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 News Release
June 7, 2006
Manitowoc installs world’s largest telescope
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| A 750 t (827 USt) Model 18000 Manitowoc crawler crane provided the crucial lifting power for completion of the world’s largest radio telescope in Mexico. |
High Resolution Photograph
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 ‘LMT’, 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 the 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 Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica (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 U.S. maritime industry.
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