The warning shot came in a federal court in Louisiana, and it may signal the beginning of the end of one more costly aspect of the homebuilding boom of 2004-2007. Federal Judge Eldon Fallon in New Orleans ordered Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd. to pay seven Virginia families a total of $2.6 million to remediate defective Chinese-made drywall in their homes. The case is the first of several class-action lawsuits filed against manufacturers of material that has proven to be a veritable nightmare—and source of odors—for thousands of home-owners. + Image Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Photo: AP/Wideworld Consumer Product
Nearly all the major equipment manufacturers—including Caterpillar, Case/New Holland/Kobelco, Komatsu, Deere, Volvo, Terex and engine specialist Cummins—plan to use a combination of exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) and a diesel particulate filter (DPF), to meet Interim Tier 4. Image: CNH EGR + DPF Photo: CNH SCR Photo: JCB Related Links: Next Round of Federal Regulations Has Suppliers Retooling Clean Diesel The Future of Clean Diesel Is … Gasoline? The other major technology for Interim Tier 4 is selective-catalytic reduction (SCR), which converts nitrogen oxides to harmless nitrogen and water by dosing exhaust fumes with small amounts of diesel exhaust fluid, an aqueous
Gordon Chew, a handyman in remote Tenakee Springs, Alaska, needed a 12-volt coil to get his Case 686G telehandler up and running again. He called a dealer and was told the part was not in stock. Photo: GCIRON Once a client buys a part, Villella (above) and his team have it shipped from GCIron or the OEM. + Image Image: GCIRON Website offers free diagnostic tools to help contractors identify the source of the problem. “Case couldn’t find it,” says Chew, who notes the price quoted to him was $230. Not wanting to wait for a special order, he typed
The next phase of U.S. regulations aimed at cleaning up airborne emissions from off-road diesel engines will start taking effect in just nine months. The rule, called Tier 4, will all but eliminate the amount of diesel particulate matter (soot) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that new construction equipment will put into the atmosphere. Photo: Caterpillar Inc. Photo: Caterpillar Inc. Cat’s Clean Emissions Module—the Tier 4 excavator at left uses one—will fit on new and existing engines. The particulate filter can regenerate, or burn soot, without idling the machine. Related Links: Three Ways Manufacturers Will Meet the Tier 4 Standards The
New product announcements: 04/07/2010 Scissor Lift: Tight Turns for Proper Positioning The Omni Drive Scissor Lift is designed to provide machine movement in all directions and allows for rotation around its center point. This swivel capability permits the lift to be maneuvered in tight areas. The Omni Lift comes in four models, with platform heights of 20 ft to 40 ft and capacities of 700 lb to 1,500 lb. Stowed heights range from 81 in. to 114 in. Options include a bump system to reduce accidental damage and an EX explosion-proof version for use in hazardous environments. Man & Material
Owners of homes and other buildings containing Chinese drywall now have a clear directive from the federal government: Tear out "all possible problem drywall" and replace it, the U.S. Consumer Product Commission and Dept. of Housing and Urban Development advised on April 2. Photo: CPSC Homeowners should replace Chinese drywall (slightly gray in color) with new wallboard (white in color), federal agencies say. In addition, owners should replace all electrical systems, gas piping, sprinkler systems, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, whose metal components corrode under high levels of hydrogen sulfide. Who will pay for the work remains unclear, but
New product announcements: 03/31/2010 Boiler-tube Cutter: Optional Higher-Power Motor The MillHog is a self-centering, right-angle-drive-clamping, air-powered end prep tool designed specifically for boiler tubes. The tool is capable of prepping stainless-steel and other high-alloy tubes, ranging from 3⁄4-in. I.D. to 3-in. O.D. It features a robust gear drive with dual-tapered roll bearings and is powered by a 0.75-hp motor or an optional 1.25-hp motor. The MillHog uses the EscoLock rigid blade-lock system with a radical chip breaker, which directs the chip away from the tube and minimizes heat generation. Esco Tool; 800-343-6926; www.escotool.com Air Line Splitter: Durable Construction The D55040
Four state-owned, multinational Chinese construction companies have been short-listed for a tender to construct an $80-million major cement factory in Ethiopia, at a time when China’s dominance in Africa’s construction industry is growing. The four—Sinoma International, CDI-Chengdu Cement Research Institute, Hefei Cement Research Institute and Northern Heavy Industries—now await a technical and financial evaluation of their engineering, procurement and construction tender documents for the construction of the Habesha Cement factory, which has a projected capacity of 1.2 million tones of cement per year. India’s Walchandnagar, synonymous with sugar production in Ethiopia, is the only other company that was prequalified for
Komatsu Ltd. is testing the North American equipment market with its new PC200LC-8 Hybrid Excavator, a lean, green digging machine that has sold more than 700 times in Asia since production began 19 months ago. Photo: Greg Aragon / ENR Hybrid excavator, now on a road show and shown at the Port of Los Angeles, is the first machine of its kind to go to work in the U.S. It offers up to 40% efficiency over a conventional, non-hybrid model. Related Links: Komatsu Digs into U.S. Market The 22-ton excavator, the first hybrid of its kind in the U.S., was
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