Archive for July 31st, 2008
Thursday, July 31st, 2008
In the world of material handling, heavy loads are a common thing. There are many ways move these loads easily and safely. Among these is the use of a powered pallet truck also known as a power pallet truck, pallet jack or power pallet jack.
These devices are very simple in construction while affording a great deal of versatility to the material handler. Among the benefits of power pallet trucks are the ability to move very heavy material, move stacked pallets and allowing mobility in a safe manner. These are used mainly indoors where exhaust fumes form a standard forklift would be prohibitive or unsafe.
If you can, imagine the forks of a forklift with wheels embedded in the bottoms. The forks attached to a handle. The forks are placed into the entry slots of a pallet. The handle of the pallet truck is used to “pump” the pallet off of the ground so it can be moved. As the forks rise up, the wheels stay on the ground. This is basic pallet truck construction.
Some are made of strong extruded aluminum and some are constructed of special alloys or even steel. Some are manual or non-powered while some have a motorized feature which allows the transport of heavier loads and still giving the user maneuverability in small spaces.
Most power pallet trucks are what are called “walk behinds”. This means that a person can walk behind the truck while pushing the load. The load can also be pulled for further ease of operation.
You have probably seen these being used in large grocery stores or on loading docks.
There are several companies that make electric pallet trucks. The largest is Linde Material Handling followed closely by Raymond and Toyota. Others include names like Mitsubishi, Hyster and Atlet. There are other brands available as well.
All make a good quality product that gets the job done.
If safety is a concern as it should be, look for power pallet trucks that have these features:
* A spring loaded handle that returns to the “up” position when not in use.
* A “dead man” switch integrated into the handle. This causes the motor to shut down when not in use.
* A horn to warn others of your approach.
* Some manufacturers produce safety videos. Get these and make them part of your next safety meeting.
Posted in Trucks | No Comments »
Thursday, July 31st, 2008
While some Americans are congratulating themselves on switching to fuel-sipping cars, their old gas guzzlers just won’t die. Lowered trade barriers are giving them new life south of the border.
Thousands of used vehicles from as far away as Colorado and Missouri jam tiny car lots and auto salvage yards in this gritty border city. An estimated 25,000 families make a living here hustling U.S. castoffs. Among them is Jose Zavala, a wiry used-car dealer with a trucker’s cap and an eye for bargains.
At a recent auto auction in neighboring El Paso, Texas, he snagged a decrepit 1974 Ford Gran Torino that brought snickers from the crowd. But it’s Zavala who may have the last laugh. He figures he can sell the wizened muscle car to some “Starsky & Hutch” wannabe in Juarez for at least four times the $100 that he paid for it.
“If it’s cheap and it runs,” it will find a home in Mexico, Zavala said.
That’s precisely what is worrying environmentalists and new-car dealers, who say falling trade barriers are fueling an invasion of smoky junkers. More than 3 million late-model vehicles have rumbled legally south of the border in the last 2 1/2 years. Millions more are on the way, thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The vintage metal is rattling Mexico’s retail car market. Sales of new vehicles have stalled at 1.1 million a year as used imports have overtaken them. Sales of new subcompacts – the most popular class of cars in Mexico because of their price – skidded 16.4% last year as buyers snapped up cheaper, roomier used vehicles from the U.S.
Posted in car | No Comments »
Thursday, July 31st, 2008
Construction Equipment Operators do a fundamental work that sometimes is not taken into account when thinking about constructing. However, a construction could not even begin if they did not exist. This demonstrates the high-importance of what they do.
These operators are those in charge of cleaning and grading land in order to be able to construct roads, neighborhoods and buildings. For this matter, they use special machinery to move some materials and earth to places like mines and construction sites. They control this equipment by operating switches, moving foot pedals or levers and turning dials.
There are different types of Construction equipment operators. They encompass operating engineers; paving, tramping and surfacing equipment operators; and pile-driver operators, among other sorts. Of course, all of them deal with the corresponding machinery equipment. What the first kind of operators mentioned above does is control the loading and excavation machines provided with shovels and scoops that allow them to excavate in the land. All operators categorized as operating engineers are able to control any kind of construction equipment.
On the other hand, paving and surfacing equipment operators focus on spreading and leveling asphalt or spreading and smoothing concrete from different structures such as roadways. Asphalt paving machine operators are in charge of driving a machine that regulates the temperature and the flow of the asphalt. Concrete paving machine operators control a machine that removes attachments of equipment that vibrate and spread and level wet concrete within forms. Tamping equipment operators work with tamping machines designed to compact earth. Pile-driver operators operate machines that are special for hammering piles into the ground. These piles are used to support bridges, retain walls or build foundations.
Now that know about Construction Equipment Operators, what they do, their types and their tasks, do you consider it interesting and challenging?
Posted in Construction Equipment | No Comments »
