Manitowoc Crane Group

The largest Potain tower crane ever erected in Indonesia, an MD 1100 special application crane, is currently working at a shipyard in Medan, North Sumatra. Shipyard owner PT Waruna bought the crane for its newly constructed dock to help with the company’s shipbuilding and ship repair activities. Commissioning of the crane at the company’s shipyard in Belawan began last year.

Darwo Lim, president of PT Waruna Nusa Sentana, said the crane was performing well.

“We specified the MD 1100 because we needed a crane with a 50 t capacity to mount on a portal and run along a track that services our new dock,” he said. “In this dock we can build and repair ships with dead weight tonnage of up to 50,000. So far we have been pleased with the MD 1100’s performance.”

The design of the Potain MD 1100 special application crane was adjusted specifically to meet the requirements of PT Waruna. The crane was manufactured at the Manitowoc facility in Zhangjiagang, China, where engineers made the necessary adjustments to enable it to sit on a portal and travel along the 130 m of track so it can cover the full area of the 200 m by 37 m dock. The crane is working with a 60 m jib and at a height under hook of 43.2 m.

The 8 m x 8 m portal is tall enough so trucks can run under the crane and transport materials, which the crane can then lift directly into the dock. Lifting work for the MD 1100 includes picking steel plates, hatch covers, propeller shafts and propellers, the heaviest of which is the ship’s hatch cover, weighing 25 t. Lim said he had a lot of faith in the Potain name. “We chose Manitowoc because the Potain brand is one we trust, and we have faith in the quality of the cranes, especially in the field of special application cranes,” he said. “Manitowoc’s dealer for Potain tower cranes in Indonesia, PT Potaindo, also provided us with excellent service prior to delivery and throughout installation.”

Potaindo has been selling Potain tower cranes in Indonesia since 1990, and is also one of the leading tower crane rental companies in Indonesia with business spread across the country. Lie Johar, Potaindo’s managing director, said the company’s success was built on a history of good quality cranes.

“Our relationship with Potain goes back a long way, and we believe strongly in the brand,” he said. “One of our strengths is our promise to customers that we will never compromise on the quality of the cranes we supply. And the only way to deliver that promise is to buy original good quality Potain cranes and spare parts.”

PT Waruna owns over 50 ships, from tankers to tugs and from boats to barges, ranging from 1,000 DWT to 35,000 DWT. All are for the domestic market, except one ship the company is renting to a company in Vietnam.

The yard in Belawan, known officially as the PT Waruna Nusa Sentana Shipyard, is currently the second largest shipyard in Indonesia. It was set up in 1990 to repair and build ships. In addition to the new dock, the 7 hectare shipyard has four other dry docks with ship handling capacities from 1,000 DWT to 20,000 DWT. The types of vessels repaired here include tankers, bulk carriers, container vessels, cargo ships, navy vessels, passenger ships, supply vessels, tug boats and barges.