transport 300,000 passengers a day starting next year. The line will greatly benefit daily commuters and international visitors for the 2016 Summer Olympics, hosted by Brazil.
The consortium in charge of the subway extension chose the RT due to its versatility, according to Fernando Vianna Lauer, owner of Lauer Machinery and Engineering. “We’ve been able to show contractors how versatile a Grove RT765E-2 can be—the applications are endless,” he said.
As the crane prepares to wrap up work on the subway project, Lauer is already planning which project it will take on next. The crane’s ability to perform well in a diverse range of job sites gives Lauer much flexibility. Responsive after-sales services teams both at the Manitowoc Passo Fundo factory and among four other locations in Brazil, is one of the most advantageous aspects of owning a Grove crane in the country, Lauer attested.
“We’ve been impressed by the prompt responses we get from Manitowoc Crane Care’s service team when we contact them,” he said. “We’ve reach out to Manitowoc Crane Care twice: once regarding additional information on the RT765E-2 and once about requesting technical support. In both instances we received extremely fast and thorough service.”