The market for grabs is a very competitive, low tech one with next to no ground for innovation. This is, at least, the trenchant view of Burkhard Landers of Landers Maschinenfabrik. But even if he is right about medium range, conventional 4-rope grabs, single rope grabs do require more high tech approach.
Possibly with the exception of the most basic manual opening grab such as might be employed for shipboard applications (where cargo discharge rates are often less important than cost and maintenance considerations), a motorised grab provides a good compromise for multipurpose crane applications....
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Approx 615 words from Bulk Materials International, January/February 2002,
page 18.
