The U.S. International Trade Commission on April 16 ruled that China-based equipment maker Sany Heavy Industries violated patents and trade secrets held by Manitowoc related to the crane manufacturer's counterweight system. The complaint was first lodged with the ITC in July 2013, after Sany had introduced its SCC8500 crawler crane the previous year. The crawler crane has a movable counterweight tray that is similar to the ones used in Manitowoc's own crawler cranes.
The movable counterweight on Manitowoc and Sany cranes allows for an increase in lifting capacity without significantly increasing the crane's transport footprint and weight. The counterweight can extend outward from the crane's body to stabilize the crane in changing conditions.