Plant Manager's Journal articles from May 2006

Plant Manager's Journal archives from May 2006

SED--it's business as usual.
May 1, 2006... SED will celebrate its 40th birthday this year at its new home at Rockingham Performance Park in Corby. While the location has changed, the basic format remains the same, as can be seen from our zone-by-zone preview (starting page 15), with...

AFI acquires Alan Drew.(AFI Aerial Platforms Inc. )(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... AFI Aerial Platforms has moved a step closer to creating a national network of depots with the acquisition of Alan Drew. The powered access rental firm has taken on Alan Drew's fleet of 150 booms and scissors, as well as its depots in...

Freight body lobbies TfL.(Transport for London)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Freight Transport Association's Greater London Freight Council has called on Transport for London (TfL) to use a rolling age basis for levying the additional changes on vehicles entering the proposed London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) rather...

Plant hire industry must dissolve national barriers.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Chief executive of the Construction Plant-hire Association, Colin Wood, wants the new European Rental Association (ERA) to address the issue of plant operatives working in other EU countries at its inaugural meeting in June. Wood...

Bridgepoint sells Hydrex for [pounds sterling]106m.(SHARE SALE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Rail plant and materials handling specialist Hydrex has a new owner after private equity investor Bridgepoint sold its 70% stake in the firm for a reported [pounds sterling]106m. The new owner is a consortium owned jointly by global private...

JCB going Flats out for speed record.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... JCB is to make an attempt on the diesel world land speed record in vehicle using two of its 444 engines. The vehicle, called JCB Dieselmax, is 9m long and will have one 444 engine driving the rear wheels and another the front. Wing...

Staff training gives boost to A-Plant.(TRAINING)
May 1, 2006... Introducing a personnel training scheme has allowed A-Plant to slash staff turnover by 50% and add the equivalent of [pounds sterling]500,000 to its bottom line. It has also made annual savings worth [pounds sterling]1.54m on recruiting...

Platform operators safety guide at Facelift's website.(SAFETY)
May 1, 2006... Access hire specialist Facelift has placed a version of the Operators Safety Guide for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms on its website (www.Facelift.co.uk). The guide is designed to supplement the instruction and training operators have...

HAE joins federation.(NEWS ... in brief)
May 1, 2006... HAE joins federation The Hire Association Europe has been appointed a 'Consensus Federation' by the CITB, meaning it joins other recognised trade bodies and can be consulted on areas affecting the hire industry, including annual levy...

MBO at Eve Trakway.(NEWS ... in brief)
May 1, 2006... MBO at Eve Trakway Temporary roadway provider Eve Trakway has been the subject of a management buy-out from Babcock International for an undisclosed sum. The MBO was led by Eve Trakway's managing director Rick Barnett and both finance...

Coupling code of practice.(NEWS ... in brief)
May 1, 2006... Coupling code of practice A new Code of Practice for the coupling and uncoupling of large commercial vehicles has been launched by the Society of Operational Engineers. The code is set out in five annexes: Standard semi-trailers; Close...

Wolseley expands with [pounds sterling]72m Brandon buyout.(ACQUISITION)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Building materials giant Wolseley has stormed up the UK tool hire market following the acquisition of Brandon Hire in a [pounds sterling]72m deal. The combined total of Brandon's outlets and those already run by Wolseley under the Hire...

Red Band takes over direct sales.(SALES)
May 1, 2006... Australian mini-skid steer manufacturer Kanga Loaders has sold its UK direct sales arm to Red Band UK. The new arrangement has followed on from Red Band's existing dealership agreement with Kanga through which Red Band distributes Kanga...

UK plant hire share prices 2006.(NEWS)
May 1, 2006... UK PLANT HIRE SHARE PRICES 2006 PMJ gives the lowdown on share prices for 7 of the industry's leading quoted companies Company Price (p) in Price (p) in Price (p) Price (p) May 2006 Apr 2006...

E-Z drill keeps vibrations low.(HAND-ARM VIBRATION)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The pneumatically-powered E-Z Drill can be used for a full eight hours without the operator exceeding recommendations on hand-arm vibration, according to a study compiled for its distributor, Castellan Group. The study, of an E-Z Drill...

Atlas plans UK debut for Vano 7 series at SED.(LOADERS)
May 1, 2006... Atlas Wheeled Loaders will exhibit the Vano 7 series for the first time in the UK at SED. Built in Holland, the small articulated wheel loader comes in six models ranging from 800kg to just over 1t. All but the two lightest models are...

Sennebogen introduces the Multicrane 608.(CRANES)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Sennebogen has introduced the Multicrane 608, which is a cross between a telescopic crane, a rotating telehandler and a materials handler. It has a five-piece 'anti-deformation' telescopic boom, which, when fitted with forks, can lift a 4t...

JCB reveals its latest additions at Intermat.(LAUNCHES)
May 1, 2006... On the opening day of Intermat, JCB unveiled even more new machines among its 250 exhibits. One of the most eye-catching was its new top-weight 726 articulated dump truck, which has a 14.1[m.sup.3]/23.6t payload capacity, and a 227kW...

Laser quest.
May 1, 2006... Caption: LASER QUEST: Volvo has sold a new L45B wheel-loader and two ECR88 reduced-tailswing excavators to Surrey-based Derrick Contractors. The new machines will be used in removing and relaying carbon filtration layers in depths of between...

Aspect Access gets UK's first Teupen Leo30T.(ACCESS PLATFORMS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Aspect Access of Harrogate has taken delivery of the UK's first Teupen Leo30T tracked access platform. Andrew Cook, owner of Aspect Access, hopes to capture niche hire business with the 30m platform, which has a 15.7m horizontal outreach....

Hyundai adds to range of dash-7 mini excavators.(MINI EXCAVATORS)
May 1, 2006... Hyundai has extended its range of dash-7 Robex mini excavators to cater for use in confined areas. The firm is adding three new mini exactors: the R16-7 (1.6t) with an adjustable track width, extendible from 1m to 1.30m; the 1.38m-wide R22-7...

One Call Hire expands fleet.(FLEET EXPANSION)
May 1, 2006... Enfield-based plant hire One Call Hire has bought 135 new Hitachi machines as part of its long-term expansion plan. The first stage of this plan has been to establish two new depots in Minworth, near Sutton Coldfield, and in Luton. The new...

Quarrying sector issues appeal for plant safety.(SAFETY)
May 1, 2006... The quarrying industry is calling on plant manufacturers to implement a series of 'common sense' measures to increase safety. A large proportion quarrying accidents involving plant occur during access and egress, Geraint Morris, head of...

High achievers.
May 1, 2006... Caption: HIGH ACHIEVERS: Kier Plant is spending around [pounds sterling]1m to add self-erecting remote-controlled cranes to its hire fleet of more than 100 tower cranes and crawler cranes. The company has ordered eight of the 26m tall, 4t...

Non-CE marked kit under scrutiny.(EU REGULATION)
May 1, 2006... Companies using non-CE marked construction equipment could face increased scrutiny following moves in the European Commission to encourage member states to tighten up on enforcing regulations, including compliance with the machinery directive....

It's show time.(SED 2006)
May 1, 2006... SED has moved to its new site at Rockingham this year, but with more than 400 exhibitors, it will be business as usual. Our 18-page preview gives highlights of the show section by section to help you plan your visit.

Top of their class: once again, SED's Awards for Excellence were hard fought, with strong candidates in all categories.(SED AWARDS)
May 1, 2006... The annual SED Awards for Excellence are an opportunity for exhibitors displaying, demonstrating or launching new kit at the show to push their products up above their competitors'--providing they can prove to our panel of judges the product is...

Ground level: SED celebrates its 40th exhibition at a new venue, Rockingham Performance Park, with yet another extravaganza of the latest construction kit and machinery--much of which has never before been seen in the UK.(SITE EQUIPMENT ZONE)
May 1, 2006... The move to the Rockingham Performance Park allows SED the use of a purpose-built all-weather showground for the first time. What won't change however is the superb mix of manufacturers, suppliers and dealers demonstrating the very latest...

High fliers: one year on from the Work At Height Regulations, what impact have they had on the companies exhibiting in the Cranes & Access Village? Will Mann finds out.(CRANES & ACCESS)
May 1, 2006... The Work At Height Regulations, which came in just over a year ago, had long been predicted to have a major impact on the access sector. Falls from height are construction's biggest killer, and the new regs were expected to herald a shift away...

Deals on wheels: SED's Truck zone provides the perfect platform for visitors to evaluate what's on offer from the truck and van manufacturers and trailer builders.(TRUCK ZONE)
May 1, 2006... Road transport is a vital part of the construction industry, enabling people, materials and machinery to get to and from sites--and SED's Truck zone is full of vehicles and trailers designed to help building contractors and plant hirers do just...

Keep it clean: once again, environmental issues will be high on the agenda in the Site Clearance Zone. Paul Howard reports on the latest technology that will be on show at SED.(SITE CLEARANCE)
May 1, 2006... The combined impact of the continuing emphasis on recycling--in construction as in other facets of life--and the need to develop brownfield sites means the popularity of the Site Clearance Zone continues to grow. There are at least 20...

Variety show: the Pavilion is home to a huge range of useful products and services for you to browse, including plenty of newly launched kit.(PAVILION)
May 1, 2006... The Pavilion is as diverse as ever this year, exhibiting tried-and-trusted favourites alongside brand new products and services across a range of areas, including tools, security systems, hydraulics and pneumatics, surveying equipment,...

At your leisure: SED isn't just about the hardware--there's some fun to be had along the way too. Louise Murphy tells us how to enjoy our leisure time at Rockingham Performance Park.(TRAVEL & FUN)
May 1, 2006... The move to Rockingham Performance Park has opened up a new dimension for visitors to SED--the show now has an adjacent race track and several companies are making good use of it. Mek-Tek is taking full advantage of the move to Rockingham...

People power: John F Hunt Power Services has expanded rapidly in the past few years, mainly due to generator rental. Dan Gilkes reports.(HIRE VIEW)
May 1, 2006... Plant hire remains, for many companies, a people business. But while it can be highly automated, with computer systems to monitor utilisation, hire desk operations and equipment finance, the interaction between the hirer and the customer is...

Testing times: ensuring employees are competent and qualified is vital for all plant companies. Dan Gilkes reports on the schemes and training that operators need to adhere to.(TRAINING)
May 1, 2006... Operating construction plant, whether it be a 3t site dumper or a 300t mobile crane, is a skilled and hazardous business. Which is why operator training is a critical sector of the plant industry. In the past, there have been a number of...

Safety on sight: with telehandlers featuring repeatedly in the accident statistics, Colin Sowman tries out a variety of operator aids.(OPERATOR AIDS)
May 1, 2006... Around 70 people a year are killed and another 2,000 suffer major injuries by what the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) classifies as workplace transport accidents. That term covers just about anything that travels or moves that isn't on the...

Pushing the limits: while the UK's dozer market remains fairly settled at about 250 machines per year, product development marches on--PMJ reports.(Liebherr)
May 1, 2006... Given that around 70% of the UK's 250 machine dozer market is made up of models in the 100kW to 150kW class, it is understandable that most development centre around three players and just a handful of models. While Cat and Komatsu battle...

Pirtek in the thick of it at Brands Hatch.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Pirtek, well known for its speedy hydraulic hose repairs, got a little more than it bargained for recently when the British Touring Car Championship hit Brands Hatch. We're not sure whether the picture shows a Pirtek support vehicle...

Forget the car--the plant's the star.(CHECKOUT)
May 1, 2006... Eve Trakway's Trakpanel roadway has starred in a TV commercial for the new Toyota RAV4. The advert, created by Margaret Thatcher's favourite advertising gurus Saatchi and Saatchi (behind the infamous 'Labour's not working' images in the...

2006.(Calendar)
May 1, 2006... MAY 15-18 Conexpo Asia National Agricultural Expo Centre, Beijing, China Tel: +1 414 298 4141 www.conexpoasia.com MAY 16-18 SED 2006 Rockingham, Northants Tel: 020 8652 4879 www.sed.co.uk MAY 23-24...

In the picture win [pounds sterling]50.(CHECKOUT)
May 1, 2006... Plenty more correct entries this month as we decided to go easy on you and actually use a photo featured in the magazine. As many of you pointed out, it was the Bomag by Marini 600/200. Congratulations to Ken Richards, plant manager for Gladman...

Selwood's 31-stop shop.(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Four colleagues at Selwood will embark on a 2,500 mile motorbike ride in a bid to raise [pounds sterling]60,000 for Cancer Research and Riders for Health. Colin Baker, Phil Ingleheart, Mark Page and Graeme Saunders plan to visit all of the...