Tag Archives: Construction Equipment

Running A Motor Grader- Know the Basics

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Being involved in the construction industry and not having to deal with heavy construction equipment is like learning to swim without getting wet- in short, impossible. And when these equipment are so important a part of the entire business, it is only best to be aware of certain basic aspects first. Among the many heavy equipment that are put to use in the construction forum, the motor grader definitely qualifies as being one of the most important.

Getting To Know a Motor Grader

If you are into the arena of construction, then you need to be well aware of what a motor grader is all about. Also known as the road grader, the motor grader forms an important part of particularly the road construction industry. Used for the purpose of creating a flat surface during the process of grading, a typical motor grader has an engine and a cab positioned over the two rear axles and another axle at the front of the equipment. You must have noticed that before a road is covered with asphalt, the dirt is graded and smoothed over for the final layering. The equipment which flattens the surface and makes it ready for the final asphalt covering is the motor grader.

The Basics of Operating a Motor Grader

The construction of a good road largely depends on how well the base for laying the asphalt has been created. And for the base to turn out good, it is important to operate motor graders in a proper manner.

  • The very first thing that a motor grade operator needs to keep in mind with respect to the operation of the heavy equipment is performing the safety checks before starting a day with the grader. Make sure that the motor grader is in perfect working condition and none of the parts are faulty.
  • It is important to have the gear of the motor grader in the perfect position for the work to proceed smoothly. It is wise if you do not move too fast with the grader, keeping it under control for overall safety and for having quality results.
  • The correct way of operating the controls is another aspect that operators should pay attention to. There are two levels in the middle that help in operating the rotation of the blade. This is important, as it is the proper angling of the blades that will help you in locating the exact place where the debris are to be moved. These levels also help in circle shifts that are actually responsible for the rotation of the blades. Operators can also make use of the blade shift control in order to set the direction of the blade.
  • The operators also have to ensure that the blades do not hit and damage the tires in any way while the rotation is on.
  • There is also the fact that motor graders require different blades in order to fulfil different jobs. It is the duty of the operators to understand which blade would be suitable for the job at hand and then proceed accordingly.

Like any other heavy equipment, operating motor graders also require a professional hand at work. However, getting to know the basic aspects of the entire deal wouldn’t be too bad either.

 

Flourish In Your Trade with the Use of Modern Construction Equipment- Get to Know the Various Advantages

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Construction has always been a lucrative field to work in ever since the concept of civilization came into existence. And the progress of technology has added certain new dimensions what with the advent of heavy construction equipment on the block.

The Modern Construction Equipment- The Requirement

The use of heavy construction equipment is considered to be of utmost importance. Not only does it ensure that you finish off your construction project fast enough, but also makes sure that you are able to make quite a profit what with the reduced manpower and effort. Heavy construction equipment, such as, hydraulic cranes, excavators, cranes, tractors and other heavy equipment are quite important in the arena.

Using Modern Construction Equipment- Considering the Advantages

Modern construction equipment have a lot of advantages if one cares to consider. The one advantage of modern construction equipment that each and every one of us can witness is the profit it rakes in the long term. Investment in heavy equipment does cost a fortune for a construction company, but it does have advantages to make for it in the long run. Let us take a look at all those advantages.

  • Not only do heavy construction equipment successfully reduces manual labor to a considerable extent, it also saves a lot of time and gets the whole construction job done much faster and of course, efficiently.
  • Opting for modern makes of the construction equipment proves to be advantageous owing to the fact that they consume less fuel, are more eco friendly and if properly maintained have an appreciably long life.
  • The cranes, for instance, do the job of lifting up and carrying things from one place to another faster than what manual labor could do. And not to mention the amount of load it can carry at once.
  • Digging a stretch of earth manually uses up a lot of man power and not to mention the amount of time that it takes is quite devastating for the construction industry. However, the same work can be accomplished much more effectively with the use of excavators.
  • Modern construction equipments also come attached with a GPS tracking device, which means that you can now be absolutely worry free about your equipment from potential theft.
  • The modern day heavy construction equipment are also quite easy to handle and a moderately skilled operator can be well up to the job of handling it.
  • One may find that renting modern construction equipment is much more cost effective than investing in a brand new one. However, the fact remains that this cost efficiency is only short term. If you are thinking of long term profit, then it is best to consider brand new investment options.

So, if you are just setting foot in the arena of construction and are unaware of the various advantages that the use of modern heavy equipment hold for you, it is probably the best if you arm yourself with the information to ensure success in the field.

 

How fruitful will it be to buy brand new equipment rather than used one?

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In every business people have to face some risks in order to meet success. Without sacrificing or taking risks in life you cannot achieve anything. The business world is very uncertain; nobody can predict what will happen in the next few days. Sometimes you will get success on the other hand you may have to face downfall as well. However, you have to always prepare for everything if you are involved with a business. It is same for the construction business also. When you are running a construction business then you have to deal with its every single detail very carefully. From choosing the right materials to heavy machineries and professional workers are very important for this business. The whole business is depending on the heavy equipment which is the crucial part of this business. Therefore, you have to give your full attention in order to buy heavy equipment. Some people like to buy used equipment because it comes within reasonable price. But it is always good to buy brand new equipment.

 

Advantages of brand new equipment in construction business

Usually, the contractors use heavy equipment in their sites in order to move heavy materials from one place to other. They also use this machine for heavy duty works in the construction sites. Therefore, many parts of the heavy equipment get damaged and can’t function well. The owners of that company try to sell that equipment at much less price. So, you should definitely not buy used equipment if you want to work smoothly at your site.  For buying such machine you can contact a reputed company and carefully verify whether the equipment can work perfectly or not. You also can check its different parts and its functions before buying it. If you have brand new equipment on your work site then you will be able to complete your work within time because you do not have to worry about your machine. Therefore, when you are going to buy excavator or bulldozer, look for the new equipment.

Try the renting option

However, it is also a fact that such equipment are highly expensive and if you cannot manage to afford the amount then you can try the renting option. There are many shops or companies that provide rental services. So you can definitely use this service. It is one of the best solutions that can save your money and at the same time will help you to finish your work timely. You just need to maintain this equipment properly. You have to repair the machine and take care of its every part. However, it is a difficult job but you have to perform it because after renting a machine it will be your responsibility.

If you want to continue your construction business and wish to get huge success in this field then you can buy the machines slowly. It is the best way to run a construction business.

Construction of road involves many equipments

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As we all know, the heavy construction equipment are the most important or rather vital component for the making of the modern civilisation. Without these equipments, none of the construction works would have been possible. Be it the construction of a building, or a road, or even a railway line, without the heavy duty construction equipments, the works would not have been done, at least not so swiftly and not without heavy labour. Especially in case of the construction of the roads, these heavy construction equipment help a lot to make such strong, smooth and long roads, that make it possible for us to stay connected to the rest of the world.

The construction equipments required for the construction of roads:

For the preliminary stage, the construction equipments that are needed for the construction of roads are primarily the excavators. It scoops out the sand, earth, and gravel from the ground to make the base for the road. The asphalt spreader make the temperature reach a level so that the asphalt can be regulated to be spread on the roadbed. Then the concrete paving machine spreads and levels the concrete on the roadbed. Some the construction equipments that are used for the construction of the roads are:

  • Air track drill: This machine or construction equipment that has an air operated motor is very suitable for opencast blasting.
  • Chip spreader: This machine spreads the bitumen on the roads and rolls them by a compactor.
  • Cold planers: This road construction equipment removes the concrete, asphalt and bituminous pavement so that the road can be opened to the traffic. This machine is also known as the pavement planer.
  • Compactors: This is a vital construction equipment for the construction of the roads, as this machine compresses the road, the asphalt, the gravels, the soil and the concrete after the road’s base has been made. This is very important for ensuring that the surface of the road is smooth. Rollers, padfoot, steel drums, pull type sheepsfoot etc. Are types of compactors.
  • Curb machine: This machine is used for the continuous creation of the curb and gutter.
  • Crushing machine: This is a very interesting machine that helps in the construction of roads by crushing large rocks into small rocks or rock dust or gravel. It is used for crushing non-abrasive and soft material like gypsum, seeds, coal, limestone or any other soft material. It is of 2 types – a jaw crusher and a cone crusher.
  • Oil distributor: This road construction machine sprays tack coat or a prime coat by its heating system and unique spray bar system.
  • Paver: This machine spreads the asphalt on the road bed, and normally this hot asphalt is brought to the paver through another dump truck.
  • A water truck is also used for the dust control.
  • A sand truck is used for distributing or spreading sand on the icy roads in the winter so that the vehicles do not skit on the roads.

A Basic Degree Of Skill Is Sufficient To Operate An Excavator

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In early years when the excavator was newly introduced in the construction arena, it was considered as a toy and can be used very easily to get the required work done. However, now the situation has changed completely and with the kind of changes the construction industry has seen during the last few decades, it has compelled the heavy equipment manufacturing companies to modify the machine and bring in technological advancements to meet the requirements of the end user. Therefore, what was once considered a toy perhaps no longer fall in that category. Having said that, it no where imply that learning to operate an excavator is a tough business. It is rather considered a simple task and operators master the art of playing with the system in no time.

We would be discussing how one can operate an excavator and what are the things that he needs to keep in mind before he starts off with the machine.

Nature of work:-  The excavator is meant to dig deep in the earth but not all excavators have the potential to go that deep. That is why, excavators manufacturing company manufactures different models that are used for different purposes. They also vary in weights. Hence, it is important to know the kind of project you are in and then you can determine the type of excavator you would need for the project. Ideally, the rule is you can use a compact excavator to dig on a small plot. However, if you are working on a big project where you are given a big piece of land to excavate, the huge excavators are the one you’d be looking for.

Know your machine well:-  Many a times we take the longer route to do a particular work which could have been done at a lesser duration. This happens due to lack of knowledge of the machine you are working on. An operator is supposed to know almost everything about the excavator (barring few technical things which are known by the mechanic). It helps to perform the work at a much faster pace and with great accuracy. Also, if you tend to know a bit of technical stuff, it comes handy in many ways. For instance, you see the excavator is not working at its full swing. You assume the problem is with a particular part of the machine which after doing a thorough check is found to be faulty. You immediately get that fixed and therefore save a good deal of time of your company by recognizing the problem in the first stance. This was only possible by someone who knew a lot about the machine.

Work under an expert:-  Working under an expert fills you with a lot of positivity and helps you learn more from his experiences. You may not commit the mistake which was once done by your trainer/senior. If you have the urge to learn, they will be the best teacher for you.

Tips for Maintenance of heavy construction equipment

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With new construction taking place all over the world, the construction companies are always in need for heavy construction equipment that is in proper working condition. As there is a huge work load at the construction sites and the equipment has to perform for long and break-less hours, it is very likely that the equipment gets damaged and as a result it decreases the quantity and quality of its performance. So following some simple yet useful tips of maintenance is very helpful.

Why do you need to maintain the heavy construction equipment with special care?

As the heavy construction equipment performs heavy duty in the work field or construction site, it faces severe damage. From damage to the parts of the equipment and to the engine mal function, there can be many types of damages caused to the heavy construction equipment. If these damages are not treated from the very beginning, it will gradually lead to severe problems and as a result, it will stop the construction work for long. So it is always better to deal with the damage and keep a proper maintenance of the equipment so that the owner does not have to spend a lot of money in taking the equipment to the service center.

Tips to maintain the heavy construction equipment:

  • There is no better alternative than to go for a daily checking of the heavy construction equipment. While you do this, you must see to all the worn out parts of the equipment, and note carefully if it is damaging the performance of the equipment.
  • The nest most important thing is to notice if there is any oil leakage from any part of the equipment. If there is something in the notice, then it must have an immediate attention.
  • Clearing the air filter and checking if it is working properly or if you not it may cause equipment failure. Damage to the air filter means reduction in the life of the equipment.
  • Every day, at the beginning of the working hours and at the end of the working hours, the equipment should be fuelled properly. This is because, an empty fuel tank will damage the hydraulic engine and the load on the engine will increase. Not only that, a full fuel tank increases the performance of the equipment.
  • Check whether the electrical cords are in proper condition or not. If the casing gets damaged, then it might lead to accidents or the equipment might also not work properly.

Benefits of maintaining the heavy construction equipment:

The heavy construction equipment needs regular maintenance. (Call B&R Equipment Mechanic or Lube Technicians).  This is because it will decrease the cost of servicing and increase the life of the equipment. With higher performance rate and reduced fuel consumption rate as a result of regular change in the engine oil, hydraulic oil filter and engine oil filter the profit of the user will be more than satisfactory.

Forecast of the demand of heavy construction equipment in 2014

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With increasing population all over the world, the need for new place to live in, and a need for a better, more civilized and well-constructed earth is growing rapidly. Smooth roads, overpasses, bridges and other constructions have become such an integral part of our lives that we cannot but think of a life without these. Most of the times the construction companies fail to perform their task in time, due to a lack of the supply of the heavy construction equipment at the construction sites. Due to the extremely high cost of the heavy construction equipment, the demand for the construction equipment faces a lack of demand in the construction sites, rather by the construction companies.

As in most of the major countries in the world including Asian countries like China, Japan, Korea and of course India; Australia and the American countries including the most powerful United States of America, infrastructure is playing the main role, in the recent years, despite the cost of the heavy construction equipment, the construction companies are looking for these machines to reduce the cost of labour and to utilize time. In the Asia-Pacific region and the South American countries, the infrastructural growth has brought a focus on the heavy construction industry. As the major companies and powers are investing on the heavy construction equipment manufacturing companies, this sector is experiencing a rapid emergence.

The construction and infrastructural growth in these countries has led to the estimation that this industry is going to have a demand of almost 8.5% more than the previous years. The factors that would be responsible for this growth are of course new product launch, collaboration with other big forces, agreements, joint ventures, merges, expansion, investments and many more. The major heavy construction equipment manufacturing companies like the Caterpillar, John Deere and Co., Komatsu, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Volvo Construction Equipment, follow this same strategy to have a good response and demand throughout the year.

In the year 2014, the economic recovery in almost all the countries has been the most important reason for the growing demand of these machines. Increase in the rate of dollar cost and the recovery from the recession has made the construction industry grow again. The affordability of the people to have their own habitat and new scope for employment has made new constructions possible, making the construction industry grow rapidly. From loaders to excavators, from bulldozers to cranes, each and every kind of construction equipment will have a constant and continuous demand in the year 2014 and the nearby following years.

All those people who have been thinking of having a business in this industry can now start their business of selling and buying heavy construction equipment. This is the best time in the last few years to have a business in this industry. The prospect of this industry would only increase day by day, but has no possibility of reducing.

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.

 

 

Caterpillar Inc. is about to bring their latest discovery, the M series of wheel loader to the market by 2014

Caterpillar Inc. is going to launch its most awaited wheel loader in the next year. This wheel loader from its latest “M series”, which as an extended and updated model of the “XE series”, contains all the features of the XE models, as well as many additional ones. The features that will be additional in the M model are: an increased and spacious size of the cab section, a modified and improved 12-ton 982M engine capacity, and all the other features of the 962, 950, 966, 980 and 972 models of wheel loaders.

As the company has understood the immense need for the equipment in any construction industry, there has been a tremendous trial for developing and increasing the qualities and features of all its wheel loaders. The company had started producing the wheel loaders as the G series, with a Tier 1 working principle. Since then, the Caterpillar Inc. has moved on to making its fifth generation machine, the M series wheel loaders. Before the M series came into the news or in front of the world, there was the K series of wheel loaders which was the most common among the users. As per the cost of the wheel loader, the fuel efficiency of the equipment was 25%. The company claims that this time, in the M series of the equipment, it has increased fuel efficiency.  The split flow oil system and the use of multi viscosity oil has made this fuel efficiency possible. What makes this new series of wheel loaders different from the rest of the wheel loaders is that it has a standard lock-up clutch torque converter. This matches the engine power and the hydraulic system of the equipment as designed by the company

By the beginning of the year 2014, the Caterpillar Inc. will offer the users with their first set of heavy equipment designed as the models 966M and the model 972M. However, during the middle of the next year, the company will have to meet the expectations of the users by providing the other two models namely the 980M and 982M. But the highlight or the most talked about models of the M series wheel loaders from the house of the Caterpillar Inc., will be available in the market by the end of the year 2014.

Caterpillar Inc. always comes up with innovative ideas and they keep renovating and modifying their equipment. The M series wheel loaders that the company is about to launch very soon is the Tier 4 or the latest engines from the house of the company. The most amazing feature that these engines have is that they are run by the Cat Regeneration System, a system that Caterpillar Inc. claims to allow those engines which have a horsepower of 175 and can be sold in the countries that are without any modification and are considered as lower regulated.