Products 05/25/2011 Compact Angle Grinders: Multiple Options Milwaukee has introduced 18 small-angle grinders that are designed to accommodate grinding for long durations as well as tasks that demand high power. Each grinder features overload protection to preserve the motor and an electronic clutch to prevent bind up. Eight 4½-in., 11-amp grinders are designed for industrial, long-duration grinding. Ten 5-in. and 6-in. grinders with 13-amp motors are intended for work on tougher materials. Milwaukee Electric Tool Co.; 800-729-3877; www.milwaukeeelectric.com Cordless Impact Wrench: Lithium-Ion Battery Makita has added a ⅜-in. Impact Wrench to its 12-volt lithium-ion cordless tool lineup. The impact wrench
Related Links: At Dig This, Ordinary Folks Test Their Skills in the Seat The newest Las Vegas Strip attraction isn't another mega-resort or Cirque du Soleil show. Rather, it is a heavy equipment playground that lets visitors operate life-size Tonka toys. “Dig This” is a construction theme park developed by New Zealand-born Ed Mumm, who stumbled upon the idea while using a rented excavator to build his home in Steamboat Springs, Colo. After a couple of days of digging, he realized that operating machinery was a blast. "I wasn't making much progress on the house, but I was having great time," Mumm
Products 05/18/2011 Gas-Powered Asphalt Router: Repairs Cracks The Cimline PCR-30 is a gas-powered asphalt router with a built-in anti-kickback system to prevent backward movement during use. It is powered by a 30-hp Kolher engine, and its two-piece roller drum is balanced on heavy-duty roller bearings. The PCR-30’s Cut Control option allows for the cut depth to be set and preserved even when moving between cracks. Cimline; 800-328-3874; www.cimline.com Pipe-Fusion Preparation: Remotely Operated Rack System The MegaMc PolyHorse is a pipe-handling system designed to speed installation of 20-in. to 40-in. polyethylene pipe. The powered pipe stands allow for a single operator
Photo By Tudor Van Hampton/ENR Related Links: Rebuilding Chicago's Wacker Drive: Giant concrete pour meets milestone The rebuild of Chicago’s historic Wacker Drive—this time, the double-decker road’s nearly 60-year-old north-south section—is in full swing. On May 10, Chicago-based contractor James McHugh Construction Co. reached a major milestone on the $300-million project when it poured 1,500 cu yd of concrete over a 10-hour period to complete a section of mainline deck. Composed of 13 in. of reinforced post-tensioned, high-performance concrete with a 2-in. latex overlay, the deck sits on a rebuilt concrete structure that is designed to last 100 years. Local
Milwaukee-based mining-equipment manufacturer Joy Global Inc. is looking to expand its offerings by inking a deal to buy LeTourneau Technologies Inc., Houston, for $1.1 billion in cash. Owned by Rowan Cos. Inc., LeTourneau produces oil-and-gas and mining equipment, including the world's largest wheel loaders and the only machines of that type to run exclusively on electricity. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, which the firms expect to receive in two months.
Tightening a structural-steel bolt, tiny spurts of orange silicone spread out from a washer beneath the nut. Satisfied, the ironworker moves on to the next bolt. There is nothing new about direct tension indicators (DTI), one of the methods recognized by the American Institute of Steel Construction for judging structural-steel bolt connections as well as turn-of-nut calibrated wrenches and twist-off bolts. Depressions on the DTI washer flatten when sufficient tension is reached on a bolt, and can be checked with a small feeler gauge. But eight years ago, Applied Bolting, Bellows Falls, Vt., added that telltale glimpse of orange. The
The biofuels sector experienced a plant construction boom prior to the recession, but it stopped short of providing enough infrastructure needed to market the fuels. Now, downstream distribution is catching up to fulfill requirements of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires about 14 billion gallons of ethanol and 800 million gallons of biodiesel blended into U.S. fuels this year. Photo Courtesy Amerigreen Energy Inc. Fuel terminals are an important link in the supply chain between refineries, pipelines and the retail market. Here, one of Mannheim, Pa.-based Amerigreen’s biodiesel tankers loads up for a delivery. RFS forces the traditional oil
Products 05/04/2011 Trailer-Mounted Work Lamp: Adjustable Height The Magnalight HIDTH-66X2-70W is a trailer-hitch-mounted work light. It boasts a 12,600-lumen floodlight that can illuminate a 600-ft by 575-ft work area. It has two 70-watt HID lamps and a 3-ft to 8-ft adjustable height. It connects to a standard trailer hitch with a push bolt and slide pin. A thumb bolt at the base of the mount can be loosened to swivel the lamp 180�. The HID lamps are waterproof and can be used in rough working conditions. The work light can run on 12-volt or 24-volt DC power. Larson Electronics; 800-369-6671;
Terex Corp. wants to bring the Demag brand back together while moving away from the cyclical construction sector. Image courtesy of Demag Cranes AG Terex wants to drive deeper into industrial cranes, such as these port pickers, to smooth out the impact of construction cycles. Related Links: Terex Scouts for Deals After Bucyrus Buys Mining Unit Terex To Appeal Patent Verdict DeFeo's Terex Comes of Age To Face Bigger Growing Pains The Westport, Conn.-based equipment manufacturer announced on May 2 that it is offering $1.3 billion in cash to the shareholders of Dusseldorf, Germany-based Demag Cranes AG, and will assume
Caterpillar Inc. estimates $300 million in sales and $100 million in operating profit will slip away this year, mostly in the second quarter, due to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Photo: Courtesy of Caterpillar Inc. Cat says none of it Japanese employees were injured, but the march 11 disaster disrupted supply chain. Although its Japan-based employees suffered no injuries and its plants in the region were not damaged, the event has taken a toll on the overall supply chain for construction machinery. Many of the industrial components and whole goods are produced in Japan or move through
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