Standing still is not an option. Leader in electric cranes

On the Rijksstraatweg in Sassenheim, the many telescopic and lattice booms cannot be missed. From here, Sany Cranes Services serves the Benelux with its wide range of machines. Since its start three and a half years ago, this branch of the Chinese Sany Group has grown strongly. The introduction of a fully electric 80-ton telescopic crane in October 2022 at Bauma by Sany salesman Ronald Quarre proved to be a great success. Meanwhile, Sany Cranes Services is busy doubling its accommodation on the adjacent site.

Sany is the largest manufacturer of machinery in China and ranks number three worldwide. "In China, it makes fifteen thousand cranes a year," Jack Donker of Sany Cranes Services knows. "That has many advantages. Sany has priority in China for the procurement of raw materials and parts like chips, so there are no delays in deliveries. The company also thinks along excellently with our European requirements. The Netherlands is leading the way when it comes to sustainability and companies need to accelerate the electrification of their machinery, for example in construction and infrastructure. We recognized at an early stage that this would become a growth market. So we sat down with engineers from Sany here and in China and that led to the design of the full-electric 80-ton telescopic crane in 2021. The first one was delivered the following year and now the counter of models sold stands at 50 units."

Where competitors started converting existing models to electric, Sany chose to redesign an electric crane from scratch. "A smart strategy," says Dick Beringen. "Technical personnel are scarce everywhere and conversions are very difficult and require a lot of time and attention. A factory with Sany's capacity can quickly realize a new design. Indeed, the latest brochure of electric cranes now includes telescopic cranes of 50, 80, 100 and 150 tons and lattice boom cranes of 100 and 135 tons, while a 150- and 200-ton model are also in the pipeline. There are customers who have our entire range on display. In fact, we only sell electric cranes now, because emission-free is becoming the norm."

A core part of the Sany strategy is service. It's even incorporated into the name Sany Cranes Services. Donker: "That starts with delivering machines that work. The three questions we get first are always: how do I charge, how much can I charge and how long can I work on a load? Standing still is not an option. That's why our electric machines are equipped with good batteries with ample capacity. After all, customers may encounter limited charging options at work sites. You'll never get a full battery for the next day with sixteen amps. At the end of a normal day's work, our machines are still at about 45%, and for intensive days with a lot of driving it is about 20%. The 80-ton crane, for example, has a battery with 286 kWh of capacity, larger cranes get 368 kWh. By default, they can charge AC 16/32/63. Both on the undercarriage and the superstructure; DC charging can only be done on the superstructure. The crane can even be charged while working."

"Maintenance is another strong point at Sany," adds Beringen. "In Sassenheim is also our warehouse where a large quantity of parts is available. So there is no need to wait for the container from Asia. If something is not in stock anyway, we can always get a part from a demo crane. We have two large workshops at our disposal here. Maintenance and breakdowns are handled on site by our maintenance team. With twelve men and with four buses, we are always ready to be at the customer's location quickly to provide service."

Sany Cranes Services, which shares its premises on Rijksstraatweg with Used Cranes & Materials Holland, has outgrown its premises due to its success. Says Donker, "We want to continue providing good service and need more space for the new models. That is why we have started building a new service complex next door, so that even more clean and quiet cranes can enter the country."