Monthly Archives: January 2014

Some Important Things You Need To Know About Excavation Equipment

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Normally heavy equipment is manufactured with its own intrinsic value attached to it; same goes in the case of excavation equipment. An excavator is predominantly built to unearth the surface and carry the dirt and the debris from the excavated place to the place it is supposed to dump. However, that is not all that one needs to know about an excavator. There are many things which one has to understand, right from the different parts of the machine to the safety measures one needs to follow while they are working with an excavator on the construction site. We must have seen the big construction companies hiring only experienced operators for a given project. By no means, they would give a critical job to a newbie. They may have the new guy train under an experienced operator but would restrict the new operator to operate the machine on his own.

We would be discussing few important things about excavation equipment that will throw some light on why it is termed as one of the most important construction equipment.

Demolishing, grading and hauling:-  Construction of commercial or residential properties can never be thought without the use of an excavator. The excavator is used to demolish an old construction in order to build something new in its place. For instance, you were living in a small house and now you want to hand over the piece of land to a contractor who will demolish the old property and construct a new one. It will take ages for the construction company to break off the old dwelling without the use of an excavator. At the same time, you also can’t wait till eternity to start living in your new house. An excavator has the ability to quickly demolish the existing construction, move the debris in no time and give you an empty piece of land to start building a new dwelling.

Not only, it is handy for demolishing the old settlement but also it helps to grade the land and level it accordingly. It can remove the dirt from high spots and can fill it at low spots thus leveling the land. As far as grading is concerned, excavator can also be used to level the roads thus proves to be very important equipment for road building. It can also be used to clear snow from the road during the winter season.

Last but not the least; it has very good capacity to haul the debris from one place to the other. These features of an excavator not only make it effective equipment in the construction sector but also save a good deal of money by multi-tasking. Small construction companies find this to be a safer bet as they don’t have to spend money buying several equipment for different type of work. They can get all done from the same machine.

There are many companies that are selling state-of-the-art excavators. You only need to upgrade your knowledge and know the type of excavator you need for your project.

Are Heavy Equipment Manufactured By Companies Eco-Friendly?

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Environment has become a major issue in the present scenario of rapid urbanization. With the commencement and conclusion of each new construction project, the threat to the environment is taking a much more concrete shape, with the result being that those involved in the construction industry are now looking for ways and means in which they can make sure that they get about the business in a manner that is compatible with the environment. It has, therefore, become very important to adopt certain remedial measures that will prove to be effective in healing the environment. And one such in which they can ensure this is by using heavy construction equipment that are eco friendly.

Are The Construction Equipment Eco Friendly?

While some of the manufacturers of heavy construction equipment are taking up initiatives to provide equipment that are considerably environment friendly, but a majority of the heavy equipment that are being used for the purposes cannot really be said to be the same. These equipment contribute quite significantly when it comes to the air and noise pollution levels. The noxious soot along with the pollutants that result in the formation of smog emitted by these construction equipment only add to the increasing threats of global warming and ozone contamination. This in turn leads to chronic cases of respiratory diseases, such as, asthma, bronchitis and even premature death.

It must also be mentioned in this context that these equipments often operate accompanied by noises high in the decibel scale that cannot be said to be too healthy for the population, especially the ones with critical health issues. Additionally, the high frequency of the noises produced by these equipments might lead to hearing impairment quite early on.

Using eco friendly heavy equipment

Making use of eco friendly heavy equipment has become crucial in the maintenance of an environment where the pollution level is minimal. Let us take a look at the traits that make a heavy construction equipment eco friendly.

  • The heavy equipment that is being put to use in the construction site must be designed in a manner that guarantees minimal levels of fuel emissions. Less fuel emission means lesser carbon monoxide in the air, thereby, less air pollution.
  • It must also be ensured that the heavy equipment that is being put to use makes minimum amount of noise. This definitely brings the level of noise pollution lower, thereby adding to the eco friendly nature of the equipment.
  • Also make sure that the heavy equipment that is being put to use in the construction area is constructed out of recyclable material. This will ensure that the disposal of the equipment will not pose much of a hindrance along with being environment friendly.

It has, therefore become very important to consider heavy equipment in the construction area that are eco friendly not only for the benefit of nature, but also for the people associated with the construction work and those living in close proximity to it.

Operate A Scraper With Ease – A Bit Of Practical Training Can Help You Master It

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When you are in the construction business, you may have to deal with all sorts of heavy equipment and in order to operate them, you need the best operator who can get the job done with ease and without causing any causality to co-employees or anyone on the site. Ideally, construction companies do have a set of operators who are skilled in operating a particular type of machine but that doesn’t mean that they are not capable of handling other set of heavy equipment. They are also given to try a hand on equipment which they have not worked much. This keeps them abreast with other operators and becomes very handy especially when for any unforeseen reason; you don’t have the primary operator at work. In this situation, you can make use of the other person who has worked on that machine earlier.
In this article, we will discuss how one can learn to operate a scraper. Operating a scraper is no rocket science and can be learned with ease if only the learner is determined to learn it the proper way and also if he works on the machine, thus with the help of the practical knowledge can make him a better operator.
Learning the intricacies of the equipment closely:- The first step that one needs to learn before he starts operating a scraper is to learn the intricacies of the scraper closely and should be able to understand what to do when under any given situation. The small cabin given to the operator is actually the brain of the machine and the operator needs to know all the different buttons and their functions. He just can’t afford to press the wrong switch, which if he does will only make the situation worse. Therefore, it becomes very important to understand the different features of the scraper and which switch is meant to do what kind of work.
Keep updating your knowledge through internet:- Day in and out, there are lot of changes happening in the technology. Various models are being manufactured by different heavy equipment companies. It’s prudent to keep yourself updated with the recent changes so that if the business is required to buy a new scraper, you should not find yourself in a position of not being able to understand anything in it. You may take help of internet to understand the technological changes in the new model and can keep yourself updated.
Take help from people veteran to you:- Developing a healthy relationship with your veteran can yield positive results in many occasions. Once such occasion is when you want to learn how to operate a scraper of which you have not ever read about. The people who are in senior level position and have been operating different models of scraper may be in a position to give some help to you using which you can try your hand on the new model.

Graders and excavators are must for your construction project

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In a construction project, grading is meant to be the process in which a base is created for the construction. The machine or equipment that is used for this purpose is termed as a grader. There are different names for graders that are very commonly used for this purpose such as a road grader, a maintainer, a blade or it can also be a motor grader. The typical or traditional model of a grader has three axles, one engine and a cab that is positioned on the rear end of the axles. Other than the grader, the other very important machine or construction equipment that is most frequently used is the excavator. It is a heavy construction machine that has a stick, a boom and a cab with the controlling engine. The task of excavation by an excavating machine is however accomplished by steel ropes and winches. In case the excavators are hydraulic excavators, the functions are performed by the hydraulic fluid.

Use of graders:

The most common and wide spread usage of graders are on the roads. For maintaining the gravel roads as well as the dirt roads, the heavy construction equipment named graders are used. The function that is performed by these is to create a base or flat and wide surface area for the roads to place the asphalts on the base. Another important role that the graders can perform is the building of soil foundation for the large constructions or buildings. In countries where on the sides of the highways, a cross section or construction like a ‘V’ shape is made, it is done by the graders. The graders can also cut ditches very efficiently.  Other than these construction jobs, the graders can also remove trees, after construction or post demolition debris, or it can also remove rocks. In a single statement, if you want to comprise all the functions of a grader, then it must be said that a grader creates the surface or base of any construction or other heavy load works so that the later equipment can perform their duties.

Use of excavators:

The basic usage of an excavator is at the digging sites or trenching sites. The long stick, boom and cab that are the main parts of an excavator, very efficiently performs the task of trenching or excavating. Not only digging a trench, the excavators are used for the archaeological excavation sites also where digging and removing the unimportant large amount of debris can be performed only by an excavator. The excavators also perform their task in the process called the “earth moving”. These excavators can be of two types, either a tracked excavator or a wheeled excavator. Both type of excavator can perform with equal efficiency. However, the tracked excavators are more preferred than the wheeled ones as they have the better floatation or it can be simply said that the tracked excavators can move easily on any platform, whereas the wheeled ones have this limitation. Otherwise, they are very versatile.

Caterpillar 385 Excavator or John Deere 850 Excavator

Success in the construction industry depends on the type of control you have on your business. You may have the best men to work for you but it is more important to have a control on your men so that they deliver their best for you. The same attitude goes with your machines. You would want to have machines which have better control and meets all your requirements. You would definitely want to go for equipment which give you what your business wants and also keep a check on its operating expenses like maintenance. Well, in order to get such type of machines, there are very few heavy equipment manufacturing companies on whom you can rely on. Out of the few, the most trusted brand are Caterpillar and John Deere. The machines manufactured by these companies are considered to be the best in comparison to all others manufacturing companies and therefore are the most recommended brands in the history of heavy equipment.

We would be talking in length about the features of Caterpillar 385 excavator and John Deere 850 excavators and understand how beneficial they are to the construction companies.

Caterpillar 385 excavator:- Let us first start with the engine of this model. This machine in fitted with diesel engine with ACERT technology. It has a capacity of 18.1 litre 6 cylinder and possess a horsepower of 513. It is also installed with MEUI and overhead camshaft. The ACERT technology boosts up the power of the engine making it more efficient and augmenting its performance via advanced electronic control.

With the help of this new technology, it has successfully managed to reduce the consumption of fuel which saves a lot in a time when fuel prices are just not ready to fall down. The machine is also installed with a cooling system that helps in cooling off the equipment quickly. This becomes handy when the equipment is required to work in a temperature more than 40 degree Celsius. It has the electronic control system that plays a significant role in controlling the fan speed which is primarily based on 2 factors, coolant temperature and hydraulic oil temperature.

The engineers have also fitted a heavy lift mode in the equipment which allows it to augment its lifting capability while lifting heavy items. It is thus endowed with a lot of options which are extremely user friendly and have thus made its mark in the construction domain.

John Deere 850 excavators:-  John Deere is a brand that is known for its supreme quality and high worth deliverable. The engine of John Deere 850 excavator has a power of 532 hp, slightly more than Caterpillar 385 and its power is measured at 1800 rpm. It has more or less the same feature as available in Caterpillar 385 with very minute differences which makes it a bit unique. The fuel capacity of John Deere is 296 gallons and its engine oil capacity is 13.9 gallon.

If given an option on which one to select, it would depend on what kind of project one would be in and if one has multiple projects and need more than 1 excavator, it would be worth trying both at different locations. It can be said with certainty that the user will not find any major difference in the performances of both the machines.

Buy The Most Reliable Hydraulic Excavators From Kobelco Construction Equipment

Let’s start this with an assumption where we assume 2 companies selling dish cleaners. The company “A” manufactures and sells only dish cleaners but the company “B” apart from manufacturing and selling dish cleaners, they also have their hands into other household goods. This means that the company “B” is not able to give its 100% to the core product whereas the company “A” invests all its time and energy in researching what the customer wants and what innovative measures they can take to make the product more user friendly and thereby only manufactures dish cleaners. Using this example, from which company would you like to buy your dish cleaner? I suppose, it would be certainly company “A” that you would buy the stuff from.

Similarly, this is what we would do when it comes to buying heavy equipment and when it comes to buying hydraulic excavators, you may not want to rely on any brand other than Kobelco. Kobelco is one of the few companies which exclusively produce hydraulic excavators and hence their end product is finer and superior than the ones produced by other branded heavy equipment manufacturing companies that manufactures all kinds of construction equipment.

They are into production of full range hydraulic excavators that ranges between 3000 lb to 180,000 lb. They also produce excavators used for specific purposes like landscape or that works in a construction site, or the ones used in road building. Kobelco is widely known as a perfectionist in producing excavators which also helps them to sell their stuff with a premium. You may find their excavators to be slightly expensive than the equipment of other companies. They are installed with advanced mechanisms like system that can reduce noise and dust, advanced hydraulic circuitry that helps to reduce loss of pressure and also minimize the consumption of fuel making the equipment fuel efficient.

You can buy an excavator directly from Kobelco sales office either by visiting them in person or through a dealer. Precisely, buying it either way doesn’t make any difference as the buyer would get all the benefits like after sales service, warranty of the equipment and things that are related to the stuff after you done buying them. So if you’ve an authorized dealer closer to your place, then it makes more sense to place the order through the dealer rather than hunting for their shop.

If we talk about their after sales service, you may find it better than brands who claim to be the best in the industry. In case you see a problem in the equipment, you only need to register a complaint by calling them on their customer service number. They will register your complaint and within few hours, you’ll have an engineer at your place to fix it up.

Kobelco has its presence in many countries as it wants to spread it wings and reach out to as many customers as it can. It no longer is a domestic heavy equipment manufacturing company but has turned into a might player in the construction equipment segment.

SU Blades vs. 6-way blades on a Dozer

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Bulldozer or dozer is specifically a crawler or continuous tracked tractor which is essentially used for pushing a huge quantity of either soil, rubble or sand or any other heavy or bulky material from the construction site. The machine has multipurpose utility and can be used at various sites as for military bases, mines or in heavy industry or in farms or at quarries. The multifaceted dozer has rear ripper in the shape of claw that can rip through materials and thus makes it easy for carrying or shifting from one place to another.

What are SU Blades?

Basically, dozer blades on the front are of different types and according to their shape and purpose, they have been classified.

  1. S-Blade—This is the straight blade that is short without any lateral curve. These do not have any side wings and are essentially used for fine grading.
  2. U-Blade—This is the universal blade with curved and tall design. Unlike S-blade, it has large side wings which are used for carrying heavy or loads of materials.
  3. S-U Blade—As the name suggests it is an amalgamation of the two but is shorter and does not have as fine curve as U-Blade. Comparatively, the side wings are also shorter.

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What are the 6-way blades?

The 6-way blades are a bigger track dozer and are used for lifting and doing much bulkier work. Ways signify that blades can be moved in various directions like it can go left, right, upward, downward, tilt and curve. The ways define the movement of the blade. For intricate and finer work, one can choose to dozer with better efficiency. 6 ways basically defines the size of the dozer and the capacity. If someone has loads of work to do, then one can opt for bigger frame and much efficient machine. It is the cylinder and the horse power which actually measures the efficiency and weight of the machine.

SU Blades vs. 6-way blades on a Dozer

The 6 way blades can either have S type or U type or S-U type blades. The blades make dozer sharper and give it a better edge to crawl through the terrain and clear the way whereas 6 way blades increase the functioning capability of a dozer. The increased number of blades gives better mobility.

This is the main difference between the two. Various companies make dozer which is either light or heavy and depending on the work, one can make a smart choice. To know more about a dozer, it is best to make a comparative analysis of the different model that can give a vivid idea on the bulldozer and be cost efficient.

 

 

Some of the biggest problems running a Heavy Equipment Rental Business

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Heavy equipment are not so easy to get especially for people who are budding entrepreneurs and do not have much experience in the construction segment. Unlike the big players who can afford to buy variety of equipments as and when they are needed, small construction companies have to struggle to even get a used one on rent. For the ones who have a project in hand but no equipment, situations become a lot harsher to such individuals. Knowing the fact that how expensive heavy equipment can be and how hard it may hit their finances, it become almost impossible for them to buy a brand new one. They have the option to buy a used machine but what after the ongoing project gets over. In case, they run out of projects, the one they have bought will stay idle. Therefore, it makes more sense to take it on rent.

There are people who understand the needs of such upcoming construction companies and have started their own business where they act as a middleman and try to meet the requirement of both the giver as well as the taker. However, many see this business in deep trouble as they are not getting customers directly walking in their offices and opting for other modes to take care of their business requirements.

The web provides it all:-  With the advent of internet, there are many things that took a change in their way of working. Internet was undoubtedly helpful to many but at the same time, it also became the reason for some to lose their business. People who were in the business of providing heavy equipment on rent are finding it hard to get customers as the customer manages to directly get in touch with the giver and makes a headway. This is in turn giving a hard time to people involved in these businesses and many had to shut their offices.

Now, we also have a smart bunch of people who have used the internet to develop their business. They simply put in an Ad stating people who are in need of heavy equipment on rent can contact them. They design a flashy website which incites customers to call them up or visit them and they in turn meet up with their needs.

Big fish swallows small fish:-  We all know the rule of the jungle. The smartest and the fittest survive. Same is applicable in this business. There are some guys who are in this business for the last many years and have strong contacts with their clients (with both the giver and the taker). These guys ensure that they swallow the business of any new entrant in their arena. When they see a new chap making an entry, they begin giving gifts and freebies at their cost which motivates the customer to stay with them. This makes business impossible for the new entrant and he eventually has to shut his business.

Snowy Weather – What Precaution One Must Take To Safeguard Their Equipment

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If you think that it is just the dust that causes problems in heavy equipment, then you perhaps need to tune your thinking a bit. No doubt that dust plays a major role in deteriorating the quality of the machine but there are other forces in existence that also has a part to play in making the condition of your equipment go worse. Have you ever contemplated how difficult a snowy weather can turn out on heavy equipment? Well, it can be very fatal and may result to ultimate crack down of the machine. Winter is a big threat to heavy equipment and especially when it gets real chill, it becomes worse for them. Many construction companies are compelled to shut their work for those few months as they simply can’t get their machine working. The machine gets so cold that it takes long for it to start up and get going.

We witnessed that winters in this part of the globe has become chiller and the snow covers more than 1 to 2 feet of the road which means it becomes so hard for humans to walk on it. There it requires the help of heavy equipment to take the snow off the road. However, these equipment also have their limitations and can perform under a limited level of snow on the road. Though there some big machines which are used to clear snow that has covered 3 feet of the road. However, in order to do that, they also have to use more power to get the job done. More power means more pressure on the engine which reduces the life of the machine. Other than that, not doing regular servicing can further cause damage to the equipment.

Let us now talk about what needs to be done to safeguard the machine from a hostile snowy weather.

Try to keep the machine covered when not in use:-  You might not want to expose the machine to the outside weather when it is not in use. Try to keep it covered or in your garage or in a place which can accommodate all the heavy equipment you have from the outside weather. When the machine is at work, try not to keep it on the site as we tend to do during normal seasons. It is worth taking the extra effort to haul it back home.

Take off the snow that sneaks its way inside the machine:-  When the equipment is at ease, it is recommended to pick the snow blocks out from its bottom. Simultaneously, when you are done for the day and bringing the stuff back home, you try and take off the huge/small blocks of snow that gets stuck to its bottom.

Service it regularly:-  Servicing the machine in such a weather is very crucial. You just can’t wait for the season to get over so that you can do the servicing thing at your ease. If you have a team who takes care of the servicing part, you can get the problem sorted in no time or else you get hold of someone who can get things fixed for you.

What One Needs To Do To Become An Authorized Dealer Of Heavy Equipment

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Construction business is considered to be one of the most profits making business of the century and businesses that are associated with this industry has also made good deal of money. Businesses like heavy equipment manufacturing companies are just multiplying their profits year after year and the entire credit goes to this profitable industry. However, not every person can own company that manufactures heavy equipment. Therefore a person who wants to make it big by selling heavy equipment would have to seek some other avenues by which they can make decent income from this business. One such option that one can opt for is to become a dealer of heavy equipment and sell the machines to the companies earning some commissions. Well, for people who think that earning commissions would get them nothing, they would be surprised to know that earning commissions by being a dealer means you are dealing with a good chunk of money. We all know that heavy equipment are highly expensive and if at all they get 2% as commission, they make good money out of the transaction. Alternatively, the dealer is not only going to sell heavy equipments but will sell other equipment which are not necessarily heavy equipments but are of much needed commodity in a construction site.

Therefore, it’s just not that you have to depend on your sales of heavy equipments. You can sell something that is cheaper but equally needed and can make money out of it. There are few credentials that one has to meet to become an authorized dealer of heavy equipment.

Having knowledge of this business;-  A heavy equipment manufacturing company is not going to give the dealership to any person as long as they are sure that the person knows which equipment is needed for what purpose. The person should also have knowledge about the business or have some kind of experience which will prove his credential to the company. Also, if the person has prior experience in selling heavy equipment to construction companies may be given some preference. In many cases, people working in top positions preferably with selling equipment in some equipment manufacturing company takes up the dealership. The companies on the other hand do not shy away to give them the job as they are sure that these men know what they are dealing with. In this fashion, they set up their shop and become the dealer of the company they were working with.

Having good contacts with construction companies:-  A person is given the dealership if he has good contacts with construction companies. His contacts will make the work look simpler as he can easily reach people in the company and check if they have any requirement for heavy equipment. A person without any contacts may have a hard time to even get in touch with the concerned official. It is because of this, that many dealers take multiple dealerships and try to sell equipments of the company that matches the requirement of the buyer