Monthly Archives: November 2013

Caterpillar Heavy Equipment- A Name to Be Trusted

Heavy equipment form an integral part of the construction industry. If you are someone who belongs to the construction industry, then dealing with heavy construction equipment must come as second nature to you. And for being successful in the field it is important that you select the best quality heavy equipment for your construction purposes. And the range of heavy equipment from Caterpillar no doubt serves the purpose to the best possible extent.

The Caterpillar Corporation

Born out of the fusion of Holt Manufacturing Company and C. L Best Tractor Company, the Caterpillar Heavy Equipment Company has gone on to become a name that is widely relied upon as far as heavy construction equipment are concerned. Having its base in California, it has been providing the construction industry of America with some of the best quality construction machinery for quite some time now. Today the company is a global manufacturer of all kinds of heavy equipment, right from Articulated Dump Trucks, Dozer, and Tractors to Compactors, Drag Lines, Excavators and the like.

The Caterpillar Range of Heavy Equipment

The Caterpillar Corporation has a number of heavy construction equipments to its credit that has been a great help to quite a number of construction companies.

The Caterpillar Articulated Dump Truck is perhaps one of the most popular and ever in demand heavy construction equipment to exist. There are a number of models from which the companies can pick, depending on their requirement. Each Articulated Dump Truck from Caterpillar has been designed in a manner such that it is easy to operate, simple and comfortable, with more productivity and less maintenance hassles.

The next equipment on the block is the Caterpillar Asphalt Pavers, used for paving asphalt on roads, bridges, parking lots and the like. It includes which three major variants, viz, the Wheel Asphalt Pavers, the Track Asphalt Pavers and the Screeds. The Caterpillar Excavator is equally important heavy equipment in the construction arena. The four variants of the Caterpillar 300 Excavator family offers four variants, from which the construction companies are free to choose a make and model of their choice- the small, mini, medium and large Excavators. Like the Excavator, the Dozer family also comes in three variants, viz the small, medium and large Dozers.

The Caterpillar Draglines, available in three variants, viz, 8200, 8750 and 8000 are also supposed to be quite an important tool in the mining and construction industry. It does not really need a genius to figure out the importance of drilling equipment in the construction arena and the Caterpillar Corporation offers two variants of drilling equipment for construction purposes, viz, Rotary Drills and Track Drills.

The Caterpillar compactors have also been designed in a manner so as to cater to the variety of purposes for which it may be required. The Soil Compactors, the Landfill Compactors, the Vibratory Soil Compactors are all designed by the company in such a manner so as to fit the demand of the construction companies.

The Caterpillar Heavy Equipment manufacturing company, therefore, always strives in supplying the construction and mining industry with high end heavy machinery that caters to their particular requirements.

Into The Road Construction Industry? Use the Pneumatic Roller for Better Results

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If you have ever been to a construction site, you must have noticed that along with the debris, brick and mortar, the site is always filled with a variety of machines loading and unloading stuff, moving things here and there and the like. Well, this machine, known as heavy construction equipment forms one of the most important part of the entire construction business. And pneumatic rollers are one of those equipments that form an indispensible part when it comes to the road construction arena.

What Is Pneumatic Tyre Roller?

Pneumatic tyre rollers are important for the construction industry. But what exactly is the pneumatic tire roller? Well, pneumatic tire rollers are a kind of heavy equipment that is specifically used in the road construction industry. It is used for the purpose of paving asphalt on the roads for achieving a smooth finishing touch.

The next area that needs to be looked at is exactly what purpose does the pneumatic roller serve in the construction of roads. The pneumatic roller serves as an important tool for the compaction of paved asphalt in the construction of roads. The other variations of the road rollers such as the steel drum rollers also prove to be quite handy in the initial phase, but the problem lies in the fact that they also bridge some of the spaces of the asphalt mat that is being laid. The pneumatic rollers on the other hand, blend the “hot mix asphalt”, by operating all of the nine oscillating tires in the asphalt mat. Along with achieving a greater compaction density, it also ensures that the bigger aggregate of the mix down settles at the bottom and the finer aggregate come at the top. This ensures that the asphalt is sealed properly, thereby, removing voids and preventing the intrusion of water. And this in turn ensures that the road that is being paved lasts longer.

Pneumatic rollers are used to accomplish every paving job. Their use in the road construction industry for the purpose of attaining a greater compaction density and ensuring the longevity of the constructed road is undeniably important. Hence, in order to attain a surface that is smooth and durable, it is necessary to make use of the pneumatic roller.

 

Purchasing a Pneumatic Roller

Constructing a road? Then, there can be no doubt about the fact that pneumatic road rollers will function as an important tool in the entire affair. Before settling on a deal with regard to rubber tire rollers, you have to keep certain things in mind. For one, the asphalt mix that is to be used contributes significantly to the kind of pneumatic roller that you are about to purchase. Also the kind of project that you are handling along with the equipment that you are using also governs the choice of your pneumatic rollers.

It is a widely acknowledged fact that the pneumatic roller has become an indispensible part of the road construction industry. There can be no doubt about the fact that this kind of roller does have an upper hand than the others in the road construction industry.

Use Your Mobile Applications to Keep Yourself Updated With Latest News in the World of Heavy Equipment

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Some wise men had said that knowledge is everything. If you are a knowledgeable person, you do not need to run after success but success will kiss your feet. For instance, a good doctor who knows almost everything about his profession is widely liked and honored by others. It’s not because he is a doctor and has the ability to save someone’s life but because he is damn good in it. What made him a good doctor? It’s his knowledge and the amount of practice he has put in his work to master the art. The same logic applies in the construction sector. The more knowledgeable a person is more worthy he is in this industry.

Apart from this, one also needs to understand that learning never ends and the day you feel that you’ve learnt everything about a particular thing, that’s the day you start falling down. Therefore, it is critical to update yourself with whatever new is going on around you that concerns your work and the industry as a whole. This becomes very crucial for people who deal with heavy equipment. Right from dealers, industry pundits to buyers, all must regularly sharpen their knowledge. In order to quick access to any news about heavy equipment, the best they can do is buy mobiles that have applications that gives them the access to google the net or get information on the latest happenings in the world of heavy equipment.

Easy to carry and very user friendly:-  When we need to get some information about a thing, we ideally turn on our computer and Google it on the net. However, if we are travelling and have no access to internet, it’s the mobile app that helps you to keep yourself updated. You need not worry about carrying your laptop all the time. It’s just that you need to flip it out off your pocket and check what you need to know.

Track your machine:-  Imagine you being in a different city or travelling abroad and need to know where your equipment is. You can do it easily with the help of your mobile app. You can track your equipment and also know when it was used the last time and also know the time you need to check its coolant. You get to know almost everything about your machine. It can also alarm you if it finds anything suspicious, like the machine is being used after working hours or if it’s used outside the designated area. This leads to curbing any sort of misuse in your absence and also ensures that the equipment is not being mismanaged by your employees.

In order to make these things possible, you need to install certain devices in your mobile which will then enable you to make use of these technologies. Nevertheless, the crux of the matter is you need to have a mobile which supports this technology and is compatible to install all these necessary devices.

Check out the list of some heavy equipment which are used at quarry

May be from many years ago the practice of quarrying rocks and mineral has been used for creating human infrastructure. Common core mining is basically a Canadian apprenticeship program for pit workers and quarry. Several heavy works has been done in quarry so the demands of some heavy equipment are very high in order to perform such works properly.   Everyone loves to use marble in their house as it is one of the most favorite rocks that people used in formal settings. People like its beautiful and distinct look. It is very useful and can easily use in different types of projects. At first marble was used by the Greeks and Romans in their sculptures. Only because of its soft nature people use marble from such a long time. One has to know the process of mining marble from quarries and it also requires some heavy equipment which helps people to perform this work.
After the discovery of the marble you have to take it out with the help of some heavy equipment. Then people make quarries which are very different than the other mines as it opens to air. Then through some process like sawing, drilling or removing big chunks of marble from the earth one has to extract marble and all such processes are performed by heavy equipment.

Through the help of some heavy equipment the quality of marble has been examined then the impurities and also the cracks are eliminated from the marble. In order to transport marble from one place to another people depend on heavy equipment. 

Like marble every other works which are performed at quarry need the help of heavy equipment. Here is a list of some heavy equipment which is used at quarry.

 

Vibrating feeder: 

A vibrating feeder is kind of heavy equipment which helps to perform various works. Vibrating feeders are hugely used in many quarry operations and mining and it also has many features. Some of its brilliant features are dependable operation, smooth vibrating and great service. The most important thing is that the vibrating speeders are very useful for feeding. It contains vibrator, motor vibrating device, vibrating frame, spring and motor. The motor helps it to rotate and the feeder gains massive forces and power which is actually needed for vibration.  Because when the feeder vibrates the materials go through the funnel ‘and are screened.’

Permanent and self-cleaning magnets:
Permanent and self-cleaning magnets are very useful. Generally a permanent magnet is created from a material which is already magnetized and also able to create its own constant magnetic ground. Permanent magnetic separators are applied on the conveyor belts. The self- cleaning magnets help to remove or separate non-metallic or metallic materials.

Forklifts:

A forklift is really a piece of necessary equipment for different kinds of quarry or mining operation. There are different kinds of forklifts. Industrial forklifts help to move mining material and supplies. Rough forklifts can tackle any rugged situations and perform really well.

Get informed and then buy either used or new Caterpillar Water Wagons

Water Wagons generally serve the purpose of transporting water or liquid from one location to another, it is mostly used at the construction sites. Depending upon the purpose and quantity of the work, one can order water wagons. There are several companies like Caterpillar Water Wagons which are into manufacturing of water wagons. In fact, Caterpillar itself engineers different models of water wagons pertaining to the usage of various clients. Their models are easily available online and one can readily check design and parts of the machinery on various portals that deal in the sale and purchase of heavy machineries as tanks, tractors or water wagons.

To get the best deal on the water wagons, it is advisable to understand the making of a particular model. The criterion for judgement can be divided into following sub-sections:

  1. Strength of the engine
  2. Make of the machinery parts
  3. How comfortably a water wagon can be taken from a paved road to the worksite or on uneven terrain of construction sites
  4. How much liquid can be carried in the wagon
  5. Can we spray with the model that is under discussion or should we consider something better and less expensive.

A water wagon can serve numerous purposes like spraying of chemicals on the vegetation, or water at the construction sites to reduce the dust storm.

What is the necessity to find about the various models?

Each model of Caterpillar Water Wagons comes with different specifications. These basically determine the strength and capability of a water wagon. The details help in making an informed decision about a water wagon and one can invest money wisely.

More so, there are models which have remodelled and made a water wagon. More importantly if one is looking for second hand purchase it is very important to understand the making of machinery.

How to find about the models?

There are quite a few websites which deal exclusively in the resale and new sale of heavy machineries. Here it is very easy to find specs about a Caterpillar Water Wagon, these sites provide complete guidance and tell about the power of a water wagon. Few models from the company which is also available on online sales are 621F, 621 G, 611, Caterpillar 769 C and more.

For online purchase one can request a quote and compare it with offline shops and other online portals. The comparative analysis can bring down the price considerably and can easily give a good deal.

One can even rent a Caterpillar Water Wagon if the need is not big and not too frequent. It will prove to be a better investment and can save money. About details on rental, one can again look with sites which deal with heavy machinery. A comparison and study of these machineries can help in staying informed and making a good choice related with purchase, rental or second hand purchase of the water wagon. So read and find as much as one can before finalising the deal.

Shield Your Heavy Equipment From The Deadly Winter

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Winter is welcomed in many parts of our country but in some parts, it is indeed a pain as one has to go through a good deal of trouble to protect themselves from the ferocious weather. It is just not for us that this season comes with pain but also for the construction segment as a whole. Imagine in cities where it snows for most of the time in the year, winters are just deadly. Folks from the construction domain are more worried about their heavy equipment as this season not only dampens their business but also the working capability of their machines. It just takes away the power from the equipment leading to enough complication once the weather changes. This leaves them with a damp business and few rotten machines. Though, the equipment can be fixed, it takes time to get them back on their toes.

What should one do to winterize their equipment?

The owner of the construction equipment needs to follow some very basic principles. The first would be to lubricate the machine before the start of the season. It would be practically impossible to do the lubrication thing once it starts snowing. No one can dare to deal with the machines in such a rough weather. Therefore, it would be prudent to do away with the oiling and maintenance stuff at the very beginning and before you start feeling the cold breeze swaying your cheeks.

Winterizing your equipment begins with checking each point of your machine that you feel should be lubricated. It would be wise if you prepare checkpoints before you begin working with it. The checkpoints will help you identify the various points in the machines that you need to work on. As you keep completing the work, keep ticking the checkpoints. This will ensure that you leave nothing behind and have taken care of everything mentioned on the list.

Get a good mechanic to get this job done

One of the most important steps towards shielding your construction equipment from winter is to get the overall machine checked by a good mechanic. It may not cost you much to hire an experienced mechanic who knows the in and out of the equipment and knows what needs to be done to protect them from winter. If he finds any part of the machine to be faulty, that should be replaced immediately. There are instances where the equipment owner gave the job of winterizing the equipment to the operator and they with their limited knowledge tried doing everything possible to prevent the machine but eventually, it took its toll. The machine weren’t working with the beginning of the next season and the owners were left puzzled. Had they given the work to an expertise, things would have been favourable to them.

Once you are done with the repair job, the next thing is to store the equipment in a cool and dry environment. It should not be exposed to outside climate or else it might develop complications.

Following these steps will ensure a safe winter for your heavy equipment.

 

Insure Your Heavy Equipment and Become Worry Free

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Being in the construction business and not having to deal with heavy construction equipment is like learning to swim without actually getting wet, in short, impossible. When dealing with construction equipment, it is obvious that mishaps and accidents are going to be a commonplace affair.

Why Is Insuring Your Heavy Equipment So Important?

It goes without saying that heavy equipment cost quite a fortune, the damage of which contributes significantly to the loss of precious time and money. While the time factor cannot be apparently helped with, the money factor can definitely be. Insuring your heavy equipment with the best insurance companies on the block seems to be a good means of coping up with such unprecedented financial loss.

Safety and security measures apart, there still remains a certain danger of mishaps which sometimes seem to unavoidable. Financial losses owing to heavy equipment can occur in more than one way. Your heavy construction equipment may be stolen, damaged by fire, or any other accident, or may be liable to casualty in any other way. In such a scenario, insuring your equipment comes across as a good thing to do as that proves to be of immense help financially in case of such losses due to such damage.

Looking For the Best Insurance Companies- Things to Keep In Mind

Now that it has become quite clear that insuring heavy equipment plays a major role in recuperating with the losses that occur due to the damage of such equipments, it would also do god to know the best way in which construction companies can go about insurance company hunting. Like everything else, this also has a check list, the ticking off of which before approaching a company for insurance seems to be a good approach.

  • There are a number of insurance companies available on the block. It would be prudent to choose a company that offers insurance policy that best caters to your needs. You should be well aware of the potential hazards that your heavy equipment can face and look for a policy accordingly.
  • It is also crucial for you to pick the insurance companies that cover most, if not all, the areas of cause of damage that your heavy construction equipment might be susceptible to. You would certainly not like to settle for an insurance company that does not cover half of the areas required that is required.
  • Comparing the policies of different companies also seems to be a worthy decision as it will ensure that you are not missing out the best policies available on the block and also enables you to have a fair idea of the various schemes and offers doing the rounds.

Selecting the best insurance companies certainly comes across as a good decision as the policies that they put forth for the insurance of heavy equipment satisfies most of the requirements of the concerned customer. Such organisations also take good care of their customers and do not delay in meeting out the financial help that construction companies might require in dealing with the loss owing to the damage of heavy equipment. So, if you are still having second thoughts about insuring your heavy construction equipment, then it is best that you leave such thoughts aside and settle for the best insurance company for assured financial help in time of need.

Compaction Rollers- An Important Tool in the Road Construction Industry

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One of the many off-shoots of the construction industry is the road construction industry. Roads- one of the most important instruments of connectivity to be discovered till date. Roads have occupied a pride of place from times immemorial and the presence of good roads has become an integral part of every little regular activity of our lives. And the road construction industry, without a doubt plays a pivotal role in the whole affair.

Compaction Rollers- What Are They? How Is It Used?

Compaction can be said to be one of the most crucial aspect in the entire affair of road construction- the quality of the road that is being constructed depends on how well it has been compacted. Hence, without a doubt, compaction rollers forms an important part of the whole compaction thing.

Before anything else, let us consider the purpose of compaction rollers. As is evident from its christening, compaction rollers are used for the purpose of giving the soil a compact form during the road construction. The compaction roller basically consists of a bulky drum like unit which makes for majority of the compression force, a “propulsion engine” and wheels to set the whole thing in motion.

Now the question that needs addressing is how does the entire procedure work? First of all, the “pad foot drum rollers” are used for the compaction of the substrate initially. Next in line comes the “single smooth drum compactor”, which is used for leveling out the bumps and mounds on the soil, thereby, compacting the soil. And finally, the asphalt is laid on the road, with the help of pavers.

Ensure Your Safety

Compaction rollers are an important part of the road construction- granted. But it has to be kept in mind that like all other construction equipments, it is not hazard free. There are certain precautions that one needs to take before handling the compaction roller.

  • For starters, it is important to assess how much      space you have. It often so happens that during the construction of a      road, there isn’t much space to allow vehicles to pass through. In such      cases, rollers may become the reason of a mishap. Diverting the traffic of      the area is the best alternative that you can come up with at this time.
  • Like all other heavy construction equipment, it is      mandatory to have proper maintenance facilities for compaction rollers.      The roller must be tended to periodically for its smooth operation. It is      often seen that the rollers release exhaust fumes as a result of poor maintenance,      thus posing potential hazard to the environment, the workers and other      people. One could easily avoid this by providing proper maintenance      facilities to the roller.
  • Apart from vehicle drivers, pedestrians also need to      be cautious of the possible hazards arising out of compaction rollers. If      possible, they should be advised against going down that road by diverting      them to another safer route.

Compaction rollers, no doubt form an important part of the road construction arena, provided they are used with a certain amount of precaution.

Looking To Rent Your Equipments In Texas – It’s A Must To Read This

There are times when we all go through a sluggish period and do not have much work in hand. At this juncture, we not only have to manage the recurring costs to keep the company going but also have to ensure that the heavy equipments that are lying idle are well maintained. We can’t just let them rust for doing nothing. Therefore, the maintenance adds up to the cost making things all the more difficult. Under this situation, it is wise to simply rent the equipments to someone who is in need of them and can also afford to pay the rent that you want.

Renting heavy equipment may sound complex but in reality it is pretty simple to do so. You only need to find the right guy for your machine. We may be a bit apprehensive with the thought that the person using it may not care for it and that might lead to the machine getting wear off in less time than it should have. Well, these are just apprehensions and things can always be worked to set them in the right place. For instance, you can rent the machine to someone you know or if at all you’re giving it to a stranger, you can make an agreement where you can state that you may do an inspection of the equipment after every quarter and if you find that they are misusing the machine, you have every right to cancel the agreement and take your machine back.

One of the simplest forms of renting the heavy equipment is by posting it on internet. For the ones living in Texas, there are several sites which can connect them with the prospects. These websites work as an intermediary between the giver and the taker. In order to post your stuff on their websites, you have to first register with them. There may be an annual subscription fees that they may charge you for your services or may bill you for only listing the item on their website. The fees may differ depending upon the price of the equipment. Higher the price of the item more would be their fees. You have to update your credit card information on their website and then are post the equipment. It also gives you the privilege to monitor the number of prospects who have visited your item and if needed you can also communicate the prospect or vice-versa.

If you find a party who is interested in your equipment, ask them to pay a visit at your place and if they want, they can check the equipment to ensure that it’s working. Once they are content with the stuff, you can draft an agreement and can ask them to credit the money in your bank account.

You can also opt to advertise in a local newspaper that is widely circulated all over Texas. You may find some success in that as well. However in this modern age, it is recommended to post things on website as that may give you more and better responses.

How to calculate the fuel consumption of your heavy equipment

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With every passing day the fuel rates are going high. It is becoming very difficult for the users of heavy equipment to gain profit due to the constant increase of fuel price. Moreover, the heavy equipment consumes more fuel due to the heavy work load it has to perform. However, if the rate of fuel consumption by heavy equipment goes higher, then it would become more difficult by the users to control the expenses and at the same time, gain profit.

Why do you need to calculate the consumption of fuel by your heavy equipment?

Measuring the fuel calculation of heavy equipment is very important. This is due to several reasons:

  • Excessive fuel consumption leads to point that the engine may be facing some problems and hence requires a treatment.
  • It may also denote that the person who is controlling the equipment may be mishandling it. Therefore, he might need a training to learn how to operate heavy equipment.
  • It might also indicate that there is a chance of fuel theft that is resulting in the absence of fuel in the tank no matter how much carefully you operate the machine.

How to calculate how much fuel your heavy equipment is consuming?

There are quite some ways to calculate the fuel consumption of your heavy equipment.

  • The first thing you must do is to maintain the records of both the amount of fuel that has been filled in the tank, as well as the hours that the machine has worked. This can be done by following the engine’s hour meter that is present in most of heavy equipment.
  • It is very important to note down the data as accurately as possible. For that, one can note the starting hour and then the ending hour and by subtracting the former from the latter will result in the exact time period.
  • After every shift, you should note the amount of fuel refilled in the fuel tank and the accuracy should be maintained from the fuel meter.
  • Normally the amount of fuel that is required to fill the tank of heavy equipment is measured in gallon.
  • After a shift of work, the amount of fuel needed to fulfil the fuel tank is the amount consumed by the machine while working. However, it should also be noted that the machine has performed only an average work. If the work performed by your heavy equipment is more than the average, then one must note that also, since the more heavy work is done by the machine, the more amount of fuel will it consume.
  • The calculation part is the easiest part of the whole process. All you have to do is to divide the amount of fuel required to refill the tank by the number of hours the machine has worked in that particular shift. Suppose it needed 80 gallons of fuel to fill the tank after 8hours of work, then the consumption rate is 10 gallons per hour.