Monthly Archives: October 2015

Tips on how to run a dozer

Operating heavy equipment is no child’s play and it requires good deal of skill and knowledge to operate any kind of machine. People who possess years of experience can also experience tough time operating equipment and if we consider someone who has just taken the cabin, he needs to ensure that he does not bump it off to people working on the site. Construction companies usually take due care of their machines and do not let it out to a novice. It will be a big risk to let a beginner operate heavy equipment without the presence of a senior person or veteran operator inside the cabin. He will definitely need guidance that will help him to learn to operate the machine and will eventually make him a better operator.

Out of the many machines, a bulldozer is the one that has been found to be extremely difficult to operate in rough terrain. If you try to work with a big dozer in a place which has been affected by some kind of natural calamity, you will get to know the sort of toll it can have on a person. When the land is hit by a storm or a hurricane and leaves everything wrecked, you need a dozer along with other set of heavy equipment to set the place back to normal. Few basic tips one should follow when they make their way to run a dozer.

Wearing good pair of boots:-

Wearing good pair of boots is a must when you are making your way inside the cabin of a dozer. Wearing anything below average can have serious consequences. Your legs may skid from the brakes when you try to apply them and that can lead to serious injuries. In order to avoid any such misadventure, one must invest in quality boots. Along with it, it is also advisable to wear a good pair of gloves as that will keep your hand protected from heat and dust.

Make proper use of the joystick:-

The joystick in the bulldozer is the eye and brain of the machine. You give orders to the dozer by moving the joystick to the desired direction. Make sure that you know which move of the joystick will take the machine to the direction you want it to go. When you get yourself inside the cabin, check if the joystick is in order and if it is moving freely. That ensures that the machine will move smoothly at your command.

Have good control on your pedal:-

In order to slow the dozer, you should make use of the decelerator pedal. You will locate this pedal just next to the brake. You may not want to make use of the brakes too often and can use the decelerator pedal to slow the machine whenever required.  It is important to check if the decelerator pedal and the brakes are properly oiled and are easy to apply or else there are high chances of you bumping off the person that comes in your way.

 

 

Looking for a stable scraper – Caterpillar 613 Scraper is the answer

Construction companies are always in the look of scrapers that are stable; consume less fuel and deliver high performance and something that can endure the stress of work for years. Heavy equipment mean a lot to the construction companies and they are also ready to pay a good price for the right machine. It is just that they get a solid stuff that can carry on the work without giving many hurdles and can serve the business in the most reliable fashion. Scrapers are the equipment that no construction company can ever avoid. They will feel the need of a scraper every now and then whenever they have taken a construction project in hand. Therefore scraper becomes the much needed machine in the list of heavy equipment one must possess.

Scraper is ideally a big machine that is used for mining, construction, taking off the mud from one place to the other and even for agricultural purposes. Many heavy equipment manufacturing companies produce classy scrapers with all the latest gadgets in it, but how reliable they all are is a real big question in front of the users. For last many years Caterpillar has been ruling the heavy equipment industry and is considered to be one of the most stable companies of all. Caterpillar has come up with the model 613 also known as CAT 613 scraper. It is no less than the blue eyed candy machine of all the major construction companies and it has made a strong impression in the minds of the construction companies with its concrete performance and undefined reliability. The users have undoubtedly rated this scraper to be one of the best in the scraper line of machine.

The back portion of the scraper has a movable hopper and a sharp front edge. The operator only has to lower the hopper and the front edge cuts the soil and fills it in the hopper.  It keeps on doing this as long as the hopper is full of mud and then it closes the hopper with a vertical shaped blade. It then moves the soil to the dumping ground, opens the blade and the hopper is pushed up and the soil are thrown out of it. This is an ideal function of the scraper.

If we check the strength of the engine, it has up to 175 net horsepower with a displacement of 403 cu in. The fuel capacity is 66 gallon and the cooling system fluid capacity is around 10.2 gallon which would be nearly around 38.5 liter. The number for forward gears it has is 6 and just one reverse gear. The maximum speed it can have while moving forward is 21.8 mile per hour and maximum reverse speed is 2.2 mile per hour. The total operating weight of the machine while it is empty is around 15264 kg and the weight while it its loaded is around 27239 kg.

While buying a scraper directly from the company or authorized dealer, you can also expect great discounts or some real good deals. In totality, Cat 613 is the best choice one can make if they are looking for a scraper.

Caterpillar 740 articulated truck – Many vouch for this model

Heavy equipment are undoubtedly the most important requirement of the construction, mining and agriculture industry but there is something evenly important that pertains to all these sectors and that is the equipment to carry the soil from one place to another. It may become very difficult to work on a construction site if the unearthed soil is left idle at the very spot. One can simple imagine how much of soil will be excavated from a medium sized project and what kind of difficulty it may give to people working on board if they are not moved at the right time. Simultaneously, trucks are also used to transport heavy equipment, medium sized and small sized machines from one state to another. It is highly crucial for a construction company to invest in good solid and reliable trucks as they carry stuffs that are quite important for the company to carry on with the project.

If we check what all companies manufacture trucks, we may get many names but out of the entire lot, Caterpillar has been able to make a separate place for itself. Cat 740 is the kind of truck that companies can vouch for. They have a lot of confidence on this model as it has the capacity to carry huge loads and can travel for miles. Owners of this truck are of the opinion that this truck has rarely broke down and could be relied upon when you are ferrying huge debris.

If we check the specification of this model, we find that the gross power is 489 hp and the net power is 474 hp. It has a displacement of 926 in3 and can carry a payload of around 43.5 tons. Not many trucks produced by other companies in the price range of CAT 740 is sold has this sort of payload carrying capacity. The fuel capacity is 560 liter and cooling system fluid capacity and hydraulic system fluid capacity is 80 liter and 233 liter respectively. The engine oil capacity is 38 liter and the transmission fluid capacity is 72 liter. More or less every company offers similar specification but can be termed to be a bit expensive than CAT 740.

If we talk about the gears, then this model of truck has 7 forward gears and 2 reverse gears with a maximum speed of 34 miles per hour. The total weight of the truck when loaded is 70840 kg and when empty, the weight is 32840 kg. It has turned out to be the most sought after truck within the construction and mining industry and people who prefer Caterpillar brands usually go for CAT 740 articulated trucks.

These trucks can be bought directly from the company or can be purchased through a dealer. Buying it directly from the company will entitle you to get more benefits. However, it has been often seen that buying it from a dealer can fetch you the same discounts as having bought directly from the company.

 

HOW DO FORKLIFTS FUNCTION?

Forklifts are usually referred to trucks that are used for industrial purposes. It is used to carry solid load from one place to the other but for a short distance. Forklift trucks consist of a frame that has a cabin where the controller needs to be seated in order to access and control the performance of the machine. The vehicle has two ‘L’ shaped metals attached to its rear that helps in balancing the objects that is to be transported. This heavy duty vehicle is usually used in warehouses and manufacturing units to transport goods from one place to the other like the stores to the transport vehicles and vice versa.

Forklifts are usually designed with specific load limits. If the load exceeds the limit, there is a probability of misbalance in the forklift truck.  Some forklifts are stiff and perform tasks without and changes to its structures whereas some have extensions attached to them which allows the forklift trucks to extend and retrieve materials and goods from remote locations or a place that is in a distance from the truck.

Forklifts are controlled by levers as well as actuators that accordingly adjust the hydraulic valves. Forklift truck can carry a load capacity ranging from one tonne to fifty tonnes which is equalled to carrying small packages to shipping containers. Forklifts are designed according to requirements and manufacturers create them accordingly. Several forklifts have to function in environments that are not spacious. Even in confined spaces, these machines can fit in and carry out the required work with ease.

The designated person who is in charge of controlling and directing the forklift trucks are expected to be experienced and should possess a specific license that enables them to operate such heavy duty vehicles. Special care and safety rules should be maintained by these drivers in order to make sure of keeping themselves safe from any harmful hazards.

Several countries across the world provide and conduct specialised training from institutes that teach them how to operate such kinds of heavy duty vehicles. The drivers learn to face the harshest conditions and how to come out of those troubled times with ease. Specialized forklift licence is provided to those drivers who qualify for these tests and are fit to operate such vehicles with ease. These trainings are conducted on site where the drivers are made to face conditions that can occur at any point of time. The drivers are taught how to handle various operation tools and how each new product is to be used. They are made to know the minute details of every brand of forklift and how each of them functions.

Forklifts usually function with the help of diesel, kerosene, butane or gasoline and are fuel efficient. Organizations that own warehouses or manufacturing units and are in need of forklifts own their own fleet of forklift trucks that are used as and when required.  Some organizations may not have the need to own forklifts on a permanent basis and need them from time to time. This purpose can be solved by getting in touch with rental services that provide users with forklifts on rent. It saves up on money and suits the need as well.