Author Archives: Kevin

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.

HIRING WHEEL LOADERS

Wheel loaders are vehicles that are heavy weight and are usually considered to be heavy construction equipment. These wheel loaders are vehicles consisting of a large fork like scooper attached in front that can be moved and bent according to the controls of the controller.

Wheel loaders are used to move objects like logs of wood, sand, stones, soil, snow, loose material like dust, pipes, iron bars etc. Wheel loaders do not drag these objects on the ground but literally lifts them up and transfers it to the designated place. These vehicles have four wheels attached to them – two for the front and two for the rear. There is a cabin for the controller who needs to sit inside and control the tasks that the wheel loader has to perform.

Once the controller guides the vehicle with the task it needs to perform, it automatically knows what to do and how to do it. Usage of such equipment not only saves up on time but also on manual energy. Instead of relying on manual labor, one can always take the help of machines like wheel loaders that helps transportation of objects from one place to the other in a quicker time.

Apart from wheel loaders being used for construction or administrative purpose, the armed forces also makes good use of it. It helps them to excavate areas or building materials while rescuing people. It helps them to remove road blocks and other barricades without having to fear harm to themselves directly while manually clearing the blockades. These wheel loaders used by the armed forces are usually created with extra protection of metal around it in order to save it from damage.

The manufacturers of the wheel loaders make sure that these vehicles fit any given terrain where it can adjust to the environment. The wheel loaders can adjust to rough terrain with rocky paths or deserts which is packed with sand. The manufacturers make sure that these heavy duty vehicles are efficient and provide ample help with its performances. With the help of technology, these wheel loaders are manufactured in a way that gives noise less support and efficiency.

Wheel Loaders are available in various sizes. The smaller sizes are used for small construction purpose and the larger ones are used for larger functions. It depends on the user and the type of task it has to perform. Tasks that do not require much effort prefer the machinery with a smaller size and the heavy duty tasks require wheel loaders in a larger size. Users who constantly are in need of these equipment need to own them and treat them as their assets. Maintenance and proper care makes the machines efficient and provides the best results. These heavy duty wheel loaders are also available on rent from several rental houses who specifically deal in renting out such heavy construction equipment. Organizations who require the services of these machines for a short time usually apply for the rental scheme of these wheel loaders.

 

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Tips on how to run a water truck/water wagon

Driving any kind of heavy equipment needs good amount of carefulness. One needs to be highly experienced in operating heavy equipment if he wants to do it in the best possible way. Be it a dozer or an excavator or just a water truck, it requires high competency on the part of the driver in order to make sure that he is doing his job the right way. One has to be extremely careful in analyzing the situation on ground and need to wear all the safety accessories to ensure that he does not hurt himself or the people around the machine. If we talk about a water truck, it is used primarily in construction and mining sites to control dust. It is not so difficult to operate a water truck as it could be for operating any other type of heavy equipment but the operator has to be extra cautious while he is on it.

A water truck can also be used in case of fire. One can use the spray nozzles to spray water and extinguish the fire. So when the driver is in the process of such perilous tasks, he needs to be very careful about his safety and the people who are on the truck assisting to put off the fire. We would be discussing in brief how can should operate a water truck.

Make proper use of gears and steering:-

A water truck is almost same like any other truck used for transportation purpose. It has similar features as what is available in a normal truck. It is just that the water truck contains water inside it and it needs a spray nozzle to spray out the water. What is rather important to note is that the operator should make good use of the gears and should steer the truck correctly. The truck will not be moving at a high speed while it is pumping water out. So it has to maintain a constant speed keeping the gears consistent and got to pay heed to the steering that helps to keep the wheels in the right direction.

Do not speed up the truck unless it is absolutely necessary:-

While you are settling the dust in a construction or a mining site, you just can’t increase the speed of the truck. You have to keep a considerable pace and must ensure that you do not move fast or else the one who is spraying the water will have a hard time to cover the entire area. Other than this, if you are working on a rugged terrain, it will be just not possible for you to drive the truck at a high speed. You have to maintain the speed and keep it to a point from where you do not lose its control. Anything short of it will have serious repercussions.

Go through the user manual if you are new to it:-

A user manual is always helpful in situations where you will be driving a brand new truck. Any new truck will give you some kind of comfort issues which can be tackled by going through the user manual.

 

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RENTAL SERVICES LEASING TRACK LOADERS

Track loaders are heavy motorized equipment more like vehicles for engineering purposes. These vehicles or equipment are motorized and are made to function in ways where they are used to dig or load material. Materials can include stones, mud, construction material and other various objects. Track loaders form a very important part of the fleet of vehicles that help in construction and other excavation purposes.

Track loaders are modern equipment created to save manual energy and help construction workers to perform the required work at a faster pace as well as save quality time. It reduces the manual labor in turn saving up on manpower and the cost. Track loaders have bucket fork like structures attached to the front of it which helps in digging, lifting and excavating a particular area or substance with perfection. Since it is a heavy construction equipment, it has a huge structure that lifts objects in a large quantity and having the work done faster.

Track loaders being a vehicle which multitasks, is not automated. It requires a controller who needs to provide instructions in the form of electro-hydraulic controls which is efficient and performs the tasks with ease. Track loaders are usually used during construction to dig soil and make space for concrete fillings. They are also used for excavation purposes to remove dumped material such as soil, stones, bricks etc. It takes up a huge quantity at once to transfer it to its desired place which saves up on a lot of time.

An excavator or a bulldozer can only perform tasks of excavating and destroying objects respectively but a track loader is a vehicle that multi tasks and can perform both these actions with ease. Modern track loaders are built according to the requirements or the users. Demands like soundless engines, fast working electro-hydraulic controls that are easy to handle, best visibility from the control area is what the manufacturers receive.

These demands are easily met with the help of modern technology and robotic controls. These heavy weight vehicles are an asset to any organization owning it. It requires good care and maintenance in order to expect good results from the track loaders. Owning them requires a good investment and organizations who solely deal with construction, excavation, digging etc. are in need of them all the time. Maintaining them and servicing these heavy duty vehicles on time helps to get best results out of them.

There are several agencies who lease out these equipment as rentals as few may not require them at all times and therefore need it only at times when there is a particular task to be performed with these track loaders. These rentals are according to the time span that the machinery is required. Depending on the usage and the geographical area, several rental companies give out and accordingly plan the rent amount for these heavy equipment. Renting construction vehicles saves up on time as well as finances as it is cheaper to use it and give it back after the work is completed.

Where to find heavy equipment specs

Choosing an item of utter importance without knowing much about its specifications can often land anybody in deep trouble. If you are hunting for a particular stuff, you should be at least aware of its basic specifications so that you know how much you are paying and for what you are paying. People have a tendency of buying stuffs without knowing much about it or simply knowing too little about the product. However, after they have bought the item they get the shock of their life when they get to know that they did not want that item but needed something with little different specification. But it is too late now for them to exchange it. It may not be a bigger problem if they buy something that is not too expensive. However, if they are dealing with heavy equipment and they do not bother to check the specs of the machine, then that is going to be a bigger issue for them. Heavy equipment can cost them anything around 30 to 40 thousand dollars which is definitely a huge sum of money and they just can’t afford to buy something and later on come to know that the stuff they have bought is not what they were looking for. What they need to check first is the specs of the machine and check if it matches with their requirements. Heavy equipment can be also used as multi-facet equipment and can be used for multiple purposes. Therefore knowing its specs should be the priority of the person who is intending to buy it. Alternatively, he should also check the kind of project he has for which he is intending to buy the equipment. Not any machine can be used for every kind of project. Check the specification from the heavy equipment store:- If you are the guy who do not know much about heavy equipment and could not figure out which machine can be used for what purpose, it is better that you leave this job to the expert. All you have to do is visit a heavy equipment store and give your requirement to them. Also state your budget as different machines has different prices. They will suggest you few machines based on your requirements and you can select the one you like. The other option is you can walk in to the store with someone who has in-depth knowledge about heavy equipment. Rather than dealing it alone, it’s advisable that you go along with someone knowledgeable. Let them do the talking and you take care of the listening part. In case, you have any questions that you think you should be asking, just shoot it out to them. Check the specs from the internet:- If you are the guy who has sound knowledge of heavy equipments, then you can also check for the specs on the internet. You can go prepared to the store and ask them for the stuff you need. Doing some research on your part will also give you the upper hand to negotiate and settle at a price that you will be convenient enough to buy or rent the machine.

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Things You Should Know About the Scrapers

The earthmoving and the mining industry include different equipment, which are mainly used to move both the minerals and the earth in the large mining and earthmoving projects. Some of the equipment are also used in some other applications. The scrapers are one such equipment, which are the large motorized machines utilized for hauling, digging and leveling different materials in different types of construction jobs.

 

Operating on the huge rubber tires, the motorized heavy vehicles can quickly huge quantities of earth across the construction sites, unlike the less popular versions. Now let’s have a look at the different types of scrapers available.

 

  • Single engine wheeled: The standard motor scrapers contain bowls and the aprons to drop down the load of the materials to retain these and ejectors to push the load out. Because of the hydraulic system, the components of these scrapers can function independently.

 

    • Pull type: The pull type scrapers are capable of moving in the wet and the soft soils and the sand. Unlike the motor scrapers, the pull ones are not motorized. As a result, these are pulled by other vehicles. These vehicles can predate the self-propelled ones while the massive ones were pulled by the crawler tractors. But after that, the pull type vehicles shrank in the size and mainly become associated with the agricultural usages. These now have come into their own as a number of companies are now offering pull-type construction-grade scraper.
  • Dual engine wheeled: The scrapers are really efficient on the short hauls where the entire cut-and-fill areas have enough length to fill the hopper and are close enough. These heavy machines have two engines. One of these drives the front wheels and another one drives the rear wheels.
  • Elevating: The elevating wheel tractor scraper is basically a self-loading vehicle with the additional ability to do the fine and finish work and to mix the homogenize materials. It is equipped with a ladder-type conveyor, which is located in the bowl in order to lift the material as this enters into the bowl as well as transports this to the rear. This scraper can load itself and therefore this is really popular on the smaller jobs like as the agricultural applications or the site preparation.

 

  • Open Bowl or the conventional ones: This type of scraper is mainly available in the push loaded, self loading or the push loaded hauling system along with the board material appetite. This allows these scrapers to be used in the heavy construction, general construction, waste and mining.

 

These days, both the pull and dual engine type scrapers have become really popular. These days, quite a number of the reputable scrapers companies, which are typically involved in the agricultural market, are producing heavier and larger units for the construction uses. These companies also offer these heavy equipment for rent. So, if you need these equipment for any business purpose or for the agricultural needs, there is no requirement of investing in these. You can now take these vehicles for rent.

 

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Caterpillar 963 Track Loader

Construction and mining industry are hugely dependent on different kinds of heavy equipment for completing their projects. The heavy equipment manufacturing companies also do their bit to ensure that the needs of their clients are met. At times they also build customized machines to meet certain specific demands of their clients. For instance, a client wants machine that consumes less fuel and has the potential to work all day long, the equipment manufacturing companies will pay heed to such demands and may design something that suits that specific demand.

Construction industry is quite a dynamic industry and changes are bound to happen. With the ever changing needs of the construction companies, developing machines based on new technologies is gaining popularity. No construction company wants to work with an outdated equipment. They all want to upgrade their equipment with the latest technology available in the market. Undoubtedly, they got to afford to buy such technologies. Many are in the position to embrace development and go for upgrading their machines with new technologies or give away the redundant piece and buy a new one.

Caterpillar 963 Track Loader is a perfect example of construction companies embracing new technology. There were various models of track loaders available in the market but they were not having anything special in them and hence construction companies were waiting for something that will give them a new experience. Their wait for finally over with the introduction of CAT 963 loader as it tried to fulfill many of the clients demands in every possible way.

The track loaded has been gifted with a wonderful piece of engine that has a power of 150.2 hp. This is considered to be the best in this class of loaders. It has a displacement of 7 liters and its operating weight is around 18639 kg or 42,000 lbs. It has a fuel capacity of 68.9 gallons which is around 26.1 liters. In addition to this, the hydraulic system fluid capacity is around 60 liters. The engine is considered to be one of the best among all the models produced by companies other than CAT.

If we talk about the undercarriage part of the machine, the width of the track shoe is 550 mm and the number of track rollers it has preside is 6. The length of the track is 2454 mm and the track gauge is around 1850 mm. With these specifications, it turned out to be one of the best the industry has.

For people who are particularly looking for a feature in the machine should probably go through its user manual. There they will find everything they need to know. For guys who are interested in buying the loader should possible contact CAT and check if they will be able to ship the machine to their place. Shipping the item should not be a limitation to a company as big as Caterpillar. The price of this machine can be easily known from the website of the company or one can also check with the dealer for its price.

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Tips on how to run an excavator

We basically believe that working on a heavy equipment is as simple as driving a vehicle. It may have the same feature as what we see in a car but the ones who actually operate heavy equipment beg to differ. One can simply not compare working on heavy equipment with driving one’s car as the former is lot more complex in nature and the person working on the machine has to be extra careful while he is on it. He got to check a lot of things before he begins with his work and needs to be sure that all the things that he needs during his work are working just fine. In case he notices any issue, he should be reporting it to the supervisor in charge or should take things in his control and ensure that the machine is in order before he kick starts with the job.

Not all the heavy equipment are tricky to work on but there are machines like excavators that can really takes its toll on the operator. Especially if the operator has to function in an extremely rough and rigid terrain, things may become all the more strenuous for him. Only with the help of experience will one be able to manage the machine smoothly or else things may go out of his control and the consequences can be intensely severe.

We would be discussing few important tips that one should be following while they work on an excavator.

Proper usage of the joystick:-

One needs to understand that the joystick in an excavator is the brain of the machine and the way you use the joystick, the machine will flow accordingly. The joystick is used extensively to keep a control on the movement of the cabin and the bucket attached to the machine. So if you are moving the joystick correctly, the excavator will move the way you want it to. By using the one to your right, you will control the scooping that will help the boom to move in the upwards and downwards position. The joystick to the left of the driver controls the cab. So if you use the one to your left correctly, it will move the machine to the place you want it to go. It also helps in enlarging and shortening the length of the boom.

Drive rods are equally important:-

If you want to increase or decrease the speed of the excavator, you can do it with the help of the drive rods that lies between the legs of the operator. Each rod has its own exclusive purpose. It works co-related with the tread and when pushed forward or backward will move the tread of that side. If you want to drive the excavator straight then you simply have to push both the sticks at the same time in the forward direction and it will speed up and if you pull them back will drive the machine backwards.

Alongside with lot of experience in operating an excavator, following these simple tips can be really useful to operate the machine.

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COMPACTION ROLLERS AND ITS USES

Compaction rollers are heavy duty engineering vehicles that are used to make soil, concrete, road making material etc compact and rolled smoothly. The compaction roller is fitted with a heavy iron cylindrical roller at the bottom which presses and compacts material coming under it.

Compaction rollers are mostly owned by construction organizations that have the duty of making roads or highways and are in need of this vehicle to flatten and make the path compact with the given materials. Compaction rollers are heavy duty vehicles that have controls set in it but require a person to operate the controls.

These vehicles are available in various sizes depending on the needs and requirements of the work to be performed. Compaction rollers are also used for agriculture. Setting a particular plot of land for farming needs heavy manual labour. To save up on energy and manpower these heavy duty vehicles are used.

They were initially introduced as horse drawn rollers that performed the task of compacting the soil but with time and advancements in technology it has evolved to be automatic machine rollers which are mechanically advanced with better efficiency.

Compaction rollers are used especially by government authorities in charge of making roads and highways. Sealing roads with concrete and tar can be well performed with these compaction rollers that cover a large distance in a short span of time. The work is done precisely and efficiently. The modern compaction rollers are manufactured in accordance to the demands of the users. The vehicles are made with perfection and are made in such a way that saves up on time and performs the work efficiently.

The main energy enforced on these rollers is vibration. Depending on the amount of vibration extracted from these rollers, the given materials are compacted. A few compaction rollers have rollers attached at the bottom of the machine and a few have wheels attached at the rear end. For various purposes these rollers are used and accordingly the results are extracted.

At several instances like crushing and compacting asphalt, there is an external spray of water on the drums to prevent the material from sticking to the cylindrical rolls. These cannot be controlled with the help of the automated switches and needs external attention.

Owning these heavy duty machines is an asset provided they are maintained and serviced well. Taking good care of the machinery provides better efficiency. It is an investment to own all possible modern machinery like compaction rollers as it accordingly helps in tasks assigned like creating roads and paths.

Several agencies who deal with rental and leasing services (Like B&R Equipment) provide these heavy duty compaction rollers on rent or lease to the users. Not all users need to access and use this machinery for their work. At certain instances when there is a need of this machinery, one can easily borrow it and save up on the extra amount to be spent to purchase an entire vehicle and not have any major use of it later.