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Your responses to our reader survey are much appreciated. 12
Bobcat produces millionth loader, Heller runs customer service at Paladin, Coast Capital absorbs Travelers...
Keeping relationships close and the atmosphere relaxed at Warner Rentals. 18
There are a lot of misconceptions around how to maintain bearings.
Summer means night construction. Help your customers do it safely with these top products.
Plan ahead to achieve better service. by Marc
You have been heard
Your responses to our reader survey are very helpful.
The Canadian rental industry is one of the best groups of small business owners in this country and I’m not just saying that because you (indirectly) pay my bills. Compared to those in the many other industries I have worked in and do work in, rental people are consistently more community minded, helpful to one another, engaged and interested in their businesses and working hard to make themselves and the sector better. Those qualities came through loud and clear in the reader survey we completed back in March. Many of you, without even a chance to win an iPad, took the time to respond and let me know what you think of this magazine. And you didn’t always just toss off one-liners saying “Good job,” (though I got lots of those, and am very grateful) you often gave longer comments with some great thoughts on how this publication could be improved. I want to thank everyone who replied, and respond to some of the common points that came up.
First of all, the responses were overwhelmingly positive. We got a number of very nice compliments on the magazine and the content and were thanked for the job we do covering the industry. The constructive criticism was just that and not general abuse. So I’m taking away the message that we are doing something right overall. The whole team here appreciates the time many of you took to say “Thank you,” and you can be assured that your encouragement inspires us to try even harder to provide an engaging channel for the trade.
Many party rental readers commented that there is not enough coverage of their field. I couldn’t agree more. In my opinion, the party and event rental business needs a magazine all its own. As far as content is concerned, there would be no problem filling a quarterly or even bi-monthly magazine with articles of specific interest to party
by Patrick Flannery
rental operators. However, we have looked at this idea and never been able to make an economic business case for it. Our magazine relies on advertising to support it, and one way the party rental industry seems to differ from the equipment rental industry is in its relative lack of large, multinational suppliers with a) big marketing budgets, and b) the inclination to spend them in Canada. Instead, we have had to settle for making one issue per year - our March issue - our special event-rental issue and trying to cram all our great event-focused content into it. I’m painfully aware that it leaves all you party operators out of the other eight issues per year and all I can do is apologize and hope that I am getting enough generalinterest material in so you still have some reason to read.
Business cases rear their ugly heads again when it comes to producing a French-language edition of the magazine, which is something we did receive a few requests for. The bottom line is, it costs almost as much to translate our English content into French as it costs to generate the whole magazine in the first place. To do this, we would have to show that we were getting additional advertising in the French editions sufficient to cover those costs. To date, no one has been able to show us that we would sell twice as much advertising in a publication aimed at francophone rental operators as we do in the national edition for the entire country. The sad fact is that economics forces us to miss including a huge and vital part of the Canadian rental industry in our national conversation. Maybe that is an example of why there are still two solitudes in this country.
One respondent asked for me to pass along any ideas for new revenue streams and to collect information on tricks and practices that others have found to work in their rental businesses. This is a terrific idea and I am going to look into ways to do even more of that than I already do. Another excellent comment praised our company profiles, but noted that sometimes they get repetitious with the subjects’ consistent invoking of service, quality and price as the drivers of their businesses. This respondent encouraged me to look for what makes each company truly unique and write about that, and I want to say to that person that this is exactly what we will try to do. CRS
Handheld Outdoor Power Equipment in North America! When it comes to rating our product quality and how we perform as a company Outdoor Power Equipment Dealers are our toughest critics ! So when they rate us and our products as the very best in the industry, we know we are doing a good job!
BOBCAT PRODUCES MILLIONTH LOADER
Bobcat Company marked this tremendous milestone with a formal ceremony on July 12, sharing the occasion with its employees and the community of Gwinner, N.D., home to Bobcat’s primary production facility. The company also celebrated with family members of those who invented the original loader, perfected the design, brought it to market and created the brand five decades ago. Past organizational leaders and hundreds of others who have been part of the Bobcat success story were also present at the event. The ceremony was held at the Gwinner factory and featured remarks from Rich Goldsbury, president of Bobcat and Doosan (parent company of Bobcat) for North America; Gwinner Mayor Dan McKeever; North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley; North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven and North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer. Sylvan Melroe, one of the organization’s first marketing managers, talked about the perseverance of the Melroe family, who owned Melroe Manufacturing and built the first Bobcat loaders. He reflected upon the early days of the loader as it transitioned from the original three-wheeled version to the skid-steer loader we know today and how Melroe Manufacturing improved the design that became increasingly tested by challenging jobs the more the machine grew in popularity. Cyril Keller, one of the brothers who invented the original three-wheeled loader and soon after partnered with Melroe Manufacturing, was on-hand as well. The ceremony culminated with a product line roll-off of a Special Edition One-Millionth Bobcat Loader, which Bobcat is selling in limited quantities through authorized dealers.
NEW FACE AT CRA HEAD OFFICE
Jenna Lansky has been hired as office assistant administrator at the new Canadian Rental Association head office in Stoney Creek, Ont. She is a graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University`s Business Administration program. She is from Grimsby, Ont., and has worked for the Town of Grimsby in their Recreation Department doing community events and youth programs. "She is a go-getter type of young woman with initiative," says CRA managing directory, Nathalie McGregor. "She is very excited to join the association and is looking forward to meeting our members."
HERTZ RENTAL INTRODUCES NEW CEO
The Hertz Corporation has announced that Brian P. MacDonald, formerly chairman, president and CEO of Sunoco, has been appointed CEO of Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation (HERC). As part of his responsibilities, MacDonald will lead HERC’s transition into a new, publicly traded company following its planned separation from Hertz, which is expected to close by early 2015. MacDonald succeeds Lois I. Boyd, who has been with Hertz since 2007. Boyd has previously informed the company of her decision to retire her full-time position after a 41-year career although she has agreed to continue with HERC in an advisory capacity. “Brian MacDonald brings exceptional, executive-level experience in successfully leading major corporations through periods of significant growth and change,” said Mark P. Frissora, Hertz chairman and CEO. “This record, combined with his financial acumen as well as his operational and international expertise, make him the ideal successor to lead HERC through its next phase of growth and development as a stand-alone, publicly traded company.”
MacDonald said, “I am delighted to join Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation at this exciting time in the company’s 49-year history. HERC benefits from one of the youngest and most balanced fleets in the industry, a diverse product portfolio, operational efficiencies, and a broad geographic footprint. I look forward to working with HERC’s management and talented employees to build on these strengths and further bolster the company’s premier position in the equipment rental industry.”
Frissora continued, “Throughout her seven-year career with Hertz, Lois Boyd has demonstrated strong leadership and an enduring commitment to our company and mission. Under her stewardship since 2011, HERC has delivered three consecutive years of revenue and earnings growth, and margin improvements. She had an equally strong record leading Advantage Rent-a-Car, a value brand previously owned by Hertz, and our companywide cost management programs, which have generated over $3 billion of savings since 2007. Lois approached me several months ago about her intention to retire. I am grateful she agreed to help us make significant progress on the separation of HERC and RAC, and to assist with Brian MacDonald’s transition. We appreciate all that Lois has done for Hertz and wish her the very best in her well-earned retirement.”
INDUSTRY NEWS
HELLER TO DRIVE SERVICE AT PALADIN
Paladin Attachments has welcomed Christian Heller as its new director of customer service in the Akron, Ohio, office. Heller brings to Paladin a strong background in inside sales management, customer service roles and continuous improvement initiatives in a variety of business-tobusiness sales organizations. Heller holds a bachelor’s degree in management and leadership from Capella University, as well as certifications in Six Sigma Green Belt and Lean methodologies. Prior to joining Paladin, Heller served as the regional contact centre manager for Grainger Industrial and director of sales support for North America within the Barnes Group. As director of customer service, Heller will work closely with internal departments to enhance product support for Paladin Heavy Attachments, which includes three brands: JRB, CP and CustomWorks. “Christian will join in our efforts to drive accelerated sales and service excellence through continuous improvement strategies, leadership behaviors, organizational and process effectiveness, as well as team member engagement. He will also work with our organization to capitalize on past and present improvements and, more importantly, help elevate our focus on customer service excellence as we move forward,” says Dave Crummy, vicepresident of dealer sales.
COAST CAPITAL ABSORBS TRAVELERS
Coast Capital Equipment Finance and Travelers Financial Corporation have announced that the assets of the prime equipment and vehicle finance business of TFC are now part of the Coast Capital Group of Companies. The consolidated equipment finance business of the Coast Capital Group of Companies will be carried out under CCEF and two new entities, Travelers Finance and Travelers Leasing. The combination is intended to help strengthen offerings, diversify origination channels, and add new technology for faster service to customers. The day-to-day operations will remain business-as-usual with no significant changes for customers, staff or leadership of each company. “By joining forces we are drawing on each organization’s natural strengths to create something truly special,” says Tracy Redies, Coast Capital Savings’ president and CEO. “It is good for us as an organization, good for our customers and certainly good for the marketplace as we have industry leading expertise and the ability to go out with superior offerings.”
TFC is one of the largest independent finance and leasing companies in Canada, offering a wide range of assets-based financing solutions to commercial and industrial sectors. Headquartered in Burnaby, B.C., they also have offices in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Jim Case, CEO of Travelers Financial, says that the transaction is an exciting next step for the business. “We have always focused on what we can do to better serve our customers,” Case explains. “This is another way to ensure that we are continuing to bring the best in expertise and pricing to them. We are happy to be part of the Coast Capital Group of Companies and look forward to building on our shared success.”
MUSKOKA PARTY RENTALS CELEBRATES 10 YEARS
Muskoka Party Rentals is celebrating its 10th anniversary in business with a new logo and a revised website. The Bracebridge, Ont., event rental store has been in operation since December, 2003. Owner Kim Rixon is secretary of the Ontario Canadian Rental Association. Rixon launched Muskoka Party Rentals from her home. It only operated there for a few months as Rixon quickly determined that more storage space was needed for all the equipment. Early in 2004, MPR rented space just down the road from its current location and shared the building. Space became an issue again in 2006, so MPR built a new building and moved into its current location at 27 Barron Drive. With the new building there was room to start a linen division and so MPR started renting its own linen. Rixon has seen her role change as the business has grown. “When I first started the business I was out doing deliveries all the time,” she remembers, “setting up tents and seeing customers on site. But in the past couple of years I have been fortunate to hire some key people leaving me more time to manage things from the office. This means my customers don’t get to see me out setting up a tent as often but it still happens from time to time and I always enjoy seeing my customers’ sites. It is hard to believe Muskoka Party Rentals has been in business for 10 years. I feel so honoured to have such loyal customers who have supported me this entire time. The saying ‘Time flies when you’re having fun’ really applies here. I’ve had a great time building this business and I’m always looking for new ways to improve and grow it. I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years brings: new trends, new couples, new challengesit’s all exciting!”
CERVUS ACQUIRES PETERBILT ONTARIO
Cervus Equipment Corp. says it has a deal to acquire the business and assets of Peterbilt of Ontario Inc. for about $25.5 million in cash. In announcing the deal, Cervus said it would use $20 million of its own money and $5.5 million drawn from credit facilities to purchase the business of POI, which operates 12 dealerships across Ontario selling and servicing the full line of Peterbilt trucks. “Cervus strives to be an outstanding dealer of trusted and reliable brands and we grow our business in partnership with strong manufacturers such as Peterbilt,’’ president and CEO Graham Drake said in a statement. “This acquisition extends our relationship with Peterbilt and expands our transportation business into the largest freight market in Canada.’’ Cervus acquires and manages authorized agricultural, commercial, industrial and transportation equipment dealerships and has interests in 56 dealership locations in Western Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
MORBARK INTRODUCES NEW VP
Morbark has announced the promotion of Larry Voelker to vice-president of engineering and product development. Over the past two and a half years, Voelker has served as director of engineering responsible for the planning and implementation of all engineering activities and providing the strategic technical leadership in continuous improvement of equipment and process capability. Prior to joining Morbark, Voelker’s extensive experience includes engineering, program and business manager positions at Moog – QuickSet International, IMM and AAR Mobility Systems.
BRISCOE APPOINTED CHAIR OF RITCHIE BROS.
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers has announced that its board of directors has appointed Beverley Briscoe as chair of the board. Briscoe succeeds Robert Murdoch, who announced his intention to step down from the board by the end of 2014, due to reaching the mandatory age limit. Murdoch will continue as a director on the board for the remainder of 2014. Briscoe has been a director of Ritchie Bros. for over 10 years and, since September 2013, has held the role of deputy chair. She has extensive industry experience in the transportation and industrial equipment sectors. From 1997 to 2004 she owned a transportation services company and prior to that was vice-president of Wajax Industries, CFO of the Rivtow Group of Companies and CFO of a number of operating divisions of the Jim Pattison Group. Briscoe has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors. She is also a director on the board of Goldcorp, where she chairs the Audit committee and is a member of the Environmental Health and Safety Committee. She is the past chair of the Industry Training Authority for B.C. and the past chair of the B.C. Forest Safety Council.
STRONGCO COMPLETES SALE AND LEASEBACK OF FORT MCMURRAY BRANCH
Strongco Corporation has announced that it has completed the sale and 15-year leaseback of its recently constructed branch in Fort McMurray, Alta., to Imperial Equities for the purchase price of $19.4 million. As previously announced, Strongco plans to monetize several of its real estate holdings through sale and leaseback transactions, with proceeds to be redeployed to reduce debt. In addition to the completed sale in Fort McMurray, a purchase and sale agreement has been signed for the newly constructed Saint Augustin-de-Desmaures, Que., facility, as well as branches in Val D’Or and Moncton, N.B., and a letter of intent with a third purchaser has been agreed to for the sale and leaseback of Strongco’s main branch and head office in Mississauga, Ont. The gross proceeds from the transactions are expected to be approximately $47 million. It is anticipated that the remaining deals will be completed in the third quarter of 2014. “It has always been management’s intent to not tie up capital in real estate assets over the long term, and, given the substantial increase in property values within these regions, the opportunity exists for Strongco to benefit from the current market conditions and use the proceeds more effectively within the business operations,” said Bob Dryburgh, president and CEO. “These sale and leasebacks, including the completed transaction in Fort McMurray, support our strategy to continually strengthen Strongco’s balance sheet and deploy capital more efficiently.”
FUN AND FAMILY
Close relationships fuel success at Warner Rentals.
Ralph Warner is all about having fun at the workplace. The owner of Kamloops, B.C.-based Warner Rentals, a nearly 40-yearold expanding equipment rental company, greets a writer with a huge smile, firm handshake and a lime green T-shirt that reads “Keep Calm and Rent On.” Warner, 47, laughs and cracks jokes with employees, everyone from his regional sales manager and Kamloops branch manager to the counter clerks at his new store an hour east just off the Trans-Canada Highway in Salmon Arm.
by ROGER KNOX
He plays with the company’s unofficial mascot, an eight-year-old dog rescued by his regional sales manager from the SPCA, dutifully throwing or kicking the slobber-covered, chewed-up, green ball dropped at his feet by the half-German shepherd, half-....well, nobody knows for sure what the other half is.
Warner is having way more fun now than he did as a 12-year-old in Kamloops when he started with the family business that had been founded in 1975 by his dad, Mac.
“Dad started the company in our neighbourhood starting with lawn mowers and rototillers and graduated from that, “ said Warner. “I’m the baby of the family. The business matured and my siblings had gone through college and started their careers, so I was stuck at home to work in the family business.
“I was told that I was working for the company and that was my rent. I wasn’t too impressed then.”
Warner’s impressions have, obviously, changed.
Warner started doing everything for the company: washing equipment, making deliveries, doing basic maintenance and minor repairs. That morphed into counter work, answering phones and taking care of customers before buying the business from his dad in 1990. He is the only one of his siblings presently involved with the company, and Mac is long retired.
While Ralph has spent his life in the rental business, Mac held different occupations. He was a schoolteacher and a police officer. He went to work for R. Angus, a CAT dealer in Alberta, then joined Douglas Rentals in Kamloops, which
is how the family ended up in the B.C. Interior. Douglas Rentals was owned by Tommy Douglas, the father of health care in Canada; and Mac Warner was the service manager who then branched out on his own, starting at his house.
Warner Rentals left the neighbourhood for a small commercial building in 1977, then moved into its present Athabasca Street East address in Kamloops’ Mt. Paul industrial park in 1980.
Today, Warner Rentals has the largest independently owned fleet or rental equipment in the Kamloops area, and that fleet is constantly expanding.
Click under the “Equipment Rentals” tab on the company website - www.warnerrentals.bc.ca - and it’s almost an A to Z of everything available for rent, from air compressors to welding accessories.
One thing son has kept that dad started is a business philosophy built on outstanding customer service. While Ralph admits he and his father are different people when it comes to running the business, the common denominator between the two is their devotion to the company’s clientele.
It’s what has helped Warner Rentals stay in business nearly 40 years, and it’s helping them grow the company.
“We’ve got a tremendous loyal following in Kamloops, and we have great clients,” said Warner. “I don’t think it’s a stretch to say our customers love us. We won them over with customer service and our commitment to make sure they get their jobs done as fast as possible.”
Case in point: company regional sales manager Nathan Mutcher, based in Kamloops,
receives a call at home at 11 p.m. from a railway company needing a generator in Revelstoke, nearly three hours away on the Trans-Canada. Mutcher leaves his wife and two young kids, heads to the shop to pick up the equipment needed and heads out eastbound on the highway. As Mutcher approaches Salmon Arm, his cell phone rings. The rail guys tell him their generator is working again and he can return home. Mutcher turns around. As he nears the community of Chase, halfway between Kamloops and Salmon Arm, his cell rings again. Guess
who? The generator’s down and can you come help us? Mutcher starts to head toward Revelstoke. On the outskirts of the mountain town, the rail guys phone one more time. Their generator is working. Mutcher knows the piece of equipment is causing grief so he continues and meets up with the rail crew, delivering a working generator.
He returns home to Kamloops, and goes into work the next morning without saying a word to anyone about what happened the night before. The only way Warner found out was when
he saw the bill.
“We try to provide a service that’s second to none,” said Mutcher, 34, who started with Warner Rentals in 2003. “Every little issue, every little concern is priority one in our books.”
Mutcher’s good friend and former youth soccer foe, Brent Thompson, is the branch manager in Kamloops. He joined the Warner team in 2006, coming, as Mutcher did, from another local rental company.
“It’s all about building relationships with the customers that come in,” said
With a company history going back to 1975 and minimal staff turnover, Warner Rentals is more like an extended family than a workplace. Front (from left), Kamloops branch manager Brent Thompson, Kipper, and regional sales manager Nathan Mutcher. Back row (from left): Salmon Arm branch manager Julia Dick, employee Leslie-Ann McArthur, company owner Ralph Warner, and Salmon Arm employees Mikaela Bischke and Ingo Jung. Not pictured, Kristin McCallum and Rob Dubois.
Thompson, 32. “We try to make the customers as successful as possible. If they have problems or need something, we’re there within an hour. That’s very popular with the local contractors.”
Thompson heads to the town of Princeton, two hours south of Kamloops, once every couple of months to help train employees. Princeton is the first expansion for the company, happening in January of this year. That occurred after Warner received a call about bringing in some equipment for the Copper Mountain
Guess what? Service is the secret. Warner provides great customer service with long-serving staff.
Mine, which had been relying on a local outlet. Warner got a call asking if he was interested in opening up a shop in Princeton.
“I went down and after about 15 to 20 minutes, we pretty much had a deal in place,” said Warner.
As he was heading to Princeton, he got a call on his cell from Catherine Bischke in Salmon Arm, then owner of Cardinal Rentals, asking if he’d be interested in buying her company.
First things first.
Warner completed the Princeton transaction, then set about to purchase Cardinal Rentals. He opened Warner Rentals in Salmon Arm’s west end on June 2 and held an open house with suppliers and to welcome new customers in mid-July.
Warner offered jobs to Bischke’s staff. All but two accepted.
Princeton’s focus is on mining, which has helped put Warner Rentals on the map more with an industrial base, and that move has been positive for company growth.
In Salmon Arm, the new shop focuses more on light construction and equipment for homeowners, along with a retail and resell section.
Besides customers, great suppliers have helped out Warner’s expansions as well.
“A lot of them are anxious to do business with us because they see us a company with future expansion plans,” said Warner, who admitted he’s looking at more growth but declined to say where. “We’re setting up shop with brands like Hilti. We do a tremendous amount of work with Bobcat, John Deere, and Haulotte.”
The latter happens to be one of the biggest manlifts manufacturer in the world, and manlifts have also become a huge part of the company’s equipment rental stable.
“We’ve been able to service our customers more from the ground up, supplying them with manlifts which enable people to reach high, hard-to-get-to places that you can’t get to with scaffolding,” said Mutcher. “Scaffolding is way too labour intensive so people rely on a manlift. It’s a safer, more affordable route to go.”
Added Thompson: “And they do the job more efficient and faster.”
Warner says there are three things that make his company a success. The great suppliers. The awesome customers. And his
Warner serves the usual mix of contractors and homeowners with familiar brands like Bobcat, Hilti and Haulotte.
people. There are 27 full-time employees working for Warner Rentals in the three communities, and the owner says he can count on one hand the number of employees who have left in the 24 years he’s been running the shop.
“In this day and age, I have almost no employee turnover. I couldn’t do the expansions this past year if it wasn’t for the fact I have a deep roster of wonderful people,” said Warner.
The feelings about the company and the owner are reciprocated.
“It’s a family-oriented business, that’s what I love about the company,” said Thompson. “If there’s an emergency and we need to get to it, Ralph lets us go. It’s a we-have-your-back attitude.”
Giving back to the community is also a Warner Rentals mantra.
Warner just signed a sponsorship deal with Salmon Arm’s Junior A hockey team, the SilverBacks. In Princeton, Warner Rentals sponsors the town’s swimming team and is looking to help start up a defunct softball league for kids.
Every Christmas, in its hometown of Kamloops, Warner Rentals provides equipment and volunteers to help light up the B.C. Wildlife Park - one of Kamloops’ and the region’s most popular and biggest attractions - for its Wild Nights celebration, where close to 600,000 Christmas lights are lit up.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company donated equipment and taught parents how to operate it so that 30 new school playgrounds could be built.
Warner, married to Tina with two kids, Emily, 13, and Nathan, 10, started a charity golf tournament in 2013 and raised $12,000 for the Chris Rose Foundation, which is a school for autistic children and the only one of its kind in Canada west of Toronto. This is an item
DEPENDABLE.
near and dear to Warner’s heart. His son (named after Mutcher, who swallowed a large lump in his throat when asked about it and said “it’s obviously a great honour”) is autistic.
This year’s event at Sun Rivers Golf Course in September hopes to raise $20,000 to buy three pediatric beds for the children’s ward at Royal Inland Hospital.
“Kamloops has always supported us and we’ve worked hard to be a very good corporate citizen,” said Warner, adding that his role at the golf tournament in 2013 was to make sure golfers had, er, “flavoured beverages” with a gas-powered blender that he took from hole-to-hole.
It was about making sure the golfers had fun.
And Warner always makes sure his employees have fun at work.
In Salmon Arm, on this particular day, he laughs with branch manager Julia Dick, mechanic Ingo Jung and front counter personnel Mikaela Bischke and Leslie-Ann McArthur. He takes time to play with Mutcher’s eight-year-old dog, Kipper (named after former Calgary Flames goalie Mikka Kiprusoff), who certainly does not lack attention.
“She’s in a lot of our work and promotional photos,” laughed Mutcher. “She’s even at work when I’m not there. People look forward to seeing her more on job sites than they do me.”
Fun and family. Both important to Warner, both critical to the company’s overall success. Fun to create a great work environment for employees and for customers. Family, like his employees, and his own brood.
“My wife Tina is amazing,” said Warner. “She looks after Nathan. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this.” CRS
Your work, your word – even you. So much of what you do relies on being dependable. Shouldn’t your equipment be held to the same standard? Subaru offers a full line of generators and pumps, all powered by Subaru’s technology-leading overhead cam engines – so there are no questions, no worries, just dependable equipment Be Dependable, Buy Dependable. Man Up. Insist on Subaru.
BEARING MYTHOLOGY
Bad bearing maintenance could leave you spinning your wheels.
The wheels of industry turn on bearings, so why do the wheels often vibrate, clatter, squeak, drag and overheat? Bearings can fail for lots of reasons. Most failures are related to lubrication and contamination, but myths and misconceptions handed from one generation of maintenance engineers to the next help perpetuate many easily avoidable problems. These myths fall into three general areas of bearing use: installation, misapplication and lubrication.
by IAN A. RUBIN
INSTALLATION MYTH #1: IT’S OKAY TO HAMMER A BEARING INTO POSITION IF NEEDED.
Never strike a direct blow to a bearing. The rolling elements and raceway are hardened, but can still be damaged. A hammer blow can leave dents in the raceway that can cause noise and dramatically reduce bearing life. If installation is difficult, first check the shaft diameter – look for burrs, dirt or corrosion on the shaft. If needed, use a press to slide the bearing on. Apply pressure equally on the face of the inner ring to avoid damaging the raceways and rolling elements.
INSTALLATION MYTH #2: OFF-THE-SHELF TGP SHAFTING IS THE BEST OPTION
It’s much more important to know the shaft’s tolerance range to be sure it meets your bearing manufacturer’s spec for diameter and roundness. Review the bearing manufacturer’s recommendations and measure/specify the correct shaft diameter.
INSTALLATION MYTH #3: IT’S FINE TO HAND-TIGHTEN SETSCREWS ONE AT A TIME.
Setscrews should be tightened to the manufacturer’s recommended torque. Undertightening can allow the bearing to slip on the
shaft. Over-tightening can distort the raceway or crack the inner ring. Use the “half-full/full” rule for tightening setscrews: tighten the first setscrew to half the recommended torque, the second setscrew to the full torque, then go back to the first setscrew and apply full torque.
APPLICATION MYTH #1: BEARINGS SHOULD NOT BE HOT TO THE TOUCH.
Normal bearing operating temperatures can range from 80 to 150 F, but certain applications may run higher or lower. Most bearings are rated for -20 to 220 F, but can be supplied with special grease, seals or heat-stabilizing processes that allow them to operate at higher temperatures. Bearings normally run hotter at start-up or right after re-lubrication because excess grease increases drag and friction in the bearing. Spikes up to 50 F are normal at start-up, and 30 F after re-lubrication. As the rolling elements purge excess grease through the seals, the bearings return to steady-state temperatures.
APPLICATION MYTH #2: BIGGER BEARINGS ARE ALWAYS BETTER. Bigger bearings with a higher load capacity may show a higher fatigue life, but if the load does not achieve the minimum requirement,
Incorrect lubrication practices are by far the most common cause of bearing failures.
the rolling elements can skid along the raceway instead of rolling. This can cause high temperatures, excessive wear, lubrication breakdown and bearing failure.
APPLICATION MYTH #3: SEALED/LUBED-FORLIFE BEARINGS WILL LAST FOREVER.
Bearing life depends on grease life, which is affected by the operating conditions (speed and load) and environment (temperature and contamination). Grease life can be improved with enhanced seals, proper installation and proper grease selection. Ultimately, the best bearing is the properly lubricated bearing.
LUBRICATION MYTH #1: RE-LUBRICATION ONCE A YEAR IS SUFFICIENT.
Start by reviewing the bearing manufacturer’s lubrication recommendations. These will give amounts and intervals as suggested starting points, but actual lubrication intervals may vary quite a bit, depending on load, speed, temperature, or environmental conditions. Applications with higher speeds, temperatures, or heavy contamination sometimes require frequent re-lubrication, possibly weekly or daily. By contrast, a mounted ball bearing in a lightly loaded, low-speed, clean environment may do fine with re-lubrication at 12 to 24 month intervals. Certain applications may need to be monitored and lubrication intervals/amounts adjusted accordingly.
Re-lubrication replenishes grease when the current grease breaks down or deteriorates because the base oil breaks down due to temperature. Without this, the lubricating property is gone and the result is metal-to-metal contact. Re-lubricating the bearing replenishes the oil, maintaining the proper film. Pumping new grease into a bearing also helps flush away contamination. Many mounted bearings are designed to allow grease to enter the bearing cavity as close to the rolling elements as possible. As more grease is added, the old grease is pushed out of
the seals (if the seals are purgeable). The purged grease carries out contaminants and keeps dirt away from the seals.
LUBRICATION MYTH #2: ALWAYS ADD GREASE UNTIL IT PURGES FROM THE SEAL. If you pump grease into the bearing until it purges out the seal, you probably have completely filled the bearing cavity. Excess grease can increase operating temperature and may create enough pressure to blow
the seal out. However, in low-speed or dirty conditions where contamination may easily enter the seals, filling a bearing with grease may help improve performance. Application experience will dictate when the entire bearing cavity should be filled.
LUBRICATION MYTH #3: IF A BEARING MAKES NOISE, GREASE SHOULD BE ADDED. If a bearing is making noise, internal damage has likely occurred. This
increases over time, with the potential for catastrophic failure. Adding grease may provide temporary relief, but a noisy bearing should be closely monitored and replaced at the first opportunity. The root of the failure should also be investigated either with independent or manufacturer failure analysis (manufacturer analysis requires removal of the bearing as soon as possible to aid in a more accurate diagnosis of the problem).
LUBRICATION MYTH #4: ANY GREASE WILL DO.
RENTAL & CONSTRUCTION PUMPS
FOR WORK
Greases DO differ. Some may be incompatible because of the different thickeners (soaps) used. When two incompatible greases are mixed, they may thicken and harden or become thin and leak out of the bearing. For example, many electric motors use a polyurea thickener while some mounted ball bearings use lithiumcomplex thickeners. These greases are borderline compatible, and depending on the actual make up, may not work together. Grease types can also be incompatible based on the viscosity or type of oil in the grease, so consulting a lubrication supplier is always recommended.
LUBRICATION MYTH #5: JUST SHOOT GREASE THROUGH THE FITTING.
Always clean grease fittings and the grease gun tip. It’s good practice to put the grease gun tip in an oil bath or wrap it with a plastic cover to protect it. Your machinery’s uptime may turn on your bearings’ good health. If you are not achieving the desired operational life for some of them, a bearing manufacturer can assist you with proper selection and troubleshooting. CRS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ian A. Rubin is director of marketing for mounted bearings for Sealmaster, System Plast and Browning-branded products at Emerson Power Transmission Solutions. For more information, visit powertransmissionsolutions.com.
Canadian Representatives
Mfg. Reps for Western Canada: M.S. Sales ltd.
Tel: 1-800-451-2537 (office)
Felix Pasqua Cell: 604-351-9491
Drew Wood Cell: 604-760-9120
Fax: 1-800-665-0597
E-Mail: mssales@telus.net
Mfg. Reps for Eastern Canada: Eastcan Marketing Ltd.
Tel: 416-748-8045/877-748-1130
Fax: 416-748-7922/800-748-9989
Email: eastcan@rogers.com
Oztec’s concrete vibrating heads, shafts and motors are quickly interchangeable on site.
by MARC MANDIN
PLANNING EQUALS SERVICE
Let’s share information to get better.
Fall is just around the corner, so you are probably getting busier as the days get shorter and people start needing to add temporary lighting and generators to their wish lists. I hope the summer treated you well, leaving you optimistic approaching another winter season. For those of you into heater rentals, I bet you are getting geared up for another winter of slugging it out in the great frozen north. With the extra challenges winter brings, it is a great time to ask yourself about your level of customer service. What better time to truly test your level of service than when you face some of your toughest challenges?
How does your customer service fare when the cold delivers sluggish engines that need help to start, nasty road conditions and cold, grumpy customers? I know we all think we give great customer service but do we really? In conditions we cannot control? Granted you can use the cold weather as a great excuse for why you just could not provide the equipment to them when they needed it. But will that keep them coming back to you? It might work if it is, in fact, a rare occurrence at your store, but if each little thing that comes along hampers your ability to look after your customers on their time schedule (not yours) they will try to find someone who is free of this limitation.
Customer service is mostly about attitude and training but these can be difficult to control as well, because they are completely reliant on the human factor. Planning and being prepared are entirely under your control, however, and can go a long way to making those harsh winter (fall, spring, and summer) days just a little easier to deal with.
Some simple things that can eliminate headaches include planning to replace the tires on your delivery vehicles in the fall so you have great winter tires to get you safely to and from your customers when you need to. Another good idea is putting block heaters on all equipment you will be using in the winter season and remembering to plug in at least one of each of those items you seem to rent every morning. You can always plug in a second one as you prep the first. If you have the luxury of heated inside storage, keeping some equipment not adversely affected by condensation inside overnight is one step better, but few of us have that much space.
Park your equipment so you have access if you need to boost it. Skid steers look better backed into lanes for storage but have you ever tried starting them when you can’t even open the back door? Been there. I once had to move 20 pieces to get at those loaders with the telehandler so we could bring them inside because they were not plugged in. I don’t even want to calculate what that cost but I learned the hard way!
I think we should start a book titled Mistakes I Have Made and pass it around from store to store. It would grow quickly if we all were honest and would not only provide some great entertainment but serve as a first-class learning tool for all who read the finished product. We have all made some rookie mistakes and learned to do things better. If you make some time to think about all of the things that
Continued on page 26
Marc Mandin is COO of 4-Way Equipment Rentals in Edmonton and national president for the Canadian Rental Association.
Jeff Campbell, St. Thomas
FILE THAT PILE
Keeping a paper trail can protect you.
It is tempting to throw away those loose papers that are polluting your desk or office, but you may want to think about how much each piece of paper matters to you before you do so. A common mistake people make is to not keep proper records of their actions in their businesses.
by DERYK COWARD
Let’s say you just made a deal and there is a contract that lays out everything you think is worth mentioning -- every party is pleased with the results and knows what the contract is and what is agreed upon. Well, you would be surprised to learn how often details a person thought were clear quickly become hotly contested. Extrinsic evidence is often relied upon to help interpret the contract and decipher the intentions of the parties involved.
The contract is not the “be all, end all” of an agreement. That is why it is beneficial for you to keep proper written records of every business transaction or interaction you have. When there is ambiguity in a contract, the courts will look at the intentions of the parties at the relevant time. This includes the facts, circumstances and overall context of the agreement. More particularly, some of the factors the courts can consider are: the conduct of the parties before the agreement was made; the conduct of the parties while the agreement was made; and the conduct of the parties after the agreement had been put into words.
Emails, letters, phone conversations, voicemails, information discussed at meetings and many other forms of communication can become admissible in court as evidence in order to help clarify ambiguity in a contract. If you keep track of your documents in an organized, easy-to-find manner, you can possibly help save your business from some unfortunate situations.
Sometimes the meaning behind a contract or a specific term cannot be interpreted by referencing a dictionary or other standard resources. For example, Company A has a deal with Company B that Company A will obtain permits to “make feasible” the supply of oil. The context of this expectation to “make feasible” can be ambiguous, but may not be to a person who is familiar with this particular business and how business deals
are usually orchestrated in this field. This is why courts may need other evidence – to help interpret the intentions of the parties when they made the contract. Perhaps, in that particular industry, there is a general consensus of what it means to “make feasible” a product. This general consensus can then be applied to how the court views the agreement and the intentions of the parties. In fact, when someone in a particular business industry uses and understands a word to have a different meaning during contract negotiations, it can be expected that the other party to the deal should know what that meaning is.
Courts have written about how business people are likely to rush and hurry deals because of their busy schedules and pressures to meet certain expectations. The quality of the agreements can then suffer accordingly. Very often this does not lead to problems. Businesses with good relationships with one another may carry on business in a loose manner because of the high level of trust and respect present. However, legal issues can arise despite the strongest of relationships so it is important to have a good record of each business deal just in case. It is better to be safe than sorry, and, at the very least, keeping a stack of papers in a filing cabinet is not going to cause many problems other than taking up a bit of space.
Nothing in this article should be considered legal advice. The purpose of the article is to provide you with a general idea of how courts have approached one of the many issues in the interpretation of contracts. In fact, the application of this specific area of the law is polarizing and approaches have differed throughout the courts accordingly. Nevertheless, consult a lawyer who is entitled to practice law in your local jurisdiction if you have any questions about contracts, sales agreements, or any other dealings between parties. CRS
could go wrong and then put your solutions into action before things happen you will be ahead of the curve. Your equipment will be better prepared and your team will be better prepared to provide the level of service you want for your customers. Is it hard to put extra washers on your compressors for the hoses, or O-rings on equipment which constantly loses them? Do you upsell fuel filters to your customers in the winter to capture water in fuel before it kills your unit? I realize there is that little qualifier that they have to actually know how to replace one, but I do have a couple of customers that do.
If you can think of a problem, I know you have a solution and all you have to do now is figure out a way to help reduce the down time in advance if possible. Down time is poison to your customer and extremely costly to you. If you have not done so yet, take the time to calculate what an exchange actually costs you. Once you do I know you will agree it is well worth your efforts to try to bring your equipment down time under control. You may not eliminate it but every minute you save stays in your bottom line.
For those of you in Ontario, I hope I am not too late to encourage you to support one of the four candidates running for election as your national Canadian Rental Association director. I look forward to working with the fine candidate you choose to step into that role on the
CRA board of directors. I would also like to welcome James Morden to the CRA executive as the incoming Region 10 director. I know James will represent us well in our interactions with the American Rental Association.
Please keep checking the CRA website for updates on all current and upcoming events with the CRA. We will be running our video competition once again this year. Details will be posted on the website.
Remember to take advantage of our public relations resource -- free to all members! Nathalie can help you contact Chris and put together a promo to advertise an upcoming event at your store.
In closing, I would like to remind all members that February may seem a long way in the future but the 2015 ARA Rental Show is quickly approaching and now is the best time to book your rooms to make sure you are locked in and taking advantage of our limited time special pricing. The hotel of choice for the Canadian contingent is the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. You are invited with open arms to the Canadian Hospitality Evening held at the hotel on Sunday, Feb. 22. I look forward to swapping rental adventures with you there. If you have not received any information yet, please contact Nathalie or Jenna at our new head office: 1-204-223-0992, or drop in to 1100 South Service Road, Suite 217 in Stoney Creek if you are in Ontario. CRS
latest improvements to the K 970 have turned the saw into a more efficient, powerful and lightweight cutting machine. Its leading power-to-weight ratio and fuel efficient engine with low emissions put other saws in its class to shame. The purge, decompression valve and smart carb ensure the saw will perform day in and day out. To learn more, visit our website.
MINI-MIGHT.
The new Ditch Witch® SK750 and SK755 are built to outperform on any jobsite. Both models feature a high-drive track system along with an enhanced operator station, delivering superior performance through increased ground clearance, more lift capacity, faster ground speed, longer track life, and more operator comfort. And these new SK mini skid steers send more horsepower to the attachment than any competitor. That’s a lot of might from a small machine! Count on Brandt for quality products and the support to help keep you productive and profitable, job after job. That’s Powerful Value. Delivered.
LIGHTING SHOWCASE
Atlas Copco’s latest generation of QLTS Solar LED light towers not only are versatile
and portable but are also environmentally friendly as they run on solar-powered batteries. These units significantly reduce environmental impact and operate silently, making them ideal for special events, residential construction, nature reserves or any application requiring light in a remote area. The solar operation of the QLTS light towers means low life cycle costs since they do not require fuel and have no engine or alternator to maintain. The QLTS does not emit any engine emissions or noise pollution, key for organizations looking to embrace a more environmentally friendly solution to meet their lighting needs. The QLTS series comes standard with both manual and automatic photocelloperated lights. The automatic photocell turns the unit on or off depending on light conditions. Operators also have the ability
to use individual lights, from one to eight, tailoring the amount of light generated to the needs of the application. These features save energy and reduce light pollution. A motion-detector option can add to equipment security in remote areas. The lights activate automatically and silently, surprising would-be thieves. The highly efficient AGM batteries provide longlasting, reliable power to the durable LED lights. With sufficient sunlight during the day, these towers can provide light for many night shifts without requiring a charge. If needed, an onboard charging system allows the QLTS to be plugged into a standard wall receptacle. The QLTS light towers are also easy to operate, stable and extensively field tested, making them an efficient addition to any municipal, rental or construction fleet.
PORTABLE, 360-DEGREE ILLUMINATION
8 beacon360light.com
Lind Equipment has introduced the newest addition to its Beacon Light line of portable LED floodlights, the Beacon360. The Beacon360 is a 120W LED area light that has a 360-degree beam for illuminating an entire room or outdoor work area at once. The Beacon360 can light up over 50 feet in each direction and is weatherproof for outdoor use. The innovative, patent-pending design of the Beacon360 generates very little heat, never requires a bulb change and uses 70 per cent less energy than traditional lighting options. The Beacon360 is made from durable cast aluminum and uses polycarbonate lenses. With no moving parts, no bulbs and a robust housing, the Beacon360 can take a significant amount of abuse while continuing to perform every time. The super-bright LEDs will last for 50,000 hours and start/re-start instantly, removing costly downtime associated with metal halide lights. Suitable for construction, rental, military,
emergency services and industrial facilities, the Beacon360 can run at 120V or 240V right out of the box. The Beacon360 is designed for flexibility. At only 14 inches in length, 6 inches in diameter, and 10 pounds in weight, the Beacon360 can be carried, hung and mounted in a wide variety of ways. The Beacon360 is offered as a light head only (LE360LED), with an aluminum floor stand (LE360LED-FS), four- to eight-foot tripod (LE360LED-TR), magnetic mount (LE360LED-MAG), or a scaffold clamp (LE360LED-CLAMP). Each Beacon360 also comes with a ceiling mount included to hang it upside-down as a temporary high-bay type light.
INFLATED AND SEMI-RIGID MODELS
8 airstar-light.ca
Airstar, a world leader in advanced lighting solutions, has announced the availability of its new generation of lighting balloons for the construction, rescue and safety industries: the Airstar Sirocco 2 and Airstar Flex ranges. Available in a variety of sizes and integrating the best lighting technologies, the Sirocco 2 (air inflated) and Flex (semi-rigid frame) are excellent solutions to the many lighting challenges faced in the construction business. The Sirocco range is proving to be an invaluable tool for rescue and safety operations. The Sirocco 2-M 6X100W LED was designed for quick set up and powerful lighting
coverage. It features universal voltage and its six LED lights illuminate an area of over 32,000 square feet. Its green credentials are second-to-none, with an average life of more than 50,000 hours and a 66 per cent reduction in energy consumption. Ideal for local activities and search and rescue missions, the new Sirocco 2-S 60W LED is a self-contained rechargeable workhorse packaged in a heavy-duty transport case, with an average lifespan of 30,000 hours. It can light areas up to over 4,800 square feet with a typical operating time of eight hours on single charge. Airstar has also completed its Flex range with the new Flex M 1000W HI-T (a pop-up envelope without the need for a fan) and the Flex L 4000W HI-T, a retrofitting kit for lighting towers. Designed for long-term building sites and road works, the Flex range is weather-resistant to wind, rain, and extreme temperature changes, while providing 360-degree, glare-free lighting for up to five acres.
LIGHTING SHOWCASE
LIGHT AND POWER TOGETHER
8 doosanportablepower.com
Doosan Portable Power offers a combination light tower and mobile generator with the Doosan L20. This model anchors the Doosan Portable Power lighting systems portfolio and provides a single solution for two important jobsite needs: power and light. The L20 is ideal for mining, oil and gas exploration and a multitude of other environments where there is no reliable power source present. Traditional light towers only provide enough power for the light source. However, the L20’s 32-horsepower Mitsubishi diesel engine and 20-kilowatt generator make it the most flexible and powerful light tower in the Doosan line, with enough power to light a wide area while simultaneously providing up to 16 kilowatts of energy to power jobsite trailers, power tools, heaters and more. The L20’s lighting system consists of four 1,000-watt metal halide lamps mounted to a telescoping mast, featuring 360-degree rotation and extension from 12 to 30 feet. The standard metal-halide floodlights feature robust cast-aluminum housings, an inside separate reflector, and side-mounted/horizontally positioned bulbs with a NEMA six-by-seven beam-spread rating providing broader and more consistent light distribution. The 20-kilowatt generator powers the lighting system and provides power to a generous array of receptacles, delivering up to 63 amps at 240 volts and 126 amps at 120 volts. When the lighting system is not in use, the generator can output up to 80 amps at 240 volts and 160 amps at 120 volts.
With over 40 years as a leader in the industrial and commercial lighting industry, Larson Electronics continues its commitment to providing highgrade lighting equipment to specialty markets with the release of a 150-watt LED explosionproof pole-top slip-fitter light. The EPL-PT-150LED-RT provides operators with a powerful and energy-efficient alternative to traditional hazardous location luminaries. The EPL-PT-150LED-RT provides 12,000 lumens of high-quality light while drawing only 150 watts. The copper-free aluminum alloy body is powder-coated for added durability and an attractive aesthetic appearance. A special heat dissipating design in conjunction with LED technology
helps this fixture to achieve an excellent 60,000-hour rated lifespan with 80 per cent lumen retention. Light weight and a low profile make this unit an attractive alternative to larger and heavier older fixtures and require less hardware to install. The pole-top slip-fit mount light features an adjustable swivel bracket constructed of 3/8-inch aluminum that allows over 180 degrees of adjustment and is attached to a slip-fit yoke for easy installation. The slip-fit yoke is built to customers’ specifications, enabling operators to mount this explosion-proof LED light to their specific pole size. The wiring is terminated in flying leads, held in place with a cord grip. The flying leads allow the user to tap this Class 1 Division 1 light to the desired voltage during installation. The LED floodlight is multi-voltage capable and configured to operate on 120-277 volts 50/60 Hertz without any need for a special ballast. The aluminum body and LED lamp give this light excellent durability and resistance to vibration and impacts. The housing is designed to dissipate heat, which increases the efficiency and lifespan of the LED luminaires.
STADIUM LIGHTING FOR ANY LOCATION
8 canadatowers.com
Canada Towers mobile telescoping towers have many features including triple-redundant aircraft-strength cabling on a patented self-guyed tower-to-trailer platform, allowing for a smaller deployment footprint. CTI provides CSA-approved, single-source lighting for entire work areas, reducing both fuel costs and expensive multilight source-support management. The Phoenix 24000 stadium light tower features 16-by-1500W metal halides, a fully winterized 45 kilowatt/amp genset, and 1,000-litre tank that will yield approximately 165 hours of run time (full 24,000-watt light load), standing at 70 feet tall. These stadium light towers are compact, convenient and easy to move. Simply tow the tower unit to your desired location and you can be up and running in 30 minutes. All CTI products are available for rent, lease and financing.
FAST SET-UP
8 ca.wackerneuson.com
Wacker Neuson is expanding its light tower line with the addition of two models designed for faster set-up time and easier operation. The LTN 6KV and LTN 8KV are trailer-mounted vertical mast light towers. The vertical mast is made of nine robust sections that can be easily raised and lowered in about 20 seconds by the push of a button. The hydraulically activated telescoping mast collapses while remaining in the vertical position, eliminating the tower overhang off the back of the trailer. This design decreases the total length
of the unit, maximizing the number of machines that can fit on a standard shipping truck and in a rental storage space. The new LTN 6KV and LTN 8KV are narrow body light towers that are ideally suited whenever nighttime needs to be converted to daylight. The mast extends 28 feet and retracts to just seven feet, lowering the center of gravity, allowing for more balanced towing, and making the light fixtures more easily accessible to rotate. The mast is designed with pulleys on alternating sides, creating a very straight and sturdy tower during operation. The light bar rotates 360-degrees and holds four elliptical light fixtures with 1,000W metal halide lamps that can be easily directed to offer excellent job site illumination. The new light bar design also gives the user additional range of motion on all four light fixtures, allowing usage in reduced glare applications such as highway construction.
PROPANE-ASSISTED SOLAR m-p-llc.com
There’s a greener, more efficient way to illuminate construction jobsites, thanks to a solar-powered and propane-fueled light tower from Magnum Power Products. The Magnum MLT4000S Solar Hybrid Light Tower’s LP-fueled back-up generator keeps its batteries charged in all conditions, ensuring a safe, well-lit jobsite. Because the light tower does not consume diesel fuel, it’s less expensive to operate and produces significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike diesel, propane does not degrade over time, reducing fuel-related performance problems. Propane also emits fewer carbon dioxide emissions and toxic pollutants than diesel, improving air quality and worker safety on
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
the jobsite. Finally, propane fuel costs less than diesel, improving contractor profit margins. During the day, a solar-panel array charges the light tower’s batteries for nighttime operation. If cloudy or inclement weather prevents the batteries from fully charging, a propane-fueled, air-cooled Generac generator turns on automatically and recharges the batteries until the solar panels can take over. The MLT4000S is durable, reliable, easy to use, and requires only minimal maintenance — making it ideal for both the construction business and the rental market. Adding to its reliability, the MLT4000S’s rugged LED light fixtures boast a lifespan five times that of traditional metal halide bulbs, providing more than 50,000 hours of illumination. The bulbs are serviceable with readily available components and an industry-standard LED-chip platform.
LIGHTING PLACEMENT APP allmand.com
Responding to a growing need for assistance in determining the number and placement of portable light towers on a given worksite, Allmand is pleased to announce that they have created an iPad/iPhone application to aid in worksite light tower setup. It is
available free through the Apple App Store.
Although the app is developed and offered by Allmand, it can be used as the basis for setting up 1000-watt or 1250-watt metal halide light towers from almost any manufacturer. The mobile application is designed for those who need to illuminate large areas for construction, special events, mining, energy production or any number of situations where portable lighting is required for safety, convenience or productivity.
To use this app, simply locate the area to be lit on the satellite image using either the general postal code, the name of a city, or the specific street address of the site. Touch the screen to define the boundaries of the actual area to be illuminated and virtually set up and aim the portable light towers to determine the placement and quantity of the towers as well as the light configuration that most efficiently lights the worksite to the desired level of illumination, which is measured in foot-candles. A number of typical lamp configurations may be selected (i.e. four 1,000-watt lamps aimed straight ahead, six 1,250-watt lamps aimed 45 degrees apart, etc.) to best determine the most efficient lighting setup.
After determining the number of towers needed, sales, rental or other specific information may be requested through the app if desired. Additionally, the Allmand website with full specs, sales literature and parts/operators manuals may be accessed directly from the app as well. The iPhone version of the app even includes a “hidden” flashlight mode on the initial screen to help light your way in the dark.
Simply Reliable
Rough Terrain Scissors
Skyjack’s Rough Terrain Scissor Lifts combine solid and powerful design to meet the demands of any job site. All mid and full size models are equipped with Skyjack’s unique axle based true four wheel drive system which features a “Detroit Locker” type rear differential and limited slip front differential for unmatched terrainability.
*Key highlights include:
• Large working area and extension decks for increased productivity
• Industry leading terrainability and platform size
• Robust and reliable for use in the most challenging conditions
• Broad product range—compact, midsize and full size
• Accessibility to all major components for easy maintenance and serviceability
• Working heights between 32’ (9.8 m) and 56’7” (17.61 m)
