Author
Terex striving to improve producer efficiency with service program
Terex Washing Systems has developed a new plant automation and control service that's intended to help customers improve plant efficiency. The service utilizes control systems for the range of Terex washing and water management equipment. The service begins with a simple questionnaire, followed by site meetings, requirements gathering and, eventually, the creation of functional design specifications. Once agreed to by all parties, control system designs are created, including all schematics, bills of material and full software files as required for all automation functions. Terex integrates existing plant controls to its systems, including crushing, screening and even third-party wash plants. “Over the past eight years, Terex Materials Processing has established a strong team of electrical, electronic and software engineers employing some of the most experienced and skilled individuals in the marketplace," says Barry McMenamin, manager of the electrical systems team at Terex Materials Processing. "This has allowed Terex to develop some of the most advanced and user-friendly control systems in the industry for our full range of mobile and stationary crushing and… Keep Reading
Mack Trucks celebrates milestone for Bulldog hood ornament
The iconic Mack Bulldog hood ornament celebrated its 80th birthday earlier this month. The Bulldog first became associated with Mack Trucks during World War I. According to the company, British soldiers nicknamed the Mack AC models used in the war effort "Bulldog Macks" because of their tenacity. The Bulldog moniker stuck from that point on. Years later in 1932, Alfred Fellows Masury, a chief engineer at Mack Trucks, was in the hospital for surgery. Not one to sit still for long, Masury hand-carved the first model of the Bulldog hood ornament out of a bar of soap during his recovery. Once released from the hospital, Masury applied for a patent on his design. The patent was granted Oct. 11, 1932. Masury was killed in the crash of U.S. Navy airship Akron in 1933, the same year the Bulldog hood ornament began adorning Mack trucks. Keep Reading
Holcim facility achieves safety milestone
Holcim Inc.'s Devil's Slide facility in Morgan, Utah, surpassed the eight-year mark last week without a lost-time injury. Company President Bernard Terver commended the achievement, congratulating the facility's employees for their attention to safety. "Our employees have shown great commitment to implementing our universal safety measures," Terver says. "We're proud of what they have accomplished and look forward to continued excellence." Keep Reading
IRock adds Midwestern dealer
IRock Crushers continues to develop its dealer network, adding RTL Equipment Inc. as a dealer serving Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and northern Missouri. Last month, IRock announced the acquisition of Indy Equipment, a Northeast Ohio dealer for Takeuchi, E-Z Drill and other suppliers. RTL Equipment is headquartered in Grimes, Iowa. It has branches in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Gretna, Neb., as well as an equipment yard in East Moline, Ill. Keep Reading
Cemex wind turbine to produce 30 percent of quarry’s energy
Cemex is commissioning a 1-megawatt wind turbine at its quarry located in Madison, Calif. The turbine is one of three renewable energy projects Cemex plans to soon bring online in California. Cemex says the power generated from the wind turbine is equivalent to powering more than 200 average-sized U.S. households annually. The company expects the turbine to supply about 30 percent of the quarry’s energy. Cemex partnered with Foundation Windpower, a California-based distributed wind development company, for the development, construction, financing and operation of the wind turbine. Keep Reading
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
