Construction machinery manufacturers saw robust second-quarter earnings fueled by infrastructure and mining activity in Asia and Latin America, while North America rental companies and contractors replaced aging and obsolete fleets for a small but significant uptick in domestic sales. Many contractors sold off equipment during the downturn as work became scarce, opting to rent rather than own.Caterpillar Inc.'s second-quarter earnings soared to $1.02 billion, a 44% increase over last year, and the company is spending over $1 billion to ramp-up production in China. Volvo Construction Equipment strengthened its position in wheel-loader and excavator sales in China in the second quarter,
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton Ford's EcoBoost light-duty pickup gets 22 mpg on the highway today. Increased fuel efficiency will come with a shortfall of highway construction work if tax revenues aren't bolstered. President Obama's proposal to boost automakers' Corporate Average Fuel Economy to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 will take a significant bite out of fuel-tax receipts flowing into the Highway Trust Fund, say road builders, who are pushing for a funding revamp.The most recent CAFE standard, proposed July 29 for all light-duty vehicles, would cut $65 billion out of federal funding for state and local highway, bridge
Photo courtesy of Link-Belt Caterpillar engines go into a variety of heavy equipment, including cranes. Link-Belt is one user of Cat engines. Related Links: Caterpillar, EPA Clear the Air Over Diesel Engine Recall Caterpillar To Recall Engines, Pay $2.5M in EPA Penalties Caterpillar Inc. doesn't just build engines for its own machines; it also sells them to other heavy equipment makers.Yesterday's federal consent order involves nearly 600,000 Caterpillar diesel engines that were shipped to dozens of original-equipment manufacturers of trucks and heavy equipment, according to public records obtained by ENR.The complaint, filed July 28 in the U.S. District Court for
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton for ENR Between 2002 and 2006, Caterpillar allegedly shipped 590,000 diesel engines that were missing emission controls. It has agreed to pay $2.55 million and recall non-compliant engines, according to a federal consent order. Related Links: Caterpillar, EPA Clear the Air Over Diesel Engine Recall Caterpillar Settlement Touches Dozens of Heavy Equipment Brands Caterpillar Inc. is recalling diesel engines and will pay $2.55 million in civil penalties under a Clean Air Act federal consent decree made public today.The settlement, released on July 28, says that the Peoria, Ill.-based manufacturer shipped more than 590,000 on- and
It may be a good time to revisit your jobsite security: More heavy equipment is stolen in July than any other month of the year, according to a new report from the National Equipment Register and National Insurance Crime Bureau. SXC/bradimarte The highest volumes of equipment theft typically occur during the peak construction months. Related Links: Highway Robbery: Thieves Target Surveying Gear National Crime Database Reaches Critical Mass Read NER's 2010 Theft Report The summer months, when construction activity is usually in high gear, collectively made up for about one-third of all heavy equipment thefts last year, says the July
Photo courtesy of Las Vegas Paving Corp. Despite its age, giant drill Big Stan (in yellow) is booked up in the Southwest. Las Vegas is crowded with performers, but few are as huge as Big Stan. Thought to be the world's largest truck-mounted drill, Big Stan is flexing its muscles south of the Strip on a $252.5-million, 7-mile-long widening of Interstate 15.Big Stan's tall stance originally sprang from deep roots. The 250,000-lb, 93-ft-high boring behemoth was built in 1986 by Anderson Drilling, Lakeside, Calif., now a part of London-based Keller Group PLC. The mega-machine, which cost $1.5 million to construct,
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
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