Category Archives: heavy equipment

Steps To Be a Successful Heavy Equipment Controller

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The construction industry is at a very flourishing stage in almost all the leading countries of the world. With the expansion of the industry, the need for skilled professionals who can operate the heavy machinery is increasing day by day. However, it is not possible for anybody to handle such equipment. It requires a lot of training and practice o be able to do the job effectively as well as safely. Therefore, it is important that you get your training from a good school if you have any interest or inclination in this particular field. Therefore, enrolling with a reputed school could prove to be highly beneficial for you if you are looking for developing your skills in dealing with heavy equipment in the construction industry. With more skills, it is quite obvious that you will be able to work for bigger companies and enjoy better and bigger benefits in your favor.

There are a lot of companies of heavy equipment as well as construction that may provide you with an on job training. However, it is to be noted that you will be able to get such training only after you have managed to get a job with that company. You would not get any sort of training at the time of the process of recruitment. Therefore, if you want to be eligible to get such training and get paid for it as well you will have to get some skills that would be able to prove that you are eligible for the process. Certain companies may even ask you to go for a field test so that you can prove how skilled you exactly are. Therefore, you may have to handle an excavator, a bulldozer or any sort of heavy machine that is relevant in the construction industry. It is important that you understand that in this industry, paper documentation does not mean peanuts unless you are able to make them actually see your capabilities in the field.

As you can see, the importance of proper schooling cannot be denied when it comes to the preparation in this field. There are a number of schools that you would find with a little research but not all of them would prove to be worth your time, energy and money. If you are searching for a good school that is dependable, a very good option would be Heavy Construction Academy. You may be in a state of doubt regarding how important it actually is to get enrolled with a good school for training in this field. In that case, you can pay visit to the workshops organized by the school in discussion. With this visit you will be able to a complete idea regarding the training that is required and provided by the top notch schools in this field. The world of heavy equipment is changing from time to time. Since more and more new technical advancements are being implemented in the designs of the modern equipment, it is important that a solid foundation is instilled in the professionals so that they work with any equipment with ease.

 

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How to Refurbish Earth Moving Heavy Equipment

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Just like your car, sometimes heavy equipment suffer from severe damage. At that time, a professional repairing technician is needed. Snafued and broken glass can put the heavy equipment operators at danger and sluggish down their performance. Correct and quick mending of heavy construction equipment help the machinist to get back in work. The owner of the heavy equipment should always give top priority to the safety of the driver and the cargo.

The refurbishment techniques of the earth moving equipment comprises of simple maintenance to major tows. It’s a fact that repairing earth moving mechanisms is a challenging and hazardous task for the technicians therefore in every manual; they are suggested to take safety measures. Some of the leading earth moving apparatuses in today’s souk are crawler loaders, wheel loaders, mining excavator, articulated dump trucks, duty cycle crawler cranes etc. All these equipment have definite functions. It is not possible for any mining or construction company to use a particular earth moving equipment for all types of soil. The selection of the mechanism entirely depends upon the purpose of the purchaser. When the window mirror of the earth moving apparatus gets damage, the expert heavy equipment repairing machinists change the glass appropriately.

Strides to Repair Earth Moving Equipment

  • The heavy equipment refurbishing technicians should first detect the problem. Then they must go through the operating procedure page of the instruction booklet. If the problem still continues, the machinists must examine the maintenance report of the equipment.
  • Many a time, the technicians have experienced that the lube joint is loose. In that case tighten the joint by the suitable screw driver. They should also check the condition of the oil in the engine and the spark plugs are removed, cleaned and replaced or not.
  • If the technicians observe that the problem still remains, they should read the troubleshooting instructions mentioned in the manual.
  • At this circumstance, if you are a novice mending technician and are unable to detect the actual problem, it is advisable to call a senior experienced mechanic. The experience of the skilled technician works here because he/she knows the next step to identify the problem.
  • The instruction guideline of overhauling earth moving mechanism is so lengthy that it is impossible for the beginner to read it completely at a time. Hence, it is sensible to always call an experienced technician if the damage is severe.
  • The hefty apparatus operators can easily locate the address of the technicians from the equipment dealers, rental firms and the manufacturers.
  • The earth moving equipment refurbishing mechanics should always carry their tool kit with them. Their gizmo kit comprises of power jacks, lathes, pneumatic wrenches etc.
  • The mechanics should acquire profound knowledge about disassembling and assembling of the machine parts.

The heavy equipment repair mechanics must do the training course of heavy equipment operation from a certified diesel mechanical engineering institution. This training program gives them an in-depth knowledge about the heavy equipment parts. The voluntary certificate of the weighty paraphernalia operation helps the mechanics to get a prosperous job.

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Strategies of Caterpillar for the year 2015

Whether big or small all companies have to draw a strategy to increase their sales volume for the upcoming year. Some companies go for acquisitions and some have other plans that they adopt to give a new dimension to this business. In some way or the other, every company usually set up some kind of strategy for their business and adheres to that plan. It is quite imperative to establish strategies for the upcoming year and also declare them to the investors, stake holders or else they may leave people in a very ambiguous state which will deter them to invest in that particular company. This will be very harmful for the financial health of the company.

Normally, big companies tend to spend good deal of money on advertising their strategy to others. This also gives a clear set of message to their competitors that they are entering the New Year with a bang. Some companies play quiet till the last moment and when the New Year is about to begin, they start speaking about their plans to the media and general public. They also write about them on their web sites. These kinds of advertisements become very helpful to the company and also attract the attention of domestic as well as global customers.

Caterpillar one of the leading brands in the field of manufacturing mining and construction equipment does not leave any chance to promote their achievements and inform others about the sort of strategies they have set-up for the forthcoming year. Caterpillar being a very old company and a huge brand always comes out with something new that makes other patiently wait for. They basically concentrate on market acquisitions and try to increase their sales by bringing in innovative products in the market. They use this strategy as their Unique Selling Point (USP). They believe that innovation is key to any business and they apply this of thought of theirs entirely to flourish their business. Doug Oberhelman, the chairman and chief executive officer of Caterpillar says that they have good sum of money lying with them and he would like to utilize that money by pumping it in the business.

Many business heads have the same opinion. They struggle hard for the entire year to increase their sales and make good chunk of money. The money is then reinvested in the business and various financial problems are sorted with this investment. Doug Oberhelman sees the opportunity is not huge. They need to lay their focus on small growth opportunities as he see very less chance in doing something big. They are primarily focusing on mining, oil and gas an electric power. They see good business opportunity particularly in these sectors.

Caterpillar was shy of entering into the oil and gas sector as it felt the prices of oil were high. However, things have changed now and they see this moment as the right junction to enter the market. They feel the prices of oil have dropped and it makes more sense to get in the market at this juncture.

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Top 10 Models Wheel Tractor Scraper

Wheel tractor scraper is a construction machine which is very large in size and finds its application in earthmoving, mining and construction industry. Over the years it has become very important heavy equipment due to increase in construction and mining projects. Here are top 10 models of Wheel Tractor Scraper.

627G-627G is a unique model of wheel tractor scraper has engines that are electronically operated and automatic transmission that are combined electronically to supply highest power facility. Its exceptional speed and capability to carry great weight are some of its unique features. It is also very durable and since it is controlled by electronic means it lends it greater problem-solving abilities.

621H-In the model of 621H we find innovation at its best. It has a superior wheel tractor scraper in terms of productivity. It also ensures comfort to the users. They are controlled electronically.

651E-This model is fuel-efficient as it has eight-speed power conduction. It has an accumulator minimises road accidents and also prevents loping despite operating at high speed in the roads. It is long lasting and has low operating costs if maintained properly.

637G-This model is a great innovation as it has many unique features such as articulated routing and steering. It has clear windows with a comfortable cabin inside the vehicle. It is controlled by an ejector which helps it moving up and down.

657G-This is another model of wheel tractor Scraper which has great travelling speed and ability to put load quickly. It is extremely durable and fuel-efficient. It also has the potentiality to high efficiency at low cost.

623H-623H gives greater productivity to the operators due to better-quality wheel tractor. It is also user friendly and comfortable to the users. It does not operate manually and needs to be controlled electronically. The synchronisation done on the tractor engine helps it to operate smoothly and for longer duration. Its structure has a non-metallic hood, better hydraulics and cushion hitch

 627H-Another innovative model of wheel tractor scraper which is automatic and is extremely durable. It has a robust and good quality structural design which increases its reliability. It is controlled by a Sequence Assist which makes its use less complicated. The use of implements are reduced by the use of control lever which uses cylinders that can sense position and assimilating computer software which assists  the operator to perform task like loading and dumping .

631G– This model is especially manufactured to operate at the point of combustion to maximise the performance of the engine and to lessen exhaust emissions. It comprises of power shift transmissions and torque converter which contributes to its efficiency and reliability.

CAT 611-It is a very fuel-efficient model of wheel tractor scraper. It is comfortable, long lasting and gives higher productivity. It has a flexible mounted engine to reduce the effects of sound and vibration. All the tools are warranted against breakage. Other features of this model are great speed, ability to take loads, consistency in terms of performance and productivity and easy maintenance.

637G-The 637G model is a machine marvel which operates to give the users productivity, efficiency, durability and high speed. It has a robust structure with power shift transmissions and torque convertor.

So these are the top 10 models of Wheel Tractor Scraper. All of them are top class equipments and the operators can use them according to their needs.

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Push Your Profit Margin Higher- Calculate the Life Cycle Cost Of Heavy Construction Equipment

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The capital comprises of a large part of any business. It is not really possible to go on about a business without investing a certain amount of money. The importance of the capital becomes all the more prominent when it is the construction industry in question. Talking of the construction industry one cannot deny the fact that a huge amount of the capital required goes into the purchase and maintenance of heavy construction equipment.

Life Cycle Cost Of Construction Equipment- What Does It Mean?

When the heavy construction equipment forms such an important part of the entire construction industry, it is quite obvious that a lot of thought must go into the purchase of these equipment. The heads of the construction company undergo a lot of consideration when purchasing these equipment and the life cycle cost evaluation of heavy construction equipment forms a major part of these considerations.

So, what exactly is meant by life cycle cost calculation? Well, life cycle cost of construction equipment refers to the total cost that is incurred on particular heavy construction equipment, right from its inception, maintenance to its disposal. In other words it is nothing but the cost estimate of its entire life cycle. The next question that must strike you is why at all would a construction organization need to evaluate construction equipment life cycle cost? The answer to this question is very simple- this evaluation allows the companies to come up with the most cost effective measures of seeing construction equipment through their entire life cycle.

Evaluating the Life Cycle Cost of Your Heavy Construction Equipment

Evaluation of construction equipment life cycle cost has proved to be quite influential on a number of important aspects of a particular construction company, the budget, for instance. The entire calculation process has been divided into five steps- assessment of the cost of acquisition, establishing the depreciation rate, taking fixed costs into account, taking into account the cost of operating the equipment and finally adding up the whole thing. While calculation of the cost of acquisition includes all the associated factors, such as the variables and incentives, the depreciation rate is calculated by means of the straight-line method.

The evaluation of the life cycle cost of the heavy construction depends largely on the mode by which it is acquired. It is a widely known fact that construction equipment may be acquired by a construction company in two different ways- by leasing it or purchasing it. Though purchasing heavy equipment may mean quite a huge investment for a construction company, there remains the fact that you are at an advantageous position with the machine at your disposal. Opting for leased heavy equipment, on the other hand, effectively eliminates the factor of high investment issues. Companies are also spared the need to go through extensive maintenance procedures, thereby, earning greater profit. All the above factors, therefore, need to be considered whenever a company goes for the life cycle cost calculation of heavy equipment.

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What are the world’s biggest heavy equipment?

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There are handful famous brand names, when it comes to heavy equipment and other construction machinery. Such as Caterpillar, Komatsu, Hitachi etc. These are multi-billion dollar companies and massive brand names that usually anything but frequent. The popular International Construction magazine’s yellow table that is released annually ever year is now in its tenth. This magazines current issue digs into how these big companies stand up to each other in the world’s competitive heavy equipment manufacturing markets.

To understand actually how successful these companies are in the markets, we might as well take a look at the 2013 yellow table review issue. It exposed that sales of new heavy equipment went up in 2012 up to 2.6% by the world’s fifth largest manufacturing companies. The sales were reported to be the record high of US$182 billion which was much more than US$168 billion which was the previous record that was set in 2008 (before the global market place crisis happened). Nearly two thirds of this business has been seen to be done by the largest top 10 manufacturers in this field.

For instance, even though the top positions are still held by industry titans like Caterpillar or Komatsu, Chinese brands like Sany and Zoomlion still continue to grow as major players in the heavy equipment industry, with Sany binding into the top five in 2013. According to KHL “In 2003, the first year the yellow table was actually available, China’s manufacturers’ had a share of only 1.6%, which was worth just about US$841 million. But today their 16% share is worth about US$30.6 billion, which is a great improvement.

Let us have a look at the world’s current top 5 heavy equipment manufacturers as stated by the 2013 International Construction Yellow Table:

 

#1 Caterpillar (US): this 85 years old United States’ based organization occupies the first position by holding 21.8% of global heavy construction equipment sales revenue. It has continued to hold the first spot since the time the yellow table was first published in 2003. In the year 2012, Caterpillar reported sales revenues of US$16.445 billion in the heavy machinery market.

#2 Komatsu (Japan): this company reportedly makes the largest bulldozers in the world, namely the D575 super dozer. This Japan based company has been in business since the year 1917. It was reported that Komatsu had a net sales of ¥1.982 trillion in the year 2012 (which is approx. US$24,168 million).

#3 Hitachi (Japan): this alleged world’s third largest construction equipment manufacturer reported 6% hike in their net sales revenue of up to ¥817,143 million (approx. US$8.2 billion). This organization started out as a humble electric motor repair shop in the year 1910.

#4 Volvo (Sweden): Volvo CE is simply just a part of the massive Volvo group of industries. It is claimed to be the world’s largest manufacturer of articulated haulers and wheel loaders. In 2012, Volvo CE had reported sales revenue of SEK 63,558 million (which is approx. US$9.9 billion as per current exchange rates) by a record selling of more than seventy eight thousand machines.

#5 Sany (China): In the year 2011, this company reported sales revenues of 80.2 billion RMB. (This is approx. US$12.9 billion at current exchange rates). Sany bumped the crane giant Liebherr from its top five, into the 7th position.

 

 

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Learning The Tricks Of The Trade Will Help You To Make Money In The Construction Industry

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You are in whatever business or industry, the first thing that you need to do is learn the work well. You can’t expect yourself to perform or to outperform before having learned the tricks of the trade. For instance, we take up the profession of a doctor. A guy has to study for years in medicine and then invest another good number of years in practicing. Only after that, he can claim himself to be a good doctor. Or let’s put it in this way that after investing so much of time learning his profession, he can become good in his work and that good work of his will be seen by others which will then make him a good doctor. This was just an example of a noble profession, now if we consider a business; it is no different from the first example.

Construction business is a huge business and it may take one his entire lifetime to know about everything, however not completely. It is important to know how to work things out and also how things work in this industry. If you start from the basics of it and then develop your knowledge, you will not miss anything but if you skip the basics and feel that they are not important, you might not understand things as they are all so interconnected with the basics.

We would be discussing few things that are instrumental to grow as a person in this industry.

Develop the curiosity to learn:-  Let’s start this by saying “Keep your eyes and ears open all the time”. You get to learn a lot of things if you simply keep your basic senses to see and to hear wide open. You will come across people who talk about how to complete a particular project or what kind of heavy equipment is needed to get the work done. They may talk about ideas which you have never heard of or felt that can even work in such a situation. You may even want to discuss things with them and show that you are curious enough to know things which will allow them to let you accompany them in critical assignments. Once you become a part of any critical assignment, you will come across multiple chances of developing your knowledge and also learning to deal with different kind of situations.

Take initiatives at different levels:-  This is perhaps the most important characteristic one must possess. Many people simply do their work and leave. They are never in hunt of any opportunities which sort of rusts their capabilities. Therefore, it is important that you take up initiatives to do things which others may find to be difficult or time consuming. Taking initiatives not only prove that you are not afraid of taking additional responsibilities but also display your ability to learn new things pertaining to your domain.

Learning these little things with time will eventually help you to know much of the things which are absent in others and will make you a better employee or a businessman than the rest.

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How can one become heavy equipment operator

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Not everyone can run a business successfully and therefore many people have to seek to do a job and live their livelihood. The important question is what sort of job can make a person with average education qualification rich and permit him/her to lead a descent lifestyle. If one ponder on this question, he/she may come up with several options right from working from home or selling stuffs in the mall or becoming a sales person but in order to achieve success in this segment, one needs to possess certain specific skill set and in absence of those skill set, it may be very difficult for him/her to sustain in the environment for long. Similarly, a person who knows a little about heavy equipment can’t find a place for himself/herself in the sales or marketing for that matter in the finance stream. They have to settle themselves in doing something that they can do best that is to be in the heavy equipment segment.

For people who like to be in the heavy equipment stream, the avenues they have is to study about machines and become a mechanical engineer or if he/she feels that he/she has a knack for sales too, then he/she can try his luck in the marketing segment of heavy equipment. However, if he/she feels that he/she would like to enjoy driving the machine to his/her tunes, he/she also has a place to suit himself. For such people, becoming a heavy equipment operator is the best option. The question now is how one can become an operator and what skill sets he needs to have to become an operator.

Knowledge about the machine:-

When we talk about working as a heavy equipment operator, it doesn’t mean that the person should only know to drive the machine and get the work done. A construction company or for that matter any company that uses heavy equipment and require services of operators want more than just driving the machine. They want the operator to know more about the machine. For instance, to know a bit about the engine of the machine, the oil/grease it uses to lubricate, have a brief knowledge about the hydraulic brakes and things thereon. The operator should know about these little things because it may come to his/her use at any given point of time. There may be instances when there will be no mechanic around and the machine has stopped working due to some technical difficulties. In such cases, if the operator knows how to get the problem fixed, he/she will not wait for help to come and will start working to resolve the problem.

Join a reputed institute:-

It is imperative that one joins a good institute which is competent in imparting knowledge pertaining to heavy equipment. Before one joins any institute, a research of the institute is a must. The reputation of the institute plays a very important role in the making of operators. Simultaneously, if you know someone who works as an operator, you can certainly take some guidance from such people.

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Heavy Equipment appraisal – What is it important to appraise your heavy equipment?

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A construction company has to spend a good sum of money to buy heavy equipment and when it comes to sell the machine, they just can’t afford to sell in scrap value. They will certainly want a good sales value for the item. However, the most important question is how can one come to the conclusion and determine the price of the machine after that being used for let’s say a couple of years. It will be very difficult to decide the correct price of the machine after all the wear and tear it has to undergo, completing projects after projects.

Let us begin this with a scenario. For instance, you advertise for selling equipment on an online auction site and have stated that you have used the machine for 4 years and it is in good order.  Due to some reason, you do not see anybody bidding on your item. You try to look for bidders bidding for the same machine posted by other seller and you find that they are placing successful bids. It rattles your mind pondering why anybody isn’t bidding on your item. To your astonishment, you find out that the starting price that you have placed on the equipment is way high than other sellers. Well, in this entire scenario, you as a seller were doing one terrible mistake. You never bothered to find out the correct price of the item and wanted the starting price of the auction that was not acceptable to buyers.

This one big mistake of yours takes the entire listing for a toss and you make nothing. What you could have done to avoid such a situation is appointing an appraiser who would appraise the price of the item and could inform you the correct price of the item after depreciating its price. It is quite obvious that you can’t put the same price that you paid to buy the equipment and have to depreciate its price for the wear and tear it undergoes to complete your projects.

Other than selling the machine, appraisal of equipment is also done for insurance purposes. You can’t have the insured amount for the equipment same throughout. As years pass, the insured amount decreases. However, if you appraise the equipment, the appraiser will check the equipment and will pass a certificate indicating the correct value of the item. Just in case, your equipment undergoes an accident, you can claim the insured amount as per the appraised value.

It is imperative to appraise the equipment from a certified appraiser. You simply can’t approach to anybody who does not hold a valid certificate to appraise your item; it will simply be a waste of time and money. His appraisal will not hold any good and when you’ll be shown the door if you approach the insurance company to settle any claim. There are many companies who do construction equipment appraisals. You may check about these companies from the people involved in your business and get your machine appraised or can even explore the internet to get this done.

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Online site an option for buying heavy equipment

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It may not be always possible for people to go to the showroom of heavy equipment manufacturing companies to order heavy equipment. The problems that people may encounter are the showroom is far away from their place. Shipping the item could be an issue as shipment is not available in their location. These kinds of logistic issues will always play a role because you may not be able to buy the equipment directly from the manufacturing companies. At times, you may not find their shops available in your city. So you have to compromise by buying the equipment of some other company that you may have never wished to buy. Some people are loyal to one particular brand and they will only buy equipment from that brand. It becomes difficult for such people to get their items at a place where the manufacturing companies do not have any shipment facility.

To avoid a situation like this, it is recommended to buy the machines online. Now the question is, is it reliable and safe to buy heavy equipment online? Well, it is as reliable and safe as buying it from a person you hardly know anything about. It is true that you do not know about the seller nor you know anything about the machine as you are unable to see the machine live in front of you. Nevertheless, the seller makes the necessary description of the machine that the buyer is required to know so that there is no ambiguity left in the minds of the prospects. The seller can state everything that he knows about the machine in the listing for the buyer to make an informed decision and in any case if the buyer feels cheated, he can move to the grievance department and can claim his money.

In order to buy heavy equipment online, the first step is to register with the site. Fill in details like your personal information and your credit card details with them and create your User ID and password. Once you have created your account, you can state the name of the item in the search bar and start hunting for the item. You may see several sellers having listed their items with the price tag on it. You have to click on the item to see the description and its features. After you’re done reading the description and it fits your taste, you can try to establish contact with the seller or can directly click on “Buy Now” option. You can make the payments as prescribed in the site and an email confirmation will reach the seller. It is recommended that you try to contact the seller before buying the item. It is sensible to check the machine by operating it and know everything is in working condition. You may also take an experienced person with you who can give you input about the quality of the machine.

Once you’re content with the item you’re buying, check the available shipping options and get it shipped to your place.