Friday, November 21st, 2008
Cranes are commonly used in the construction of towers and industry, and in manufacturing heavy equipments. Crane equipments ranges from small site crane to big cranes and deck cranes that lift heavy construction equipments. Basically, they are temporary structures in construction. They are either fixed on the ground or hoarded on a purpose-built vehicle. Cranes come in different types such as jib, gantry, ship and deck, bridge or overhead, boom, tower, and mobile or truck.
Before operating the crane, operators should carefully read and understand the operation manual from the crane manufacturer. Further, they must always note any instructions given by a reliable instructor or operator. It is also crucial for the crane operator to understand the consequences of careless operation of cranes. They must be instructed of the proper use, prohibition and the safety rules and regulation during the operation.
It is always the responsibility of the owner to make their personnel aware of all federal rules and codes so as to preclude violations along with their penalties. Employers must also make certain that their operators are properly trained and are equipped with the know-how. To be safe in the operation of crane, it requires skill and exercise of great care and ideal foresight, alertness and concentration. Also strict adherence to proven safety rules and practices is necessary.
The personnel who handle the operation of cranes in an area must utilize hand signals, if necessary, as their means of communication. Here are the most commonly used hand signals during crane lifting operation:
1. HOIST. Raise the forearm vertically and extend the right arm straight out with forefinger pointing up. Then, move hand in small horizontal circle.
2. LOWER. Forefinger pointing down and extend right arm downward then move hand in small horizontal circle.
3. STOP. Extend right arm down with wrist bent, palm down and open.
4 SWING. Right arm away from body, point with finger in direction of swing of boom.
5. RAISE BOOM. Fingers closed and thumb pointing upward while extending the right arm straight out.
6. LOWER BOOM. Fingers closed and thumb pointing downward while extending the right arm straight out.
7. BRIDGE TRAVEL. Extend the right arm forward, hand open and slightly raised and make pushing motion in direction of travel.
8. TROLLEY TRAVEL. Thumb pointing in direction of motion with palm up and fingers closed, jerk hand horizontally.
9. EMERGENCY STOP. Extend right arm, palm down and move hand rapidly left and right.
10. MULTIPLE TROLLEYS. For block marked 1. hold up one finger, and two fingers for block marked 2. Regular signals come next.
11. RAISE BOOM and LOWER LOAD. Right arm extended and thumb pointing up. Flex fingers in and out as long as load movement is needed.
12. LOWER BOOM and RAISE LOAD. Right arm extended and thumb pointing down. Flex fingers pointing in and out as long as load movement is needed.
13. DOG EVERYTHING. Hold hands in front of the body.
14. MOVE SLOWLY. One hand gives any motion signal while the other hand motionless in front of hand giving the motion signal.
15. MAGNET IS DISCONNECTED. Spread both hands.
When using these hand signals be sure that you and the crane operator are familiar with these signals. A wrong signal could cause a serious injury or worst - death.
Always stay alert when you are working in construction near any crane. If possible Article Search, avoid working under a moving load and stay clear of the counter balance. Always use your safety devices and helmet to avoid injuries. Safety is always the top priority of all workers and the crane operator.
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Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
The business owner has to consider two options when it comes to buying construction equipment. First of all there are primarily two paths to getting the construction equipment needed. Buying the equipment outright or leasing it. Both have advantages and drawbacks.
Business Loans Can Help Buy Needed Construction Equipment :
Bulldozers, excavators, backhoes, forklift equipments and other digging equipment are some of the equipment necessary for starting a construction business is very expensive. Buying the equipment outright can be very cost prohibitive for the business start-up, but a business loan can level the playing field. If the heavy construction equipment is maintained properly, it will last years past what a lease payment offers.
Business owners also like the fact that once the business loan is paid off they own the equipment outright. This helps the business build accrued equity. The equity can be used later in time to help secure working capital if the need arises. This will most likely not be necessary since a good unsecured lines of credit can provide all the extra working capital they need in most cases. In terms of taxes, equipment that is owned can be counted on taxes as depreciation.
The Benefits of a Leasing Construction Equipment :
Tax benefits of leasing equipment is one of the top benefits to the business owner. The IRS has made leasing 100% deductible and many business owners love this aspect of leasing equipment. The type of lease that gives this benefit is what is called a “true lease.” If you do not know what we mean by a true lease, the Internal Revenue Service uses the term true lease to define how a lease is structured.
To qualify for “true lease” status, the construction equipment must be declared at fault fair market value when the leases end. This all this sounds complicated, but it really isn’t. If you have questions it is good to consult with a professional tax consultant to help you figure out your best options.
The leasing company will often give an option to buy the equipment following the terms of the lease. Another benefit to leasing, is that business owners an often enter a lease agreement without a down payment. This is great for start-up businesses that do not have a lot of cash on hand.
A Final Thought on Leasing Equipment verses Buying :
When considering leasing verses buying equipment, it is important to consider the future and the long term effects to your business. Look at both sides of the coin, and determine the best route for your business.
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Sunday, November 16th, 2008
The largest manufacturers of heavy construction equipments are located in the United States, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Whereas the second largest and less competitive manufacturers of heavy construction equipment are found in Canada, China, Russia, Latin America, South Korea, Italy, Belgium and Sweden. Yet this position can shift easily with today’s ever changing market trends and with developing countries being able to attract heavy construction equipment manufacturers by offering low material and labor costs.
The global demand of heavy construction equipment is widespread and on a large-scale of production with almost thirty percent entering the foreign market every year. This market has been defined by the major flows among the already developed countries and by the large-scale importing by the developing countries with little domestic production.
Next to the United States, Japan has been the dominant net exporter of heavy construction equipment with Germany and the United Kingdom following close behind. The United States is also a major importer of heavy construction equipment, importing in ample amounts and running a moderate sized trade surplus. In a developing world and given the variety of construction equipment prevailing in major geographic regions and even in individual countries, it’s typical for heavy construction equipment to find some use by private contractors and public agencies as well. Purchasing used heavy construction equipment is also an option.
Production designs and manufacturing technology for heavy construction equipment are well established and are making advances on a regular basis. Tractors, loaders, mixers, cranes and other heavy construction equipment containing automatic transmissions, electric controls, engine monitoring systems and many can now be programmed to repeat the same cycles. Other advances to enhance operator comfort are air conditioned cabs, tilting steering wheels and noise reduction devices.
The global heavy construction equipment industry primarily consists of almost one thousand companies, with smaller businesses specializing in small equipment, e.g. parts and attachments. Some of the major manufacturers include: Caterpillar, Komatsu, Case, Volvo, Deere, New Holland and Hitachi. All heavy construction equipment manufacturers must plan strategically and decide whether their company will continue to expand and stay strong or whether their company should draw back, perhaps sell out and abandon the industry. These decisions have many companies choosing to form partnerships with other companies as an effort to flourish and continue on, as Caterpillar had fused with New Holland to form CNH, Inc. The emphasis is on cost-cutting, competitiveness and down sizing.
There is an increased emphasis on research and development, making the manufacturers of heavy construction equipment seek a competitive edge in many ways. With Caterpillar and Komatsu, for example, being two of the leading producers and spending the most on research and development by using computer design along with manufacturer systems. As technology develops, all major manufacturers of heavy construction equipment will find new and improved way to test and improve their products to stay one step ahead in the competition.
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Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
Heavy construction equipment requires a lot of capital investments. When the companies opt to buy these types of heavy construction equipments then they look out for the used equipments that may be on sale in the local market. This helps them in various manners. Companies sometime get used heavy construction equipment which are as good as new but the cost is much lesser than that offered in the showroom. Moreover, buying heavy construction equipment from the local market reduces the transportation cost as well. These overheads not look good in the balance sheet as they lead to increase in the project costs.
Financing is a major concern while buying heavy construction equipments. Most of the companies look out for times when the interest rates are low and they can strike a good bargain. In developing countries the rate of economic growth determines the external investments. A healthy growing economy attracts heavy foreign investments. Thus since the financial inflows are more the interest rates are much low. Thus buying heavy construction equipments or taking them as rentals is much more economical.
After the opening up to the markets and signing of the GATT agreement by most of the countries there has been increase in the competition and reduction in cost of equipments. Moreover, the heavy construction equipments have been manufactured at more locations than before. This trend has been on increase to serve the global market and cross-country support for infrastructure development. Moreover, there has also been increase in the duty-free import structure in the economies. But in case of the growing economies, increase in exports and development of local markets is still required to support the imports in the countries.
Demand for heavy construction equipment is more region-specific. In US markets and Western Europe, requirement for up-gradation of the locations is more required rather than developing new projects. These countries require maintenance and upgrading of the existing projects, which is more crucial for the existing infrastructure for long time sustenance.
In case of developing countries, building up of rail, roads, flyovers, high-rise, airports, and urban development is more crucial. All this requires lot of construction work, which requires use of heavy construction equipment. There are different manufacturers of heavy construction equipments like Caterpillar, Case, Hitachi, Komatsu, New Holland, John Deere etc. The largest manufacturers of heavy construction equipment are located in the U.S., Japan, Germany, the U.K. and France, followed by Italy, South Korea, Canada, Sweden and Belgium. There are manufacturing units located at other locations also like China, Russia and Latin America. More manufacturing units for heavy construction equipments are expected to crop up at locations, which offer low material costs and cheap labor.
Heavy construction equipment is also available on rent. These can be leased out easily from the domestic market. It is much more beneficial to take the heavy construction equipment on rent or on least for a day or few days rather than purchase them and then sell them at lower cost or carry overheads like transportation, maintenance, etc. Buying heavy construction equipment is not much preferred option. Mostly in the US, long-term leasing is much more preferred over purchasing due to tax structure.
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Sunday, November 9th, 2008
Heavy Construction equipments range from the very heavy equipment to the portable and mobile lighter equipment, some of them with a precise description of their functions are detailed below.
Engineering equipment with a front bucket/shovel and a small backhoe in the rear combined with a tractor is known as backhoe loader. It is mostly used in small construction sites and in urban engineering such as fixing city roads.
A crawler, which is very powerful and attached with a blade, is called a bulldozer. Even though any heavy engineering vehicle is known as bulldozer, it is actually a tractor with a dozer blade.
Combat engineering vehicles are used for engineering work in the battlefield and for transporting sappers. They are mostly armoured vehicles.
A compact excavator is a wheeled or tracked vehicle with a backfill blade and swing boom. It is also known as mini excavator. The functions and movements of the machines are carried out by transferring hydraulic fluid. This makes a compact hydraulic excavator different from other construction equipment.
To compact gravel, dirt, asphalt and concrete in construction work and road laying a road roller which is also known as roller-compactor would be used.
A motorized cultivator with a rotating blade to work in the soil is known as rotary tiller. They are either drawn behind a tractor or self-propelled.
A new or used crane is a derrick or tower equipped with pulleys and cables for lowering and lifting materials. The cranes used in construction industry are mostly temporary structures.
Dragline excavation systems are heavy equipment mostly used in surface mining and civil engineering. The smaller type of dragline excavator is used for port and road construction. The larger type dragline excavator is used in strip-mining operations for coal extraction.
In the building industry, to make foundations, a drilling machine is used. It is also used in oil wells and water wells.
An excavator commonly known as a digger is an engineering vehicle, with a cab mounted on a rotating platform or pivot, and a backhoe on top of an undercarriage with wheels or tracks. In untamed regions which are being reclaimed for construction, a feller buncher, a machine having an attachment, which fells trees, is used.
A forklift, lift truck or forklift truck is an industrial truck used to pick up and transport heavy material using steel forks under the material to be lifted. The most common usage of a forklift is to move materials stored on pallets.
A loader also known as a bucket loader, front-end loader, scoop loader, shovel, or front loader is a type of tractor using buckets, which can be tilted to lift and move material.
A paver is used to spread asphalt on roadways.
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Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
The mini excavator is an important tool for general contractors, excavators, plumbers, paving companies and other types of professional contractors. With a wide variety of uses and a vast array of attachments to specialize the mini excavators for any job, the machine has many advantages over its larger counterparts. As stated previously, the primary advantage of the mini excavator is its size. Because the compact excavators are so small, they are often used in tight spaces where larger machines would not be able to operate. They are able to maneuver through trees and fit through gates and small openings, and because they are lighter than most larger excavators, they do less damage to the landscape. Many of these mini excavators feature expandable tracks, which can be extended or detracted based on the size of the area where work is being done.
Many of the new and used compact excavators on the market have tracks that can be detracted to less than three feet wide. Others are much larger. If the machine will be used for a specific job, or a certain type of job, it is a good idea to measure any openings the machine will have to fit through, to determine what size machine is needed.
The width of the mini excavators is not the only consideration that has to be made when looking at different machines. Contractors use compact excavators because the weight of the machine often allows them to travel to places a larger machine would be unable to go. As with everything else, the difference in the weight of these machines will determine what type of terrain they can be operated on. The lighter machines will easily be able to transverse soft, wet ground, where heavier machines may not be able to go.
A large proportion of the machines are manufactured with a rubber track, as opposed to one of steel. The rubber material is low impact, making traveling on soft ground easier and doing less damage to the area. Mini excavators can range in weight from as little as 1200 pounds to as heavy as 7000 pounds or more. Light weight machines can be operated with the least amount of damage to the landscape. Because they are so light, they are often are easier to get to job locations than larger models. They can be towed on a trailer behind a normal size truck, eliminating the need for special transportation and commercial driver’s licenses.
Mini excavators, like their larger counterparts have the ability to support multiple types of attachments. Depending on the type of job, some of these attachments and upgrades might be useful. Many of the compact excavators feature a quick-coupler attachment that allows attachments to quickly be changed. As previously referred to, different types of buckets are available and can allow for a range of digging widths and soil types. For almost any job a larger machine can accomplish, there is a tool that will enable the mini excavator to compete.
Grapples can be attached to the mini machine to allow the pick up of bunches of logs or downed trees. The size and power of the machine will determine how much weight it can lift. Hammers can be attached, turning the machine into a demolition tool capable of breaking concrete or completing pipe digging work, and a thumb attachment will allow the mini excavator to pick up piles of brush or rubbish.
Many models of excavators also come with or are ready for the addition of back fill blades. The blade allows the operator to push dirt back into the hole they have dug, effectively performing the work of two machines. Buying new attachments is not always necessary. Buying used attachments and accessories is an option that could save thousands of dollars in the long run. When buying used accessories, just like when purchasing used mini excavators, the buyer needs to examine the part and make sure they know what they are purchasing.
While it would be nice to buy the highest rated machine on the market along with all of the accessories and attachments, many companies and independent contractors simply do not have the funds in their budget to make such a major purchase. Despite the fact that mini excavators cost much less than their larger counterparts, cost and budget must always be considered. A full sized excavator can cost in excess of $100,000, while a mini excavator averages approximately $30,000.
Buying a used mini excavator is an option that can be explored. Buying a used construction equipment can save thousands of dollars, and, just like buying a used car or truck, often times the used machines still have years of life left in them. Before making any major purchase, the buyer must evaluate all of the features of the machine, and look at any hidden costs that could result from the purchase. Hidden cost could include maintenance of the machine, the cost of accessories, transportation and storage fees, or any of a number of other possibilities.
When purchasing a machine, be sure to explore all of your options. Investigate which attachments will be most needed, and make sure to check local rentals as well as suppliers. Instead of purchasing every attachment, put your money toward getting the best machine for your needs, and rent the accessories that won’t be needed on a daily basis. Shop around and find the best deal on what you are looking for, but also remember that you get what you pay for.
Once you have purchased the machine, make sure to take care of it as best you can. Some parts are going to wear out and need replacing, but if properly maintained these parts can last longer, saving you money. Regular vehicle maintenance, including flushing the fluids and changing the hoses may help to increase the longevity of the machine. It might be costly upfront to maintain and store the vehicle properly, but the costs will pay out in the long run.
There are many choices and possibilities when it comes to excavators. Which machine is right for you will be determined by what type of environment you are working in, and what type of work you will be doing on a regular basis. Make sure to take all factors into consideration, including which features you need and which you can live without. Remember extra accessories and attachments can be purchased or rented later if they are needed. The best machine for you is one that will meet all of your needs, perform up to your standards, require little maintenance, and stand the test of time.
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Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
Bobcat is the originator of the most versatile piece of maintenance and heavy construction equipment. Bobcat introduced its first self-propelled compact loader nearly 50 years ago. The three-wheeled machine featured two drive wheels and a rear caster wheel, with lift arms and a simple utility fork attachment up front. This quick, agile loader replaced a pitchfork and a strong back to save hours of hard labor in areas too small for conventional machines. That was soon followed by development of the world’s first four-wheel-drive skid-steer loader—a revolutionary concept in machines that literally changed the way the world works.
What does the most models of skid steer loaders for sale available in the industry mean to you? Coupled with the most options and attachments in the industry means you can find the right sized loader with the right features at the right price to meet your specific needs. Choose a compact, standard wheelbase machine for maximum maneuverability and a radius lift path for great all around performance. Or select a smooth-riding long wheelbase model, with either a radius lift path or a long-reaching vertical lift path for optimal loading efficiency.
All K-Series Bobcat loaders are equipped with such standard equipment as an engine/hydraulic systems shutdown, deluxe cab, dual function (maximum flow or variable flow) front auxiliary hydraulics and front and rear working lights. And don’t forget serviceability. It’s unsurpassed.
These Bobcat equipments for sale are built for long, dependable operation in the most demanding jobsite environments. Drive chains never need adjustment and axle bearings never need greasing. Engine and hydraulic system shutdown automatically protects the machine from possible catastrophic failure.
Bobcat loaders are designed as a balanced system to make the most of your horsepower and your money. That includes balancing such factors as wheelbase, tread width and weight distribution. As a result, Bobcat loaders tend to weigh less and require less horsepower to achieve top performance. Other money-saving features include belt drive, instead of direct drive, and a dual-path cooling system, both of which reduce operating costs and extend engine life.
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