Company Announcement - Potain crane owners can now maximise the productivity and accessibility of their equipment with the on-board Manitowoc CraneSTAR remote asset management system. Quentin van Breda, technical director at Torre Lifting Solutions (SA French division), the exclusive southern African distributor for Potain tower cranes, says that CraneSTAR is the leader in data management and planning for crane owners around the globe.

Lauded as the most extensive OEM-produced crane asset management system available today, CraneSTAR is the leader in a new era of data management and planning for crane owners. “CraneSTAR provides up-to-date crane fleet information, no matter where you or your cranes are located. You can monitor locations and working conditions; plan maintenance and lifting schedules; and maximise your company’s efficiency, productivity and profitability,” van Breda points out.

The CraneSTAR’s processing capabilities derive from a Manitowoc-engineered telematics control unit which monitors major crane functions and provides operational data taken from the crane's proprietary CAN-Bus network. Once gathered, the data is transmitted via GSM or satellite network to a secure database linked to a Web server, which can be accessed by a Web-connected computer or handheld device. Typically, Potain crane owners will be able to track equipment hours, location and performance. “This is a major step towards improving equipment utilisation. In addition to all the other telematics advantages, CraneSTAR offers load moment indicator monitoring and reporting capabilities not available from other suppliers. Currently, crane owners have access to reports on fuel consumption per hour, crane working time, operation status, load levels and related information, cautions and alerts as well as service meter readings ,” van Breda points out.

Manitowoc offers CraneSTAR as standard equipment on most current production models and the system will be phased into production in the coming months. “A major benefit for customers operating a Potain crane with CraneSTAR on board is that the system will help reduce ownership costs and improve profitability by helping to monitor critical operating data. In this way it will assist crane owners in recognising maintenance trends and routine maintenance schedules and therefore help them to make more efficient business decisions. In addition, CraneSTAR can possibly increase resale value by reducing operator idle time and thereby reducing engine hours,” concludes van Breda.