/ins.JMG Cranes has been named a finalist for the Swedish Steel Prize 2017 for developing the MC 580, a new pick and carry crane that is best in class, with a high payload and an easy to transport design.

The Swedish Steel Prize is an international prize that honors the art of engineering and innovation in the steel industry. JMG Cranes from Italy, is one of four finalists for this year’s prize, which will be awarded during a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden on May 11.

“The market wanted a new crane with the same dimensions, but with bigger capacity and with a low deadweight. It would need to be able to lift big loads, but also be light enough to move from site to site via lorry,” explains Emilio Berti, Chief Design Director at JMG Cranes.

To satisfy the demand, JMG Cranes developed the MC 580, the only electric pick and carry crane in the world that is able to lift 58 tons. It weighs 42 tons in operating conditions and only 24 tons when being transported.

The crane’s advanced and compact design fully utilizes high-strength steel for the boom as well as in the rear frame of the crane and for the outrigger box, areas where mild steel is typically used.  

The crane can be completely dismantled for transportation in narrow areas, including the counterweight, the outriggers, and even the batteries, if needed.  The boom of the crane has an optimized design and a clever solution to extend the chassis and achieve more counterweight moment. Furthermore, the modern design with an emission free electric motor offers increased performance by up to 80 percent over competing products.

“In our world, being small is important, but so is being strong. We are very proud to have been able to create a crane with performance that goes far beyond that of our previous models as well as competitors,” says Berti.

The jury’s motivation for selecting JMG Cranes as a finalist for the Swedish Steel Prize 2017 is:

“JMG Cranes has developed a unique, highly compact crane with an extended field of application. The lean design combined with electric drive train and excellent maneuverability allows it to be used both indoors and outdoors. This powerful pick and carry crane has great lifting capacity. Its high performance to weight ratio has been obtained by optimized boom design utilizing ultra-high-strength steels. Additionally, efficient road transportation is made easy by removable support legs and counter weights.”

For nearly 20 years, the Swedish Steel Prize has recognized and rewarded small and large companies as well as institutions and individuals who have developed a method or product that utilizes the full potential of high-strength steel. The winner will receive a statuette by the sculptor Jörg Jeschke and a cash prize of SEK 100,000 that SSAB encourages to be donated to a charity of the winner’s choice.

Read more about the Swedish Steel Prize on www.steelprize.com.

For further information, please contact:

Eva Petursson, Chairman of the Jury, Swedish Steel Prize, +46 243 712 04

Anna Rutkvist, Project Manager, Swedish Steel Prize, +46 243 716 40

SSAB is a Nordic and US-based steel company. SSAB offers value added products and services developed in close cooperation with its customers to create a stronger, lighter and more sustainable world. SSAB has employees in over 50 countries. SSAB has production facilities in Sweden, Finland and the US. SSAB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has a secondary listing on Nasdaq Helsinki. www.ssab.com.