Pit & Quarry articles from March 2004

Pit & Quarry archives from March 2004

Showdown!(Mark My Words)(Congress vs. the White House over transportation policy)
March 1, 2004... The battle lines have been drawn. It's shaping up to be a Congress vs. the White House grudge match on the issue of TEA-21 reauthorization, and I'm guessing the battle is going to get ugly. Here are the facts as we know them at press time. The...

Hydraulic excavator.(Brand new: just released to the market)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Komatsu America Corp.'s PC400LC-7 hydraulic excavator is powered by Komatsu's own SAA6D125E-3 engine. The company says the machine features major increases in power, productivity, reliability and comfort, and a notable decrease in fuel...

In-line guard screens.(Brand new: just released to the market)(TEMA Isenmann's )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... TEMA Isenmann's in-line guard screens provide a simple and cost-effective solution to debris problems in wet-screening spray systems. The screens' compact and heavy-duty design also guards against downtime due to blockages and damage caused by...

Portable rock breaker.(Brand new: just released to the market)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The MBS Series portable rock breaker from Breaker Technology Inc. offers an on-plant, road-to-operations, permanent solution to portable and mobile crushing applications where safety and productivity are essential. The boom systems are designed...

Eagle Materials celebrates spinoff, 10 years on NYSE by ringing closing bell.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Eagle Materials Inc.'s President and CEO Steven R. Rowley celebrated the spinoff of the company by ringing the closing bell at the NYSE on Feb. 9. Eagle Materials Inc., a publicly held company formerly known as Centex Construction Products...

Vulcan Materials Co. acquires Columbia Rock Products.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Vulcan Materials Co. has acquired the assets of Columbia Rock Products. These assets include a limestone quarry in Maury County near Columbia, Tenn., about 40 miles south of Nashville. The new business will be operated by Vulcan's Midsouth...

Oglebay Norton misses bond interest payment.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Oglebay Norton Co. says that it has decided not to make the interest payment that was due February 2, on its 10 percent 2/1/09 Senior Subordinated Notes. The company says management and its financial and legal advisors are in discussions...

Events.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2004... March 15-18, 2004 World of Asphalt 2004 Nashville, Tenn. 800-355-6635 www.worldofasphalt.com March 29-April 4, 2004 Bauma 2004 Munich, Germany (+49 89)9 49-1 13 48 www.bauma.de April 4-7, 2004 ...

"Office of the Executive" team created at National Lime & Stone.(Stockpile: the latest industry news)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The board of directors of the National Lime & Stone Co., Findlay, Ohio, has created an "Office of the Executive" team to achieve a new comprehensive five-year business plan announced by Carleton P. Palmer, chairman of the board and CEO. The...

Terex announces new management for mining segment.(Manufacturer News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Terex Corp. announced that Rick Nichols has been named to the position of president of Terex Materials Processing and Mining. The Unit Rig truck and O&K Mining shovel businesses along with the Material Processing businesses of Cedarapids,...

Equipment manufacturers support report on manufacturing.(Manufacturer News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) welcomed the new recommendations of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) to foster U.S. competitiveness in manufacturing. Those recommendations were made in the report "Manufacturing in America:...

February marks 200th birthday of John Deere.(Manufacturer News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... John Deere, a man who helped change the course of history, was born 200 years ago on February 7th in Rutland, Vt. His self-scouring plow helped expedite agricultural development of the rich soil in the Midwestern United States. Deere was...

Siemens rides technology train coast to coast.(Manufacturer News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Siemens Energy & Automation brought the Exider technology train to Chicago to kick off a coast-to-coast tour of the 1,000-ft. exhibit on rails. Siemens will use the sleek, blue train as a high-tech platform to showcase its products, solutions...

Everything's mammoth in Texas.(A Closer Look)(mammoth fossil found in Vernor mining site)
March 1, 2004... At a Texas sand and gravel pit last November, a backhoe operator discovered something unusual. His find turned out to be the remains of a mature, Columbian-era mammoth dating back about 40,000 years. Students from Texas A&M University and...

On track to better crushing.(Tech watch: cutting-edge solutions)
March 1, 2004... The Nordberg LT1213S is the newest member of Metso Minerals' mobile crushing plant series for contractors. The track-mounted LT1213S features a single-deck screen and an extended discharge conveyor. This combination allows the unit to produce...

Taking your dredge on the road.(E&T Tech Watch)(Supreme Manufacturing Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Supreme Manufacturing's 8-cu-yd. dredge is a next-generation piece of equipment that is designed for big production at a lower cost. The company says that with easy assembly in two weeks, the producer has the option of moving into several...

Fines removal made easy.(TCI Manufacturing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... TCI Manufacturing, Walnut, Ill., tackles the problem of removing fines with its newest line of high-frequency screens. From single-or double-deck Ultra Frequency to double- or triple-deck Dual Frequency, the company says it has a machine for...

Pulley lagging: a detail that decreases downtime.(E&T Tech Watch)
March 1, 2004... Referred to as lagging, conveyor pulleys are often covered with some form of rubber, fabric, urethane, ceramic or other material. Lagging increases the traction between the belt and the pulley, which in turn reduces load and wear on the drive,...

30 days in the hole: West Coast Aggregates rebuilds a plant from the ground up in about a month, and then gets right back to business.(E&T Operations)
March 1, 2004... For many aggregates operations, shutting down a plant for a month would be the kiss of death. But when Dick DeAtley, president of West Coast Aggregates decided to upgrade the company's Lexington Quarry operation in Los Gatos, Calif., that's...

Finding a niche: a contract crushing company finds profits in the recycling market.(E&T Heitsche)(Heitsche Boyz Crushing, UltraMax by Eagle Crusher helps )
March 1, 2004... When Ted Heitsche was approached by a former asphalt-plant manager at S.E. Johnson in 1998 to start up his own asphalt and concrete recycling business in the northwest Ohio area, he knew little about the industry. "I heard there were...

Loaders for life: equipment owners tell how to squeeze more hours out of front-end loaders.(E&T Loaders)(Volvo L180C)(Cover Story)
March 1, 2004... The longer a loader can be economically operated by its owner, the greater the chances are for a higher return on its capitalization. Equipment owners are working hard to make sure their loaders go the extra mile. Frank Przelomiec, service...

Good vibrations: selecting the right vibrating scalper can streamline production and decrease costs.(E&T Scalpers)
March 1, 2004... This is the first in a two-part article on vibrating scalpers. This is an update of an article that originally appeared in Pit & Quarry 16 years ago.--Ed. Since my original article on this subject, vibrating technology has given us new...

10 tips for maximizing engine life.(E&T Maintenance)
March 1, 2004... Mining operations take a tremendous toll on equipment, dishing out grueling conditions day after day. Owners/operators can't necessarily make the job any easier, but they can certainly give their equipment a clear advantage. Equipment life may...

Secondary impactor plants.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Grasan secondary crushing plants for limestone and sand/gravel feature Hazemag horizontal-shaft impactors and are available in road-portable, pit-portable and stationary designs with diesel or electric power. Capacities range up to 500 tph. Six...

Truck scale.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(B-Tek)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... B-Tek Scales' Centurion motor truck scale features CPD-M digital load cells. The Centurion has been designed to eliminate many of the problems associated with standard motor truck scales. The scale reduces shipping and handling costs, the...

Lighting streamer.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Duraline's Enviro-Light 753 vapor-proof lighting streamer features a watertight construction, which eliminates problems associated with oil, moisture and water. The Enviro-Light 753 can be surface mounted at any angle using the four mounting...

Crane.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Ideal Crane Corp., )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Ideal Crane Corp. has redesigned the Liberator 6000 crane. Its new innovative features include: an improved, 100-percent, solid-state electrical control system with arc suppression circuitry that virtually eliminates the causes of electrical...

Variable-speed drive.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Roberts Electric Co)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The 20-hp hydraulic variable-speed drive from Roberts Electric Co. gives infinite speed ability to machinery. The company says the drive is ideal for driving conveyors, crushers, mixers, pumps and winches. It allows operators to speed up, slow...

Vibration monitor.(Product Highlight)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Instantel Inc.'s latest addition to its Series III line is the Minimate Blaster vibration and overpressure monitor. The company says the monitor is quick and easy to setup and operate, because it contains a simple set of functions that are...

Ball bearings.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Explorer angular contact ball bearings (ACBB) from SKF are specifically designed to withstand the toughest pump operating conditions. The company says that, under extensive laboratory testing, the bearings exhibited up to three times longer...

Pulley system.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Rulmeca Corp. offers a motorized head pulley-tail pulley system. By utilizing this "dual drive" concept, the company says, conveyor drive power can be supplied by two pulleys, enabling a smaller internal motor and gearbox at each end and...

Particle analyzer.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The RocksAn particle size and shape analyzer from Sci-Tec Inc. provides real time information of aggregate in order to optimize the process through increased production, enhanced quality and reduced cost. This instrument uses video imaging to...

Wear plate.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Chromium Corp.'s Crodon wear plate is a cost-effective and durable alternative to traditional high-alumina ceramic and abrasion-resistant wear plates. Crodon wear plate is created through a proprietary process that applies a dense, highly...

Belt scale.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Siemens Energy & Automation's Milltronics-brand MCS belt scale is designed to be a compact, rugged unit for use in mobile crushers, aggregate screening plants and other applications with little headroom. It features triple beam stainless steel...

Rock drill oils.(Equipment showcase: your productivity marketplace)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Citgo rock drill oils' superior "metal wetting" helps protect pneumatic mining equipment from friction, corrosion and excess moisture, the company says. The oils are formulated to deliver the highest level of protection for rock drills,...

Engine oil.(Product Highlight)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Conoco HD Fleet Supreme engine oil is designed to be a first-rate lubricant that helps keep mining equipment running on high and helps keep low sulfur diesel fuel equipment on the go. The company says this high-quality engine oil is recommended...

Senators issue call to arms on highway bill; House passes four-month extension of TEA-21.(National affairs: key issues)(Transportation Equity Act for the Twenty-First Century of 1998)
March 1, 2004... At a Capitol Hill press conference, key Republican and Democratic senators pressed the case for quick passage of S. 1072, the TEA-21 reauthorization bill. Many of the key leaders of the reauthorization effort were present, including Senators...

Bush budget released; proposed highway spending lower than House, Senate plans.(National affairs: key issues)
March 1, 2004... The Bush administration released its 2005 budget proposal to Congress, including the surface transportation reauthorization proposal, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003 (SAFETEA). The Bush...

MSHA, International Union of Operating Engineers sign alliance agreement.(National affairs: key issues)( Mine Safety and Health Administration)
March 1, 2004... The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced that it has signed its first alliance agreement with a labor organization, the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), to promote a national...

Electrical energy 101.(Safety: key issues)
March 1, 2004... In 2002 there were 3,334 fatal and nonfatal injuries in the stone, sand and gravel industries in the United States. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has four of those injuries listed as electrical. One of the four was a...

Demanding MSHA regulations: 2004 and beyond.(Law: key issues)(Mine Safety and Health Administration)
March 1, 2004... There has been much success in reducing hazards, accidents and injuries in the mining industry. There has been a three-year decline in fatal accidents and last year saw the lowest number of fatalities ever. In the prior year, 2002, there were...

Commissioners vote 3 to 2 to send training case back to ALJ.(Legal highlights: key issues)(Administrative Law Judge)
March 1, 2004... During an open meeting held January 29, three commissioners indicated they would vacate an ALJ's dismissal of a Part 46 "new task" training order issued to a cement operator. Commissioners Robert H. Beatty Jr., Mary Lu Jordan and Michael G....

Construction in 2003 climbs 3 percent.(Economics: key issues)
March 1, 2004... New construction starts settled back 2 percent in December 2003 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $532.6 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The housing sector remained steady at a...

National economic report: industry awaits word on TEA-21 renewal.(Economics: key issues)(Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century )
March 1, 2004... During a month (February) in which the Schuylkill Expressway had to be shut down in Philadelphia because concrete chunks showered down from a deteriorating bridge like so many small boulders, the Bush administration's proposed transportation...

NRMCA unveils managerial seminars.(Supply chain: news from affiliated industries)(National Ready Mixed Concrete Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) is sponsoring a series of managerial seminars for its members. The first, Employment Law and Workforce Seminar, was held in February. The course was designed to help attendees identify...

New CD course addresses aggregate optimization.(Supply chain: news from affiliated industries)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A new interactive CD, Aggregate for Use in Concrete, provides a comprehensive course on the critical impact aggregates have on concrete properties. Often considered just "filler," the characteristics of sand, gravel and stone that make up...

Asphalt events.(Asphalt Institute)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2004... April 6-8, 2004 Achieving Volumetrics and HMA Compactability Asphalt Institute Headquarters Lexington, Ky. Are you having difficulty meeting volumetric and density specifications? This new two-day course will teach you...

Looking to buy? Contact these advertisers for your equipment and service needs.(web sites of mining industry and related companies)(Directory)
March 1, 2004... Associations/Shows/Auctions Coal Prep Show 800-927-5007 www.coalprepshow.com Intl. Society of Explosives Eng. 440-349-4004 www.isee.org Messe-Munchen +49-89-949-2 ...

Coming in April.
March 1, 2004... * Screening/Sizing * Material Handling * Secondary Breaking * Pick-Up Trucks