New product announcements: 09/16/2009 All-Terrain Crane: Low Cab for a Closer View The CD4430 is a 30-ton, cab-down, rough-terrain crane intended for work in railroads, bridge construction and refineries. The crane’s low profile increases stability and improves handling in rough environments. It features a six-sided boom and is powered by a Tier 3 Cummins engine. An optional Hi-Rail gear system can be integrated into the crane for use in rail construction. Standard features include a two-door high-visibility cab, all-wheel drive and crab steering. Badger Equipment; 800-533-8013; www.badgerequipment.com Laser Measurements: Rugged Handheld Design The DW030 laser-based distance measure allows for the quick
The popular Dodge Sprinter appears to be the latest casualty of Chrysler LLC’s merger with Italian automaker Fiat S.p.A. Starting in January, the work van will be sold only through Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner dealers, according to Daimler AG, which has built the Sprinter for North America since 2001 and offered it as a Dodge since 2003. Chrysler would not comment on the decision, but Fiat is rumored to be considering two similar vehicles—the Fiat Ducato and Iveco Daily—to fill the hole. The German-built Sprinter replaced Dodge’s full-size Ram van and still offers a major fuel-economy improvement of up to 25%
Products 09/09/2009 Stanley Reimagines the Basics The Instant-Change Handsaw system allows users to quickly mount any of seven steel blades on a single aluminum handle with an ergonomic soft grip. The ambidexterous handle has a double-locking mechanism and an adjustable blade clamp to keep the blade secure. Swapping blades involves releasing the lock, taking the blade out and inserting a new one into the lock, allowing workers to quickly replace dull blades or switch blade types, depending on what the job requires. The new line of FatMax Xtreme Antivibe Hammers feature a significantly larger strike face—it is 75% larger than traditional
Twenty years ago, Chris Traylor found himself rewiring the controls of a 225-ton, American 9310 crawler crane in his family’s equipment shop in Evansville, Ind. “It was important to my dad that all of us worked in the shop during the summers of our high-school years,” he says. Little did he know, he would be rewiring again one day, but on a much bigger scale: Now 37, the co-president of Traylor Bros. Inc. is helping to direct an ambitious fleet overhaul as the family-owned firm ramps up for a heavy workload of major U.S. infrastructure projects. Slide Show Photo: Traylor
...is really about how many rigs we can put on a job, how many crane barges we can put under them and how many deck barges we have to support them,” he says. “It is not a monetary thing to me.” Effective equipment management also is about managing people, he adds, and that nitty-gritty detail work falls to Thad Pirtle, the firm’s vice president of equipment. He came to Traylor in 1983, interestingly, to assemble one of those old model 9310 American crawler cranes like the one Chris helped fix. “I was working out of the union hall in Terre
New product announcements: 09/02/2009 Welding Respirator: Lightweight Design The Powered Air Purifying Respirator provides a clean supply of air to welders in a fully portable system. The PAPR has a 3.5-lb blower that is worn on the back with shoulder straps. It has a built-in HEPA filter and features two air speeds to adjust the volume of air to suit conditions. The blower supplies air to an included Elite helmet. The helmet features auto-darkening cartridges and a lightweight design. The system is powered by a lithium-ion battery with an 8-hour battery life. Miller Electric Mfg. Co.; 920-734-9821; www.millerweld.com Pipe Hanger: Quick
Concern is growing over a recently released “sample” ordinance for high-performance buildings from the Portland Cement Association. “High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability,” which adds to and amends the International Building Code, was developed outside the standard consensus process and is biased toward concrete, say sources. “Wholesale changes” to scope and requirements of the IBC outside of the established consensus process are not supported by the American Institute of Architects’ policy on the development and promulgation of codes and standards, says the AIA. The majority of IBC modifications in the document have been fully vetted in the national model code
It may be a cliché that middle-aged engineers, saddled with a midlife crisis and perhaps a divorce, return to their youth for inspiration. But Ford Motor Co.’s Power Stroke designers did just that. They found solace in the Scorpions, the German rock band that sang “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” while Ford battled with a longtime engine supplier. The project’s code word, Scorpion, stuck as the unofficial name of Ford’s new 6.7-liter diesel in its F-Series work trucks. Slide Show Photo: Ford Motor Co. Fully dressed, Scorpion fits inside the existing footprint of the previous, 6.4-liter V-8. The new 6.7-liter
New product announcements: 08/19/2009 Portable Coring Machine: Self-Contained Design The Hilti DD 120 Diamond Coring System is able to core up to six 4-in.-dia holes in reinforced concrete on a single charge. The self-contained system weighs only 22 lb, and its only external requirement is a water hose. The tool’s portability allows it to core in areas where the tool must be lifted into place, such as in making through-holes for sprinkler systems. The DD 120 has two operating speeds and a set of colored LED lights that indicates the pressure needed. It is compatible with a wide range of Hilti
The number of reported cases of tainted drywall from China continues to expand. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that, since July, defective Chinese drywall has been identified in two additional states, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, and that an additional 202 reports have been filed, bringing the total number of reported cases to 810. In a status update sent to Congress on Aug. 11, CPSC said a total of 23 states and the District of Columbia have reported cases of tainted drywall, although the majority of reports continue to come from Florida, Louisiana and Virginia. CPSC says it has received
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