Window on China

Bauma China

Around 1,000 exhibitors showcased their wares to more than 80,000 visitors at the 2006 Bauma China exhibition in Shanghai. Manufacturers from outside China had the opportunity to target Chinese buyers and domestic crane builders showed the world what they can do.

Fushun Engineering Machinery Manufacturing Company

On show from Fushun Engineering Machinery Manufacturing Company was the first unit of its new 110 tonne capacity crawler crane, the QUY110. The data sheet for this crane shows it will lift its maximum 110 tonnes to 5.5 m radius. Main boom length is shown as 16 to 73 m and the maximum combination lengths are, main boom and fixed jib, 61 + 24 m and, in tower configuration with jib, 50 + 44 m.

It has an open loop hydraulic system with load sensing, uses CAN-bus, and is powered by a 209 kW “QSL-9” engine. Operation in the air-conditioned cab is via twin joysticks. Load control, according to the manufacturer, is by a PAT Iflex 5 load moment limiter.

Overall length of the crawlers is 7,815 mm, each is 1,015 mm wide and the track is 6,295 mm wide to the outside edges. Main winch hoisting and lowering speed is 30 to 80 m/min. Gross weight is 116 tonnes and there is 41 tonnes of counterweight.

Fushun Engineering Machinery Manufacturing Company makes a range of lattice boom crawler cranes in 20, 30, 40, 55, 70 and 110 tonne capacity and an excavator for soft ground mounted on special large tracks. Annual revenue is between RMB 50 and 80 million from sales of around 80 units a year, according to Lv Lian San, sales manager. The company manufactures more cranes than excavators and is looking for distributors around the world.

Fushun Excavator Corporation

Fushun Excavator, which only makes crawler cranes, dominates this market sector in China with its 50% share. Production in 2006 was close to 400 units and about 20% are exported. The 100% privately owned company has around 1,000 employees and a 270,000 m2 factory, 120,000 m2 of which is covered.

All three of the crawler cranes shown (70, 150 and 350 tonners) are new models. The new QUY70HD has a 209 kW US-built Cummins engine and 20 tonne winches. For sale in Europe it will be called the Q70E. The new QUY150 has a heavy crawler undercarriage from the 250 tonne model. For Europe it will be offered as the Q160E and this year it will be upgraded to 180 tonnes capacity. Hydraulics are Bosch Rexroth and Kawasaki, and PAT Hirschmann LMIs are used.

Crane Business, the Netherlands-based Fushun Excavator distributor for Europe, already has two 50 tonne capacity machines in the region and the 70 tonner on show was to be the third. A 10% price advantage over Western competitors and less than three months from order to delivery in Europe is claimed. This year will also see a new 90 tonne capacity model just for the EU market, and a 160 or 250 tonner.

Looking ahead, an 800 tonne crawler crane is on the drawing board and construction of a prototype will begin around the middle of 2007. Generally it takes about seven months from drawing board to testing of a fully built prototype, according to a company spokesman.

XCMG

XCMG is China's largest manufacturer of construction machinery (and cranes). It has been building cranes for 56 years. Truck cranes are the main product line followed by all terrain, crawler and hydraulic knuckle boom type loader cranes.

Truck cranes are offered from 8 tonnes capacity and best sellers are the 16 tonner, followed by 50, 25, 35, 65, 70 and 100 tonners. There are three series of each, designated E, K and B, for different markets. The K series versions are the main export models, for example, to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Australia, Middle East and Asia.

From the truck crane series the QY50K got CE certification in October and was the first XCMG crane to have it. In 2007 all K Series models will get CE certification, Sam Shang, XCMG spokesman told IC. As standard the 25 tonner has a four section boom but, for example, the K series QY25K5 has a five section boom and the QY70K6 has a six section boom.

All terrains are offered from 25 to 300 tonnes capacity. The new 300 tonne capacity seven axle QAY300 all terrain has an oval boom profile, like the rest of the AT range, and is in five sections, including the base section.

Crawler cranes are from 50 to 450 tonnes, the latter being a new model. The first unit built of the QUY450 with 383 kW engine took pride of place at the show. After the show it was being taken back to the factory to undergo three months of testing. XCMG builds between 25 and 30 crawler cranes a month, Shang said, and that most popular are models in the 50 to 220 tonne capacity range.

Zoomlion

Zoomlion is China's second largest crane manufacturer. Its crane division (Puyuan until its merger with Zoomlion in 2003) offers truck cranes from 8 to 300 tonnes capacity, all terrains from 25 to 350 tonnes, and crawler cranes from 50 to 600 tonnes. Taking pride of place on show was the first unit built of the 600 tonne capacity QUY600 crawler.

At 2,000 units a year, truck cranes are the company's biggest seller. The V series truck crane range includes 30, 40, 50 and 70 tonne capacity models. New and on show was a 160 tonne capacity all terrain, the QAY160, on a 14.76 m carrier with six axles, each rated for a maximum load of 12 tonnes. “There is a small market for this type of crane in China at the moment but we are smart, we can produce these machines more cheaply,” explains Yanming Xiong, Zoomlion vice president and Zoomlion Puyuan general manager. The new model has hydropneumatic suspension and a 61 m boom with six (including the base) oval-profile sections.