Some skilled equipment operators have a sixth sense that allows them to focus on the task at hand while maintaining awareness of the bustling, often unpredictable activity going on around them. Unfortunately, no operator has yet developed X-ray vision that allows a viewpoint through engine cowlings, cab framing and other obstructions. COURTESY of VOLVO CE The person operating this machine has a better view of objects off the ground due to obstructions. This loader model is one that researchers have used to map out machine visibility (see diagrams below). COURTESY of NIOSH Along with the ISO standard ground-level map (far
Bigger is definitely better, at least for Belle Chasse, La.-based Versabar Inc. Last year, the company took the design of its successful Bottom Feeder and doubled it in size. The result is a floating lifting vessel that is almost as tall as a football field is long and just as wide. The rig can raise up to 7,500 tons in a single lift. Versabar Versabars revamped Bottom Feeder, twice the size of its predecessor, can hoist 7,500 tons from the seabed in a single lift. The VB10000 has made 12 lifts already and is booked through mid-October. “There's always a
Earlier this month at Stanley Black and Decker University in Towson, Md., DeWalt unveiled its new 20V Max line of cordless power tools. Building upon the success of last year's 12V Max line, the tools represent a break from the brand's 15-year-old cordless 18-volt lineup and provide a glimpse into Stanley Black and Decker's plans for the many brands in its stable. LEARNING EXPERIENCE The Stanley Black and Decker University in Towson, Md., serves as a training facility for DeWalt sales representatives as well as a functioning workshop to test out new tools. ERGONOMIC The DeWalt 20V Max Drill-Driver has
Photo: Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Deere took the wraps off its 944K hybrid loader this past March at the Conexpo exhibition in Las Vegas. Its research shows that contractors will pay more up front for a fuel-saving machine. + Image Image: Courtesy of Deere & Co. The 944K starts with a 13.5L diesel engine bolted to a pump drive and two AC generators. An inverter box manages power, and four wheel motors provide traction. Brake resistors burn off excess energy as the machine slows down, but some energy is pushed back to the generators to run the hydraulics. Related
For a highway construction worker, focusing on the job is easier when someone is watching your back. On many roads, that person is the flagger, whose stop/slow sign helps maintain a peaceful, safe balance between traffic and work-zone activity. Photo By Intelli-Strobe Automated flagging devices are increasingly seen as one way to keep workers safe. However, a paramount concern is whether drivers will obey a machine rather than a person with a paddle. Photo By Safety Technologies Unfortunately, not enough motorists watch out for the flaggers; according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 88 flaggers were killed on the
Following a four-week trial in Sonora, Calif., a 12-member jury dismissed two business-interference claims that a California training school lodged against a crane-operator testing company. The trial followed protracted litigation between the two parties. California Crane School (CCS), Grass Valley, Calif., is a training center that prepares candidates for certification exams developed by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), Fairfax, Va., a non-profit that industry members also refer to as CCO. The lawsuit claimed that NCCCO and its testing-services provider, International Assessment Institute (IAI), interfered with business relationships of CCS and its owner, John Nypl, with
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
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.
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
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