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Area of Practice: Lifting and material handling equipment, cranes (overhead, terrain, special), elevating platforms, conveyors. Off-road machinery, earth moving equipment, trench walls stability, drilling equipment. Construction equipment, concrete pouring and vibrating, precast concrete, prestressed concrete production, demolition. Steel structures fabrication, transportation, assembling and erecting, scaffolding. |
WELCOME!
Friday, September 29, 2006
It shall not happen!!!
"Recently, it has come to my attention, more so than previously, that
attorneys are using my name and designating me as their expert without
first formally retaining me, if retaining me at all. Many times, this
works to their and their client's benefit in that they will reach a
settlement when opposing counsel learns [an expert] has been brought in.
These attorneys are formally designating me as their expert with the
court filings. Later, I learn of these tactics.
I am cheated out of my income and they are guilty of unethical
practices. It clearly states in bold on my fee schedule that they may
not designate me as their expert without formally retaining me. One
attorney even called and said he was going to designate me. When I told
him he then needed to send me my retainer his answer was that the case
would not go that far.
[One party to a lawsuit] called and asked if she had the right address
to send the documents for me to examine since trial was in two weeks. I
told her I didn't have any knowledge of her case and had not been
formally retained but my records did indicate that I had provided her
attorney my CV and fee schedule.
What and how are other experts dealing with this situation? This is
theft of services and monies. I am interested in knowing what can be
done or should be done to avoid this ongoing practice by some
attorneys."
www.expertcommunications.com
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Fluent CAD Connection Software Facilitates the Link Between Design and Simulation
New Functionality Saves CAD Users Time and Effort in Creating Simulation-Ready Models
Fluent Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of ANSYS, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANSS), a global innovator of simulation software and technologies designed to optimize product development processes, announced today the release of Fluent Connection 1.1 software that helps streamline the process of creating simulation models based on design data from leading computer-aided design (CAD) packages. Integrating core CAE technologies with the most popular independent design tools has been a key part of the ANSYS strategy for nearly a decade; this latest release brings direct integration to the Fluent products as well.
The Fluent UGS NX(TM) Connection, Fluent Pro/ENGINEER(R) Wildfire(R) Connection and Fluent SolidWorks(R) Connection products operate within the CAD system user environments and provide tools for checking and conditioning the 3-D geometry model in order to ensure that it has been properly prepared for the next step in the simulation process. Using Fluent Connection, CAD users can eliminate or repair geometry issues that would otherwise impede the simulation process. By providing a well-defined way to check the CAD model for possible simulation-related issues, Fluent Connection helps engineering organizations ensure a streamlined hand-off between CAD and simulation.
Typically, 3-D geometry models are created in CAD systems without full consideration for the requirements of automated and accurate simulation. Geometry models may include gaps between surfaces or overlaps and interferences that will make it more difficult to generate a high-quality simulation model. Using Fluent Connection, these issues can easily be identified and repaired. In addition, Fluent Connection takes into account the unique requirement of fluid flow simulations to include a description of the fluid volume inside or surrounding the 3-D solid model. By helping the CAD user to identify and isolate this fluid region, Fluent Connection eliminates the need for the engineering analyst to perform this task outside of the CAD system, thus saving time and effort during the simulation process.
In addition to enhanced functionality for conditioning of the geometry, Fluent Connection provides the ability to launch Fluent's FloWizard 2.1 or GAMBIT 2.3 simulation environment directly from the CAD system. The CAD model will be automatically loaded into the Fluent environment using native readers that eliminate the need for translation of the geometry data.
The Fluent Connection software products have been built using development tools provided under the PTC Partner Advantage(TM) Program (Parametric Technologies Corporation -- PTC(R) -- develops Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire) and UGS and SolidWorks partnership programs. "We are very appreciative of the support from our CAD/PLM partners under their software developer partnership programs," notes Ferit Boysan, vice president at ANSYS, Inc. "As a leading, independent provider of computer-aided engineering software, ANSYS understands that our customer base needs outstanding connectivity to multiple design tools and PLM systems. The Fluent Connection products are part of our strategy to help customers achieve a streamlined process that facilitates simulation-based design."
For downloadable, high-resolution images, visit www.ansys.com/newsimages.
ANSYS, Inc.
, founded in 1970, develops and globally markets engineering simulation software and technologies widely used by engineers and designers across a broad spectrum of industries. The Company focuses on the development of open and flexible solutions that enable users to analyze designs directly on the desktop, providing a common platform for fast, efficient and cost- conscious product development, from design concept to final-stage testing and validation. The Company and its global network of channel partners provide sales, support and training for customers. Headquartered in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., with more than 40 strategic sales locations throughout the world, ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries employ approximately 1,400 people and distribute ANSYS products through a network of channel partners in over 40 countries. Visit www.ansys.com for more information.
Fluent Inc.
is a wholly owned subsidiary of ANSYS, Inc., (Nasdaq: ANSS), the world's largest provider of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software and consulting services. Fluent's software is used for simulation, visualization and prediction of fluid flow, heat and mass transfer and chemical reactions. It is a vital part of the computer-aided engineering (CAE) process for companies around the world and is deployed in nearly every manufacturing industry. Using Fluent's software, product development, design and research engineers build virtual prototypes and simulate the performance of proposed and existing designs, allowing them to improve design quality while reducing cost and speeding time to market.
ANSYS, ANSYS Workbench, CFX, AUTODYN, FLUENT and any and all ANSYS, Inc. product and service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of ANSYS, Inc. or its subsidiaries located in the United States or other countries. ICEM CFD is a trademark licensed by ANSYS, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CADwire.net
Thursday, September 14, 2006
World Construction Week
ConExpo Asia 2007
The next ConExpo Asia will be held on the 4 – 7 December, 2007 at the Chinese Export Commodities Fair (CECF) Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou, China.
Announcing the dates and location this week, Rod Beeler, chairman of the ConExpo Asia 2007 Management Committee, said, ConExpo Asia 2007 will feature the latest technologies and innovations in construction-related equipment, products and services from both Chinese and non-Chinese manufacturers. Educational programs and working equipment demonstrations will also give visitors the chance to increase their industry knowledge and see the machines in action, added Mr Beeler.
“The show is more than exhibits. It’s all about knowledge-sharing and access to global industry best practices, to help companies better utilize the safety, efficiency and productivity advances of equipment and products on display. This is the real value of ConExpo Asia,” said Mr Beeler.
The show is produced by the US Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), which conducted the inaugural ConExpo Asia in May 2006 in Beijing, China. AEM is once again partnering with the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) to produce ConExpo Asia.
Six new Link-Belt cranes
Next month Link-Belt will introduce six new cranes at its CraneFest ’06 event at the company’s Kentucky, US, factory on 10 and 11 October.
With the exception of the new TCC 450 telescopic crawler crane, the company has kept tightly under wraps the types and capacities of the new cranes. A new attachment will also be launched.
Details of the cranes will appear on www.khl.com and the November issue of International Cranes and Specialized Transport magazine will contain a full review of the event.
Developments at Kato
Kato Works exhibited three new cranes at the recent Conet exhibition in Japan. Largest of the three was the 65 tonne capacity SL-650R truck crane. A notable feature is the three section telescopic hydraulic jib that raises the maximum hook height to 58.6 m from the 44.5 m for the main boom only.
Also on display was the MR-350SL, pictured, from Kato’s city crane range. Like the SL-650R, this 35 tonne capacity unit has a three-stage fly jib that increases hook height from 33.4 to a maximum of 47.3 m. Also on display was the 13 tonne MR-130 city crane.
All three cranes are designed for the Japanese market and, Kiyohiko Akagi, manager of Kato’s overseas marketing department, said, “We are ready to export if there is demand but truck cranes like the SL-650R are only really popular in the US and Japan.” This partly explains why the company has pulled back from the European market in recent years. Akagi explained, “We have sold a lot of cranes in Europe over the years, but we are not active at the moment because of the CE-mark requirement.” Akagi continued, “I think this will change in a year or two.”
Whether Kato comes back to Europe remains to be seen. In the meantime, the company is seeing an improvement in its domestic sales. “Business is getting a lot better in Japan. It’s slowly improving from the low point three years ago,” Akagi said.
Like other manufacturers, Kato is finding it difficult to source some key components to help it keep up with demand for new cranes. “It is difficult to get materials, especially tyres and high strength steel,” Akagi explained.
Grove launches 35 ton RT
Grove is launching its RT535E, a new 35 ton capacity rough-terrain crane that will be built at the company’s manufacturing facility in Shady Grove, PA. The new model features a four-section 102 foot full-power boom, and offers a a 26 to 45 foot offsettable swingaway extension giving the RT535E a maximum possible tip height of 154 feet.
The company says that the crane’s rectangular boom is made of high-strength steel, which offers weight savings and improved lifting capacity. The new machine features a new cab design with a streamlined dashboard control panel. The RT535E also features a Work Area Definition System, allowing the operator to pre-set safe working areas.
Maximum line pull from the main hoist is 11,640 lb, while maximum line speed is 445 feet per minute. The RT535E uses 0.6 inch wire rope and can accommodate 450 feet of rope on both the main and auxiliary hoists. The crane is powered by a Cummins QSB 5.9 liter six-cylinder diesel engine which offers 155 hp at 2,500 rpm. The crane can travel at a maximum speed of 25 mph.
Doyle Bryant, director of product development and marketing for Grove, said the new crane fits well into the company’s product range between its existing 30 and 40 ton cranes. Bryant expects interest in the new unit to be worldwide.
Finning sells UK forklift division
Finning (UK) Ltd has sold its material handling division to US company Sammons Enterprises for ?85 million. The division was one of the largest industrial forklift rental companies in the UK with a fleet of over 25000 units and approximately 1000 employees.
Finning (UK) said the sale would free up capital and management resources for its main UK businesses, the Caterpillar dealership and Hewden, the equipment rental company.
Nick Lloyd, Finning Group UK managing director, said; "The sale of Materials Handling will allow us to focus on growing those areas where we are committed to market leadership, most particularly the sales and servicing of other Caterpillar products and the rental solutions business [Hewden]."
Finning UK is owned by Finning in Canada, which is the world's largest Caterpillar dealer.
The new US owner of the fork lift truck business - which includes both sale and rental of forklifts - is Sammons Enterprises of Dallas, Texas. Sammons also owns Briggs Equipment, which is one of the largest material handling equipment distributors in the US and a dealer for Yale fork lifts.
Dave Bratton, president of Briggs Equipment in the US, and who will be a director of the new UK business, Briggs Equipment UK, said; "This acquisition has excellent potential for the employees and customers as well as equipment distribution division of Sammons. We see a number of similarities between Briggs Equipment UK and the Briggs Equipment operations in the US and Mexico. I anticipate that we will learn from each other, using the best practices of both companies to set the standard in material handling.”
Sunbelt-NationsRent aerials push
Sunbelt Rentals could open at least 14 new specialist aerial platform rental locations in the US following Ashtead Group’s acquisition of NationsRent. Sunbelt, which is owned by Ashtead, is now being integrated with NationsRent, which will create a US fleet of around 30000 aerial platforms, the second largest in the world.
Sunbelt has at least one specialist AWP location at each of its store clusters – groups of 10 to 15 branches in major metropolitan areas – and the addition of NationsRent will add a further 14 clusters to the business. NationsRent only operated general rental stores.
George Burnett, Ashtead’s chief executive, interviewed in the September issue of Access International, said the specialist store concept will be retained and extended into the new NationsRent locations, which will be rebranded as Sunbelt Rentals. “There will be the opportunity for more specialist AWP businesses”, he said, “The question is should we take some of that [NationsRent] equipment and put it into new specialist locations, or should we have specialist depots on top of the current level of [AWP] business.”
With the acquisition completed, Ashtead has embarked on the integration of Sunbelt and NationsRent. This, said Mr Burnett, would be made easier by the “extraordinary fit” between the two that will see just 25 store closures, and the fact both use Wynne Systems rental software.
Mr Burnett said Ashtead was keeping “an open mind” on NationsRent’s strategy of selling new equipment, including JLG lifts. “We will genuinely look at it, but we need to make sure that the right people are doing the right things. It’s difficult to have a sales force with ambiguous goals.”
The full interview with Mr Burnett, which also touches on Ashtead’s plans for A-Plant in the UK, appears in the September issue of Access International
www.khl.com
Bridge Section Is Pushed, Pulled and Lifted into Place
In an operation that altered the landscape of Providence, R.I. overnight, a contractor late last month wheeled a 5.5-million-lb bridge section onto specially equipped barges, then placed it onto 30-ft-tall piers as part of an $85-million contract.
The section is a 450-ft long, 160-ft wide, 85-ft high cable-stayed arched steel span. It is part of a 1,235-ft-long bridge, including steel box girders and precast concrete spans, that will carry a relocated section of Interstate 195 across the Providence River. Cardi Corp., Warwick, R.I., started work in winter 2003 on the key component of a $550-million program to replace the existing I-95 and I-195 inter-
change. Cardi opted to build the section off site. “When we put the contract out, we knew there was a possibility that someone might want to build it off site, so we had provisions in the contract to have land secured,” says James Caroselli, Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation chief civil engineer of construction operations.
The bridge was constructed at a former Seabees station in Quonset, R.I. “We built the bridge on temporary supports. The bridge sat on the bearings as we built it,” says Steve Cardi, executive vice president. During the construction process, meetings were held every month for two years to plan the move, he says.
Dutch subcontractor Mammoet brought in transporters—steel platforms mounted on multiple sets of wheels using independent hydraulic suspensions to maintain level—to move the section onto two 300 x 90-ft barges. “The two barges were linked like a catamaran with two crane booms and a pin connection,” says Cardi. Pumps moved ballast water in the barge to counteract the bridge’s weight. Then, the barges were towed to the jobsite where the bridge section was lifted and placed onto piers.
“We first installed [six] jacking towers up to a height of 30 feet,” says Cardi. Strand jacks on the towers lifted the section. Transporters, with attached cribbing and support structures, finished placement. The bridge was jacked up in 20-in. increments. Winches were used to slowly move the bridge into its proper alignment before crews lowered the bridge into place, using a low tide and ballast water to adjust placement.
The Aug. 28 installation went off perfectly, says Caroselli.
While the move itself went smoothly, the project encountered other challenges. Cardi’s contract rose to $93 million after it was forced to excavate submerged sheeting from an old hurricane barrier adjacent to the jobsite and from rising materials costs.
Arched bridge segment was erected on land and moved to barges for transport to jobsite, where it was jacked into place.
www.construction.com
Clean Air: EPA Seeks Refinery, Factory Rule Change.
The Environmental Protection Agency wants to revise "new source review" requirements to make it easier for refineries and large manufacturers to modify plants without triggering Clean Air Act provisions for pollution control equipment and permits.
EPA's proposal, announced Sept. 8, contains three NSR changes that the agency believes would boost industry investment in energy-efficient and lower-emission technologies. One change would let plant owners or operators modify one part of a plant to increase production in other areas that were not updated. Under this "de-bottlenecking" provision, the unaltered parts of the plant could avoid NSR requirements if its emissions already were covered in an existing permit.
Another provision would allow EPA to view multiple, related projects at one facility as a single project when weighing NSR requirements. The agency also is proposing to simplify "netting," or how it calculates whether NSR applies to a project when emission level increases and decreases are added together.
EPA will take comments on the plan for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register later this month.
Oil refiners, petrochemical companies and other manufacturers praised the proposed rule. National Association of Manufacturers President John Engler called it "an important step toward cutting the red tape in the regulatory process and ensuring that regulations are understandable."
To meet higher demand and requests by Congress and other policy makers, U.S. oil refiners plan to boost their capacity by 8%, or 1.4 million barrels per day, according to the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association. "The new EPA proposals will help the industry respond to these official calls for increased refining capacity," says NPRA President Bob Slaughter.
But environmental groups see EPA's proposal as giving industry another opportunity to postpone installing pollution control equipment. "The EPA is once again ignoring science and the impacts on public health in favor of increasing industry profits," contends Alice McKeown, a Sierra Club air issues specialist.
www.construction.com
25 Trapped in China Tunnel Collapse
BEIJING - Firefighters and construction workers rushed Tuesday to dig out 25 road workers trapped after a tunnel collapsed in southwest China, local officials and media said.
The collapse occurred early Monday on a highway linking the cities of Guangnan and Yanshan in Yunnan province, said Lu Ying, a spokeswoman with the Guangnan Work Safety Bureau.
Lu said 26 people had been in the tunnel when it collapsed but one managed to escape. Fresh air, as well as food and drink were being piped into the remaining 25 trapped workers in the 165-foot-long tunnel, she said.
Rescuers at the scene were having trouble communicating by their mobile phones, she said, so she did not know if anyone had been pulled out Tuesday.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported late Monday that rescuers said the trapped workers were "all alive and they should survive."
Yunnan's local Life Express newspaper said on its Web site that one of the construction company's drivers, Li Zhiyong, said he noticed a fissure inside the tunnel that had been grown wider every day.
Xinhua said the cause of the collapse was under investigation.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
www.construction.com
Sub Surface - Industry Experts Create Best Conference Yet!
8 Tracks and 51 sessions developed by industry experts Walt Kelly and Dr. David Bennett will give you the information to succeed! This year's conference tracks include:
Common Ground Alliance / One-Call Issues
The Common Ground Alliance and One-Call Issues track has the latest information on damage reports and the status of state laws. In addition, you can hear about the new 811 system for giving excavation notices and a favorite annual session on how the "one-call" process really works.
Engineering, Design & Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)
Looking for the latest technical information and case studies on hot topics such as Ground Penetrating Radar and Subsurface Utility Engineering? You will find it in this set of sessions!
Excavation Issues
Today's excavator faces many challenges while simply digging a hole: from OSHA requirements to working with underground utility operators and occasionally dealing with damage claims. This track of sessions will give you some great tools for your business-survival toolbox.
Legal & Regulatory
This track will present the latest in federal and state regulatory initiatives plus practical information on the legal process that you will want to know prior to having to deal with damage claims. Numerous case studies and even a "sample" trial will keep these top-ranked sessions updated and interesting!
Locating & Marking
This track includes several new sessions on new topics this year. Hear about school curriculums for teaching damage prevention, new concepts in locating equipment, and some of the dangers locators face.
Mapping Solutions & Asset Management
A computer can handle huge amounts of information from many sources to give a lot of "Who, What, When" information. When you combine that with GPS technology's ability to tell you "Where," you have the answer to many underground challenges. This track contains several case studies with photos of products and technology currently in use.
Trenchless New Installations
As the urban underground becomes more and more crowded with utilities, the importance of accurately installing new utilities that avoid unexpected encounters with existing utilities becomes increasingly important. Not only must existing utilities be avoided, but sufficient clearance must be provided to avoid excessive settlements or heave that could damage the utilities. The new installations track focuses on prevention issues and applications of trenchless construction methods for pipelines and cables in urban congested areas.
Trenchless Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation of existing pipelines offers an alternative and often less costly solution for renewing underground infrastructure without digging and replacing pipelines. Rehabilitation methods such as pipe bursting, cured-in-place rehabilitation, and slip lining allow the service lives of existing pipelines to be greatly extended with minimal disruption to the surface and existing infrastructure. Clearly, when a pipe can be renewed in the same location and alignment as the existing pipeline, the potential risks to adjacent utilities can be greatly reduced. Strikes can be almost eliminated, and potential settlement/heave damage can be substantially reduced with good design and construction practices. The rehabilitation track focuses on good rehabilitation practices.
www.damageprevention.com
The Construction Distribution Industry
Sunbelt rentals acquires NationsRents
Sunbelt Rentals, a subsidiary of Ashtead Group, PLC, has announced that it is acquiring NationsRents, formng the third largest equipment rental company in the United States. After the acquisition, the combined companies will operate 477 outlets in 35 states and employ more than 7,000 people.
Klein Tools moves its Illinois headquarters
Klein Tools has moved its corporate headquarters from Skokie, IL to a new, 64,000-square-foot facility on a 7-acre site in Lincolnshire, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago.
In addition to the new office space, a 57,000-square-foot multipurpose building was also added.
The company's Skokie facility will maintain manufacturing capabilities in the existing 225,000-square-foot building.
The Lincolnshire headquarters will house the executive team, domestic and international sales and marketing, corporate human resources, customer service, purchasing and all financial and IT support.
Simpson Strong-Tie opens metro Minneapolis facilties
Simpson Strong-Tie has opened a 56,000-square-foot distribution center and training facility in Eagan, MN. The new warehouse will fill orders for customers in Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin — taking over this role from the company's warehouse in Columbus, OH.
"We are committed to providing our customers with the best, most cost-effective product soultions, and this location will enable us to turnaround product orders much more quickly," points out Murray Daniels, branch manager from the Columbus facility.
"Serving customers in this territory from Columbus could mean delivery of orders in five to eight business days," adds Curt Johnson, senior territory manager. "Now, from Eagan, we can turn the same orders in just three days — we're cutting lead time in half."
In addition to the warehouse, there's a 2,000-square-foot training facility in the new Eagan operation. Here, specifiers, inspectors, dealers and contractors will be able to attend workshops and other hands-on educational events.
NAW publishes book on managing distributor/manufacturer conflicts
Based on a year-long research study, Working at Cross-Purposes: How Distributors and Manufacturers Can Manage Conflict Successfully, is designed to be a guide to understanding what really drives distributor-supplier relationships; how often they go bad; and why.
The book was written by Mike Marks, Tim Horan and Mike Emerson of the Indian River Consulting Group, Melbourne, FL. In it, they explore what they call the fallacy of "win-win" and provide diagnostic tools to evaluate relationships distributors may have with suppliers, and offer ideas on how to go "from disfunctional to effective."
UASI sets records in 2005
Whether measured in sales revenue or percentage growth, 2005 was a record-setting year for UASI, a multistate distributor specializing in personal protection gear.
In the past year, UASI opened a new 30,000-square-foot distribution center in Wilmington, OH, the first of a planned expansion program. It also has distribution centers in Los Angeles; Sparks, NV; Houston; Atlanta; Oakland, NJ; and in Ontario, Canada.
www.constructiondist.com
John Deere, QUALCOMM to create system for remote machine monitoring
John Deere Construction & Forestry Co. and QUALCOMM Inc., a provider of business-to-business wireless enterprise platforms, applications and services, announce an alliance to create an equipment and machine monitoring and information delivery system that will be sold across North America by certified John Deere construction and forestry dealers. Beginning in the fall of 2006, customers can order factory- or dealer-installed JDLink on select John Deere construction and forestry equipment.
JDLink automatically collects, transmits and manages information about where and how construction and forestry equipment is being used, as well as critical machine health data for superior equipment utilization, improved productivity and increased revenue. The system leverages QUALCOMM's GlobalTRACS equipment management system to provide customers with vital information about equipment location, machine health and service status. Additionally, it issues special alerts to notify customers if equipment moves outside pre-set boundaries.
"Having this realtime information system will enable customers to save time and costs, maximize their equipment utilization and uptime, and improve their overall service," says Ken Poppe, product marketing manager, advanced technology for John Deere Construction & Forestry Co.
Four levels of service will be offered with JDLink. The Standard level will provide owners with machine location status, machine service hours and location monitoring capabilities. The Advanced level of service will provide customers with the Standard level, plus dash indicators and fuel and equipment utilization information via engine load monitoring. The Ultimate level of service expands upon these offerings by adding current and stored monitoring of component pressures and temperatures, fuel consumption, as well as transmission gear selection and full-featured diagnostic information retrieval. The Direct level enables customers to download machine operating history and diagnostics directly to a laptop. The Advanced, Ultimate and Direct levels of service will be available in 2007 on select models of John Deere construction and forestry equipment; the Standard level of service will be available in the fall of 2006.
www.qualcomm.com
New parts distribution center to be built for Link-Belt
LBX Co., makers of Link-Belt equipment, announces the start of construction of a 50,000 sq. ft. service parts distribution center to be located at its recently completed corporate headquarters in Lexington, KY.
The center will be operational in the first quarter of 2007, and will handle private label packaging, inventory warehousing and management, inspection and reworking of returned products, and service parts distribution services to support LBX's parts dealers throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The LBX parts distribution center will utilize state-of-the-art equipment, parts handling methods and systems to provide its dealers with the highest level of responsiveness and parts availability.
"Our recent move to our new corporate headquarters provided us with an opportunity to expand our services to dealers," says Bob Harvell, CEO and president of LBX. "We believe the addition of a parts distribution center on site will establish LBX as among the most customer responsive equipment manufacturers in North America."
www.linkbelt.com
Case awarded contract to resent 200 M4K forklifts
In its sixth U.S. Military contract in recent months, Case Construction Equipment has been selected by the U.S. Army TACOM (Tank, Automotive and Armaments Command) to RESET more than 200 M4K Rough-Terrain Forklifts to mission-capable condition. The contract, which will be fulfilled over a three-year period, is valued at $15.5 million.
Deployed with the U.S. Army since the 1980s, these Case forklifts have been used by U.S. forces to handle materials and supplies around the globe. "The Case M4K is unique in its ability to stack pallets two high and four wide, inside military shipping containers," says Bill Thompson, manager, Defense Products Group, CNH America.
"RESET" is a military term that defines a level of refurbishing designed to restore older equipment to provide renewed performance. The RESET process involves the complete disassembly; inspection and repair or replacement of damaged components; reassembly, and testing to ensure the equipment meets original performance specifications.
As with several previous Case contracts with the military, this work is being completed at the Case Remanufacturing Center in Fort McCoy, WI, using Case and contract employees, many of whom are current or retired members of the U.S. Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
In addition to employing local current and retired military personnel, these Case programs utilize parts, components and supplies manufactured or purchased in the local area.
Thompson noted that employing local personnel and purchasing supplies and services from area businesses provides an estimated $2.5 million annual boost to the regional economy. Current Case contracts with the U.S. Military include the remanufacture of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the National Guard, RESET of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the U.S. Army TACOM and supply of 500 engine repower kits for the Case M4K Rough-terrain Forklift.
www.oemoffhighway.com
Fluid Power Expo
Plan to attend the Fluid Power Expo held October 3 & 4 in Cleveland, OH. Be a part of this exciting event that will showcase 16 solution seminars on a variety of topics from fluid power fundamentals to compressed air preparation, motion control basics to hydraulic systems filtration, and much, much more.
THE industry meeting place where attendees can see new products, build valuable relationships, hear about major industry trends & issues, and invest in their business future.
Attend expanded and comprehensive seminar program, which features more sessions, more networking events and additional workshops!
* How-to Sessions
* Case Studies
* Shirtsleeves Workshops
* Roundtable Discussions
www.fluidpowerexpo.com
"Recently, it has come to my attention, more so than previously, that
attorneys are using my name and designating me as their expert without
first formally retaining me, if retaining me at all. Many times, this
works to their and their client's benefit in that they will reach a
settlement when opposing counsel learns [an expert] has been brought in.
These attorneys are formally designating me as their expert with the
court filings. Later, I learn of these tactics.
I am cheated out of my income and they are guilty of unethical
practices. It clearly states in bold on my fee schedule that they may
not designate me as their expert without formally retaining me. One
attorney even called and said he was going to designate me. When I told
him he then needed to send me my retainer his answer was that the case
would not go that far.
[One party to a lawsuit] called and asked if she had the right address
to send the documents for me to examine since trial was in two weeks. I
told her I didn't have any knowledge of her case and had not been
formally retained but my records did indicate that I had provided her
attorney my CV and fee schedule.
What and how are other experts dealing with this situation? This is
theft of services and monies. I am interested in knowing what can be
done or should be done to avoid this ongoing practice by some
attorneys."
www.expertcommunications.com
New Functionality Saves CAD Users Time and Effort in Creating Simulation-Ready Models
Fluent Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of ANSYS, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANSS), a global innovator of simulation software and technologies designed to optimize product development processes, announced today the release of Fluent Connection 1.1 software that helps streamline the process of creating simulation models based on design data from leading computer-aided design (CAD) packages. Integrating core CAE technologies with the most popular independent design tools has been a key part of the ANSYS strategy for nearly a decade; this latest release brings direct integration to the Fluent products as well.
The Fluent UGS NX(TM) Connection, Fluent Pro/ENGINEER(R) Wildfire(R) Connection and Fluent SolidWorks(R) Connection products operate within the CAD system user environments and provide tools for checking and conditioning the 3-D geometry model in order to ensure that it has been properly prepared for the next step in the simulation process. Using Fluent Connection, CAD users can eliminate or repair geometry issues that would otherwise impede the simulation process. By providing a well-defined way to check the CAD model for possible simulation-related issues, Fluent Connection helps engineering organizations ensure a streamlined hand-off between CAD and simulation.
Typically, 3-D geometry models are created in CAD systems without full consideration for the requirements of automated and accurate simulation. Geometry models may include gaps between surfaces or overlaps and interferences that will make it more difficult to generate a high-quality simulation model. Using Fluent Connection, these issues can easily be identified and repaired. In addition, Fluent Connection takes into account the unique requirement of fluid flow simulations to include a description of the fluid volume inside or surrounding the 3-D solid model. By helping the CAD user to identify and isolate this fluid region, Fluent Connection eliminates the need for the engineering analyst to perform this task outside of the CAD system, thus saving time and effort during the simulation process.
In addition to enhanced functionality for conditioning of the geometry, Fluent Connection provides the ability to launch Fluent's FloWizard 2.1 or GAMBIT 2.3 simulation environment directly from the CAD system. The CAD model will be automatically loaded into the Fluent environment using native readers that eliminate the need for translation of the geometry data.
The Fluent Connection software products have been built using development tools provided under the PTC Partner Advantage(TM) Program (Parametric Technologies Corporation -- PTC(R) -- develops Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire) and UGS and SolidWorks partnership programs. "We are very appreciative of the support from our CAD/PLM partners under their software developer partnership programs," notes Ferit Boysan, vice president at ANSYS, Inc. "As a leading, independent provider of computer-aided engineering software, ANSYS understands that our customer base needs outstanding connectivity to multiple design tools and PLM systems. The Fluent Connection products are part of our strategy to help customers achieve a streamlined process that facilitates simulation-based design."
For downloadable, high-resolution images, visit www.ansys.com/newsimages.
ANSYS, Inc.
, founded in 1970, develops and globally markets engineering simulation software and technologies widely used by engineers and designers across a broad spectrum of industries. The Company focuses on the development of open and flexible solutions that enable users to analyze designs directly on the desktop, providing a common platform for fast, efficient and cost- conscious product development, from design concept to final-stage testing and validation. The Company and its global network of channel partners provide sales, support and training for customers. Headquartered in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., with more than 40 strategic sales locations throughout the world, ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries employ approximately 1,400 people and distribute ANSYS products through a network of channel partners in over 40 countries. Visit www.ansys.com for more information.Fluent Inc.
is a wholly owned subsidiary of ANSYS, Inc., (Nasdaq: ANSS), the world's largest provider of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software and consulting services. Fluent's software is used for simulation, visualization and prediction of fluid flow, heat and mass transfer and chemical reactions. It is a vital part of the computer-aided engineering (CAE) process for companies around the world and is deployed in nearly every manufacturing industry. Using Fluent's software, product development, design and research engineers build virtual prototypes and simulate the performance of proposed and existing designs, allowing them to improve design quality while reducing cost and speeding time to market.ANSYS, ANSYS Workbench, CFX, AUTODYN, FLUENT and any and all ANSYS, Inc. product and service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of ANSYS, Inc. or its subsidiaries located in the United States or other countries. ICEM CFD is a trademark licensed by ANSYS, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CADwire.net
Thursday, September 14, 2006
World Construction Week
ConExpo Asia 2007
The next ConExpo Asia will be held on the 4 – 7 December, 2007 at the Chinese Export Commodities Fair (CECF) Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou, China.
Announcing the dates and location this week, Rod Beeler, chairman of the ConExpo Asia 2007 Management Committee, said, ConExpo Asia 2007 will feature the latest technologies and innovations in construction-related equipment, products and services from both Chinese and non-Chinese manufacturers. Educational programs and working equipment demonstrations will also give visitors the chance to increase their industry knowledge and see the machines in action, added Mr Beeler.
“The show is more than exhibits. It’s all about knowledge-sharing and access to global industry best practices, to help companies better utilize the safety, efficiency and productivity advances of equipment and products on display. This is the real value of ConExpo Asia,” said Mr Beeler.
The show is produced by the US Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), which conducted the inaugural ConExpo Asia in May 2006 in Beijing, China. AEM is once again partnering with the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) to produce ConExpo Asia.
Six new Link-Belt cranes
Next month Link-Belt will introduce six new cranes at its CraneFest ’06 event at the company’s Kentucky, US, factory on 10 and 11 October.
With the exception of the new TCC 450 telescopic crawler crane, the company has kept tightly under wraps the types and capacities of the new cranes. A new attachment will also be launched.
Details of the cranes will appear on www.khl.com and the November issue of International Cranes and Specialized Transport magazine will contain a full review of the event.
Developments at Kato
Kato Works exhibited three new cranes at the recent Conet exhibition in Japan. Largest of the three was the 65 tonne capacity SL-650R truck crane. A notable feature is the three section telescopic hydraulic jib that raises the maximum hook height to 58.6 m from the 44.5 m for the main boom only.
Also on display was the MR-350SL, pictured, from Kato’s city crane range. Like the SL-650R, this 35 tonne capacity unit has a three-stage fly jib that increases hook height from 33.4 to a maximum of 47.3 m. Also on display was the 13 tonne MR-130 city crane.
All three cranes are designed for the Japanese market and, Kiyohiko Akagi, manager of Kato’s overseas marketing department, said, “We are ready to export if there is demand but truck cranes like the SL-650R are only really popular in the US and Japan.” This partly explains why the company has pulled back from the European market in recent years. Akagi explained, “We have sold a lot of cranes in Europe over the years, but we are not active at the moment because of the CE-mark requirement.” Akagi continued, “I think this will change in a year or two.”
Whether Kato comes back to Europe remains to be seen. In the meantime, the company is seeing an improvement in its domestic sales. “Business is getting a lot better in Japan. It’s slowly improving from the low point three years ago,” Akagi said.
Like other manufacturers, Kato is finding it difficult to source some key components to help it keep up with demand for new cranes. “It is difficult to get materials, especially tyres and high strength steel,” Akagi explained.
Grove launches 35 ton RT
Grove is launching its RT535E, a new 35 ton capacity rough-terrain crane that will be built at the company’s manufacturing facility in Shady Grove, PA. The new model features a four-section 102 foot full-power boom, and offers a a 26 to 45 foot offsettable swingaway extension giving the RT535E a maximum possible tip height of 154 feet.
The company says that the crane’s rectangular boom is made of high-strength steel, which offers weight savings and improved lifting capacity. The new machine features a new cab design with a streamlined dashboard control panel. The RT535E also features a Work Area Definition System, allowing the operator to pre-set safe working areas.
Maximum line pull from the main hoist is 11,640 lb, while maximum line speed is 445 feet per minute. The RT535E uses 0.6 inch wire rope and can accommodate 450 feet of rope on both the main and auxiliary hoists. The crane is powered by a Cummins QSB 5.9 liter six-cylinder diesel engine which offers 155 hp at 2,500 rpm. The crane can travel at a maximum speed of 25 mph.
Doyle Bryant, director of product development and marketing for Grove, said the new crane fits well into the company’s product range between its existing 30 and 40 ton cranes. Bryant expects interest in the new unit to be worldwide.
Finning sells UK forklift division
Finning (UK) Ltd has sold its material handling division to US company Sammons Enterprises for ?85 million. The division was one of the largest industrial forklift rental companies in the UK with a fleet of over 25000 units and approximately 1000 employees.
Finning (UK) said the sale would free up capital and management resources for its main UK businesses, the Caterpillar dealership and Hewden, the equipment rental company.
Nick Lloyd, Finning Group UK managing director, said; "The sale of Materials Handling will allow us to focus on growing those areas where we are committed to market leadership, most particularly the sales and servicing of other Caterpillar products and the rental solutions business [Hewden]."
Finning UK is owned by Finning in Canada, which is the world's largest Caterpillar dealer.
The new US owner of the fork lift truck business - which includes both sale and rental of forklifts - is Sammons Enterprises of Dallas, Texas. Sammons also owns Briggs Equipment, which is one of the largest material handling equipment distributors in the US and a dealer for Yale fork lifts.
Dave Bratton, president of Briggs Equipment in the US, and who will be a director of the new UK business, Briggs Equipment UK, said; "This acquisition has excellent potential for the employees and customers as well as equipment distribution division of Sammons. We see a number of similarities between Briggs Equipment UK and the Briggs Equipment operations in the US and Mexico. I anticipate that we will learn from each other, using the best practices of both companies to set the standard in material handling.”
Sunbelt-NationsRent aerials push
Sunbelt Rentals could open at least 14 new specialist aerial platform rental locations in the US following Ashtead Group’s acquisition of NationsRent. Sunbelt, which is owned by Ashtead, is now being integrated with NationsRent, which will create a US fleet of around 30000 aerial platforms, the second largest in the world.
Sunbelt has at least one specialist AWP location at each of its store clusters – groups of 10 to 15 branches in major metropolitan areas – and the addition of NationsRent will add a further 14 clusters to the business. NationsRent only operated general rental stores.
George Burnett, Ashtead’s chief executive, interviewed in the September issue of Access International, said the specialist store concept will be retained and extended into the new NationsRent locations, which will be rebranded as Sunbelt Rentals. “There will be the opportunity for more specialist AWP businesses”, he said, “The question is should we take some of that [NationsRent] equipment and put it into new specialist locations, or should we have specialist depots on top of the current level of [AWP] business.”
With the acquisition completed, Ashtead has embarked on the integration of Sunbelt and NationsRent. This, said Mr Burnett, would be made easier by the “extraordinary fit” between the two that will see just 25 store closures, and the fact both use Wynne Systems rental software.
Mr Burnett said Ashtead was keeping “an open mind” on NationsRent’s strategy of selling new equipment, including JLG lifts. “We will genuinely look at it, but we need to make sure that the right people are doing the right things. It’s difficult to have a sales force with ambiguous goals.”
The full interview with Mr Burnett, which also touches on Ashtead’s plans for A-Plant in the UK, appears in the September issue of Access International
www.khl.com
Bridge Section Is Pushed, Pulled and Lifted into Place
In an operation that altered the landscape of Providence, R.I. overnight, a contractor late last month wheeled a 5.5-million-lb bridge section onto specially equipped barges, then placed it onto 30-ft-tall piers as part of an $85-million contract.
The section is a 450-ft long, 160-ft wide, 85-ft high cable-stayed arched steel span. It is part of a 1,235-ft-long bridge, including steel box girders and precast concrete spans, that will carry a relocated section of Interstate 195 across the Providence River. Cardi Corp., Warwick, R.I., started work in winter 2003 on the key component of a $550-million program to replace the existing I-95 and I-195 inter-
change. Cardi opted to build the section off site. “When we put the contract out, we knew there was a possibility that someone might want to build it off site, so we had provisions in the contract to have land secured,” says James Caroselli, Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation chief civil engineer of construction operations.
The bridge was constructed at a former Seabees station in Quonset, R.I. “We built the bridge on temporary supports. The bridge sat on the bearings as we built it,” says Steve Cardi, executive vice president. During the construction process, meetings were held every month for two years to plan the move, he says.
Dutch subcontractor Mammoet brought in transporters—steel platforms mounted on multiple sets of wheels using independent hydraulic suspensions to maintain level—to move the section onto two 300 x 90-ft barges. “The two barges were linked like a catamaran with two crane booms and a pin connection,” says Cardi. Pumps moved ballast water in the barge to counteract the bridge’s weight. Then, the barges were towed to the jobsite where the bridge section was lifted and placed onto piers.
“We first installed [six] jacking towers up to a height of 30 feet,” says Cardi. Strand jacks on the towers lifted the section. Transporters, with attached cribbing and support structures, finished placement. The bridge was jacked up in 20-in. increments. Winches were used to slowly move the bridge into its proper alignment before crews lowered the bridge into place, using a low tide and ballast water to adjust placement.
The Aug. 28 installation went off perfectly, says Caroselli.
While the move itself went smoothly, the project encountered other challenges. Cardi’s contract rose to $93 million after it was forced to excavate submerged sheeting from an old hurricane barrier adjacent to the jobsite and from rising materials costs.
Arched bridge segment was erected on land and moved to barges for transport to jobsite, where it was jacked into place.
www.construction.com
Clean Air: EPA Seeks Refinery, Factory Rule Change.
The Environmental Protection Agency wants to revise "new source review" requirements to make it easier for refineries and large manufacturers to modify plants without triggering Clean Air Act provisions for pollution control equipment and permits.
EPA's proposal, announced Sept. 8, contains three NSR changes that the agency believes would boost industry investment in energy-efficient and lower-emission technologies. One change would let plant owners or operators modify one part of a plant to increase production in other areas that were not updated. Under this "de-bottlenecking" provision, the unaltered parts of the plant could avoid NSR requirements if its emissions already were covered in an existing permit.
Another provision would allow EPA to view multiple, related projects at one facility as a single project when weighing NSR requirements. The agency also is proposing to simplify "netting," or how it calculates whether NSR applies to a project when emission level increases and decreases are added together.
EPA will take comments on the plan for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register later this month.
Oil refiners, petrochemical companies and other manufacturers praised the proposed rule. National Association of Manufacturers President John Engler called it "an important step toward cutting the red tape in the regulatory process and ensuring that regulations are understandable."
To meet higher demand and requests by Congress and other policy makers, U.S. oil refiners plan to boost their capacity by 8%, or 1.4 million barrels per day, according to the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association. "The new EPA proposals will help the industry respond to these official calls for increased refining capacity," says NPRA President Bob Slaughter.
But environmental groups see EPA's proposal as giving industry another opportunity to postpone installing pollution control equipment. "The EPA is once again ignoring science and the impacts on public health in favor of increasing industry profits," contends Alice McKeown, a Sierra Club air issues specialist.
www.construction.com
25 Trapped in China Tunnel Collapse
BEIJING - Firefighters and construction workers rushed Tuesday to dig out 25 road workers trapped after a tunnel collapsed in southwest China, local officials and media said.
The collapse occurred early Monday on a highway linking the cities of Guangnan and Yanshan in Yunnan province, said Lu Ying, a spokeswoman with the Guangnan Work Safety Bureau.
Lu said 26 people had been in the tunnel when it collapsed but one managed to escape. Fresh air, as well as food and drink were being piped into the remaining 25 trapped workers in the 165-foot-long tunnel, she said.
Rescuers at the scene were having trouble communicating by their mobile phones, she said, so she did not know if anyone had been pulled out Tuesday.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported late Monday that rescuers said the trapped workers were "all alive and they should survive."
Yunnan's local Life Express newspaper said on its Web site that one of the construction company's drivers, Li Zhiyong, said he noticed a fissure inside the tunnel that had been grown wider every day.
Xinhua said the cause of the collapse was under investigation.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
www.construction.com
Sub Surface - Industry Experts Create Best Conference Yet!
8 Tracks and 51 sessions developed by industry experts Walt Kelly and Dr. David Bennett will give you the information to succeed! This year's conference tracks include:
Common Ground Alliance / One-Call Issues
The Common Ground Alliance and One-Call Issues track has the latest information on damage reports and the status of state laws. In addition, you can hear about the new 811 system for giving excavation notices and a favorite annual session on how the "one-call" process really works.
Engineering, Design & Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)
Looking for the latest technical information and case studies on hot topics such as Ground Penetrating Radar and Subsurface Utility Engineering? You will find it in this set of sessions!
Excavation Issues
Today's excavator faces many challenges while simply digging a hole: from OSHA requirements to working with underground utility operators and occasionally dealing with damage claims. This track of sessions will give you some great tools for your business-survival toolbox.
Legal & Regulatory
This track will present the latest in federal and state regulatory initiatives plus practical information on the legal process that you will want to know prior to having to deal with damage claims. Numerous case studies and even a "sample" trial will keep these top-ranked sessions updated and interesting!
Locating & Marking
This track includes several new sessions on new topics this year. Hear about school curriculums for teaching damage prevention, new concepts in locating equipment, and some of the dangers locators face.
Mapping Solutions & Asset Management
A computer can handle huge amounts of information from many sources to give a lot of "Who, What, When" information. When you combine that with GPS technology's ability to tell you "Where," you have the answer to many underground challenges. This track contains several case studies with photos of products and technology currently in use.
Trenchless New Installations
As the urban underground becomes more and more crowded with utilities, the importance of accurately installing new utilities that avoid unexpected encounters with existing utilities becomes increasingly important. Not only must existing utilities be avoided, but sufficient clearance must be provided to avoid excessive settlements or heave that could damage the utilities. The new installations track focuses on prevention issues and applications of trenchless construction methods for pipelines and cables in urban congested areas.
Trenchless Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation of existing pipelines offers an alternative and often less costly solution for renewing underground infrastructure without digging and replacing pipelines. Rehabilitation methods such as pipe bursting, cured-in-place rehabilitation, and slip lining allow the service lives of existing pipelines to be greatly extended with minimal disruption to the surface and existing infrastructure. Clearly, when a pipe can be renewed in the same location and alignment as the existing pipeline, the potential risks to adjacent utilities can be greatly reduced. Strikes can be almost eliminated, and potential settlement/heave damage can be substantially reduced with good design and construction practices. The rehabilitation track focuses on good rehabilitation practices.
www.damageprevention.com
The Construction Distribution Industry
Sunbelt rentals acquires NationsRents
Sunbelt Rentals, a subsidiary of Ashtead Group, PLC, has announced that it is acquiring NationsRents, formng the third largest equipment rental company in the United States. After the acquisition, the combined companies will operate 477 outlets in 35 states and employ more than 7,000 people.
Klein Tools moves its Illinois headquarters
Klein Tools has moved its corporate headquarters from Skokie, IL to a new, 64,000-square-foot facility on a 7-acre site in Lincolnshire, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago.
In addition to the new office space, a 57,000-square-foot multipurpose building was also added.
The company's Skokie facility will maintain manufacturing capabilities in the existing 225,000-square-foot building.
The Lincolnshire headquarters will house the executive team, domestic and international sales and marketing, corporate human resources, customer service, purchasing and all financial and IT support.
Simpson Strong-Tie opens metro Minneapolis facilties
Simpson Strong-Tie has opened a 56,000-square-foot distribution center and training facility in Eagan, MN. The new warehouse will fill orders for customers in Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin — taking over this role from the company's warehouse in Columbus, OH.
"We are committed to providing our customers with the best, most cost-effective product soultions, and this location will enable us to turnaround product orders much more quickly," points out Murray Daniels, branch manager from the Columbus facility.
"Serving customers in this territory from Columbus could mean delivery of orders in five to eight business days," adds Curt Johnson, senior territory manager. "Now, from Eagan, we can turn the same orders in just three days — we're cutting lead time in half."
In addition to the warehouse, there's a 2,000-square-foot training facility in the new Eagan operation. Here, specifiers, inspectors, dealers and contractors will be able to attend workshops and other hands-on educational events.
NAW publishes book on managing distributor/manufacturer conflicts
Based on a year-long research study, Working at Cross-Purposes: How Distributors and Manufacturers Can Manage Conflict Successfully, is designed to be a guide to understanding what really drives distributor-supplier relationships; how often they go bad; and why.
The book was written by Mike Marks, Tim Horan and Mike Emerson of the Indian River Consulting Group, Melbourne, FL. In it, they explore what they call the fallacy of "win-win" and provide diagnostic tools to evaluate relationships distributors may have with suppliers, and offer ideas on how to go "from disfunctional to effective."
UASI sets records in 2005
Whether measured in sales revenue or percentage growth, 2005 was a record-setting year for UASI, a multistate distributor specializing in personal protection gear.
In the past year, UASI opened a new 30,000-square-foot distribution center in Wilmington, OH, the first of a planned expansion program. It also has distribution centers in Los Angeles; Sparks, NV; Houston; Atlanta; Oakland, NJ; and in Ontario, Canada.
www.constructiondist.com
John Deere, QUALCOMM to create system for remote machine monitoring
John Deere Construction & Forestry Co. and QUALCOMM Inc., a provider of business-to-business wireless enterprise platforms, applications and services, announce an alliance to create an equipment and machine monitoring and information delivery system that will be sold across North America by certified John Deere construction and forestry dealers. Beginning in the fall of 2006, customers can order factory- or dealer-installed JDLink on select John Deere construction and forestry equipment.
JDLink automatically collects, transmits and manages information about where and how construction and forestry equipment is being used, as well as critical machine health data for superior equipment utilization, improved productivity and increased revenue. The system leverages QUALCOMM's GlobalTRACS equipment management system to provide customers with vital information about equipment location, machine health and service status. Additionally, it issues special alerts to notify customers if equipment moves outside pre-set boundaries.
"Having this realtime information system will enable customers to save time and costs, maximize their equipment utilization and uptime, and improve their overall service," says Ken Poppe, product marketing manager, advanced technology for John Deere Construction & Forestry Co.
Four levels of service will be offered with JDLink. The Standard level will provide owners with machine location status, machine service hours and location monitoring capabilities. The Advanced level of service will provide customers with the Standard level, plus dash indicators and fuel and equipment utilization information via engine load monitoring. The Ultimate level of service expands upon these offerings by adding current and stored monitoring of component pressures and temperatures, fuel consumption, as well as transmission gear selection and full-featured diagnostic information retrieval. The Direct level enables customers to download machine operating history and diagnostics directly to a laptop. The Advanced, Ultimate and Direct levels of service will be available in 2007 on select models of John Deere construction and forestry equipment; the Standard level of service will be available in the fall of 2006.
www.qualcomm.com
New parts distribution center to be built for Link-Belt
LBX Co., makers of Link-Belt equipment, announces the start of construction of a 50,000 sq. ft. service parts distribution center to be located at its recently completed corporate headquarters in Lexington, KY.
The center will be operational in the first quarter of 2007, and will handle private label packaging, inventory warehousing and management, inspection and reworking of returned products, and service parts distribution services to support LBX's parts dealers throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The LBX parts distribution center will utilize state-of-the-art equipment, parts handling methods and systems to provide its dealers with the highest level of responsiveness and parts availability.
"Our recent move to our new corporate headquarters provided us with an opportunity to expand our services to dealers," says Bob Harvell, CEO and president of LBX. "We believe the addition of a parts distribution center on site will establish LBX as among the most customer responsive equipment manufacturers in North America."
www.linkbelt.com
Case awarded contract to resent 200 M4K forklifts
In its sixth U.S. Military contract in recent months, Case Construction Equipment has been selected by the U.S. Army TACOM (Tank, Automotive and Armaments Command) to RESET more than 200 M4K Rough-Terrain Forklifts to mission-capable condition. The contract, which will be fulfilled over a three-year period, is valued at $15.5 million.
Deployed with the U.S. Army since the 1980s, these Case forklifts have been used by U.S. forces to handle materials and supplies around the globe. "The Case M4K is unique in its ability to stack pallets two high and four wide, inside military shipping containers," says Bill Thompson, manager, Defense Products Group, CNH America.
"RESET" is a military term that defines a level of refurbishing designed to restore older equipment to provide renewed performance. The RESET process involves the complete disassembly; inspection and repair or replacement of damaged components; reassembly, and testing to ensure the equipment meets original performance specifications.
As with several previous Case contracts with the military, this work is being completed at the Case Remanufacturing Center in Fort McCoy, WI, using Case and contract employees, many of whom are current or retired members of the U.S. Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
In addition to employing local current and retired military personnel, these Case programs utilize parts, components and supplies manufactured or purchased in the local area.
Thompson noted that employing local personnel and purchasing supplies and services from area businesses provides an estimated $2.5 million annual boost to the regional economy. Current Case contracts with the U.S. Military include the remanufacture of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the National Guard, RESET of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the U.S. Army TACOM and supply of 500 engine repower kits for the Case M4K Rough-terrain Forklift.
www.oemoffhighway.com
Fluid Power Expo
Plan to attend the Fluid Power Expo held October 3 & 4 in Cleveland, OH. Be a part of this exciting event that will showcase 16 solution seminars on a variety of topics from fluid power fundamentals to compressed air preparation, motion control basics to hydraulic systems filtration, and much, much more.
THE industry meeting place where attendees can see new products, build valuable relationships, hear about major industry trends & issues, and invest in their business future.
Attend expanded and comprehensive seminar program, which features more sessions, more networking events and additional workshops!
* How-to Sessions
* Case Studies
* Shirtsleeves Workshops
* Roundtable Discussions
www.fluidpowerexpo.com
ConExpo Asia 2007
The next ConExpo Asia will be held on the 4 – 7 December, 2007 at the Chinese Export Commodities Fair (CECF) Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou, China.
Announcing the dates and location this week, Rod Beeler, chairman of the ConExpo Asia 2007 Management Committee, said, ConExpo Asia 2007 will feature the latest technologies and innovations in construction-related equipment, products and services from both Chinese and non-Chinese manufacturers. Educational programs and working equipment demonstrations will also give visitors the chance to increase their industry knowledge and see the machines in action, added Mr Beeler.
“The show is more than exhibits. It’s all about knowledge-sharing and access to global industry best practices, to help companies better utilize the safety, efficiency and productivity advances of equipment and products on display. This is the real value of ConExpo Asia,” said Mr Beeler.
The show is produced by the US Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), which conducted the inaugural ConExpo Asia in May 2006 in Beijing, China. AEM is once again partnering with the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) to produce ConExpo Asia.
Six new Link-Belt cranes
Next month Link-Belt will introduce six new cranes at its CraneFest ’06 event at the company’s Kentucky, US, factory on 10 and 11 October.
With the exception of the new TCC 450 telescopic crawler crane, the company has kept tightly under wraps the types and capacities of the new cranes. A new attachment will also be launched.
Details of the cranes will appear on www.khl.com and the November issue of International Cranes and Specialized Transport magazine will contain a full review of the event.
Developments at Kato
Kato Works exhibited three new cranes at the recent Conet exhibition in Japan. Largest of the three was the 65 tonne capacity SL-650R truck crane. A notable feature is the three section telescopic hydraulic jib that raises the maximum hook height to 58.6 m from the 44.5 m for the main boom only.
Also on display was the MR-350SL, pictured, from Kato’s city crane range. Like the SL-650R, this 35 tonne capacity unit has a three-stage fly jib that increases hook height from 33.4 to a maximum of 47.3 m. Also on display was the 13 tonne MR-130 city crane.
All three cranes are designed for the Japanese market and, Kiyohiko Akagi, manager of Kato’s overseas marketing department, said, “We are ready to export if there is demand but truck cranes like the SL-650R are only really popular in the US and Japan.” This partly explains why the company has pulled back from the European market in recent years. Akagi explained, “We have sold a lot of cranes in Europe over the years, but we are not active at the moment because of the CE-mark requirement.” Akagi continued, “I think this will change in a year or two.”
Whether Kato comes back to Europe remains to be seen. In the meantime, the company is seeing an improvement in its domestic sales. “Business is getting a lot better in Japan. It’s slowly improving from the low point three years ago,” Akagi said.
Like other manufacturers, Kato is finding it difficult to source some key components to help it keep up with demand for new cranes. “It is difficult to get materials, especially tyres and high strength steel,” Akagi explained.
Grove launches 35 ton RT
Grove is launching its RT535E, a new 35 ton capacity rough-terrain crane that will be built at the company’s manufacturing facility in Shady Grove, PA. The new model features a four-section 102 foot full-power boom, and offers a a 26 to 45 foot offsettable swingaway extension giving the RT535E a maximum possible tip height of 154 feet.
The company says that the crane’s rectangular boom is made of high-strength steel, which offers weight savings and improved lifting capacity. The new machine features a new cab design with a streamlined dashboard control panel. The RT535E also features a Work Area Definition System, allowing the operator to pre-set safe working areas.
Maximum line pull from the main hoist is 11,640 lb, while maximum line speed is 445 feet per minute. The RT535E uses 0.6 inch wire rope and can accommodate 450 feet of rope on both the main and auxiliary hoists. The crane is powered by a Cummins QSB 5.9 liter six-cylinder diesel engine which offers 155 hp at 2,500 rpm. The crane can travel at a maximum speed of 25 mph.
Doyle Bryant, director of product development and marketing for Grove, said the new crane fits well into the company’s product range between its existing 30 and 40 ton cranes. Bryant expects interest in the new unit to be worldwide.
Finning sells UK forklift division
Finning (UK) Ltd has sold its material handling division to US company Sammons Enterprises for ?85 million. The division was one of the largest industrial forklift rental companies in the UK with a fleet of over 25000 units and approximately 1000 employees.
Finning (UK) said the sale would free up capital and management resources for its main UK businesses, the Caterpillar dealership and Hewden, the equipment rental company.
Nick Lloyd, Finning Group UK managing director, said; "The sale of Materials Handling will allow us to focus on growing those areas where we are committed to market leadership, most particularly the sales and servicing of other Caterpillar products and the rental solutions business [Hewden]."
Finning UK is owned by Finning in Canada, which is the world's largest Caterpillar dealer.
The new US owner of the fork lift truck business - which includes both sale and rental of forklifts - is Sammons Enterprises of Dallas, Texas. Sammons also owns Briggs Equipment, which is one of the largest material handling equipment distributors in the US and a dealer for Yale fork lifts.
Dave Bratton, president of Briggs Equipment in the US, and who will be a director of the new UK business, Briggs Equipment UK, said; "This acquisition has excellent potential for the employees and customers as well as equipment distribution division of Sammons. We see a number of similarities between Briggs Equipment UK and the Briggs Equipment operations in the US and Mexico. I anticipate that we will learn from each other, using the best practices of both companies to set the standard in material handling.”
Sunbelt-NationsRent aerials push
Sunbelt Rentals could open at least 14 new specialist aerial platform rental locations in the US following Ashtead Group’s acquisition of NationsRent. Sunbelt, which is owned by Ashtead, is now being integrated with NationsRent, which will create a US fleet of around 30000 aerial platforms, the second largest in the world.
Sunbelt has at least one specialist AWP location at each of its store clusters – groups of 10 to 15 branches in major metropolitan areas – and the addition of NationsRent will add a further 14 clusters to the business. NationsRent only operated general rental stores.
George Burnett, Ashtead’s chief executive, interviewed in the September issue of Access International, said the specialist store concept will be retained and extended into the new NationsRent locations, which will be rebranded as Sunbelt Rentals. “There will be the opportunity for more specialist AWP businesses”, he said, “The question is should we take some of that [NationsRent] equipment and put it into new specialist locations, or should we have specialist depots on top of the current level of [AWP] business.”
With the acquisition completed, Ashtead has embarked on the integration of Sunbelt and NationsRent. This, said Mr Burnett, would be made easier by the “extraordinary fit” between the two that will see just 25 store closures, and the fact both use Wynne Systems rental software.
Mr Burnett said Ashtead was keeping “an open mind” on NationsRent’s strategy of selling new equipment, including JLG lifts. “We will genuinely look at it, but we need to make sure that the right people are doing the right things. It’s difficult to have a sales force with ambiguous goals.”
The full interview with Mr Burnett, which also touches on Ashtead’s plans for A-Plant in the UK, appears in the September issue of Access International
www.khl.com
In an operation that altered the landscape of Providence, R.I. overnight, a contractor late last month wheeled a 5.5-million-lb bridge section onto specially equipped barges, then placed it onto 30-ft-tall piers as part of an $85-million contract.
The section is a 450-ft long, 160-ft wide, 85-ft high cable-stayed arched steel span. It is part of a 1,235-ft-long bridge, including steel box girders and precast concrete spans, that will carry a relocated section of Interstate 195 across the Providence River. Cardi Corp., Warwick, R.I., started work in winter 2003 on the key component of a $550-million program to replace the existing I-95 and I-195 inter-
change. Cardi opted to build the section off site. “When we put the contract out, we knew there was a possibility that someone might want to build it off site, so we had provisions in the contract to have land secured,” says James Caroselli, Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation chief civil engineer of construction operations.
The bridge was constructed at a former Seabees station in Quonset, R.I. “We built the bridge on temporary supports. The bridge sat on the bearings as we built it,” says Steve Cardi, executive vice president. During the construction process, meetings were held every month for two years to plan the move, he says.
Dutch subcontractor Mammoet brought in transporters—steel platforms mounted on multiple sets of wheels using independent hydraulic suspensions to maintain level—to move the section onto two 300 x 90-ft barges. “The two barges were linked like a catamaran with two crane booms and a pin connection,” says Cardi. Pumps moved ballast water in the barge to counteract the bridge’s weight. Then, the barges were towed to the jobsite where the bridge section was lifted and placed onto piers.
“We first installed [six] jacking towers up to a height of 30 feet,” says Cardi. Strand jacks on the towers lifted the section. Transporters, with attached cribbing and support structures, finished placement. The bridge was jacked up in 20-in. increments. Winches were used to slowly move the bridge into its proper alignment before crews lowered the bridge into place, using a low tide and ballast water to adjust placement.
The Aug. 28 installation went off perfectly, says Caroselli.
While the move itself went smoothly, the project encountered other challenges. Cardi’s contract rose to $93 million after it was forced to excavate submerged sheeting from an old hurricane barrier adjacent to the jobsite and from rising materials costs.
Arched bridge segment was erected on land and moved to barges for transport to jobsite, where it was jacked into place.
www.construction.com
The section is a 450-ft long, 160-ft wide, 85-ft high cable-stayed arched steel span. It is part of a 1,235-ft-long bridge, including steel box girders and precast concrete spans, that will carry a relocated section of Interstate 195 across the Providence River. Cardi Corp., Warwick, R.I., started work in winter 2003 on the key component of a $550-million program to replace the existing I-95 and I-195 inter-
change. Cardi opted to build the section off site. “When we put the contract out, we knew there was a possibility that someone might want to build it off site, so we had provisions in the contract to have land secured,” says James Caroselli, Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation chief civil engineer of construction operations.
The bridge was constructed at a former Seabees station in Quonset, R.I. “We built the bridge on temporary supports. The bridge sat on the bearings as we built it,” says Steve Cardi, executive vice president. During the construction process, meetings were held every month for two years to plan the move, he says.
Dutch subcontractor Mammoet brought in transporters—steel platforms mounted on multiple sets of wheels using independent hydraulic suspensions to maintain level—to move the section onto two 300 x 90-ft barges. “The two barges were linked like a catamaran with two crane booms and a pin connection,” says Cardi. Pumps moved ballast water in the barge to counteract the bridge’s weight. Then, the barges were towed to the jobsite where the bridge section was lifted and placed onto piers.
“We first installed [six] jacking towers up to a height of 30 feet,” says Cardi. Strand jacks on the towers lifted the section. Transporters, with attached cribbing and support structures, finished placement. The bridge was jacked up in 20-in. increments. Winches were used to slowly move the bridge into its proper alignment before crews lowered the bridge into place, using a low tide and ballast water to adjust placement.
The Aug. 28 installation went off perfectly, says Caroselli.
While the move itself went smoothly, the project encountered other challenges. Cardi’s contract rose to $93 million after it was forced to excavate submerged sheeting from an old hurricane barrier adjacent to the jobsite and from rising materials costs.
Arched bridge segment was erected on land and moved to barges for transport to jobsite, where it was jacked into place.
www.construction.com
Clean Air: EPA Seeks Refinery, Factory Rule Change.
The Environmental Protection Agency wants to revise "new source review" requirements to make it easier for refineries and large manufacturers to modify plants without triggering Clean Air Act provisions for pollution control equipment and permits.
EPA's proposal, announced Sept. 8, contains three NSR changes that the agency believes would boost industry investment in energy-efficient and lower-emission technologies. One change would let plant owners or operators modify one part of a plant to increase production in other areas that were not updated. Under this "de-bottlenecking" provision, the unaltered parts of the plant could avoid NSR requirements if its emissions already were covered in an existing permit.
Another provision would allow EPA to view multiple, related projects at one facility as a single project when weighing NSR requirements. The agency also is proposing to simplify "netting," or how it calculates whether NSR applies to a project when emission level increases and decreases are added together.
EPA will take comments on the plan for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register later this month.
Oil refiners, petrochemical companies and other manufacturers praised the proposed rule. National Association of Manufacturers President John Engler called it "an important step toward cutting the red tape in the regulatory process and ensuring that regulations are understandable."
To meet higher demand and requests by Congress and other policy makers, U.S. oil refiners plan to boost their capacity by 8%, or 1.4 million barrels per day, according to the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association. "The new EPA proposals will help the industry respond to these official calls for increased refining capacity," says NPRA President Bob Slaughter.
But environmental groups see EPA's proposal as giving industry another opportunity to postpone installing pollution control equipment. "The EPA is once again ignoring science and the impacts on public health in favor of increasing industry profits," contends Alice McKeown, a Sierra Club air issues specialist.
www.construction.com
25 Trapped in China Tunnel Collapse
BEIJING - Firefighters and construction workers rushed Tuesday to dig out 25 road workers trapped after a tunnel collapsed in southwest China, local officials and media said.
The collapse occurred early Monday on a highway linking the cities of Guangnan and Yanshan in Yunnan province, said Lu Ying, a spokeswoman with the Guangnan Work Safety Bureau.
Lu said 26 people had been in the tunnel when it collapsed but one managed to escape. Fresh air, as well as food and drink were being piped into the remaining 25 trapped workers in the 165-foot-long tunnel, she said.
Rescuers at the scene were having trouble communicating by their mobile phones, she said, so she did not know if anyone had been pulled out Tuesday.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported late Monday that rescuers said the trapped workers were "all alive and they should survive."
Yunnan's local Life Express newspaper said on its Web site that one of the construction company's drivers, Li Zhiyong, said he noticed a fissure inside the tunnel that had been grown wider every day.
Xinhua said the cause of the collapse was under investigation.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
www.construction.com
Sub Surface - Industry Experts Create Best Conference Yet!
8 Tracks and 51 sessions developed by industry experts Walt Kelly and Dr. David Bennett will give you the information to succeed! This year's conference tracks include:
Common Ground Alliance / One-Call Issues
The Common Ground Alliance and One-Call Issues track has the latest information on damage reports and the status of state laws. In addition, you can hear about the new 811 system for giving excavation notices and a favorite annual session on how the "one-call" process really works.
Engineering, Design & Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)
Looking for the latest technical information and case studies on hot topics such as Ground Penetrating Radar and Subsurface Utility Engineering? You will find it in this set of sessions!
Excavation Issues
Today's excavator faces many challenges while simply digging a hole: from OSHA requirements to working with underground utility operators and occasionally dealing with damage claims. This track of sessions will give you some great tools for your business-survival toolbox.
Legal & Regulatory
This track will present the latest in federal and state regulatory initiatives plus practical information on the legal process that you will want to know prior to having to deal with damage claims. Numerous case studies and even a "sample" trial will keep these top-ranked sessions updated and interesting!
Locating & Marking
This track includes several new sessions on new topics this year. Hear about school curriculums for teaching damage prevention, new concepts in locating equipment, and some of the dangers locators face.
Mapping Solutions & Asset Management
A computer can handle huge amounts of information from many sources to give a lot of "Who, What, When" information. When you combine that with GPS technology's ability to tell you "Where," you have the answer to many underground challenges. This track contains several case studies with photos of products and technology currently in use.
Trenchless New Installations
As the urban underground becomes more and more crowded with utilities, the importance of accurately installing new utilities that avoid unexpected encounters with existing utilities becomes increasingly important. Not only must existing utilities be avoided, but sufficient clearance must be provided to avoid excessive settlements or heave that could damage the utilities. The new installations track focuses on prevention issues and applications of trenchless construction methods for pipelines and cables in urban congested areas.
Trenchless Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation of existing pipelines offers an alternative and often less costly solution for renewing underground infrastructure without digging and replacing pipelines. Rehabilitation methods such as pipe bursting, cured-in-place rehabilitation, and slip lining allow the service lives of existing pipelines to be greatly extended with minimal disruption to the surface and existing infrastructure. Clearly, when a pipe can be renewed in the same location and alignment as the existing pipeline, the potential risks to adjacent utilities can be greatly reduced. Strikes can be almost eliminated, and potential settlement/heave damage can be substantially reduced with good design and construction practices. The rehabilitation track focuses on good rehabilitation practices.
www.damageprevention.com
The Construction Distribution Industry
Sunbelt rentals acquires NationsRents
Sunbelt Rentals, a subsidiary of Ashtead Group, PLC, has announced that it is acquiring NationsRents, formng the third largest equipment rental company in the United States. After the acquisition, the combined companies will operate 477 outlets in 35 states and employ more than 7,000 people.
Klein Tools moves its Illinois headquarters
Klein Tools has moved its corporate headquarters from Skokie, IL to a new, 64,000-square-foot facility on a 7-acre site in Lincolnshire, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago.
In addition to the new office space, a 57,000-square-foot multipurpose building was also added.
The company's Skokie facility will maintain manufacturing capabilities in the existing 225,000-square-foot building.
The Lincolnshire headquarters will house the executive team, domestic and international sales and marketing, corporate human resources, customer service, purchasing and all financial and IT support.
Simpson Strong-Tie opens metro Minneapolis facilties
Simpson Strong-Tie has opened a 56,000-square-foot distribution center and training facility in Eagan, MN. The new warehouse will fill orders for customers in Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin — taking over this role from the company's warehouse in Columbus, OH.
"We are committed to providing our customers with the best, most cost-effective product soultions, and this location will enable us to turnaround product orders much more quickly," points out Murray Daniels, branch manager from the Columbus facility.
"Serving customers in this territory from Columbus could mean delivery of orders in five to eight business days," adds Curt Johnson, senior territory manager. "Now, from Eagan, we can turn the same orders in just three days — we're cutting lead time in half."
In addition to the warehouse, there's a 2,000-square-foot training facility in the new Eagan operation. Here, specifiers, inspectors, dealers and contractors will be able to attend workshops and other hands-on educational events.
NAW publishes book on managing distributor/manufacturer conflicts
Based on a year-long research study, Working at Cross-Purposes: How Distributors and Manufacturers Can Manage Conflict Successfully, is designed to be a guide to understanding what really drives distributor-supplier relationships; how often they go bad; and why.
The book was written by Mike Marks, Tim Horan and Mike Emerson of the Indian River Consulting Group, Melbourne, FL. In it, they explore what they call the fallacy of "win-win" and provide diagnostic tools to evaluate relationships distributors may have with suppliers, and offer ideas on how to go "from disfunctional to effective."
UASI sets records in 2005
Whether measured in sales revenue or percentage growth, 2005 was a record-setting year for UASI, a multistate distributor specializing in personal protection gear.
In the past year, UASI opened a new 30,000-square-foot distribution center in Wilmington, OH, the first of a planned expansion program. It also has distribution centers in Los Angeles; Sparks, NV; Houston; Atlanta; Oakland, NJ; and in Ontario, Canada.
www.constructiondist.com
John Deere, QUALCOMM to create system for remote machine monitoring
John Deere Construction & Forestry Co. and QUALCOMM Inc., a provider of business-to-business wireless enterprise platforms, applications and services, announce an alliance to create an equipment and machine monitoring and information delivery system that will be sold across North America by certified John Deere construction and forestry dealers. Beginning in the fall of 2006, customers can order factory- or dealer-installed JDLink on select John Deere construction and forestry equipment.
JDLink automatically collects, transmits and manages information about where and how construction and forestry equipment is being used, as well as critical machine health data for superior equipment utilization, improved productivity and increased revenue. The system leverages QUALCOMM's GlobalTRACS equipment management system to provide customers with vital information about equipment location, machine health and service status. Additionally, it issues special alerts to notify customers if equipment moves outside pre-set boundaries.
"Having this realtime information system will enable customers to save time and costs, maximize their equipment utilization and uptime, and improve their overall service," says Ken Poppe, product marketing manager, advanced technology for John Deere Construction & Forestry Co.
Four levels of service will be offered with JDLink. The Standard level will provide owners with machine location status, machine service hours and location monitoring capabilities. The Advanced level of service will provide customers with the Standard level, plus dash indicators and fuel and equipment utilization information via engine load monitoring. The Ultimate level of service expands upon these offerings by adding current and stored monitoring of component pressures and temperatures, fuel consumption, as well as transmission gear selection and full-featured diagnostic information retrieval. The Direct level enables customers to download machine operating history and diagnostics directly to a laptop. The Advanced, Ultimate and Direct levels of service will be available in 2007 on select models of John Deere construction and forestry equipment; the Standard level of service will be available in the fall of 2006.
www.qualcomm.com
New parts distribution center to be built for Link-Belt
LBX Co., makers of Link-Belt equipment, announces the start of construction of a 50,000 sq. ft. service parts distribution center to be located at its recently completed corporate headquarters in Lexington, KY.
The center will be operational in the first quarter of 2007, and will handle private label packaging, inventory warehousing and management, inspection and reworking of returned products, and service parts distribution services to support LBX's parts dealers throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The LBX parts distribution center will utilize state-of-the-art equipment, parts handling methods and systems to provide its dealers with the highest level of responsiveness and parts availability.
"Our recent move to our new corporate headquarters provided us with an opportunity to expand our services to dealers," says Bob Harvell, CEO and president of LBX. "We believe the addition of a parts distribution center on site will establish LBX as among the most customer responsive equipment manufacturers in North America."
www.linkbelt.com
Case awarded contract to resent 200 M4K forklifts
In its sixth U.S. Military contract in recent months, Case Construction Equipment has been selected by the U.S. Army TACOM (Tank, Automotive and Armaments Command) to RESET more than 200 M4K Rough-Terrain Forklifts to mission-capable condition. The contract, which will be fulfilled over a three-year period, is valued at $15.5 million.
Deployed with the U.S. Army since the 1980s, these Case forklifts have been used by U.S. forces to handle materials and supplies around the globe. "The Case M4K is unique in its ability to stack pallets two high and four wide, inside military shipping containers," says Bill Thompson, manager, Defense Products Group, CNH America.
"RESET" is a military term that defines a level of refurbishing designed to restore older equipment to provide renewed performance. The RESET process involves the complete disassembly; inspection and repair or replacement of damaged components; reassembly, and testing to ensure the equipment meets original performance specifications.
As with several previous Case contracts with the military, this work is being completed at the Case Remanufacturing Center in Fort McCoy, WI, using Case and contract employees, many of whom are current or retired members of the U.S. Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
In addition to employing local current and retired military personnel, these Case programs utilize parts, components and supplies manufactured or purchased in the local area.
Thompson noted that employing local personnel and purchasing supplies and services from area businesses provides an estimated $2.5 million annual boost to the regional economy. Current Case contracts with the U.S. Military include the remanufacture of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the National Guard, RESET of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the U.S. Army TACOM and supply of 500 engine repower kits for the Case M4K Rough-terrain Forklift.
www.oemoffhighway.com
Fluid Power Expo
Plan to attend the Fluid Power Expo held October 3 & 4 in Cleveland, OH. Be a part of this exciting event that will showcase 16 solution seminars on a variety of topics from fluid power fundamentals to compressed air preparation, motion control basics to hydraulic systems filtration, and much, much more.
THE industry meeting place where attendees can see new products, build valuable relationships, hear about major industry trends & issues, and invest in their business future.
Attend expanded and comprehensive seminar program, which features more sessions, more networking events and additional workshops!
* How-to Sessions
* Case Studies
* Shirtsleeves Workshops
* Roundtable Discussions
www.fluidpowerexpo.com
EPA's proposal, announced Sept. 8, contains three NSR changes that the agency believes would boost industry investment in energy-efficient and lower-emission technologies. One change would let plant owners or operators modify one part of a plant to increase production in other areas that were not updated. Under this "de-bottlenecking" provision, the unaltered parts of the plant could avoid NSR requirements if its emissions already were covered in an existing permit.
Another provision would allow EPA to view multiple, related projects at one facility as a single project when weighing NSR requirements. The agency also is proposing to simplify "netting," or how it calculates whether NSR applies to a project when emission level increases and decreases are added together.
EPA will take comments on the plan for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register later this month.
Oil refiners, petrochemical companies and other manufacturers praised the proposed rule. National Association of Manufacturers President John Engler called it "an important step toward cutting the red tape in the regulatory process and ensuring that regulations are understandable."
To meet higher demand and requests by Congress and other policy makers, U.S. oil refiners plan to boost their capacity by 8%, or 1.4 million barrels per day, according to the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association. "The new EPA proposals will help the industry respond to these official calls for increased refining capacity," says NPRA President Bob Slaughter.
But environmental groups see EPA's proposal as giving industry another opportunity to postpone installing pollution control equipment. "The EPA is once again ignoring science and the impacts on public health in favor of increasing industry profits," contends Alice McKeown, a Sierra Club air issues specialist.
www.construction.com
BEIJING - Firefighters and construction workers rushed Tuesday to dig out 25 road workers trapped after a tunnel collapsed in southwest China, local officials and media said.
The collapse occurred early Monday on a highway linking the cities of Guangnan and Yanshan in Yunnan province, said Lu Ying, a spokeswoman with the Guangnan Work Safety Bureau.
Lu said 26 people had been in the tunnel when it collapsed but one managed to escape. Fresh air, as well as food and drink were being piped into the remaining 25 trapped workers in the 165-foot-long tunnel, she said.
Rescuers at the scene were having trouble communicating by their mobile phones, she said, so she did not know if anyone had been pulled out Tuesday.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported late Monday that rescuers said the trapped workers were "all alive and they should survive."
Yunnan's local Life Express newspaper said on its Web site that one of the construction company's drivers, Li Zhiyong, said he noticed a fissure inside the tunnel that had been grown wider every day.
Xinhua said the cause of the collapse was under investigation.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
www.construction.com
The collapse occurred early Monday on a highway linking the cities of Guangnan and Yanshan in Yunnan province, said Lu Ying, a spokeswoman with the Guangnan Work Safety Bureau.
Lu said 26 people had been in the tunnel when it collapsed but one managed to escape. Fresh air, as well as food and drink were being piped into the remaining 25 trapped workers in the 165-foot-long tunnel, she said.
Rescuers at the scene were having trouble communicating by their mobile phones, she said, so she did not know if anyone had been pulled out Tuesday.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported late Monday that rescuers said the trapped workers were "all alive and they should survive."
Yunnan's local Life Express newspaper said on its Web site that one of the construction company's drivers, Li Zhiyong, said he noticed a fissure inside the tunnel that had been grown wider every day.
Xinhua said the cause of the collapse was under investigation.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
www.construction.com
Sub Surface - Industry Experts Create Best Conference Yet!
8 Tracks and 51 sessions developed by industry experts Walt Kelly and Dr. David Bennett will give you the information to succeed! This year's conference tracks include:
Common Ground Alliance / One-Call Issues
The Common Ground Alliance and One-Call Issues track has the latest information on damage reports and the status of state laws. In addition, you can hear about the new 811 system for giving excavation notices and a favorite annual session on how the "one-call" process really works.
Engineering, Design & Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)
Looking for the latest technical information and case studies on hot topics such as Ground Penetrating Radar and Subsurface Utility Engineering? You will find it in this set of sessions!
Excavation Issues
Today's excavator faces many challenges while simply digging a hole: from OSHA requirements to working with underground utility operators and occasionally dealing with damage claims. This track of sessions will give you some great tools for your business-survival toolbox.
Legal & Regulatory
This track will present the latest in federal and state regulatory initiatives plus practical information on the legal process that you will want to know prior to having to deal with damage claims. Numerous case studies and even a "sample" trial will keep these top-ranked sessions updated and interesting!
Locating & Marking
This track includes several new sessions on new topics this year. Hear about school curriculums for teaching damage prevention, new concepts in locating equipment, and some of the dangers locators face.
Mapping Solutions & Asset Management
A computer can handle huge amounts of information from many sources to give a lot of "Who, What, When" information. When you combine that with GPS technology's ability to tell you "Where," you have the answer to many underground challenges. This track contains several case studies with photos of products and technology currently in use.
Trenchless New Installations
As the urban underground becomes more and more crowded with utilities, the importance of accurately installing new utilities that avoid unexpected encounters with existing utilities becomes increasingly important. Not only must existing utilities be avoided, but sufficient clearance must be provided to avoid excessive settlements or heave that could damage the utilities. The new installations track focuses on prevention issues and applications of trenchless construction methods for pipelines and cables in urban congested areas.
Trenchless Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation of existing pipelines offers an alternative and often less costly solution for renewing underground infrastructure without digging and replacing pipelines. Rehabilitation methods such as pipe bursting, cured-in-place rehabilitation, and slip lining allow the service lives of existing pipelines to be greatly extended with minimal disruption to the surface and existing infrastructure. Clearly, when a pipe can be renewed in the same location and alignment as the existing pipeline, the potential risks to adjacent utilities can be greatly reduced. Strikes can be almost eliminated, and potential settlement/heave damage can be substantially reduced with good design and construction practices. The rehabilitation track focuses on good rehabilitation practices.
www.damageprevention.com
The Construction Distribution Industry
Sunbelt rentals acquires NationsRents
Sunbelt Rentals, a subsidiary of Ashtead Group, PLC, has announced that it is acquiring NationsRents, formng the third largest equipment rental company in the United States. After the acquisition, the combined companies will operate 477 outlets in 35 states and employ more than 7,000 people.
Klein Tools moves its Illinois headquarters
Klein Tools has moved its corporate headquarters from Skokie, IL to a new, 64,000-square-foot facility on a 7-acre site in Lincolnshire, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago.
In addition to the new office space, a 57,000-square-foot multipurpose building was also added.
The company's Skokie facility will maintain manufacturing capabilities in the existing 225,000-square-foot building.
The Lincolnshire headquarters will house the executive team, domestic and international sales and marketing, corporate human resources, customer service, purchasing and all financial and IT support.
Simpson Strong-Tie opens metro Minneapolis facilties
Simpson Strong-Tie has opened a 56,000-square-foot distribution center and training facility in Eagan, MN. The new warehouse will fill orders for customers in Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin — taking over this role from the company's warehouse in Columbus, OH.
"We are committed to providing our customers with the best, most cost-effective product soultions, and this location will enable us to turnaround product orders much more quickly," points out Murray Daniels, branch manager from the Columbus facility.
"Serving customers in this territory from Columbus could mean delivery of orders in five to eight business days," adds Curt Johnson, senior territory manager. "Now, from Eagan, we can turn the same orders in just three days — we're cutting lead time in half."
In addition to the warehouse, there's a 2,000-square-foot training facility in the new Eagan operation. Here, specifiers, inspectors, dealers and contractors will be able to attend workshops and other hands-on educational events.
NAW publishes book on managing distributor/manufacturer conflicts
Based on a year-long research study, Working at Cross-Purposes: How Distributors and Manufacturers Can Manage Conflict Successfully, is designed to be a guide to understanding what really drives distributor-supplier relationships; how often they go bad; and why.
The book was written by Mike Marks, Tim Horan and Mike Emerson of the Indian River Consulting Group, Melbourne, FL. In it, they explore what they call the fallacy of "win-win" and provide diagnostic tools to evaluate relationships distributors may have with suppliers, and offer ideas on how to go "from disfunctional to effective."
UASI sets records in 2005
Whether measured in sales revenue or percentage growth, 2005 was a record-setting year for UASI, a multistate distributor specializing in personal protection gear.
In the past year, UASI opened a new 30,000-square-foot distribution center in Wilmington, OH, the first of a planned expansion program. It also has distribution centers in Los Angeles; Sparks, NV; Houston; Atlanta; Oakland, NJ; and in Ontario, Canada.
www.constructiondist.com
John Deere, QUALCOMM to create system for remote machine monitoring
John Deere Construction & Forestry Co. and QUALCOMM Inc., a provider of business-to-business wireless enterprise platforms, applications and services, announce an alliance to create an equipment and machine monitoring and information delivery system that will be sold across North America by certified John Deere construction and forestry dealers. Beginning in the fall of 2006, customers can order factory- or dealer-installed JDLink on select John Deere construction and forestry equipment.
JDLink automatically collects, transmits and manages information about where and how construction and forestry equipment is being used, as well as critical machine health data for superior equipment utilization, improved productivity and increased revenue. The system leverages QUALCOMM's GlobalTRACS equipment management system to provide customers with vital information about equipment location, machine health and service status. Additionally, it issues special alerts to notify customers if equipment moves outside pre-set boundaries.
"Having this realtime information system will enable customers to save time and costs, maximize their equipment utilization and uptime, and improve their overall service," says Ken Poppe, product marketing manager, advanced technology for John Deere Construction & Forestry Co.
Four levels of service will be offered with JDLink. The Standard level will provide owners with machine location status, machine service hours and location monitoring capabilities. The Advanced level of service will provide customers with the Standard level, plus dash indicators and fuel and equipment utilization information via engine load monitoring. The Ultimate level of service expands upon these offerings by adding current and stored monitoring of component pressures and temperatures, fuel consumption, as well as transmission gear selection and full-featured diagnostic information retrieval. The Direct level enables customers to download machine operating history and diagnostics directly to a laptop. The Advanced, Ultimate and Direct levels of service will be available in 2007 on select models of John Deere construction and forestry equipment; the Standard level of service will be available in the fall of 2006.
www.qualcomm.com
New parts distribution center to be built for Link-Belt
LBX Co., makers of Link-Belt equipment, announces the start of construction of a 50,000 sq. ft. service parts distribution center to be located at its recently completed corporate headquarters in Lexington, KY.
The center will be operational in the first quarter of 2007, and will handle private label packaging, inventory warehousing and management, inspection and reworking of returned products, and service parts distribution services to support LBX's parts dealers throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The LBX parts distribution center will utilize state-of-the-art equipment, parts handling methods and systems to provide its dealers with the highest level of responsiveness and parts availability.
"Our recent move to our new corporate headquarters provided us with an opportunity to expand our services to dealers," says Bob Harvell, CEO and president of LBX. "We believe the addition of a parts distribution center on site will establish LBX as among the most customer responsive equipment manufacturers in North America."
www.linkbelt.com
Case awarded contract to resent 200 M4K forklifts
In its sixth U.S. Military contract in recent months, Case Construction Equipment has been selected by the U.S. Army TACOM (Tank, Automotive and Armaments Command) to RESET more than 200 M4K Rough-Terrain Forklifts to mission-capable condition. The contract, which will be fulfilled over a three-year period, is valued at $15.5 million.
Deployed with the U.S. Army since the 1980s, these Case forklifts have been used by U.S. forces to handle materials and supplies around the globe. "The Case M4K is unique in its ability to stack pallets two high and four wide, inside military shipping containers," says Bill Thompson, manager, Defense Products Group, CNH America.
"RESET" is a military term that defines a level of refurbishing designed to restore older equipment to provide renewed performance. The RESET process involves the complete disassembly; inspection and repair or replacement of damaged components; reassembly, and testing to ensure the equipment meets original performance specifications.
As with several previous Case contracts with the military, this work is being completed at the Case Remanufacturing Center in Fort McCoy, WI, using Case and contract employees, many of whom are current or retired members of the U.S. Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
In addition to employing local current and retired military personnel, these Case programs utilize parts, components and supplies manufactured or purchased in the local area.
Thompson noted that employing local personnel and purchasing supplies and services from area businesses provides an estimated $2.5 million annual boost to the regional economy. Current Case contracts with the U.S. Military include the remanufacture of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the National Guard, RESET of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the U.S. Army TACOM and supply of 500 engine repower kits for the Case M4K Rough-terrain Forklift.
www.oemoffhighway.com
Fluid Power Expo
Plan to attend the Fluid Power Expo held October 3 & 4 in Cleveland, OH. Be a part of this exciting event that will showcase 16 solution seminars on a variety of topics from fluid power fundamentals to compressed air preparation, motion control basics to hydraulic systems filtration, and much, much more.
THE industry meeting place where attendees can see new products, build valuable relationships, hear about major industry trends & issues, and invest in their business future.
Attend expanded and comprehensive seminar program, which features more sessions, more networking events and additional workshops!
* How-to Sessions
* Case Studies
* Shirtsleeves Workshops
* Roundtable Discussions
www.fluidpowerexpo.com
Common Ground Alliance / One-Call Issues
The Common Ground Alliance and One-Call Issues track has the latest information on damage reports and the status of state laws. In addition, you can hear about the new 811 system for giving excavation notices and a favorite annual session on how the "one-call" process really works.
Engineering, Design & Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)
Looking for the latest technical information and case studies on hot topics such as Ground Penetrating Radar and Subsurface Utility Engineering? You will find it in this set of sessions!
Excavation Issues
Today's excavator faces many challenges while simply digging a hole: from OSHA requirements to working with underground utility operators and occasionally dealing with damage claims. This track of sessions will give you some great tools for your business-survival toolbox.
Legal & Regulatory
This track will present the latest in federal and state regulatory initiatives plus practical information on the legal process that you will want to know prior to having to deal with damage claims. Numerous case studies and even a "sample" trial will keep these top-ranked sessions updated and interesting!
Locating & Marking
This track includes several new sessions on new topics this year. Hear about school curriculums for teaching damage prevention, new concepts in locating equipment, and some of the dangers locators face.
Mapping Solutions & Asset Management
A computer can handle huge amounts of information from many sources to give a lot of "Who, What, When" information. When you combine that with GPS technology's ability to tell you "Where," you have the answer to many underground challenges. This track contains several case studies with photos of products and technology currently in use.
Trenchless New Installations
As the urban underground becomes more and more crowded with utilities, the importance of accurately installing new utilities that avoid unexpected encounters with existing utilities becomes increasingly important. Not only must existing utilities be avoided, but sufficient clearance must be provided to avoid excessive settlements or heave that could damage the utilities. The new installations track focuses on prevention issues and applications of trenchless construction methods for pipelines and cables in urban congested areas.
Trenchless Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation of existing pipelines offers an alternative and often less costly solution for renewing underground infrastructure without digging and replacing pipelines. Rehabilitation methods such as pipe bursting, cured-in-place rehabilitation, and slip lining allow the service lives of existing pipelines to be greatly extended with minimal disruption to the surface and existing infrastructure. Clearly, when a pipe can be renewed in the same location and alignment as the existing pipeline, the potential risks to adjacent utilities can be greatly reduced. Strikes can be almost eliminated, and potential settlement/heave damage can be substantially reduced with good design and construction practices. The rehabilitation track focuses on good rehabilitation practices.
www.damageprevention.com
Sunbelt rentals acquires NationsRents
Sunbelt Rentals, a subsidiary of Ashtead Group, PLC, has announced that it is acquiring NationsRents, formng the third largest equipment rental company in the United States. After the acquisition, the combined companies will operate 477 outlets in 35 states and employ more than 7,000 people.
Klein Tools moves its Illinois headquarters
Klein Tools has moved its corporate headquarters from Skokie, IL to a new, 64,000-square-foot facility on a 7-acre site in Lincolnshire, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago.
In addition to the new office space, a 57,000-square-foot multipurpose building was also added.
The company's Skokie facility will maintain manufacturing capabilities in the existing 225,000-square-foot building.
The Lincolnshire headquarters will house the executive team, domestic and international sales and marketing, corporate human resources, customer service, purchasing and all financial and IT support.
Simpson Strong-Tie opens metro Minneapolis facilties
Simpson Strong-Tie has opened a 56,000-square-foot distribution center and training facility in Eagan, MN. The new warehouse will fill orders for customers in Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin — taking over this role from the company's warehouse in Columbus, OH.
"We are committed to providing our customers with the best, most cost-effective product soultions, and this location will enable us to turnaround product orders much more quickly," points out Murray Daniels, branch manager from the Columbus facility.
"Serving customers in this territory from Columbus could mean delivery of orders in five to eight business days," adds Curt Johnson, senior territory manager. "Now, from Eagan, we can turn the same orders in just three days — we're cutting lead time in half."
In addition to the warehouse, there's a 2,000-square-foot training facility in the new Eagan operation. Here, specifiers, inspectors, dealers and contractors will be able to attend workshops and other hands-on educational events.
NAW publishes book on managing distributor/manufacturer conflicts
Based on a year-long research study, Working at Cross-Purposes: How Distributors and Manufacturers Can Manage Conflict Successfully, is designed to be a guide to understanding what really drives distributor-supplier relationships; how often they go bad; and why.
The book was written by Mike Marks, Tim Horan and Mike Emerson of the Indian River Consulting Group, Melbourne, FL. In it, they explore what they call the fallacy of "win-win" and provide diagnostic tools to evaluate relationships distributors may have with suppliers, and offer ideas on how to go "from disfunctional to effective."
UASI sets records in 2005
Whether measured in sales revenue or percentage growth, 2005 was a record-setting year for UASI, a multistate distributor specializing in personal protection gear.
In the past year, UASI opened a new 30,000-square-foot distribution center in Wilmington, OH, the first of a planned expansion program. It also has distribution centers in Los Angeles; Sparks, NV; Houston; Atlanta; Oakland, NJ; and in Ontario, Canada.
www.constructiondist.com
John Deere, QUALCOMM to create system for remote machine monitoring
John Deere Construction & Forestry Co. and QUALCOMM Inc., a provider of business-to-business wireless enterprise platforms, applications and services, announce an alliance to create an equipment and machine monitoring and information delivery system that will be sold across North America by certified John Deere construction and forestry dealers. Beginning in the fall of 2006, customers can order factory- or dealer-installed JDLink on select John Deere construction and forestry equipment.
JDLink automatically collects, transmits and manages information about where and how construction and forestry equipment is being used, as well as critical machine health data for superior equipment utilization, improved productivity and increased revenue. The system leverages QUALCOMM's GlobalTRACS equipment management system to provide customers with vital information about equipment location, machine health and service status. Additionally, it issues special alerts to notify customers if equipment moves outside pre-set boundaries.
"Having this realtime information system will enable customers to save time and costs, maximize their equipment utilization and uptime, and improve their overall service," says Ken Poppe, product marketing manager, advanced technology for John Deere Construction & Forestry Co.
Four levels of service will be offered with JDLink. The Standard level will provide owners with machine location status, machine service hours and location monitoring capabilities. The Advanced level of service will provide customers with the Standard level, plus dash indicators and fuel and equipment utilization information via engine load monitoring. The Ultimate level of service expands upon these offerings by adding current and stored monitoring of component pressures and temperatures, fuel consumption, as well as transmission gear selection and full-featured diagnostic information retrieval. The Direct level enables customers to download machine operating history and diagnostics directly to a laptop. The Advanced, Ultimate and Direct levels of service will be available in 2007 on select models of John Deere construction and forestry equipment; the Standard level of service will be available in the fall of 2006.
www.qualcomm.com
New parts distribution center to be built for Link-Belt
LBX Co., makers of Link-Belt equipment, announces the start of construction of a 50,000 sq. ft. service parts distribution center to be located at its recently completed corporate headquarters in Lexington, KY.
The center will be operational in the first quarter of 2007, and will handle private label packaging, inventory warehousing and management, inspection and reworking of returned products, and service parts distribution services to support LBX's parts dealers throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The LBX parts distribution center will utilize state-of-the-art equipment, parts handling methods and systems to provide its dealers with the highest level of responsiveness and parts availability.
"Our recent move to our new corporate headquarters provided us with an opportunity to expand our services to dealers," says Bob Harvell, CEO and president of LBX. "We believe the addition of a parts distribution center on site will establish LBX as among the most customer responsive equipment manufacturers in North America."
www.linkbelt.com
Case awarded contract to resent 200 M4K forklifts
In its sixth U.S. Military contract in recent months, Case Construction Equipment has been selected by the U.S. Army TACOM (Tank, Automotive and Armaments Command) to RESET more than 200 M4K Rough-Terrain Forklifts to mission-capable condition. The contract, which will be fulfilled over a three-year period, is valued at $15.5 million.
Deployed with the U.S. Army since the 1980s, these Case forklifts have been used by U.S. forces to handle materials and supplies around the globe. "The Case M4K is unique in its ability to stack pallets two high and four wide, inside military shipping containers," says Bill Thompson, manager, Defense Products Group, CNH America.
"RESET" is a military term that defines a level of refurbishing designed to restore older equipment to provide renewed performance. The RESET process involves the complete disassembly; inspection and repair or replacement of damaged components; reassembly, and testing to ensure the equipment meets original performance specifications.
As with several previous Case contracts with the military, this work is being completed at the Case Remanufacturing Center in Fort McCoy, WI, using Case and contract employees, many of whom are current or retired members of the U.S. Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
In addition to employing local current and retired military personnel, these Case programs utilize parts, components and supplies manufactured or purchased in the local area.
Thompson noted that employing local personnel and purchasing supplies and services from area businesses provides an estimated $2.5 million annual boost to the regional economy. Current Case contracts with the U.S. Military include the remanufacture of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the National Guard, RESET of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the U.S. Army TACOM and supply of 500 engine repower kits for the Case M4K Rough-terrain Forklift.
www.oemoffhighway.com
Fluid Power Expo
Plan to attend the Fluid Power Expo held October 3 & 4 in Cleveland, OH. Be a part of this exciting event that will showcase 16 solution seminars on a variety of topics from fluid power fundamentals to compressed air preparation, motion control basics to hydraulic systems filtration, and much, much more.
THE industry meeting place where attendees can see new products, build valuable relationships, hear about major industry trends & issues, and invest in their business future.
Attend expanded and comprehensive seminar program, which features more sessions, more networking events and additional workshops!
* How-to Sessions
* Case Studies
* Shirtsleeves Workshops
* Roundtable Discussions
www.fluidpowerexpo.com
JDLink automatically collects, transmits and manages information about where and how construction and forestry equipment is being used, as well as critical machine health data for superior equipment utilization, improved productivity and increased revenue. The system leverages QUALCOMM's GlobalTRACS equipment management system to provide customers with vital information about equipment location, machine health and service status. Additionally, it issues special alerts to notify customers if equipment moves outside pre-set boundaries.
"Having this realtime information system will enable customers to save time and costs, maximize their equipment utilization and uptime, and improve their overall service," says Ken Poppe, product marketing manager, advanced technology for John Deere Construction & Forestry Co.
Four levels of service will be offered with JDLink. The Standard level will provide owners with machine location status, machine service hours and location monitoring capabilities. The Advanced level of service will provide customers with the Standard level, plus dash indicators and fuel and equipment utilization information via engine load monitoring. The Ultimate level of service expands upon these offerings by adding current and stored monitoring of component pressures and temperatures, fuel consumption, as well as transmission gear selection and full-featured diagnostic information retrieval. The Direct level enables customers to download machine operating history and diagnostics directly to a laptop. The Advanced, Ultimate and Direct levels of service will be available in 2007 on select models of John Deere construction and forestry equipment; the Standard level of service will be available in the fall of 2006.
www.qualcomm.com
LBX Co., makers of Link-Belt equipment, announces the start of construction of a 50,000 sq. ft. service parts distribution center to be located at its recently completed corporate headquarters in Lexington, KY.
The center will be operational in the first quarter of 2007, and will handle private label packaging, inventory warehousing and management, inspection and reworking of returned products, and service parts distribution services to support LBX's parts dealers throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The LBX parts distribution center will utilize state-of-the-art equipment, parts handling methods and systems to provide its dealers with the highest level of responsiveness and parts availability.
"Our recent move to our new corporate headquarters provided us with an opportunity to expand our services to dealers," says Bob Harvell, CEO and president of LBX. "We believe the addition of a parts distribution center on site will establish LBX as among the most customer responsive equipment manufacturers in North America."
www.linkbelt.com
The center will be operational in the first quarter of 2007, and will handle private label packaging, inventory warehousing and management, inspection and reworking of returned products, and service parts distribution services to support LBX's parts dealers throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The LBX parts distribution center will utilize state-of-the-art equipment, parts handling methods and systems to provide its dealers with the highest level of responsiveness and parts availability.
"Our recent move to our new corporate headquarters provided us with an opportunity to expand our services to dealers," says Bob Harvell, CEO and president of LBX. "We believe the addition of a parts distribution center on site will establish LBX as among the most customer responsive equipment manufacturers in North America."
www.linkbelt.com
Case awarded contract to resent 200 M4K forklifts
In its sixth U.S. Military contract in recent months, Case Construction Equipment has been selected by the U.S. Army TACOM (Tank, Automotive and Armaments Command) to RESET more than 200 M4K Rough-Terrain Forklifts to mission-capable condition. The contract, which will be fulfilled over a three-year period, is valued at $15.5 million.
Deployed with the U.S. Army since the 1980s, these Case forklifts have been used by U.S. forces to handle materials and supplies around the globe. "The Case M4K is unique in its ability to stack pallets two high and four wide, inside military shipping containers," says Bill Thompson, manager, Defense Products Group, CNH America.
"RESET" is a military term that defines a level of refurbishing designed to restore older equipment to provide renewed performance. The RESET process involves the complete disassembly; inspection and repair or replacement of damaged components; reassembly, and testing to ensure the equipment meets original performance specifications.
As with several previous Case contracts with the military, this work is being completed at the Case Remanufacturing Center in Fort McCoy, WI, using Case and contract employees, many of whom are current or retired members of the U.S. Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
In addition to employing local current and retired military personnel, these Case programs utilize parts, components and supplies manufactured or purchased in the local area.
Thompson noted that employing local personnel and purchasing supplies and services from area businesses provides an estimated $2.5 million annual boost to the regional economy. Current Case contracts with the U.S. Military include the remanufacture of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the National Guard, RESET of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the U.S. Army TACOM and supply of 500 engine repower kits for the Case M4K Rough-terrain Forklift.
www.oemoffhighway.com
Fluid Power Expo
Plan to attend the Fluid Power Expo held October 3 & 4 in Cleveland, OH. Be a part of this exciting event that will showcase 16 solution seminars on a variety of topics from fluid power fundamentals to compressed air preparation, motion control basics to hydraulic systems filtration, and much, much more.
THE industry meeting place where attendees can see new products, build valuable relationships, hear about major industry trends & issues, and invest in their business future.
Attend expanded and comprehensive seminar program, which features more sessions, more networking events and additional workshops!
* How-to Sessions
* Case Studies
* Shirtsleeves Workshops
* Roundtable Discussions
www.fluidpowerexpo.com
Deployed with the U.S. Army since the 1980s, these Case forklifts have been used by U.S. forces to handle materials and supplies around the globe. "The Case M4K is unique in its ability to stack pallets two high and four wide, inside military shipping containers," says Bill Thompson, manager, Defense Products Group, CNH America.
"RESET" is a military term that defines a level of refurbishing designed to restore older equipment to provide renewed performance. The RESET process involves the complete disassembly; inspection and repair or replacement of damaged components; reassembly, and testing to ensure the equipment meets original performance specifications.
As with several previous Case contracts with the military, this work is being completed at the Case Remanufacturing Center in Fort McCoy, WI, using Case and contract employees, many of whom are current or retired members of the U.S. Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
In addition to employing local current and retired military personnel, these Case programs utilize parts, components and supplies manufactured or purchased in the local area.
Thompson noted that employing local personnel and purchasing supplies and services from area businesses provides an estimated $2.5 million annual boost to the regional economy. Current Case contracts with the U.S. Military include the remanufacture of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the National Guard, RESET of MW24C Wheel Loaders for the U.S. Army TACOM and supply of 500 engine repower kits for the Case M4K Rough-terrain Forklift.
www.oemoffhighway.com
Plan to attend the Fluid Power Expo held October 3 & 4 in Cleveland, OH. Be a part of this exciting event that will showcase 16 solution seminars on a variety of topics from fluid power fundamentals to compressed air preparation, motion control basics to hydraulic systems filtration, and much, much more.
THE industry meeting place where attendees can see new products, build valuable relationships, hear about major industry trends & issues, and invest in their business future.
Attend expanded and comprehensive seminar program, which features more sessions, more networking events and additional workshops!
* How-to Sessions
* Case Studies
* Shirtsleeves Workshops
* Roundtable Discussions
www.fluidpowerexpo.com
THE industry meeting place where attendees can see new products, build valuable relationships, hear about major industry trends & issues, and invest in their business future.
Attend expanded and comprehensive seminar program, which features more sessions, more networking events and additional workshops!
* How-to Sessions
* Case Studies
* Shirtsleeves Workshops
* Roundtable Discussions
www.fluidpowerexpo.com
