SECTOR REPORT Ӏ COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
on the construction industry, says Manitowoc. One recently- announced project with Intel, for example, estimates the creation of 30,000 new construction and factory jobs. And that is only one project, says Manitowoc; it represents a sliver of what is anticipated to be the total of all the projects combined. These investments are already driving demand for the lifting industry, it says. According to Kevin Blaney, VP of North America crawler crane sales at Manitowoc, there has been an immediate shift in resources to accommodate new microchip plant builds. “The impact of semiconductor
factory construction on the lifting industry is 100% noticeable. It is pulling many cranes out of the market and redeploying them to these projects. There are a handful of ‘megaprojects’ that require many, many cranes,” he said. “Meanwhile, the rest of the market is still strong. There is also all the other lifting work out there, too.”
SEEING ACTION Microelectronic manufacturing facility job sites require a variety of cranes to complete the wide range of lifting applications underway. According to Manitowoc, however, crawler and rough-terrain cranes are seeing the most action on these projects in the USA. Most of the lifting work in the US is being funnelled through construction companies that are
winning project bids. They, in turn, are hiring the crane rental companies, says Manitowoc. Nearly all the work is on a rental basis, with both operated/maintained and bare rental fleets being deployed. “It’s a very competitive process to win this lifting work,” Blaney explained. “It’s not just about having the lowest bid. There is an interview process and a lot of criteria considered, such as safety and performance.” The 300-t capacity class of crawler cranes is experiencing the highest demand, followed by 600-t capacity, Manitowoc outlines, with several of its crawler models, like the MLC300 (386 USt) and MLC650 (716 USt), already working on microelectronic job sites. Rough-terrain cranes play
supporting roles, such as erecting crawler cranes and moving materials. Those in the 100 USt (910 t) and above classes, such as the Grove GRT8120 and Grove RT9130-2, are seeing the most action here, Manitowoc reports. These cranes offer excellent
manoeuvrability, strong reach and high capacities, which give them the ability to be used in a variety of applications around the job site. “These are real workhorse cranes that offer companies a lot of versatility,” Blaney said.
TAIWANESE EXPERTISE It’s not just the US that’s seeing a boom in microchip related construction. On the opposite side of the globe, in Taiwan, crane rental firm Xin-Hong Crane Engineering Co., has just bought a Liebherr LTM 1300-6.3 specifically to handle the increasing size of production facilities for new semiconductors and microchips production in the Taiwanese IT industry, which are becoming increasingly taller. The crane’s 90-metre boom and compact ballasting options are well-suited to such applications.
Select has added
three Terex CTL 1600-66 luffers to its fleet
“The LTM 1300-6.3 is particularly suitable for our planned operations in science parks,” explains Chien- Min Wu, owner and CEO of Xin- Hong. “It’s a versatile six-axle crane with an excellent telescopic boom and outstanding capacities.”
DATA DRIVEN It’s not just microchip factories being built; related tech infrastructure needs construction, too; and this is around the globe. In London, UK, for example,
Manitowoc says crawlers such as it its MLC300 (pictured) are being used to help build new microchip manufacturing plants
Clare Rodgers, business stream leader for construction equipment provider Select Plant Hire identifies the data sector as being a driver of demand for its tower cranes. The company recently purchased three Terex CTL 1600-66 luffing jib cranes to add to its fleet, meaning it has the largest fleet of the CTL 1600-66 globally, now totalling 12. "Back in March 2023, we were
placing orders for number six and seven of our CTL1600 fleet,” explains Rodgers. “In less than one year this has increased
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