Manitowoc signed a five year, strategic agreement with Orlaco, a global camera system specialist, to provide and develop after-market camera systems for Manitowoc cranes, including Potain tower cranes, Grove mobile cranes, National Crane boom trucks and Manitowoc crawler cranes.
The after-market supply of crane cameras holds great potential for growth, as Bob Hund, executive vice president of Manitowoc Crane Care, explained:
“Many crane cameras are fitted at the point of manufacture, but there is also demand for after-market cameras to be fitted later on to meet specific customer needs,” he said. “Traditionally, cameras are only used on tower cranes, but that is changing. Cameras can help any type of crane operator to perform more efficiently and we expect their use to increase long into the future.”
Orlaco, based in the Netherlands, has been Manitowoc’s primary supplier of camera technology since 2004. The two companies have now formalized the relationship, and the contract was signed by both parties at bauma 2013.
Jan van der Beek, managing director of Orlaco commented:
“Through our partnership with Manitowoc, we want to make life easier for the operator,” he said. “Our skills as a leading innovator in camera systems and Manitowoc’s vast experience in crane manufacturing will help us develop the world’s leading crane cameras.”
As cameras become more commonplace, the number of Manitowoc’s cranes fitted with cameras at the factory is growing. At the top end of the scale, Manitowoc’s largest crane, the 31000 crawler crane, has 12 cameras fitted to the base machine.
Twan Pelders, business development manager at Orlaco, who was heavily involved in the agreement, adds:
“We believe that soon every crane will be fitted with a camera, speeding up operations and improving efficiency on job sites,” he said.
Established in 1988, Orlaco produces rugged and reliable camera systems not only for cranes, but also for excavators, trucks, forklifts, shipping and emergency vehicles.