Throughout North America, conventional Hitachi excavators have traditionally been modified for use in forestry applications. Now, Hitachi log loaders, road builders and other special-application forestry models will be manufactured exclusively by Hitachi in its own dedicated facility.
Deere-Hitachi Construction Machinery Corporation has purchased the BC Forestry Modification Division of Wajax Limited, located in Delta, BC. Operations will continue at the current facility until a totally new plant, with state-of-the-art tooling, is built in the Vancouver area. It should be fully operational by late 1999. Deere-Hitachi Construction Machinery Corporation is a 50/50 joint venture between John Deere and Hitachi Construction Machinery. Deere-Hitachi manufactures hydraulic excavators up to 45 metric tons for the construction and forestry machinery markets in North America.
Hitachi's new forestry models will retain all of their current attributes plus offer even better value, says Hitachi. Forestry models available soon from local Hitachi dealers include roadbuilders, harvesters, stroke-delimbers and lo loaders.
Warm News for Cold Engines
The Hilton cordless engine heater has been designed to preheat all liquid-cooled engines that require preheating to start in cold weather The Hilton heater also eliminates the need to idle diesel engines in cold weather. This year, the output of model LP6500 has been increased by 20 per cent. This heat can be used in the cab and bunk areas as well as in the engine. The increase in heater output is achieved through added efficiency in heat transfer with no additional fuel consumption, reports Hilton.
The Hilton cordless engine heater is a catalytic burner, providing safe flameless heat. It uses 5.4 oz. of propane per hour, which produces 6,500 btu. Hilton heaters are available for both 12-volt and 24-volt installation. Electricity from the vehicle activates the catalytic burner. As the engine coolant is heated, it circulates through the engine by convection and the pumping action of the heater.
Timberjack's New Feller Bunchers and Harvesters
Timberjack has introduced four new dedicated forest machines: two 608B feller bunchers and two 608B cut-to-length harvesters. Improvements are focused on the operator cab, the high walker undercarriage, easier service access and debris control.
The 6O8B feller buncher features a new higher-accumulation disc sawhead with boom geometry for additional reach. The 608B harvester features the 762C harvesting head and a new boom with longer reach for a larger cutting swath, to increase productivity and widen the spacing between corridors. The 608B harvester's dedicated cab design has many of the same features as the Timberjack 1270B wheeled harvester, making it easy to switch from one machine to the other.
The ground clearance of the high-walker undercarriage has been increased to 76 cm to the tip of the single grouser. The standard D5-size undercarriage has been strengthened throughout and new track motors with less plumbing have been added. The Heavy Duty version with D6D-size components is for sustained work in severe conditions, says Timberjack. Routine service is on the right side of the engine, and grease points are all readily accessible from ground level. Additional guarding and cleaner hose routing reduce debris build-up, and several cleanout ports have been added to encourage thorough debris removal.
Automatic Tire Inflation
With Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems' newest Ready to Roll (RTR) option for Intraax and Vantraax, the tire inflation assembly adapted axle becomes a conduit that allows air to be supplied to the tires when pressure falls below a certain level. This system connects all tires of a trailer to a controlled air supply - the existing trailer air supply. Acting as a conduit, axles provide air through a rotary union assembly at the spindle end that distributes air, as needed, to the tires.
Hendrickson's RTR options enhance trailer efficiency and intrinsic value, says the company. Trailer buyers can customize suspensions with options that make sense for their particular applications, weight requirements and maintenance needs. Options include wheel-end components, electronic and pneumatic control systems, Quik-Draw, Surelok and HXS extended service brakes.
Four leading companies in industrial non-contact laser-based measurement and control sensors are merging into a new world-wide group under the name of Laser Measurement International, Inc. (LMI) with headquarters in Vancouver, BC.
The four companies merging into LMI are Selcom of Sweden, Dynamic Control Systems of Vancouver, Sensors-95 of The Netherlands, and Sensor Adaptive Machines, Inc. from Windsor, Ontario.
Under the new merger, LMI will have research and development and manufacturing facilities in Canada, The Netherlands and Sweden, and sales companies located in the US, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, The Netherlands and Sweden. The company also has independent distributors located in 23 countries throughout the US, Europe and Asia.
Activities of LMI will be structured into six divisions, including LaserPour, Wood Products, Rubber & Tire, Automotive, Road and Industrial Sensors. The common denominator of all six divisions is non-contact industrial measuring technology for the optimization of industrial processes. The four companies will continue to keep their respective identities, except for the addition of the name LMI before each company name.
Cubitron Saw Gummer
Bates Abrasives, Inc. has announced their new ceramic saw gumming wheel for the manufacture and re-sharpening of bandsaw and circular saw blades, This new wheel was developed in conjunction with several of Bates' customers; their feedback and testing was critical in development of a superior wheel, says the manufacturer. Bates Abrasives, Inc. carries a full line of resin-bonded products.
Atlas Copco's new GA50-VSD variable-speed drive compressor, which tunes the capacity of a compressor to specific tasks, has been improved, thanks to the company' s new smaller-diameter, oil-injected screw. With the rotors revolving on ball and roller bearings, there is no metal-to-metal contact in the compression element, which minimizes wear, extends the lifetime of the compression element, and increases performance. All units are designed and manufactured in accordance with ISO 9001 certification. Vibro-acoustic optimization and methods of tuning the structural dynamics of the major components of the compressor core have been used to substantially reduce noise levels, says Atlas Copco.
A new screw element is at the heart of a new range of Atlas Copco oil-injected screw compressors. Available in air-or water-cooled versions, the new GA 30-45 series of compact oil-injected rotary screw compressors feature a new screw element with the standard Atlas Copco profile (SAP).
A Satellite First
Iridium has announced the launch of its commercial service, as of November 1, 1998. Through its distribution partners, Iridium Canada will initially offer both satellite voice service and calling card service. Iridium World Paging Service is also available, and cellular roaming services will be offered by January. Iridium commercial products are the first to carry the newly approved International Telecommunications Union GMPCS-MoU registry mark, enabling subscribers to carry Iridium products into and out of countries without restriction. This mark will enhance the company's ability to deliver on,its promise to provide world-wide communications service. Service availability is expected in as many as 200 countries by year end, reports Iridium.
Mack Trucks, Inc. and Cummins Engine Company, Inc. have announced a long-term supplier agreement that will broaden Mack's engine line-up and make Cummins its exclusive supplier of vendor engines.
Mack remains committed to its 12-litre Mack E-Tech engine, which was introduced in 1997. The E-Tech engine will continue to be at the forefront of Mack's product strategy, advises the company-, in fact, E-Tech production levels are expected to increase into 1999. The agreement with Cummins will allow Mack to meet the needs of customers who require smaller or larger electronic engines than Mack now offers.
Neither company is yet elaborating on the specifics of the agreement, as a variety of new products will soon be unveiled; however, the companies did announce that Mack will be offering Cummins 8.3-litre ISC engines, 9-litre ISL engines and ISX and Signature 600- series engines in some vehicles.
This page and all contents
©1996-2007 Logging and Sawmilling
Journal (L&S J) and TimberWest Journal.