Grove RT cranes chosen for tough mine site in Indonesia

• Cranes from Grove’s RT series will work at Irian Jaya site containing the world's largest gold mine and third-largest copper mine.
• RT765E-2 and RT530E-2 cranes will support underground expansion and mill shutdown work.
• Mine operator PT Freeport Indonesia wanted durable cranes to withstand the terrain and wet weather at the mine site.

PT Freeport Indonesia a mining company that operates one of the largest copper and gold mines in the world has added three Grove cranes to its fleet. The RT765E-2 and two RT530E-2 rough-terrain cranes join the company’s operations at its Irian Jaya location one of the world’s largest mine sites. The new units will replace two older Grove RT cranes that are being retired and PT Freeport has again turned to Manitowoc having been impressed with the reliability and capability of its existing Grove units in the demanding Indonesian weather conditions. 

“We once again selected the Grove RT series for this job because these cranes are durable and well-suited to the challenging wet weather conditions we have here in Irian Jaya ” said Jason Smith who works in mobile crane maintenance at PT Freeport Indonesia. “One of the most demanding aspects at this location is moving the cranes around the site in wet or muddy conditions but the Grove RT series can cope well with this.

The three new cranes will be applied primarily in underground expansion where they will be used for steel erection work; and in supporting mill shutdown work or other tasks around the site. 

“The RT cranes are the perfect size to operate in the underground environment and to support shutdown work around the mill area ” continued Smith “Given the remote location of Irian Jaya it’s also important for us that the cranes have an excellent lifespan — and these RT cranes can work for 10 to 15 years.” 

The three new Grove cranes are replacing an RT855B and an RT528C with both delivering more power than their predecessors and the capability to handle a more demanding workload. For faster setup at the project site both new units are equipped with a quick-reeve boom nose and hook block. 

Teo Yew Boon Manitowoc’s sales director for mobile and crawler cranes in Asia said the quality reputation of Grove RT cranes is well deserved. 

“Grove RT cranes are justifiably recognized as some of the most reliable and durable machines in the world and the two units that PT Freeport Indonesia is replacing are a testament to that ” he said. “This latest generation of RT cranes from Grove continues the traditions of reliability and durability that customers expect but with additional benefits. These include faster setup greater capacity and better control. That means this latest generation of Grove RT cranes can deliver even better return on investment and value to owners.” 

The RT765E-2 has a capacity of 60 t and includes the Megaform boom found on Grove GMK all-terrain cranes but with full-power capability. With four-wheel multi-mode steering and a Full Vision cab mobility and operator confidence on the job site are optimized two important issues for sites such as the one at PT Freeport Indonesia. 

The RT530E-2 is a 30 t capacity unit with a Tier III compliant 119 kW (160 hp) QSB 6.7L Cummins diesel engine. The load-sensing hydraulic system uses piston pumps for crane functions while the four-section full-power boom is constructed from high-strength steel to reduce weight while maximizing structural capacities.

The crane also includes the unique CCS (Crane Control System) from Manitowoc plus dual-axis electric joystick controllers 3.8 t of counterweight pinned to the superstructure and standard full-length steel decking with anti-skid treatment. 

“Compared to the older models the initial LMI crane setup is much easier and therefore getting the cranes to work is much faster. There are more options for slew limits and boom angle limits ” Smith explained. “More importantly it’s much easier to diagnose any faults with the software so downtime is minimized too. We have great faith in the RT series to get the job done. In addition to these three new units we have over 30 other Grove RT cranes plus two Manitowoc 14000 crawler cranes handling a range of tasks at locations from our lowlands to highlands facilities.” 

PT Freeport Indonesia is a subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan one of the largest metals and mining companies in the world. The company has a global workforce of 34 500 with an estimated 12 000 employed in Indonesia.