Sany to assemble AT cranes in Europe

Carsten von der Geest at Putzmeister, left, and Lawrence Liu, Sany Crane, sign the local manufacturing co-operation agreement. Photo: Sany

Chinese crane and construction equipment manufacturer Sany and concrete pump manufacturer Putzmeister have agreed to make wheeled mobile cranes in Germany.

On 10 April Sany Crane and Putzmeister signed a local manufacturing co-operation agreement to make all terrain cranes in Aichtal. Putzmeister’s Aichtal plant is a 147,000 square metre site, 60,000 of which is built over.

The first Sany SAC600E all terrain crane in the UK, on a wet day in 2023

All terrain cranes will initially be assembled from semi-knock down (SKD) kits brought over from China.

SKD and CKD (complete knock down) have been used for decades in the automotive industry. It can be as simple as, say, removing the wheels and steering wheel at the home factory for shipping and then only having to put these back on in the destination country.

Or it can be arranged to require more extensive work, including full assembly of components, fitting and fettling, testing and so on. The amount of assembly work and local content, in terms of components and labour, is often increased over time.

Getting them in

Such a move towards local production helps combat difficult trading conditions and to circumvent potential anti-dumping tariffs in the European Union.

At the time of writing AT crane assembly was expected to start already in May 2026, with models in the 60 to 120 tonne capacity range. Sany said its popular models are the SAC600E, SAC700E and SAC1200E.

The company also said it plans to build a new crane factory in Germany to extend its range of products offered. Annual capacity will be 200 units.

Sany commented, “For us localisation goes far beyond production. It is a comprehensive solution that integrates manufacturing, R&D, service and parts support. Now our European R&D centre has already been established and is now fully operational, bringing together an international team to develop products that truly meet local market requirements.”

Signing up

Present at the signing ceremony were: Xie Tao, Sany Crane chairman; Lawrence Liu, Sany Crane general manager of international sales and marketing; Qu Xiaofei, Putzmeister Holding deputy CEO and deputy director of the Executive Committee; and Carsten von der Geest, Putzmeister chief commercial officer.

Commenting at the ceremony Lawrence Liu said, “Sany is deeply committed to the European market. By leveraging European manufacturing resources, the partnership will significantly enhance delivery efficiency and service responsiveness, enabling faster and more flexible support for customers across the region.”

Signing the first deal for a Sany all terrain crane assembled in Europe. Photo: Sany

Also marking the occasion was the signing of the first sale, for an SAC700E, with Italian dealer Verdelli.