What do mast elevators bring to a tower crane jobsite?

In line with the French R.495 recommendation for all tower cranes above 30 meters (98 feet) high to include a mast elevator, Manitowoc developed the Potain Cab-IN internal mast elevator, which can be mounted on the 1.6 meter (5.2-foot), 2 meter (7-foot) and 2.45 meter (8-foot) K-mast and is compatible with all current K-mast bases, such as fixing angle, chassis and cross shaped base.

Potain Cab-IN internal mast elevator

The Cab-IN offers many advantages including simple transport and storage, ease of assembly, cost-effectiveness, quality and compliance, the company said.

Duponchel, based in Kervignac, Brittany, owns a fleet of 30 top-slewing and 25 self-erecting Potain tower cranes and has both external elevators and internal Cab-IN elevators. The company made its first investments in Cab-IN in early 2019.

François Denoual, managing director of Duponchel, said: “Duponchel was keen to comply with the recommendations as early as possible, which is why we decided to invest in this crane elevator solution early on. The Potain Cab-IN internal crane elevator has proven to be a reliable and robust solution that is appreciated both by technicians during installation – it requires much less time than an external solution because the masts are already pre-equipped – and by users on a daily basis. Potain has been able to develop its product to take into account the various comments made by users. We are now very satisfied with the reliability, ergonomics and ease of handling of this solution.”

Longstanding Potain customer Poteau, meanwhile, made its first investments to comply with the R.495 recommendation and meet the needs of its end-users between 2019 and 2020. The company runs a fleet of 80 Potain cranes from its headquarters in Hénin-Beaumont, Pas-de-Calais.

“Today we have a mix of external and Cab-IN internal elevators,” said Thierry Poteau, manager, Poteau. “In our region, almost all cranes over 30 meters tall are equipped with an elevator. We have about 20 elevators for a fleet of 80 cranes, which enables us to cover our needs. The main advantages of the Cab-IN internal crane elevator, which is very much appreciated by our customers, are linked to the speed of its installation and dismantling, as well as its easy transportation because it is already integrated into the masts. The fact that the masts are pre-equipped requires less storage space, less transport and avoids any parts accidentally getting lost. The small surface area that is exposed to the wind is also an advantage of this type of system.”