Executive Summary.  Construction equipment is always evolving in its attempt to increase safety and efficiency of construction. One newer technology is the use of “wings” on construction cranes. Learn more about the wings on the Manitowoc^®Grove GMK6400 MegaWingLift^TM crane here.  Our partial analysis showed a lifting capacity increase of up to 68%.

What are “wings”?  Shown in the adjacent picture, these wings attach to the main boom and are provided to increase the lifting capacity of the crane. They can be installed without the use of an auxiliary crane.  The transport weight of the wings is 24,000 pounds.

How much more capacity?  We did not consult Manitowoc^®, but based on our analysis of their 297,600 lb counterweight load chart, we calculated up to 68% increased lift capacity.

See our analysis here [QR]:

My Story.  I was in Koreatown, Los Angeles recently and came upon this beauty shown on the previous page – best hour of my week sipping on coffee and watching these guys set up the rig!

I’ve used Manitowoc^®and Grove products in my career and had fantastic experiences.  I’ve never used this “batwing”-type crane before as some call it.  Beyond the added capacity it brings, it is definitely a benefit to not need an additional crane to install this attachment.  Without the need for the additional crane just to erect the wings, the customer saves on cost and time of crane erection.  Not to mention the savings in time on nothaving to run additional calculations on the addition of crane pick(s) for installing the wings!