New Manitowoc crane keeps environment in mind: Vegetable oil stands in as hydraulic fluid.
Published in: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Date: 9/27/2006
By: Rick Barrett
Manitowoc Crane Group is testing a truck-mounted crane that uses vegetable oil in the hydraulic lift system.
It’s a first for the crane industry, according to the company, and it’s aimed at crane work in or near wetlands, lakes, rivers, forests and other environmentally sensitive areas.
Many hydraulic fluids are petroleum-based. Crane operators sometimes call it “cherry juice” and say it can be nasty if spilled into the environment.
That happens sometimes, said Jeff Johnson, chief operating officer of Scott Powerline and Utility Equipment, a Louisiana firm that’s testing the biodegradable hydraulic fluid for National Crane, a division of Manitowoc Crane Group.
“It’s just the reality of these machines,” he said. “Hydraulic hoses break and fittings work their way loose. It can make a really fine mess if there’s an especially big blowout.”
Scott Powerline has put more than 1,000 hours on its truck-mounted crane that uses vegetable oil in the hydraulic system. Currently, the company is using the crane to install power-line poles near Dallas.
“It’s worked just like a regular boom truck. No problems,” Johnson said.
Soy oil and vegetable oil could be useful lubricants for equipment in which oil often leaks into the environment. It’s a problem for equipment ranging from chainsaws to railroad cars.
At first, Manitowoc Crane Group was worried that vegetable oil would degrade or turn rancid under heavy use.
“We heard all of these terrible things about what happened when people tried this in the past,” said John Lukow, National Crane vice president of sales and marketing.
New option ready
The company has pulled samples of the oil from the crane on a regular basis and had them analyzed. So far, it’s been squeaky clean.
Now the company is ready to offer the veggie model of the truck-mounted crane as an equipment option.
Besides having vegetable oil as hydraulic fluid, the vehicle runs on soy-based biodiesel fuel.
“We think it makes sense for working in areas where there are environmental restrictions,” Johnson said. “It just opens up more possibilities” when bidding for work.
If the United States follows some of the trends in Europe, there could be laws written to require biodegradable lubricants.
Regulations are more likely to be passed by states than by the federal government, according to the United Soybean Board, a trade group that’s pushing for biodegradable lubricants based on soy oil.
The elevators in the Statue of Liberty use soy hydraulic fluid. Hydraulic fluid often leaks from elevators, leaving a puddle at the bottom of the shaft. But there’s no harm to the environment if the fluid is biodegradable, according to the Soybean Board.
Heavy-duty work
Manitowoc Crane Group makes some of the world’s biggest construction equipment, including cranes used to lift wind turbines.
Manitowoc cranes that don’t use vegetable oil are part of an oil production platform in the Caspian Sea. In China, two of the world’s largest tower cranes helped construct a cable-supported bridge over the Yangtze River.
The company doesn’t expect a huge market for its veggie models, but it could be an option that helps sell cranes.
“You never know where they’re going to end up and where there are going to be environmental restrictions,” said Tom Cioni, a Manitowoc Crane Group spokesman.