Inversiones Farías Puts Pair of New Grove GRT8100s to Quick Use in Chile

Thu May 06, 2021
Manitowoc

Based in Antofagasta, Chile's mining capital, Inversiones Farías has deployed two new Grove GRT8100 rough-terrain cranes to projects that serve the region's vibrant extraction economy. The cranes have already helped assemble mining infrastructure, and soon will go on to complete jobs in mineral processing plants and large-scale construction and manufacturing projects.

"These are excellent cranes that meet all expectations for the jobs we typically perform," said Robert Palma, branch manager at Inversiones Farías. "Overall, they're pretty robust, very stable and easy to set up and operate. We have been surprised by their stability and how user-friendly they are. The operating system display is very easy to use and understand, and quite practical to operate."

Palma said the crane's build quality and the good after-sales support in Chile were the most important factors that went into Inversiones Farías' purchase decision. According to him, the GRT8100 "fits perfectly within our business model and our customers' requirements."

"The cranes are not oversized in their capacity and their handling not overly intimidating for our operators," he said. "Their performance is top-notch, which enables us to be competitive in a market where there are many players."

Inversiones Farías crane operators said the GRT8100 full vision cab with 20-degree tilt allows for a wide view of the job site, and that its seating position is comfortable. The cranes' intuitive and user-friendly crane control system (CCS) alongside the armrest-mounted jog dial controls for easy input will come in handy for Inversiones Farías' demanding jobs.

"The control display allows us to visualize the current status of the configuration inside the crane and enables us to have full control over it," Palma said. "CCS allows us to see if there are any issues in the machine's systems by means of signal codes that appear on the screen, and also to know the hour meter, the total length of the boom and the weight to be lifted. It's all very useful."

Ready For Any Job

Given the variety of projects Inversiones Farías has lined up for its GRT8100 cranes, the company will be able to take full advantage of the model's 100 ton (100 t) maximum capacity and five-section, full-power boom that extends up to 154.3 ft. (47 m), which can increase its length to 239.4 ft. (73 m) with the use of a jib. Power comes from a Cummins QSB6.7L engine and the crane offers an overall GVW of nearly 60 tons (55 t).

Inversiones Farías has been a Manitowoc customer since 2009, when the company purchased its first Grove RT760E crane. According to Palma, it's a partnership that has worked well for both parties, as they have seen their business grow with Manitowoc's support and Grove products.

"The purchasing process has been always well-assisted by Manitowoc, which helps us have the ideal equipment for our operations," he said. "Grove to us means robust, reliable and long-lasting cranes that can take on any job."

In the equipment rental business since 2004, Inversiones Farías prides itself in evolving according to its customers' needs. It has a fleet of approximately 250 units that include cranes, forklifts, trucks and other equipment. In addition to mining, the company serves clients in the manufacturing, ports and logistics, and warehousing sectors.

For more information, visit https://www.manitowoc.com/grove/rough-terrain-cranes/grt8100.