Hiab, part of Cargotec, has won an important order to supply stiff boom cranes to Gemac Engineering Machinery Co., Limited, in China. The order is for 60 cranes, to be delivered to the customer during 2015.

Gemac is a state-owned manufacturer and exporter of railway construction and maintenance machinery, based in Xiangyang City, Hubei Province, China. Established in 1958, it is the second largest manufacturer in China, with all research, development, and manufacturing being carried out within its home market.

Gemac produces a wide range of specialist railway construction and maintenance vehicles, including machinery for conventional, electrified, and urban light rail and subway railways. Its products are exported to many markets in the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, and the Americas.

"We chose Hiab to supply these cranes because it is the leading manufacturer of on-road load handling equipment, and its products are high quality and reliable," said Chen Bin, Head of Research and Development at Gemac. "We have been working with Hiab since 2009, and have found their equipment to be well-suited to our needs."

The HIAB ST 173-063 crane is a durable, manually operated 17-tonmeter stiff boom hoisting crane with a reach of 9.9 metres. Its powerful boom design, compact dimensions and low weight of just 2200kg enables it to be highly productive, whilst maximizing its payload. The cranes will be installed on a range of Gemac's railway maintenance vehicles, where they will be used primarily to hoist rail track pieces.

"The order is a key one for Hiab. There has been a tremendous growth in the Chinese railway maintenance industry recently, following years of expansion of the domestic rail grid," says Eric Woon Taiboon, Vice President, Market Area APAC, Hiab. "This order of stiff boom cranes by Gemac shows that our products are becoming recognised by the domestic rail industry as being of high quality, and adapted to its very specific needs. It's something that we take pride in at Hiab."