Maxiforce announces new products
Maxiforce announced it has added JCB (Const. Machinery) and CAT (416/426 Backhoe) hydraulic cylinder repair kits to its product offering.
“We are excited about this addition to our hydraulic cylinder repair kit catalog” said Paul F. Kelly, sales and marketing director for Maxiforce. “This is part of our continued commitment to expand our product offering, meet our customer’s demands and ensure we remain a trusted partner.”
Potain HDT 80 completes Pittsburgh expansion project
The Piatt Place, a well-known commercial site in downtown Pittsburgh, PA, recently underwent redevelopment to transform it to a high-end condominium and retail complex, requiring the help of a Potain HDT 80 self-erecting tower crane to finish the job.
The HDT 80 worked for sub-contractor Century Steel Erectors and helped add two stories to the existing five-story building. Local Potain dealer American Contractors supplied the HDT 80 to Century Steel.
“We chose the HDT 80 because lifting work had to take place in a narrow street. Space was very limited,” said Chuck McKee, Century steel project manager. “But with the small outrigger footprint, we could set up the crane and keep pedestrians moving.”
Construction work took place in 30-foot-by-30-foot bays. The heaviest loads were header beams, weighing up to 4,500 pounds each. The cranes also lifted 1,500-pound infill beams and bundles of metal floor decks weighing up to 4,500 pounds.
“We were very impressed with the portability and line speed of the crane, and the chart was fabulous,” McKee said. “It picked exactly what it said it would. At one stage we had to move the crane to another location, which took just five or six hours. If you look at that versus a normal top-slewing tower crane, there’s no comparison in terms of speed and ease. They are definitely an attractive prospect especially somewhere like Pittsburgh with its tight, narrow streets.”
Two speakers added to the Aerial Platform Symposium
Kelly Morstad and Denny Eckstine were added to the list of speakers presenting at the Aerial Platform Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The show will take place December 3-5 at the Bally’s Hotel. Morstad will deliver “Measuring Training’s Effectiveness” while Eckstein will present “ANSI’s New A92 Regulations for Aerial Work Platforms.”
Atlas Material Handling, Inc. becomes RMI member
Atlas Material Handling was officially voted into the Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI) as their newest member. This approval will allow Atlas to join other members of the pallet rack and wire deck manufacturing community in contributing to the safety and design of welded wire products that are sold in the United States. Their participation within the RMI will help better serve safety standards and testing of wire mesh products throughout the industry.
Atlas Material Handling, Inc. purchases Warehouse Products, LLC.
Atlas Material Handling, Inc. recently acquired Warehouse Products, LLC, a San Bernadino, CA, distributor of material handling products. The new alliance of the two will provide a much-needed shipping point in Southern California to meet the extensive demands of the growing region. The new San Bernadino location will be dedicated to Atlas’s welded wire mesh products and pallet rack accessories with inventories of over 100,000 pieces on hand that can ship within 24 to 48 hours.
With a history of critical local market experience and distribution management skills, Ken Sayles and Jan Sayles will be managing this new location to support the needs of Atlas’s extensive network of material handling dealers. Increased dealer and customer demands allows Atlas to increase their inventory levels of welded wire mesh products throughout the Northeast and East Coast regions. Other Atlas locations include Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and American Canyon, California.
Link-Belt Cranes appoints NRC Plant Ltd.
Brax Snyder, Worldwide Sales Manager of Link-Belt Construction Equipment Co., announced the appointment of NRC Plant Ltd. for the sales and services of Link-Belt Cranes for the whole of the United Kingdom (England/Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland).
“The NRC Plant personnel have a strong legacy dating back to 1953 with excellent crane service,” Snyder said. “I know they will bring the same high level of competent Link-Belt support to crane customers in the United Kingdom.”
A leader in the design and manufacture of telescopic and lattice boom cranes for the construction industry worldwide, Link-Belt Construction Equipment Co. focuses on expanding the presence of its telescopic cranes through experienced, local distribution. Today, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Heavy Industries, a 50-percent partner in the Hitachi Sumitomo Heavy Industries Construction Crane joint venture set up in 2002. HSC has lattice boom crane sales operations in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
“We are very proud to have been chosen as distributor by Link-Belt and I feel that their timing for their launch into Europe could not have been better,” said Rod Abbott, managing director NRC Plant Ltd. “With the backup of NRC’s well-renowned support services, I am sure we will be successful and look forward with enthusiasm to this new partnership.”
Konecranes new MAINMAN Maintenance Management Program delivers 10 to 20 percent ROI on overhead crane operation
Konecranes new MAINMAN Maintenance Management Program takes a unique approach in delivering reliable long-term maintenance of overhead cranes and measurable customer cost savings.
“Overhead cranes represent a significant investment for companies,” said Mike Williams, Konecranes vice president, business development. “Maintaining that investment by maximizing equipment performance and up-time is high priority.”
The new program services all makes and models of cranes and hoists and positively impacts the bottom line, utilizing a step-by-step approach.
“We’ve pioneered a program that establishes measurable benchmarks and demonstrates real results to the customer,” Williams said. “With our proven history of success, customers can expect 10 to 20 percent savings on the lifetime expenses on equipment.”
The program emphasizes maximizing equipment operation by achieving higher levels of performance and increased up-time. Repair efforts are completed in accordance with specific customer requirements and priorities. Konecranes certified inspectors draw on thousands of hours of training and experience and use the latest tools to evaluate components, analyze wear patterns and report on mechanical, structural and electrical aspects of crane equipment.
The MAINMAN Maintenance Management Program uses recommendations and goals as benchmarks to establish a process of continuous improvement. This includes regular reviews to track spending and illustrate how the program is meeting expected savings. Necessary adjustments are made to ensure that the program generates consistent results.
Palfinger takes over tail lift manufacturing global leader, MBB Liftsystems AG
Subject to the approval of the Austrian and German antitrust authorities, Palfinger will take over MBB, one of the top three players in the global market for tail lifts. This acquisition matches Palfinger’s strategy to grow through internationalization and diversification.
“MBB will considerably strengthen our tail lift product division, which is still very small. At the moment, we only cover a small area with the Palgate tail lift and the Ratcliff products. With MBB, we will be able to complete our product portfolio and enter markets in which we are not yet represented with our tail lifts, such as North America,” said Herbert Ortner, chief marketing officer.
Headquartered in Ganderkesee / Hoykenkamp, Germany, MBB Liftsystems AG offers a comprehensive range of technically mature products that are well established in the market, through the decades of experience that the company has had in the development, production and distribution of tail lifts. In the 2007 financial year, MBB will generate revenues of around 65 million euro, employing a staff of 260.
The headquarters of MBB in Germany will become the center of excellence for the continental European tail lifts of Palfinger. Ratcliff products, which are tailor-made for the British market and the MBB location in the U.S., will not be affected. The existing successful MBB management team will remain part of the company and will support its integration into the Palfinger group. MBB will be active in the hydraulic systems and service segment of the Palfinger group as part of the tail lift division.
