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Bridgestone making second 2012 investment in Illinois plant
Bridgestone Americas plans to make an additional investment of $27.3 million for a second expansion project at its off-the-road plant in Bloomington, Ill. The announcement follows news in April of a $19.5 million investment in the plant to increase production of tires used in heavy industry. Most of that first investment will go toward new machinery. Most of this second investment will go toward new machinery for the production of giant loader tires. The Bloomington plant currently specializes in giant loader tire bias production. Bridgestone anticipates the expansion will create about 47 new jobs. “The strong demand for giant loader tires is currently exceeding supply,” says Ken Weaver, president of Bridgestone's U.S. and Canada Commercial Tire Sales Division. Keep Reading
MSHA unveils machine guarding compliance assistance resource
MSHA introduced a new guide that will serve as a compliance assistance resource to address improperly guarded machinery. “Guarding Machinery at Metal & Nonmetal Mines” is a sequel to a compliance guide for guarding conveyor belts published in 2010. In that year, guarding-related violations peaked at 10,877 and accounted for one of every seven violations cited. The purpose of the guide is threefold: to improve the mining industry’s understanding of good guarding principles; ensure the construction, installation and maintenance of high-quality, effective guards; and improve compliance, inspection and enforcement consistency. The new guide, available at www.msha.gov, provides examples of good guarding practices and compliance information related to all types of mining equipment, including drive and power transmission components; crushers and screens; rotating, packaging and palletizing equipment; power tools; and auxiliary equipment. Guarding-related citations and orders issued through the third quarter of 2012 are down 39 percent from 2010 levels. Keep Reading
Boart Longyear opens first US parts and service center
Boart Longyear is planning to open a new parts and service center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5. The center will provide after-market equipment support for Boart Longyear’s third-party customers. The Salt Lake City location was chosen due to a high density of customers in the area. The facility covers 20,000 square feet, including a 15,000-square-foot shop and 5,000 square feet of office space. This new location adds to the existing parts and service centers in Australia and the United Kingdom. Keep Reading
Caterpillar makes strategic investment in natural gas engines
A business director at Caterpillar Inc. recently made a major endorsement of natural gas in high-horsepower applications, stating the company's intention to go "all in" on natural gas and produce even more natural gas-fueled equipment and engines for various applications. Joel Feucht, Caterpillar’s director of gas engine strategy for the energy and power systems businesses, stated Caterpillar's intention Sept. 27 during his keynote address at the inaugural Natural Gas for High Horsepower Applications (HHP) Summit in Houston. “We have decided to go all in on gas,” Feucht said. “We are going to invest because we see a global market long term. Large engines are going gas. It’s not debatable, it’s our conclusion.” The remarks confirmed that Caterpillar will provide natural gas fuel as an option for engines across its many high horsepower lines in mining and other industries such as marine, earthmoving and drilling. Caterpillar recently announced its first expected liquefied natural gas-powered products will likely include Cat 793, 795 and 797 mining trucks. “There is huge economic incentive to… Keep Reading
Lafarge sells two quarries as part of deal with Eagle Materials
Eagle Materials Inc. has agreed to purchase Lafarge North America's cement plants in Sugar Creek, Mo., and Tulsa, Okla., as well as other assets that include two quarries, six distribution terminals, eight ready-mix concrete plants and a fly ash business. Eagle Materials made the purchase for $446 million, and the transaction is expected to close by the end of this year. The company expects the acquisition to increase its U.S. cement capacity by about 60 percent. "Our stated strategy has been to grow the cement and aggregates side of our business," says Steven Rowley, Eagle Materials president and CEO. "Our first priority has been to acquire cement plants that connect but do not overlap with the market reach of our existing plants." Rowley adds that the transaction further positions his company near energy growth markets where there is growing demand for Eagle Materials' northern white frac sand. Keep Reading
Record-setting MINExpo draws 50,000
The largest MINExpo ever Sept. 24-26 attracted about 50,000 attendees from 36 countries, as well as 1,860 exhibitors, according to the host National Mining Association (NMA). The 36 countries represented were 20 more than the 2008 MINExpo drew. “The growth in international attendance, from 16 countries in 2008 to 36 represented today, mirrors the global presence of the mining industry,” said Mike Sutherlin, Joy Global president and CEO and MINExpo 2012 chairman. Greg Boyce, chairman and CEO of Peabody Energy and chairman of NMA, echoed Sutherlin's sentiment. "This is the largest single assembly of mining equipment in history, and the sheer scale of this showcase is a testament to the state-of-the-art technologies being used right across the industry," he said. "The world’s energy and industrial supply chain begins with mining, and the equipment and products on display at MINExpo show why mining is safer, more productive and more efficient than ever before." Keep Reading
Settling pond elimination a benefit of ultra-fines recovery system
Deister Machine Co. introduced an ultra-fines recovery (UFR) system at last week's MINExpo. The system is designed to recover ultra-fine sands and silts in quarry applications, as well as to recover tailings in various mining applications. Deister says the system allows operations to eliminate or greatly reduce the use of settling ponds. The Deister system enables producers to create a dry tailing or silt product, which can be stockpiled prior to removal, or used as a saleable product. The system is capable of recoveries ranging between 350 and 400 mesh. It uses a radial distribution manifold for even distribution of solids to all cyclones. The reverse-slope vibrating screen is available in sizes up to 7 ft. wide and 12 ft. long, with solids capacities up to 70 tph. Keep Reading
Bosch Rexroth names machinery applications and engineering VP
Bosch Rexroth Corp. recently named Michael Boehm vice president, machinery applications and engineering. Boehm will oversee product development, sales and operations for the company’s machinery applications and engineering business unit, which includes bulk material handling, marine and offshore, filtration systems, service, industrial manufacturing equipment and hydraulic power technologies. Boehm, who most recently served as a sales director within the company, has been with Bosch Rexroth for 22-plus years. He succeeds Winfried Hegel, who will become head of sales and an industry sector manager for industrial manufacturing equipment in the company's industrial applications unit in Germany. Keep Reading
USGS reports second quarter increases in crushed stone production
An estimated 316 million metric tons of crushed stone were produced and shipped for consumption in the United States in the second quarter of 2012, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The 316 million is a slight increase compared to the second quarter of 2011. Also, the estimated production for consumption in the first six months of 2012 was 532 metric tons, an increase of 4.3 percent compared to the same stretch in 2011. More specifically, the estimated production-for-consumption of crushed stonein the second quarter of 2012 increased in three of the nine geographic divisions USGS tallies, compared to that sold or used in the second quarter of 2011. The increases were recorded in the East North Central, West North Central and West South Central divisions. Production-for-consumption increased in 24 of the 46 States that were estimated. The five leading states, in descending order of production-for-consumption, were Texas, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Ohio and Virginia. Their combined total production-for-consumption was 112 metric tons and represented 36 percent of the U.S. total.… Keep Reading
