News Release

June 6, 2006

Manitowoc installs world’s largest telescope

A 750 t (827 USt) Model 18000 Manitowoc crawler crane provided the crucial lifting power necessary for completion of the world’s largest “short millimeter wavelength” radio telescope in Mexico. Known as the ‘GTM’, the project called on the Manitowoc giant for a variety of lifting tasks including the installation and positioning of the antenna and satellite dish.

Reynaldo Santos, head of Mexican crane rental company ESEASA, which owns the Model 18000, explains why he chose Manitowoc’s Model 18000 for this prestigious project.

“On a high-profile job like this, we needed equipment that we could totally rely on,” Santos said. “Because of strong winds and the sensitivity of the telescope’s equipment, we opted to make the lifts with one of Manitowoc’s largest-capacity crawler cranes for greater control and precise positioning. The Model 18000 ¬proved more than capable for these demanding needs.”

ESEASA configured the 18000 with a capacity-enhancing MAX-ER® attachment for its challenging lifts, which significantly increases the crane’s lift and reach capabilities. Throughout this xx-month project, the 18000 was rigged with a main boom of 73 m (240 ft).

The first task, lifting the 50 m (164 ft) tall antenna, was one of the most difficult in the construction of the radio telescope, because it meant lifting a structural component weighing over 480 t (530 USt) at a height of 33 m (108 ft) and placing it over the LMT’s steel support. But even more difficult was the lift of the telescope’s satellite dish, weighing approximately 500 t (551 USt) with a diameter of 50 m (164 ft).

The telescope sits at an altitude of 4600 m (15,091 ft) on top of an inactive volcano, Sierra Negra, in the Mexican state of Puebla, some two hours outside of Mexico City. The LMT is a US-Mexico collaboration, between the University of Massachusetts and the Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Optica y Electronica (INAOE). Mexican president, Vicente Fox has described the LMT as “the most important science project in Mexican history”.

ESEASA has been in business for 17 years, and currently has 2000 employees, based in three offices – in Mexico City and Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Brownsville, Texas, US. It has more than 150 cranes in its fleet, including the Model 18000, two Model 2250s, and a Model 555, all from Manitowoc, as well as several Grove mobile cranes and boom trucks from National Crane.

About The Manitowoc Company
The Manitowoc Company, Inc. is one of the world's largest providers of lifting equipment for the global construction industry, including lattice-boom cranes, tower cranes, mobile telescopic cranes, and boom trucks. As a leading manufacturer of ice-cube machines, ice/beverage dispensers, and commercial refrigeration equipment, the company offers the broadest line of cold-focused equipment for the foodservice industry. In addition, the company is a leading provider of shipbuilding, ship repair, and conversion services for government, military, and commercial customers throughout the US maritime industry.

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