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Industry solutionsMOBILE LIFTINGPOWERHitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (HCM) and Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (SHI) havehad long and successful histories in the crane market. They have become even stronger sincethey joined forces to create Hitachi Sumitomo Heavy Industries Construction Crane Co., Ltd.(HSC) and manufacture a range of crawler cranes that have proved invaluable to owners andoperators alikeHeerema operator Hans BezenberMartin Visser, HCME International SalesA Heerema barge waiting to be loaded by a Hitachi Sumitomo craneHCM launched the world’s first fully hydraulic crawler crane –the KH150 – in 1971, with the KH series being superseded bythe CX series in 1994. SHI was founded in 1963 and began to sellmechanical truck cranes a year later, before introducing hydraulictruck cranes in 1970.The two companies’ crane departments merged to form HSC inOctober 2002. HCM and SHI each have a 50% share in the jointventure, which specialises in the manufacture, sales and support ofHitachi Sumitomo crawler cranes and auxiliary equipment.The current model line-up consists of the SCX series, which wasunveiled in 2003 with the launch of the SCX900-2 and SCX1200-2.Since then, the range has expanded to include 12 products –from the SCX400T to the 6000SLX – covering lifting capacities ofbetween 40 and 550 tonnes.“Hitachi is one of the main manufacturers that sell both crawlercranes and construction machinery,” says Martin Visser of HitachiConstruction Machinery (Europe) NV (HCME) International Sales.“Historically, SHI’s expertise has extended to large cranes, whileHCM has been focused on smaller models of up to 100 tonnes oflifting capacity.“Hitachi has also had dealer representation in The Netherlandssince 1972 so it has a high level of knowledge and experience in theEuropean market. The launch of the Hitachi Sumitomo SCX seriescoincided with the opening of the HCME factory in Amsterdamin October 2002 and so HSC has been able to integrate with thedealer network for construction machinery.”HSC’s strongest markets are Belgium, The Netherlands andUK, and most sales are generated from large rental companies.The prospect for future growth comes from the erection ofwindmills in the renewable energy market and general constructionrequirements within the power generation industry.“Hitachi Sumitomo has an excellent reputation for quality,power and reliability,” adds Martin. “These models have a long lifeexpectancy of more than 20 years and it is not unusual to comeacross an old KH machine with 25 to 30 years’ service! Operatorsalso find that the latest SCX range offers a comfortable workingenvironment and user-friendly control panel.”Hitachi Sumitomo crawler cranes offer excellent mobility oversoft surfaces and can be used across a broad range of applications,ranging from civil engineering to port cargo handling projects. Atypical example of a company benefiting from these products isHeerema Fabrication Group, which has five Hitachi Sumitomocranes operating at its Vlissingen-Oost yard in the south west ofThe Netherlands.Heerema specialises in the engineering and manufacturing oflarge and complex structures for the offshore oil and gas andenergy-related industries. This 200,000m 2 strategically locatedcoastal site allows the company to have access to 720m ofquayside, with 450m of this available for large load-outs.The first of Heerema’s Hitachi Sumitomo cranes was deliveredten years ago and it currently has two SC2000s, one SCX2500 andtwo SCX2800-2s. They are used to: aid the construction processby lifting large components into place for oil platform jackets; andto load heavy assembled equipment on to barges.Crane operators need to undergo a training programme andreceive a special licence before they can begin work. There is nosubstitute for experience though and 66-year-old Hans Bezenberhas been an operator for 35 years, the last three of which have beenspent with Heerema.“Hitachi Sumitomo cranes are exceptional machines,” enthusesHans. “I have worked with other brands in the past, but the comfortand flexibility of the SCX series is second to none. They are easyto manoeuvre with the joysticks, and are fast and precise thanks tothe hydraulics. The tilting cab is also beneficial.“I’m very happy with the overall package offered by HitachiSumitomo. They provide a strong and stable base from which toperform everyday tasks, and are extremely mobile on the sandyand often damp conditions at this site. It’s also possible to lift at thesame time as the machine is moving, which means that it finishesjobs much faster than an alternative machine.”Another Hitachi Sumitomo crane operator, Guido Olivier, has 19years’ experience of operating cranes. He has worked with Hye, aleading Belgian waterworks company that specialises in coastlineand canal construction projects, for the past 17 years. Guido isoperating Hye’s SCX2800-2 on a pontoon as part of a project towiden a marina at the port of Zeebrugge.“I’ve been working with this machine since it was delivered newtwo years ago and I’m very happy with how easy it is to use,” heexplains. “The tilting cab has been integrated well into the designof the crane and is extremely comfortable. The main advantage forme is that I’m not so tired at the end of an eight-hour working day.”The comfort of the cab is a recurring theme among operators,while the reliability of Hitachi Sumitomo cranes is the number onebenefit according to owners and rental customers across Europe.The growing popularity of these powerful machines is the result ofsuccessful collaboration between HCM and SHI, and has provedmutually beneficial for both companies.The Hye SCX2800-2 on the marina at Zeebrugge34 Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NVGROUND CONTROL 35