Construction Machine Blog

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Kamal Nath, inaugurated, South Asia’s largest trade fair for Construction Equipment and Construction Technology. This year, in it’s 5th edition, the number of exhibitors increased by 55% and display area grew by 60% over 2007.

Delivering the inaugural address, Kamal Nath stressed on the need to focus on India-specific products, India-specific R&D and skill development to drive growth for the Indian Earthmoving and Construction Equipment Industry (ECE). He said that there is a need for huge capacity building across the entire spectrum of the infrastructure industry – from engineers, contractors, consultants, construction equipment manufacturers, etc, to enable the government achieve the target of constructing 7000 kms per annum.

Between 2004 and 2007, India’s earthmoving and construction equipment industry’s revenue has grown at over 40% each year, reaching US $2.3 billion in 2007. This figure is expected to reach US $ 12-13 billion in 2015.

Mr Ranaveer Sinha, Chairman, Indian Earthmoving  & Construction Industry Association Ltd (IECIAL), said that the size of the global construction equipment (CE) industry is US$ 100 billion while that of India’s is US$ 4 to US$5 billion. He said that the size of the industry is expected to double in 4 to 5 years.

“There is a great opportunity in the area of export, where India, as a low-cost manufacturing base, can become the factory of the world. We should look at not only exporting equipments but also components, design and R&D. Indian construction equipment industry is expected to significantly change in the next decade and this will be driven by a few growth drivers – first of all it is the unprecedented infra spend, second is dominance of price-value focused customers, third is the broader engagement of global original equipment manufacturers,” Mr Ranaveer Sinha said.

C R Swaminathan, Chairman, CII-Southern Region said that the Indian construction industry is estimated to have a turnover of US$ 60 billion in the current year. This sector employs 31 million people, the second largest, next only to agriculture. It consumes 40-50% of national plan outlay and accounts for 20% of GDP.

Vipin Sondhi, Chairman of Excon 2009 and Managing Director of JCB India, said that factors including the stimulus given by the government for infrastructure development, presence of the stable and proactive government, continual articulation of government about the thrust given to infrastructure development and dynamism of ministers in the government are giving big boost to the growth of the Indian infrastructure and ECE industry.

He feels that the Indian ECE industry will be a US$15 billion industry by 2015 – however, to fully realize the potential, there should be concerted and well-coordinated efforts by the industry and the government. The key focus area of such an effort should be on increasing the availability of trained man power in the country.

Kamal Nath said that with it’s strong fundamentals, India is very well on the growth trajectory – the economy is set to achieve a 6.5% growth this year and aims to achieve 8% growth in 2010 and 9% in 2011. Though India felt the tremors of economic slowdown, it’s matured and strongly regulated financial system did not collapse.

He said that as the country grows, the biggest deficit in infrastructure will be in the road sector. India has 3.4 million kms of road, which is the second largest in the world. Over 40% of the road transport takes place on national highways, however out of the 70,000 kms of highways, 17,000 kms are one-lane highways.

A road grader is a large piece of road equipment which features a large steel blade located beneath the center of the vehicle. The blade is adjustable, allowing the road grader’s operator to be able to control the height and angle of the blade while the machine is in operation. Some road graders are equipped with a GPS function, which allows the operator to have very precise control over which areas they grade and which they don’t. The GPS technology allows the grader operator to grade specific lengths of road or soil instead of having to estimate the amount of ground that they grade.
Function
The blade of a road grader is designed to create a flat, level surface for the construction of new roads and the leveling of uneven ground. Though a road grader may seem at first to be a bulky and awkward piece of heavy equipment, it is actually used most often as a means of finishing the grade started by other construction equipment, such as bulldozers and scrapers. Some areas also use the blade of a road grader as a means to create better drainage when laying new asphalt roads, letting the blade create shallow drainage ditches beside the road or creating occasional small drainage paths along the edges of the road shoulder itself. Localities which receive a large amount of snowfall often use road graders to clear heavy snows from important roadways as well.
Process
A road grader lowers its blades to the height at which the grade is to be set, pushing dirt or asphalt that is higher than that level forward until it is smoothed down or is pushed off of the side of the blade. The angle that the blade is mounted at allows excess materials to eventually fall away from the blade, leaving a small ridge of dirt or other material beside the grader as it travels. Several passes will be made in order to successfully level the roadway or ground, improving the overall grade each time the road grader’s blade passes over the area. When being used to clear snow, the blade of the road grader will be set slightly higher than the surface of the road so as to prevent damaging the road itself in the event of dips or an uneven road surface beneath the snow.

Running an asphalt paver takes training and knowledge of how the controls on the paver work. Once you have been trained in the use of the paver, running it takes time and careful command. Running an asphalt paver is a three-person operation.

1. Start the asphalt paver and spray diesel fuel, or a soy- or citrus-based release agent, on every part of the paver that will be in contact with the asphalt. This will reduce the chances of the asphalt sticking to the paver.
2. Heat the screed, or leveling device. If the paver screed is electric, turn the screed on. If it is a propane screed, light the propane burners on the main screed and the extensions. Wait for the screed bottom to reach a minimum of 250 degrees.
3. Build a start pad with the asphalt or two-by-fours to determine the depth of your finished product. Put the paver screed to float, and it will drop down to your start pad.
4. Turn on the conveyors and augers. Have the paver truck or transfer machine dump the asphalt into the paver hop machine. The truck or transfer machine is controlled by the paver operator with hand signals. As the asphalt comes out of the truck and is conveyed back to the augers, the left or right-hand screed operator determines the width and the amount of material being run through the conveyors and augers. Tipping the paver screed backward will raise the depth, while tipping it forward will lower the depth. The paver pushes the transfer machine or truck as it paves.
5. At the end of an asphalt pull, stop the conveyor and auger a short distance before your stopping point.

Serious business - with building project worth billions of dollars under way, the Big 5 PMV is a key event for the regional construction industry.

With billions of dollars worth of building projects under way in the Middle East, the construction industry is putting on a huge show of resilience in Dubai this week – helped by some of the best movers and shakers in the business.

Worldwide suppliers of plant, construction vehicles, machinery and equipment were locked in serious discussions with buyers as the Big 5 PMV entered its second day today, with the international trade event also showing a “lighter” side.

The UK-based Diggerland JCB Stunt Team – better known as the “Dancing Diggers” – have quickly become show favorites at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre with their expertly choreographed “formation dancing” to music.

Comprising five giant JCB diggers and a mini Bobcat loader, this powerful line-up of mechanical muscle display the kind of versatility which makes them vital to operations on building sites across the region, and around the world.

With almost 3,400 civil building projects worth around US$1.35 trillion in progress in the Middle East, major orders are expected for much of the massive plant, vehicles, machinery and equipment on show at the Big 5 PMV before the curtain comes down on Thursday evening.

A forklift is an industrial vehicle that has a pronged platform that can be raised and lowered. Forklifts are ideal for moving heavy loads. Whether you use one on your job or have one at home for occasional jobs, maintain it well and prolong its life.

1. Check the hydraulic fluid, motor oil and transmission fluid regularly in order to maintain a forklift properly. How often you check fluid levels will depend on how often the forklift is used. If used daily, then check daily. For occasional forklift use, weekly or monthly checks are sufficient.
2. Make sure that all grease fittings are greased regularly. On a forklift, this mainly includes all of the moving joints.
3. Keep the battery fully charged on an electric forklift. If your forklift runs on LP gas, make sure the tank stays full in order to maintain it efficiently.
4. Pay attention to the gauges and warning lights on the forklift. Any light or gauge that indicates a problem should be checked out immediately. Failure to do so could result in more costly repairs.
5. Inspect controls regularly. If the controls feel slack or loose, the forklift could need hydraulic fluid or there could be a leak in one of the lines.
6. Look at the tires daily. Some forklift tires require air. Others are just solid pieces of rubber. If the forklift tires require air, make sure the air pressure in the tires is correct. If your tires are just solid rubber, check for gashes in the tire. This could cause an unstable ride and possibly damage whatever you are moving.

Forklifts are generally used in engaging, lifting and transferring loads for warehousing, construction operations, material handling and other manufacturing factories. In choosing forklifts, you have to understand the different kinds of forklifts to determine the most appropriate truck for your needs.

The two main types of forklifts are electric and internal combustion forklifts. Electric forklifts are usually used for indoor operations. It is the most recommended forklift for heavy lifting and for low operating costs.

On the other hand, IT (internal combustion) forklifts are used for outdoor operations. They are particularly valuable for businesses that require forklifts with ease of refueling. The subcategories of forklifts are fork truck, motorized drive and manual drive.

• Fork trucks: These kinds of forklifts are motorized. However, they also include extra features such as backup alarms and cabs.
• Motorized-drive forklifts: These kinds of trucks, as its name suggests, have a motorized drive and usually have a protected seat for the forklift operator.
• Manual drive forklifts: With these kinds of forklifts, the movement of load is manually powered.

Other forklifts are designed counterbalanced to avoid the truck from possible overturning. Some forklifts include safety handrails or turntables. For specified applications, your can choose specialty forklifts based on your preferences.

For instance, if space is your major issue, you could purchase 6’-wide narrow aisle forklifts to allow smooth operations even in small spaces. On the other hand, if your operation is normally outdoors with uneven surfaces, you should consider rough-terrain forklifts.

Other variations of forklifts include:

1. Stand-up rider forklifts – Have counterbalance weights in their body. Usually designed with the rider inside the body of the truck, these forklifts are electric counterbalanced riders.
2. Stand-up, narrow aisle rider – This forklift have straddle legs located on both sides, which provide extra stability even without counterweight in its body. These kinds of forklifts are electric and are recommended for areas with minimal spaces.
3. Sit-down rider – For these forklifts, the counterbalance is located at the rear part.
4. Motorized hand-pallet jacks – These models are low-lift trucks that have forks. While some allows the forklift operators to stand on the back, others are walked.
5. Reach forklift – These kinds of forklifts have big, pneumatic tires. They also include a boom that extends and raises. Reach forklifts outriggers at the front, which allows the forklift to be stabilized on uneven grounds.

Usually, people new to forklifts can find it difficult to differentiate one truck from the other. With this brief guideline, you can narrow down your choices and be able to purchase the forklift that fits your needs.

It’s just the preventable ones that occur that are tougher to swallow. If you work inside of a warehouse or any other place that requires the use of a forklift, you may want to consider this checklist before use. I decided to take the liberty of conducting a forklift inspection.

list. This list will cover all the possible concerns that could endanger the operator or persons within the vincinity.

10 Warning Precautions to consider:

*Know your forklift – Do not operate this truck unless you have received thorough training and you are authorized to use it.

*Check your forklift – Forklifts should be checked on a daily basis before use.
(See checklist at bottom)

*Keep body inside at all times – Please do not attempt to place any part of your body within
the mast structure or between the mast and truck.

*Never overload – Don’t overload the forklift, check weight and capacity rules.

*Be visual of your surroundings – Be courteous to pedestrians by operating the forklift in a
safe and professional manner.

*Avoid sudden jerks/movement – Operate your forklift as smoothly as possible. Use precise
care when in use to avoid an overturn.

*Stablize your load – Try not to handle any loose or unstacked loads. Use special care when
Handling loads to avoid losing the load or striking pedestrians.

*Use work platform – Never lift pedestrians unless they are attached to a security harness.

*Please be certain to close down your forklift completely, never leave behind the key or leave
running with the key.

*Never allow or advise the use of the forklift to any particular persons who are not authorized
or have no experience using one.

A worker was killed after the forklift overturned and pinned the man.

Occupational Health and Safety Administration alerts Virginia construction accident lawyers- A worker was killed by a forklift at Burris Logistics.

Staunton, VA—A 27-year-old Greenville man was killed after he was pinned underneath a forklift at Burris Logistics. The tragic workplace accident occurred on Friday morning, November 13, 2009 on Mount Torrey Road in Lyndhurst, as reported by the Waynesboro News Virginian.

Matt Megginson, 27, of Greenville reportedly lost control of a standup forklift at Burris Logistics, when it overturned and pinned the man underneath the heavy machine. Augusta County rescue teams rushed to the scene of the accident and began to administer first aid. The Waynesboro Fire Department also responded to the scene. Medical professionals pronounced Megginson dead at the scene after his injuries proved fatal. It has not been determined what caused the forklift to loose control and overturn. The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry  investigators are conducting a full investigation into the fatal accident. Officials from the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)  are also expected to investigate.

Burris Logistics is reportedly a food distribution company that does business in refrigerated warehouses and frozen food transportation. OSHA reported that 22 percent of the 1,021 forklift-related deaths that have occurred over the past 14 years were by overturned machinery.

This is no ordinary tractor. Nor is it an ordinary Fiat. Not by a long shot.

Japanese ironsmith Kogoro Kurata custom built this bulldozer from an old Fiat 500 body and caterpillar tracks, which can only reach a speed of 3 km/h. It may move at the pace of a snail, but I wouldn’t mind using this beast to shovel my driveway (in style) this come winter.