Equipment Report

Caterpillar Introduces Two Material Handlers
With an operating weight of 111,000 pounds, the MH3049 is the first of several new wheeled material handlers that Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar is introducing in the greater-than-25-tons class. Also being introduced is the new MH3059, which features an operating weight of 130,000 pounds.

Cat says its new material handlers are purpose-built to work productively and durably in industrial, scrap recycling and waterway applications while affording maximum protection and convenience for the operator. A patented “ground entry and exit” with a step-in cab is designed to enhance safety for operators and service personnel.

During a press briefing on the MH3049, Neil LeBlanc, Caterpillar commercial manager, Industrial and Waste Unit, said, “We really feel we’ve got a winner here.” He described how the Caterpillar Industrial & Waste Business Unit was formed in 2011 with a goal to better serve customers and industries through “knowing the customers’ applications, processes and business better than any other provider.”

The new handlers are powered by the Cat ACERT™ C9 8.8L engine, featuring an electronically controlled, mechanically actuated fuel system that uses multiple injection fuel delivery for optimum power and economy, the company says. Engines are rated at 300 and 325 horsepower for the MH3049 and MH3059 respectively.

High strength structural steel and advanced welding techniques ensure structural integrity, according to the company. The hydraulic system provides rapid responses with efficiency while the Cat C9 ACERT engine delivers reliable, fuel-saving performance, says Cat. New serviceability features have been included to simplify maintenance.

One notable feature Leblanc highlighted is the use of continuous welds that incorporate extensive chamfering and beveling to reduce stress concentration. Booms and sticks are constructed from single-piece top and side steel plates.

Parker Hannifin Opens Piping Center
Cleveland-based Parker Hannifin Corp. has established its first U.S.-based Complete Piping Solutions (CPS) center in Houston. The company’s Tube Fittings Division says the center has been designed to support its North American customer base, including operators of processing machinery with extensive hydraulics systems, such as scrap metal shredders, balers, shears and concrete crushing plants.

Parker Hannifin CPS Sales Manager Rick Carnes, interviewed at the 2013 Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI) 2013 Convention and Exposition in April, said the company opened four CPS centers in other parts of the world before opening the Houston location. The other CPS centers were designed to serve the marine and the oil and gas industries as major markets, as is the Houston center.

Carnes said scrap metal processors also can benefit from services provided by the Parker Hannifin CPS, including processors installing new equipment and those wishing to retrofit equipment with Parker’s nonwelded piping or other products. “Whether replacing old, leaking piping or specifying new equipment with cost-saving, nonwelded pipes, scrap processors can benefit from working with us,” said Carnes.

The CPS center houses consultation, design, prefabricated pipe assemblies and installation services under one roof for Parker’s Parflange F37 nonwelded technology and other products.

According to a Parker Hannifin news release, customers can choose from a range of services that includes job site delivery of prefabricated assemblies to the complete redesign of a welded piping system, including installation.

During consultation, CPS engineers can review a project to determine a tailored proposal matching the customer’s technical and commercial requirements, establishing a plan for subsequent piping design, fabrication and installation, Parker Hannifin says.

The Parker CPS center also can be “fully engaged in the installation of pipe assemblies [as a] CPS project manager leads a team of trained installers to maximize throughput and ensure work quality,” according to the company.

More information about the CPS center can be found at www.parker.com/tfd or can be obtained by sending an email to pipingsolutions@parker.com.