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Will natural gas boost your bottom line?
Gasoline and diesel prices will probably never be as low as they once were. But another fuel, natural gas, is positioning itself to play a role in your operation and boost your bottom line in the coming years. More natural gas is coming with the recent introduction of horizontal drilling as part of the longtime hydraulic fracturing process. For you, this means a more abundant supply of natural gas, a domestically available product and better pricing than the fuels for which the United States has become dependent on the Middle East. Among the industry companies catching onto natural gas developments are Caterpillar Inc. and Westport Innovations Inc., which collectively announced an agreement last week to develop natural gas technologies for off-road equipment like mining trucks. Programs are already being developed for engines, combustion technology and fuel systems, and the companies expect commercial production to begin in about five years. “Our customers have been demanding these types of products,” says Steve Fisher, vice president of Caterpillar’s Large Power Systems Division, in… Keep Reading
Atlas Copco appoints Southeast store manager
Jason Blais has been appointed Atlas Copco’s Southeast store manager. Blais will be responsible for the day-to-day management of stores in Atlanta, Miami and Nashville, Tenn. Blais has served Atlas Copco the last 15 years as a service technician, demo specialist, trainer, direct sales representative, district manager and store manager. Blais’ most recent position was as down-the-hole product manager for Atlas Copco Secoroc rock-drilling tools. The three stores Blais will be responsible for carry a range of Atlas Copco products, and each store caters to different industries based on the areas they serve. The stores carry Atlas Copco construction, drilling, crushing and screening, geotechnical drilling and exploration and compressor equipment, as well as Dynapac road construction equipment. Keep Reading
New Hyundai Construction Equipment dealer in Colorado
Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas Inc. has appointed Van’s Equipment as an authorized dealer in Colorado. Van's Equipment will now carry Hyundai¹s entire line of construction equipment, which consists of crawler excavators, wheel loaders, wheeled excavators, mini-excavators and skid-steers. The company will support Hyundai from its Denver-area branch location. Keep Reading
Xylem celebrating grand opening of Indianapolis location
Xylem is hosting an open house this Friday, June 15 to celebrate the opening of its Indianapolis location. The open house will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Xylem is located at 7615 West New York St. Focused on rental and sales of dewatering systems, the Indianapolis branch will offer a range of Flygt and Godwin pumps and related equipment. Exhibits on pump applications in mining, construction, municipal and industrial settings will be part of the open house. Keep Reading
MSHA promoting summer water safety through program
MSHA, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Association (OAIMA) are collaborating to promote summer water safety through the Stay-Out and Stay-Alive program. Now in its 14th year, the program warns outdoor enthusiasts, ATV participants and young people about the dangers of playing and swimming on mine property. Since 1999, nearly 300 people have lost their lives in recreational accidents at mine properties. Nearly half the victims were between 15 and 25 years old. “With kids across the country on summer break, the temptation to swim in an abandoned quarry can be hard to overcome,” says Joseph Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “Together we can more effectively spread the word about the potential dangers of playing on mine property.” OAIMA is urging all Ohioans to observe and comply with “No Trespassing” signs and other warnings. The association is also advising parents to warn young people about the dangers of swimming in any unguarded body of water. Keep Reading
Atlas Copco showcases rig at Illinois conference
Atlas Copco offered a sneak peek of its new PowerROC T35 E surface crawler rig to nearly 500 attendees and guests May 15 at the annual Illinois Aggregate Producers Association Conference. Not yet sold in the United States, the PowerROC T35 E is the extendable boom version of the T35 drilling rig currently in use worldwide. Additionally, Atlas Copco representatives from the Milwaukee customer center presented materials and fielded questions at the company’s booth about products in the surface drilling and excavation line, which includes Powercrushers and rock-drilling tools. Atlas Copco’s Steve Matic says the Powercrusher line is new to the Milwaukee store. Keep Reading
Caterpillar, Westport to develop natural gas-fueled equipment
Westport Innovations Inc. has signed agreements with Caterpillar Inc. to co-develop natural gas technology for off-road equipment, including mining trucks. The companies will combine technologies and expertise, including Westport’s High Pressure Direct Injection technology and Caterpillar’s off-road engine and machine product technology, to develop the natural gas fuel system. Caterpillar will fund the development program. When the products go to market, Westport expects to participate in the supply of key components. “This is a significant opportunity that has the potential to transform important segments of the global off-road equipment industries,” says David Demers, CEO of Westport Innovations. “The substantial price difference between natural gas and diesel fuel is resulting in a strong financial incentive to enable off-road applications to take advantage of low natural gas energy costs without sacrificing operational performance.” Development programs will start immediately for both new and existing engines, combustion technology and fuel systems. Commercial production is expected to begin in about five years. Keep Reading
Superior Industries launches custom design service
Conveyor system and component manufacturer Superior Industries has launched a new design service called Core Systems, supplying tailored power transmission components to provide a complete, custom drive package for each unique application. According to Superior Industries, the single-system provider and tailored approach eliminates hassles by allowing customers to work with a single company for both the machine and components. The design process investigates unique jobsite factors, such as type and weight of material, average daily output, conveyor profile and ideal conveyor speed, to ensure optimum power requirements are met. Also, Superior’s engineering team plans to employ a special analysis with every design that identifies crucial stress points and predicts potential failures. The analysis allows the engineering team to adjust designs accordingly. Keep Reading
ConExpo names chair for 2014 event
Glen Tellock, president and CEO of Manitowoc Co. Inc., has been named chair of the show management committee for the next ConExpo-Con/Agg. Tellock is teaming with Anne Lloyd, the executive vice president of Martin Marietta Materials Inc., who will serve as vice chair. The two are joined by 18 other executives who will collaborate in show planning to ensure the 2014 event meets the industry’s needs. The next ConExpo-Con/Agg will be held March 4-8, 2014 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. The show is co-located with the International Exposition for Power Transmission. Keep Reading
