Manitou: Compact, Heavy-Duty, & Rotating Telehandlers for Tunnelling

Manitou offers compact, heavy-duty, & rotating telehandlers with special custom attachments and increased lifting capacities for efficient tunnelling.
Kulwinder Kumar, National Key Accounts Manager, Manitou
What specialised products do you offer for tunnel construction? How do you foresee the demand for your product lineup?
The demand for telehandlers is expected to grow steadily, driven by their versatility across industries such as construction, agriculture, infrastructure, and mining. In particular, the trend toward mechanization in construction and the increase in infrastructural developments worldwide are expanding the telehandler market. Specialized attachments and increased lifting capacities are further enhancing their appeal.

For tunnel construction, where space constraints, safety and manoeuvrability are crucial, specialized telehandlers equipped for challenging environments can be highly valuable. Some specialized products that cater to tunnel construction include:
- Compact Telehandlers: Built to operate in confined spaces, these models feature shorter wheelbases and tighter turning radii, ideal for tunnel operations.
- Heavy-Duty Telehandlers: Equipped to handle higher weight capacities, these models can transport heavy loads of construction materials through tunnels safely and efficiently.
- Special Attachments: Custom attachments like rib erectors attachments, high capacity Man Baskets (1000kg), Rotating Man baskets are designed to enhance efficiency and safety for tunnel projects.
- Rotating Telehandlers: Offering 360- degree rotation, these allow for multi-directional access, reducing the need to reposition within confined tunnel spaces.
By combining these capabilities, telehandlers are well-positioned to meet the unique challenges of tunnel construction and similar specialized applications. And thanks to our happy customers, we have all kinds of Manitou Telehandlers already working in Tunnelling projects in India for more than two decades.
Safety in tunnel construction is a major concern for contractors, especially after the Silkyara tunnel collapse. How does your company address the safety aspect, train operators, and conduct India-specific R&D tailored to India's working conditions, where skill-gap remains a significant issue?

Our motto is to protect humans and our environment. Manitou Telehandlers are designed and built keeping Safety & Quality at the forefront. Some of our standard features which guarantee safety & productivity are: 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steer, 4-equal wheels, (to ensure equal traction on both axles), brakes on both axles (to ensure stability of the machine even with the loads), Audio, Visual & Hydraulic cut off (to cut dependence on operator error), battery cut off (to avoid any electrical shocks during maintenance), ROPS/FOPS cabin, and Rear Oscillating Axle.
We participated in Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2.0 by held by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in 2021-22. We have given Operator Training to more than 500 existing operators in our regional SSP (Sales & Service Points) in North, South, East & West along with our dealers for skill development and reskilling among operators.
Training is being done on safe and right operations and maintenance. Telehandlers, Aerial Work Platforms and Backhoe Loaders are covered under this training. Regular training is being conducted in Manitou’s 10 SSP locations (Sales & Service Points - a B2C company-owned and operated distribution model of Manitou) in India. The company also conducts and facilitates training with certification from IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) on Aerial Work Platforms. Manitou is also upgrading and investing in building a state of art training centre in Greater Noida.
We also offer customized training at our customer’s premises for upgrading the skills of their Operators & Technicians. The regular operator & technician meetings held across the country at our own SSP’s and at our Dealer’s premises allow us to brief them on the latest features and technologies that have been added on our machines. We will continue to address this important and critical issue of paucity of skilled operators.
Alok Parwani
Parwani Projects LLP
102/115 City avenue
Wakad,
Pune 411057
Mob: +919822390501