August 20, 2008
Did you like playing in the dirt as a little boy or a little girl? Have you ever gone by a construction site and looked at all the big machines wishing that you could “play” with them for a little while? If you said “yes” or even “hmmm, maybe…” then a career as a heavy equipment operator might be for you.
Heavy Equipment Operators are required to develop a number of skills before they can be considered qualified to operate vehicles and equipment for construction or engineering. Training for these jobs often begins with learning about the maintenance and repair of their equipment before operating machinery or vehicles.
Heavy Equipment Operators are required to understand how terrain, geography, weather and the conditions of the construction site surface will affect their vehicles. Preparing a site before beginning work is of vital importance. Understanding the soil quality and the grade of a particular area requires time and careful analysis.
Some construction sites require excavation as part of the preparation of a site, and this sometimes requires more than one vehicle and more than one specialty in operator skills. Operation of a backhoe, for example, is very different from operating a bulldozer.
Prior to beginning work, heavy equipment operators are also required to check their vehicle and their safety equipment to make absolutely sure every system and device is in good working order. As with any construction-related work, safety is of the utmost importance. Safety considerations are specific to each kind of vehicle, so operators must understand the unique safety requirements of each kind of heavy equipment.
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August 19, 2008
There are Associations that organize a class system that all manufacturers of forklifts must adhere to. Forklifts have 7 classes according to the features that they have. The Industrial Truck Organization organizes a class system for forklifts in North America. All the manufactures in North America must follow the standards of the Industrial Truck Organization. The most common type of forklifts is counterbalanced and has internal combustion engines. The other types of designs include the reach truck and the side loader. Class I and class III forklifts are used in environments where the space is premium.
Another major difference between the class types is the type of wheels that they are fitted with. Pneumatic tires are fitted to larger forklifts that tend to operate in rough terrains like gravel and asphalt. Cushion tires are fitted with forklifts that normally work indoors like warehouses, etc. Cushion tires are smaller than pneumatic tires as they need less shock absorbing properties.
Forklifts are also available in many variations of load capacities. Most forklifts will have load capacities of an average of 1 to 5 tons. In addition to a control to raise and lower the forks, the operator can tilt the mast to compensate for a load’s tendency to angle the blades towards the ground and risk slipping off the forks. Tilt also provides a limited ability to operate on non-level ground.
Some forklifts may allow the operator to move the tines and the backrest laterally, allowing easier placement for the load. To make the handling of skids that have excessively tilted and other specialty material handling needs some forklifts are fitted with a mechanism that allows the tines to be rotated. Many machines include a hydraulic control to move the tines together or apart, removing the need for the operator to get out of the cab to manually adjust for a differently sized load.
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August 18, 2008
Case skid steers are available in eight models. The load capabilities range from 1500 to 3000 pounds. Even though skid steers are small in size they offer a great deal of power and versatility with a wide selection of attachments.
The 410 skid steer model has 49 horsepower and weighs in at 5483 pounds. It is at the lower end of the capacity with 1500 pounds of lift. The lower weigh allows the skid steer to access areas with weigh restrictions. The 420 model skid steer runs the numbers with 56 horsepower, 1750 pounds of lift capacity and a heavier operating weight at 5813 pounds.
Three of the Case skid steer models have 82 horsepower. The 440, 450 and 465 models differ in their operating weight and lifting capacity. The smaller 440 weighs in at 6980 pounds and can lift 2200 pounds. The 450 model is heavier at 8830 pounds but can lift more with 2450 pounds lifting capacity. The 465 is only 80 pounds heavier at 8910 pounds but it can lift 3000 pounds.
The skid steer is truly versatile with a full selection of attachments. Case offers angle brooms, pick-up brooms and hopper brooms. On the farm, a bale spike can make quick work of hay bales. In the warehouse, a skid steer with pallet fork attachment can handle the load. For the landscaper, landscape rake and stump grinder attachments are great time and labor savers.
Additional attachments for Case skid steers include augers for digging holes, hydraulic hammers, dozer blades, snow blowers, and rotary tiller.
The working feature of the skid steer is the loader arm and the bucket or other attachment. The bucket is close to the body of the machine. As the bucket is raised, it moves away from the machine. This gives the machine its reach. The more reach a skid steer has, the more work it can do without being repositioned.
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