Readers of this magazine attending the ConExpo-Con/Agg heavy equipment trade show in Las Vegas this March are invited to drop by Crane & Hoist Canada’s booth at the triennial exhibition.
This will mark the magazine’s third appearance at the show, and the second time it has its own booth at the event, which takes place March 7-11 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This time around, Crane & Hoist Canada will occupy booth G73321 in the convention center’s Gold Hall, with editor Keith Norbury, sales manager Jeremy Thain, and art director James Lewis alternating shifts.
Just look for the Canadian flags. We’ll be looking closely at show badges as well. So don’t be surprised if one of us yells, “Canada!” when we spot a visitor from Alberta, Ontario, the Yukon, or any of the other provinces and territories.
At the 2014 show, we convinced dozens of Canucks to have their photos taken at the booth. So be prepared to smile.
continued on page 14
hen the remains of a rare Sowerby’s beaked whale were found on a New Brunswick shoreline in June 2016, authorities deemed it worthy of further study. But they needed some heavy equipment to enable that. So Department of Fisheries and Oceans officials hired Mundle’s Service Ltd. to lift the carcass from the water.
“DFO had a whale down on the beach here in Campbellton,” said Scott Furlotte, towing truck operator with Mundle’s Service. “They pulled it over to the wharf in Restigouche and got us to lift it out of the water and put it on a trailer.”
Furlotte says that DFO directed him on how to lift the whale, of a species normally found in deep waters, in order to protect the specimen as much as possible.
“They told us where to hook up to it and what to do with it,” Furlotte recalled. “We had to use wide straps just so it wouldn’t split in two.
Pipeline decisions garner praise from Canada’s heavy-lift leaders
Industry insiders weigh in on what various pipeline ventures, such as Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain project, will mean for their sector
SAUL CHERNOS
f the new oil pipelines the Trudeau government approved in November are actually built, cranes will play a supporting rather than a leading role and will benefit from increased economic activity, industry players say.
IIn Western Canada, in particular, the heavy equipment sector has felt the effects of a slumping oil sector. John Stevens, president and CEO of Entrec Corporation, an Acheson, Alta.-based supplier of cranes and related services, says he’s hopeful the decisions could begin to turn things around.
“Cranes aren’t used a lot on pipelines, but they’re used to support the construction of compressor stations and that type of thing,” Stevens says.
Acheson, an Edmonton suburb, isn’t far from the oilsands, where Stevens has seen considerable growth during the last decade or so. However, Alberta and other oil-dependent regions have experienced a massive slowdown thanks to slumping oil prices.
KEITH NORBURY
A 270-tonne Liebherr LTM 1220-5.2 all-terrain crane supplied by Prairie Crane works at an oil and gas refinery in Saskatchewan, where modifications were underway.
Photo courtesy of Prairie Crane Inc.
MATT JONES
•
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Editor - Keith Norbury • editor@craneandhoistcanada.com
Advertising Sales - Jeremy Thain • jeremy@capamara.com Toll free
• Tel. 250.474.3982 • Fax. 250. 478.3979
Art Direction/Production - James S. Lewis • james@capamara.com
Publisher - Peter Chettleburgh • peter@capamara.com
Regular Contributors
Saul Chernos, Jeffrey Carter, Kevin Cunningham, Nelson Dewey, Matt Jones
Crane & Hoist Canada is published six times a year by Capamara Communications Inc. Reference to named products or technologies does not imply endorsement by the publisher. A subscription to Crane & Hoist Canada (six issues) is $34 per year in Canada (including GST) and $36 (including HST). For subscriptions in the USA the price is $36 USD and $45 USD for overseas. Send cheque or VISA/Mastercard number to Subscription Department, Crane & Hoist Canada, 4623 William Head Road, Victoria, BC, Canada, V9C 3Y7. Fax orders to +1-250-478-3979. Or subscribe online at www.craneandhoistcanada.com
RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: Crane & Hoist Canada, CIRCULATION DEPT. 4623 William Head Road, Victoria, BC V9C 3Y7
ISSN 1923-788X
Next Advertising Deadline: March 24, 2017
Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this exciting new industry publication. For more information, or to reserve space in the next issue, call Jeremy at our Advertising Department - Toll Free 1.877.936.2266. jeremy@capamara.com
Next Editorial Deadline: March 31, 2017 For writers’ guidelines and submission requirements get in touch with the Editor, Keith Norbury, at 250.383-5038. Email editor@craneandhoistcanada.com
Alberta crane firm manager takes Zamboni on coffee run
That Zamboni driver who made international news in December for doing “the most Canadian thing ever” was identified in news reports as Alberta crane company manager Jesse Myshak.
Myshak, of Energy Crane Service in Stony Plain, had bought the Zamboni to flood his backyard ice rink, according to news reports. After working on the machine at his shop, he needed to drive it home.
His workmates jokingly said he should “drive through Timmies and get a coffee,” Myshak told CBC News.
So he took the Zamboni to the drive-through window at his local Tim Hortons.
“The staff told me it was the most Canadian thing they’ve ever seen, so they all had a good chuckle,” he added.
Among the news outlets to pick the story was USA Today, which began its headline with “Man inspires nation.”
B.C.
port receives giant gantry cranes
Geodis SA, a global supply chain company based in France, recently signed a contract to transport eight large gantry cranes to Delta Port Vancouver from Poland.
Quebec-built ship to include crane
A Quebec company has won a contract to build a vessel equipped with a knuckle-boom deck crane for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
Meridien Maritime Reparation of Matane, Que., was awarded the contract to build the 93-foot research vessel, JMS Naval Architects reported on its website in January.
JMS, based in Mystic, Conn., is designing the ship, which will replace the R/V Bay Eagle.
The ship’s knuckle-boom deck crane will have a capacity of 2,240 pounds and a 20-foot reach.
The contract, with Austrian intermodal crane manufacturer Hans Küns GmbH, required delivering dismantled cranes from Poland’s Gdynia Port, said a news release in December from Geodis, which is a subsidiary of the SNCF Group, parent company of France’s state-owned national railway.
Total volume of the cranes is 50,000 freight tons.
“Each gantry crane included two main 75-meter girders, and the team transported eight of these pieces in total per vessel,” the release said. It took about 25 days for the two separate loads to reach Vancouver.
“Our main challenge was finding a vessel that could carry all of the pieces at one time,” the release quoted Stefan Waszak, operations manager of industrial projects for Geodis in Germany. “But after a thorough research we found the right solution for the customer.”
A video chronicling the loading of the cranes can be found on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7mxxszc4Uvs
Winnipeg poised for crane activity
Construction crane activity in Winnipeg should have the city’s residents feeling “particularly confident in 2017,” a Winnipeg architect wrote recently in an analysis piece in the Winnipeg Free Press
Brent Bellamy, an architect and director with Number Ten Architectural Group, noted that as many as five highrise towers are expected to be under construction in downtown Winnipeg this year. They potentially include the city’s “new tallest skyscraper.”
That 40-storey building is proposed by Artis Real Estate Investment Trust for the Winnipeg’s Main Street at the head of Graham Avenue, wrote Bellamy, who is also chairman of the board of CentreVenture Development Corporation.
If built, it would surpass the height of 201 Portage, formerly the TD tower, which has been Winnipeg’s tallest building for nearly three decades, Bellamy wrote.
Secuity camera screen grab shows Zamboni at the window of Tim Hortons in Stony Plain, Alta.
Ship embarks on 25-day journey from Poland to Vancouver in this screen capture of a Youtube video.
Cranes work on True North Square in Winnipeg last August.
Photo by Dave Shaver/Creative Commons Licence
New Brunswick conference now ready for registrations
Registration is now open for the Crane Rental Association of Canada’s 19th annual conference, taking place June 7-10 in St. Andrews, N.B.
The conference is happening at the Algonquin Resort, a “luxurious and legendary” Canadian resort in an “iconic building” with an oasis of manicured gardens and a private beach, notes the CRAC website. St. Andrews by-the-Sea, as it is commonly called, was founded in 1783 by United Empire Loyalists.
“We are excited to launch our registration early so you can plan family holidays or extend your stay before and after our conference,” Sheena Baker, who currently chair CRAC, said in a recent email to association members.
The Algonquin is a unique resort with a limited number of rooms, she added. “So please book early.”
Those registering by April 30 receive a discount on the conference registration fee. The early bird fee is $850 for members compared with $995 after April 30, and $475 for spouses compared with $500 after April 30.
The conference kicks off Wednesday, June 7, with a board of directors agenda that includes a directors’ breakfast and lunch, a board meeting, and a meeting of CRAC’s boom dolly committee. Pre-registration for the conference is also open that day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. And the Spreader Bar — in
SALES & RENTALS
the resort’s Van Horne Ballroom — convenes for the first of four evenings, starting at 8 p.m.
Thursday’s program includes the annual golf event, a guided Marine Experience tour of the Bay of Fundy, a visit to Kingsbrae Gardens, and a “Kitchen Party” get-together that evening in the Van Horne Ballroom.
As of early February, guest speakers on the program include the following:
• Jim Quinn, president and CEO of the Saint John Port Authority, which welcomed two huge gantry cranes to the port last fall and recently announced a $205 upgrade to its western terminals;
• Dan Demers, occupational health operations manager with Cannamm Occupational Testing Services, who will speak about managing medical marijuana in the workplace;
• Jose Perez, export sales manager with Broderson Manufacturing Corp., which is headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas;
• Debbie Dickinson, CEO of Crane Industry Services LLC, based in Waco, Ga.;
• Drew Carruthers, a product manager at Montreal-based CM Labs Simulations, where he directs development of the Vortex construction and heavy equipment training suite; and
• Aaron Casey, a crane insurance specialist with D.G. Dunbar Insurance Broker Ltd., based in London, Ont.
• Zack Parnell, president and CEO of Industrial Training International, who will demo and describe several virtual reality simulators and augmented reality headsets that will revolutionize dozens of industries including cranes, rigging, and specialized transport.
The conference closes with a banquet on the Saturday evening that promises a combination of Irish and English pub ambience. To reserve a room at the conference’s reduced rate, an attendee must first register for the conference. A confirmation email containing the promo code will then be sent immediately.
For more information, visit www.crac-canada.com.
“Equipment Corps has a strong presence in the
— SARAH SPIVEY Managing Director, Modulift
The Crane Rental Association of Canada holds its annual conference this June at the historic Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews by-the-Sea, N.B.
Photo by
German trade show coming to Canada
Canadian version of the CeMAT trade show will make its debut in Ontario this fall.
CeMAT Canada is set for Sept. 25-28 at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ont., said a news release from Deutsche Messe AG, which organizes the biennial CeMAT in Hannover, Germany, as well as other CeMAT shows around the world.
CeMAT shows focus on the intralogistics industries and supply chain management. However, cranes and other lifting equipment are well represented. At the 2016 CeMAT in Hannover, for example, exhibitors included the likes of J.D. Neuhaus, Columbus McKinnon, Jaso Industrial Cranes, JMG Cranes S.r.L., L&H Hoists, Manitou Group, and Optim Crane. Among the cranes represented were bridge canes, cantilever cranes, jib cranes, container handling cranes, gantry cranes, girder cranes, pick and carry cranes, truck cranes, industrial mobile cranes, and crane accessories.
The Canadian show runs parallel to the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show taking place on the same dates, also at the International Centre, which is right next to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.
The biennial CMTS attracts 700 exhibitors and 9,000 visitors, the release noted. Produced by SME — the Society of Manufacturing Engineers — CMTS “showcases innovations in machine tools, tooling, metal forming and fabricating, and advanced manufacturing applications.”
Four other topics from the Hannover Messe portfolio will join CeMAT Canada: industrial automation; MDA (power transmission and fluid technology); ComVac (compressed air and vacuum technology); and parts2clean (parts and surface cleaning).
“Our trade fairs complement the topics at CMTS perfectly,” the release quoted Krister Sandvoss, global director of CeMAT at Deutsche Messe AG. “We offer our customers a premium opportunity to enter the Canadian market. Together with SME we will organize the leading industrial event in Canada.” For more information, visit www.cemat.de/home.
Ontario unions make peace
n Ontario-based union local whose membership includes crane operators has signed “a wide-ranging and historic agreement” with another construction workers’ union.
The deal between local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers and local 183 of Labourers’ International Union of North America “paves the way for greater co-operation on a number of issues between the labour organizations,” said a recent news release from local 793.
Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher and local 183 business manager Jack Oliveira signed the agreement at a Jan. 27 ceremony in Toronto.
The agreement expires on Nov. 30, 2018, but the business managers can extend it at their discretion, the release said.
The agreement calls for greater co-operation on projects in Greater Toronto and parts of south-central and eastern Ontario in such sectors as heavy engineering, roads, sewers and watermains, the release said.
“Over the past few years we have been fighting each other rather than working collaboratively,” Oliveira said in the release. “I am happy that we were able to put that behind us, and that we are moving forward to level the playing field. This level of co-operation will be good for our members, and for members of Local 793.”
The two locals have a long cooperative relationship and each members of the Ontario Formwork Council. They also have other common collective agreements.
“I am pleased that we have signed this agreement and confirmed the friendship that we have enjoyed for more than 50 years,” the release quoted local 793’s Gallagher, a crane operator by vocation whose father was the founder and first business manager of local 183. “He would be proud that the two unions are working together on issues important to our members and concentrating our resources on bringing the benefits of unionization to unrepresented workers rather than spending resources fighting each other at the Labour Relations Board.”
Local 793 represents nearly 15,000 crane and other heavy-equipment operators across Ontario. Local 793 has more than 50,000 members, making it the largest construction union local in North America, the release said.
Whale of a tale continued from cover
You have to lift about a quarter of the way up from the rear and a quarter of the way up from the front so she lifts up easily. They were taking care of it more than us. The lift probably took about two hours by the time we got it up and on to the deck.”
For the operation, Furlotte utilized one of Mundle’s mobile cranes — a 50-tonne NRC 4500 wrecker built by Quebec’s NRC Equipment. It was likely the only choice for the job, Furlotte said, noting that one would have to go as far away as Mirimachi or Moncton (two- and three-hour drives respectively) to find comparable lifting capability.
“Around here, we lift moose. This is the first time we’ve lifted a whale.
~ Scott Furlotte, towing truck operator, Mundle’s Service Ltd.
Mundle’s Service staff is used to performing a variety of lifts but this was unique.
“Around here, we lift moose,” Furlotte said. “This is the first time we’ve lifted a whale. We use a smaller truck for moose, but we get all kinds of different things up here.”
Once the whale was on the trailer, it was delivered to the Canadian Wildlife Health Co-Operative at the University of Prince Edward Island for a necropsy. Following that and some initial examinations there, the remains were brought to the New Brunswick Museum for further analysis.
“Beaked whales are generally deep water whales, they generally don’t come close to shore,” a CBC News report quoted Don McAlpine, research curator at the New Brunswick Museum. “There is very little known about their basic biology. It’s not a whale we see very often.”
McAlpine said the whales normally navigate through echolocation and as such can become disoriented when they arrive in shallow waters.
Carcass of Sowerby’s beaked whale is lifted from the waters off a wharf in Restigouche, N.B.
Photo courtesy of Mundle’s Service Ltd.
Krister Sandvoss
Mike Gallagher (left) and Jack Oliveira sign “historic” agreement in Toronto.
Get
ttending an industry trade show — especially a massive one like the triennial ConExpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas — is a great way to make business connections that might otherwise verge on the impossible.
Exhibiting at such a gathering can prove even more rewarding. Having its own booth can give a company a place to show off to suppliers, customers, and fans of your industry what a firm has to offer.
For those reasons and others — not the least being that the show is in Las Vegas — we at Crane & Hoist Canada are excited to be taking part in ConExpo for the third time, our second as an exhibitor.
We’re experienced enough — from not only ConExpo but at other trade shows in recent years — to know what to expect. Sort of. One of the main things is to expect the unexpected.
What we have learned more than anything else is that a trade show provides ample opportunities for the face-to-face contact that remains, even in this electronic age, so crucial to fostering successful business relationships. Sure, the telephone, email, and Skype can put you in touch instantly with customers anywhere in the world. But you cannot shake hands over the Internet (yet) and you certainly can’t get together for a drink
Crane & Hoist Canada welcomes submissions of letters, guest columns, short notices, product announcements, press releases, and ideas for articles. Send them to editor@craneandhoistcanada.com.
Letters: Please limit your letters to 250 words. Include your full name, the city or town you live in, and a contact phone number. We do not publish anonymous letters or letters written under pseudonyms.
Guest columns: These can be up to 700 words. Please send a brief note of inquiry first, however, just in case space what you wish to write about has already received a lot of coverage in our pages. Include your full name, the city or town you live in, and a contact phone number.
Short notices: Tell us about individual promotions, appointments, awards, staff movements, plant openings, plant closures, expansions, and other milestones. These short items should be no longer than 100 words.
Product announcements: Are you a supplier to the industry? Has your company developed a new product or process? If possible, attach a photograph.
Press releases: These should have something to do with cranes and/or hoists in Canada. We might publish only part of a press release or use it as starting point for an article by one of our writers.
Story ideas: Maybe you have an idea you’d like us to explore for an article. A good rule of thumb is to limit your story idea to no more than 30 words. If it takes longer than that to describe it, then chances are we won’t be able to take it on.
All submissions are subject to editing and publication cannot be guaranteed. The deadline for our next issue of Crane & Hoist Canada is March 31, 2017. Sooner is always better than later.
When it comes to trade shows, Crane & Hoist Canada’s own Advertising Manager, Jeremy Thain, tells us that he sticks to basics.
“Don’t overwhelm yourself,” Thain advised in advance of the 2014 version of the show. At that time, he was already a veteran of about 50 trade shows in North America and Europe — although none were as big as ConExpo. Since then he has added around a dozen more shows to his resume.
ConExpo — which is co-located with the International Exposition for Power Transmission — certainly has the potential to overwhelm. Attendance at the 2014 event was nearly 130,000. The 2017 show encompasses over 2.5 million square feet of the Las Vegas Convention Center, with more than 2,500 exhibitors indoors and outdoors.
No wonder Thain says that ConExpo “just blew me out of the water.”
Working a trade show benefits from preparation. That is particularly true of ConExpo given its size. Before departing for Las Vegas, one valuable tactic is to search through the exhibitors’ list on the ConExpo website and map out a strategy
ConExpo
for visiting all the booths one wants to see — in a strategic fashion.
Poring over the listings on the show website will enable you to identify the exhibitions and sessions that you really don’t want to miss. Should you leave that exercise until after you arrive at the show, then you run the risk of being overly distracted. Not that a little distraction isn’t wonderful in its own right. Setting aside a few moments just to wander around the show and let it wash over you can also produce unexpected and happy results.
Just don’t leave too much to chance. Thain’s tactics include taking a “soft” approach to networking.
“If I’m chatting with an exhibitor at their booth, and a potential customer comes along who’s interested in their product, then I’ll usually just step aside and say, ‘I’ll catch up with you later,’” Thain says.
He doesn’t just talk shop either. “Sometimes people are sick to death of talking about their products and are relieved just to share a joke or chat about their kids, football, beer, whatever,” Thain says.
“Obviously you’ve got to have a good product, but a lot of it comes down to just the relationship the sales person has with the customer.”
That’s why scheduling dinners or drinks with people outside of the trade show venue are valuable ways to network. “That is where you really build the relationship,” Thain says. One can also download an app for your mobile device from your mobile app store by searching ConExpo-Con/Agg. The app, powered by Caterpillar, “is enhanced with beacon technology and features interactive 3D contiguous maps to help attendees more easily navigate the show floor,” notes a recent news release from ConExpo. The app also synchs continuously with the online show planner, enabling attendees to create personalized agendas.
Planning is also necessary for those who’d like to partake of ConExpo’s considerable educational offerings. These include about a dozen sessions related to crane operations.
Above all, don’t be afraid to ask questions and break the ice. People come to trade shows to learn.
Crane & Hoist Canada will be in booth G73321 in the convention centre’s Gold Hall.
For more information about ConExpo, taking place March 7-11, visit www.conexpoconagg.com.
About our cartoonist
Nelson Dewey has been a prolific cartoonist for over 50 years. If his work looks familiar, maybe you read a lot of car comic books when you were younger.
In the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, Dewey was a frequent contributor to those comics, particularly CARtoons. He also drew for Hot Rod Cartoons, CYCLEtoons, SURFtoons and SKItoons. In all, he produced nearly 2,000 pages in those publications.
He has also published cartoons in Cracked Magazine, Oui, Reader’s Digest and Motor Trend, as well as community newspapers and dozens of books. And he shared an Emmy Award in 1988 for his work on storyboards for the Arthur cartoon series on television.
To take a trip down memory lane and see samples of Dewey’s car cartoons, go to his website, www.nelsondewey.com.
Jobs galore seen in Toronto cranes
Each construction crane visible on the Greater Toronto skyline “represents up to 500 jobs,” a building industry and land development advocate wrote recently in the Toronto Star Brian Tuckey, president and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association, also noted that more 196,000 people worked in the building and renovation industries in the GTA in the preceding year. Collectively, they earned $11.4 billion in wages, he added.
His association represents more than 1,450 companies in the GTA.
Cape Breton dictionary includes crane reference
A “stripper” is actually a type of crane, according to the recently issued Dictionary of Cape Breton English
It’s something “every good Cape Bretoner knows,” noted a review of the dictionary in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald newspaper.
In Cape Breton parlance, a stripper crane had “an apparatus used to remove the molds and casings from cooled ingots,” the paper reported.
Dr. Richard MacKinnon, a scholar of Old and Middle English; and Dr. William J. Davey, founding director of the Centre for Cape Breton Studies, compiled the dictionary during two decades of research.
Other entries in the dictionary include gommach (an idiot); krim-co (chocolate milk); kitchen (a lobster trap’s baited chamber); and mother-inlaw’s breath (cold weather).
New Brunswick man hooks fraud victims with course tale
ANew Brunswick man earlier convicted of fraud for bilking people of hundreds of dollars he said was for a crane operator’s course tried the judge’s patience during a December court appearance.
Judge Henrik Tonning of provincial court in Saint John had imposed a partial sentence on 32-year-old James Dale Wade of Clifton Royal provided he sticks to a plan to pay back the money in monthly $100 installments, the Telegraph-Journal reported in May.
But in December, the judge told Wade he didn’t want to hear any more excuses about why the money hadn’t been repaid, the paper later reported. At times, the judge bellowed at the defendant.
If he pays up as promised, that will be taken into consideration in sentencing on two counts that have been adjourned, the paper reported in May. If not, the judge warned, Wade would need to “bring a toothbrush, because you’ll be going to jail,” the report said.
However, in December, the judge gave Wade until Jan. 3 to pay up.
Wade was accused of bilking a local store out of $500 in 2014 as well as almost $200 from a friend in a similar stunt the next year. He was also accused of cashing $900 in bounced cheques at another store. The judge handed a suspended sentence with a year’s probation on the first charge only. Wade was to be sentenced on the other two matters in September, the report said.
Wade’s lawyer told the court in May that his client was recovering from a methadone addiction and could pay back the money if given sufficient time, the paper reported.
Canadian journal seeks articles on apprenticeship training ideas
The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is accepting article submissions on alternate delivery methods of apprenticeship technical training for an upcoming edition of the Canadian Apprenticeship Journal.
Articles must be submitted by April 28 at 12 p.m. eastern daylight time, says a news release from the forum. The articles should be no longer than 5,000 words or 12 pages. Shorter articles of 800 to 2,000 words on specific programs are also welcome.
The forum noted in the release that the federal government’s Flexibility and Innovation in Apprenticeship Training Initiative is currently funding 10 pilot projects that “are experimenting with online learning, upfront training, mobile labs and simulator training.”
Articles must be submitted in Microsoft Word format but can be in French or English. Chosen articles will be published in their language of submission.
Themes of the issue will include:
• Alternate delivery solutions that work for apprentice learners.
• Examples of initiatives from across sectors and jurisdictions.
• Impact of alternate delivery on completion, grades and learner outcomes.
• Breaking down barriers for rural/Northern apprentices and/or under-represented groups.
• Challenges and opportunities alternate delivery poses for training providers and apprentices.
Submissions should be sent by email to emily@caf-fca.org.
Each Toronto crane is worth as many as 500 jobs, says building industry advocate.
File photo by Saul Chernos
Dictionary of Cape Breton English was launched in November.
Submissions are sought for articles about alternate delivery methods of apprenticeship technical training. Photo by fotojog/iStockphoto.com
CRANE ROPE CENTRES
ta - Ontario - Quebec
Montreal port RTGs electrified
The first electrified rubber-tired gantry container crane conversion in Canada recently occurred at the Port of Montreal, according to the company that completed the conversion.
It is also believed to be first such conversion on Liebherr RTG cranes, said the news release from Conductix-Wampfler a fully owned subsidiary of France-based Delachaux Group.
The conversion, which took place at the port’s Montreal Gateway Terminals, reduced fossil fuel consumption and air pollution while increasing productivity, the news release said.
An electric rail runway 440 metres long features Conductix-Wampfler’s “Drive-in L” conductor rail system with two drivein zones, the release said. The version is adapted to the harsh winter climate of Canada, the release added.
The system was also chosen “due to its lightness and compact size which makes it suitable for every type of RTG,” the release said.
Daniel Boyer, maintenance and engineering manager with MGT, added in the news release that “the investment in the electrification of our RTGs is a demonstration of our commitment to our mission.”
MGT wanted “highly sophisticated equipment” for its personnel, “which will allow them to provide reliable and consistent services.”
As the first E-RTG system to include Conductix-Wampfler’s patented and trademarked ProfiDAT data transfer system, its “uniquely designed” earth conductor rail incorporates the company’s “slotted waveguide technology,” the release said.
“Installed in parallel with the power
conductor rails, the multi-purpose data profile ensures the accurate transmission of high data volumes in real-time quality. Mixed data can include video, audio, and real-time control data, which in this case is needed for the E-RTG auto-steering system.”
Conductix-Wampfler designs and manufactures “efficient energy and data transmission systems for all types of mobile equipment and machinery,” according to its website. The Delachaux Group manufactures equipment for railways, transmission of energy and data, and produces chromium for super alloys industries, says its website.
B.C.-based auctioneer takes bids during ConExpo
Vancouver-headquartered Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers doesn’t have a stand at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2017.
But the world’s largest auctioneer of heavy equipment does have an auction site in Las Vegas, where it plans to accept bids on thousands of items, including cranes, during ConExpo.
“We hold four great auctions at our Las Vegas site each year, but our auction held during ConExpo every three years is different,” a recent news release quoted Ron Moss, regional sales manager for Ritchie Bros.
In March 2014, that auction posted record sales of more than 2,300 items that fetched over US$60 million, the release said.
This year’s auction takes place March 9-10, smack in the middle of ConExpo. As of early February, more than 1,000 items were already consigned for the unreserved auction. They include four 2012 Terex rough-terrain cranes, a 2011 Terex RT, and a 1980 Grove RT.
During the auction, Ritchie Bros. will run shuttle buses between its auction site and the Las Vegas Strip. For more information, visit www.rbauction.com/Vegas.
Rubber-tired gantry cranes were recently electrified at the Port of Montreal.
Aerial photo captures the Ritchie Bros. Las Vegas auction held during ConExpo 2014.
Photo by
CNW Group/Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
New standard updates overhead crane safety
he Canadian Standards Association’s B167 standard — for overhead cranes, gantry cranes, monorails, hoists, and jib cranes — has come a long way since its inception in 1964. As a participating member on this standard, I was proud to see the new edition of CSA B1672016 published on Nov. 14, 2016.
The main purpose of CSA B167-16 is to provide manufacturers, end-users, workers and industry with the most current safety requirements for design, fabrication, inspection, maintenance, operation and safety training for overhead traveling lifting equipment. This standard is applicable nationwide.
Provincial and territorial safety authorities have a responsibility to support and provide industry awareness of the nationally recognized CSA safety standards. Meeting the compliance requirements in B167-16 is the correct way to ensure this equipment is properly inspected, maintained and operated. There have been significant changes throughout several sections of this volume, to ensure this equipment is properly inspected, repaired, operated, maintained, and that workers as well as supervisors are suitably trained.
“Safety codes” across Canada
Current industry practice in a number of jurisdictions is to have a volunteer committee participating on the “Cranes and Related Lifting Equipment” section of the provincial/territorial “safety codes.” These committees have a responsibility to provide industry with the most current recognized safety practices for operating this type of lifting equipment. This includes all applicable national and international standards for design, engineering, manufacturing, fabrication, installations, maintenance, inspections records, logbooks, etc.
This is of critical importance as manufacturers, end-users, service companies and suppliers depend on provincial safety codes being complete and current to all applicable provincial/territorial and national safety standards. In the event of catastrophic accident fatalities, the investigating legal authorities will seek out provincial safety legislation and safety codes, to ensure everything reasonably practicable has been addressed. However if the accident involves a fatality, the investigation can be expanded to include applicable Canadian-recognized safety standards.
Company responsibilities
Companies have a responsibility to ensure they have met compliance requirements of the most current provincial and national safety standards. End users have a responsibility to meet compliance requirements of the most current revision of this CSA B167 standard, not an expired publication date, such the 1964 version of CSA B167. Nor can a safety code revision committee refuse to recognize or reference CSA B167-16 in this current revision.
In light of these responsibilities, it’s worth noting the requirements of Bill C-45, a 2004 amendment to the Criminal Code of Canada. Also known as the Westray Bill — for the 1992 Nova Scotia mine disaster that killed 26 workers — Bill C-45 added sections to the Criminal Code that open organizations and their supervisors to criminal liability. Bill C-45 also added another section that states that supervisors have “a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm” to workers under their supervision. One could argue that such “reasonable” steps would include knowledge and adherence to the new CSA B167-2016 standard.
The following are among the significant changes in CSA B167-2016 from the previous version:
Classification and design of cranes and hoists
This includes changes in structural design, stress range, environmental considerations, crane specific design, supporting structure, mechanical requirements, fabrication, braking for trolley, bridge, and electrical requirements, testing and commissioning. There are also new requirements and guidance for selecting and purchasing a crane, to make sure users get the right equipment for the purpose.
Inspection and functional checks
This is covered under section 6.2 — Qualifications of Inspectors for periodic Inspections. Industry across Canada has been trying for several years to find a method for training and certification for overhead crane inspectors. In the new edition, those who do periodic inspections must have a trade designation (electrical, mechanical) or an equivalent qualification, and 8,000 hours of direct experience working on cranes – for example as a skilled overhead crane technician.
Maintenance and repairs
Under section 8.2 — Qualifications of maintenance personnel (service technicians) — an overhead crane service technician must be a certified journeyman electrician, millwright or equivalent trade. Anyone working on electrical systems has to meet the requirements for the relevant provincial or territorial jurisdiction (for example, a licensed electrician with the necessary crane experience). These minimum requirements may not currently be the norm across Canada, so users will need to look at the new edition and see how it applies in their facility. CSA B167-16 shows an opportu-
nity for both these trades to be recognized and in the not-too-far future possibly certified recognized trades-persons.
Operator qualifications and training requirements
Section 9.3 — Operator training —covers theory-based training as well as practical hands-on training and evaluation. The standard requires audit verification of training material content to ensure complete and in compliance to current standards, regulations, and technologies.
In summation
The main purpose of this 2016 revision of CSA B167 is to provide industry and end-users with proper tools they can utilize to ensure their overhead travelling lifting equipment is properly inspected, maintained and repaired.
Utilizing this standard as intended could easily result in a reduction in all related costs, such as in the following examples:
• by reducing unnecessary breakdowns due to misuse and abuse of equipment;
• by greater use of properly maintained
equipment by certified trades; and
• by having properly trained operators, supervisors, and health, safety and environmental protection personnel.
The final result: improved production and products delivered on time.
Industry footnote
Over the years, there have been several conversations regarding the need to develop minimum criteria qualifications for overhead crane technicians and inspectors, as well qualifications for instructors and training material content. That created the necessary structural framework that resulted in the CSA B167-2016 standard. But that is only the first part of the challenge. In the near future, there will be need for further industry discussions on the second part — how to design the qualifications exams and audits for these newly stated requirements and future trades.
Judith Mellott-Green is president and CEO of Edmonton-based All-Canadian Training Institute Inc. and member of the Canadian Standards Association B167-2016 committee.
JUDY MELLOTT-GREEN
Judy Mellott-Green
Pipeline decisions continued from cover
With some larger oilsands projects having come to an end or been paused, Stevens says he doesn’t anticipate new large-scale projects there in the next couple of years.
However, Stevens says he’s buoyed by the federal government’s approval of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline and Enbridge’s Line 3, though the decisions are muted by the denial of Enbridge’s Northern Gateway and the fact that a final decision on Energy East is still pending.
“In the long run it’s going to be good because we won’t see growth in Canada unless we have the capacity to get our product out of here and out to different markets,” Stevens says.
Stevens says he’s mindful of the role cranes play in building and maintaining oilsands projects and the network of pipelines to deliver the product to market, and so he sees longer-term value.
“With the big oilsands projects, a lot of crawler and rough-terrain cranes are used in construction,” Stevens says. “Then, when you get to the maintenance side of things, you use a lot more all-terrain cranes.”
For pipelines, however, cranes will help with pump stations and related infrastructure, whereas the pipes themselves generally call for sidebooms, small boom trucks, and other specialized equipment.
So, for a province that’s been seeing cranes shipped to more economically fruitful pastures, all eyes are on any business and construction activity any new pipelines generate. That, Stevens says, means it will
take time before the crane industry sees growth and corresponding activity return to previous, higher levels.
Union head supports pipelines
As business manager with the International Union of Operating Engineers local 793, which represents operators in Ontario and Nunavut, Michael Gallagher says he’s disappointed Northern Gateway didn’t get the go-ahead.
“There’s an awful lot of hysteria around pipeline construction, oil or gas, yet we’ve been doing them for a hundred years and have been very safe in constructing them,” Gallagher says. “There’s a lot of pipelines that people’s homes are backed onto all throughout Canada and there’s never been any issues.”
While he’s hoping the government will give the green light to Energy East, which would transport oil to refineries in the Maritimes, Gallagher praises Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for taking “a very balanced approach” to the decisions made thus far.
“He approved several of the pipelines that had very positive Energy Board reviews and met all the requirements, and that was really the first approval of any pipelines we’ve had in this country for quite a long time. Even the previous administration, which was very pro-development, was unable to actually build any pipelines.”
Gallagher says he’s especially pleased Trudeau participated in the pipeline an-
nouncement in person. “He didn’t have to do that, but by being there himself he showed support for the industry and sent a message to everybody that he’s going to take ownership of the issue,” Gallagher says.
While pipelines don’t generally call for large cranes, Gallagher agrees the long-term impact should be helpful, and says his members also operate sidebooms and other heavy machinery that will be used.
“Operating engineers do more than operate cranes,” he says. “They operate bulldozers, sidebooms, and large excavators and loaders. So it’s quite a lot of jobs.”
Legal challenges anticipated
Ted Redmond, president and CEO of NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul in Edmonton, cautions that it’s a long way from approval to actual construction.
“Some of the environmental groups are saying they’re going to mount legal challenges, so that could potentially slow the pipelines down,” Redmond says.
Projects also take time to get off the ground, so the economic benefits might not fully materialize for a while. “It takes two or three years to build a pipeline,” Redmond says. “Then you have to have other projects being built to take advantage of the pipeline to create the employment.”
Still, Redmond expresses optimism for upstream projects, which would benefit from added pipeline capacity.
“They (pipelines) would help reduce the transportation costs, which helps make some of the larger upstream oil and gas projects more cost-competitive,” Redmond says. “Some of the oil gets moved by rail, but it’s cheaper to move it by pipeline.”
Other industry players are taking a wait-and-see approach. With Energy East still up in the air, Alan Neumann, chief financial officer of Winnipeg-based Able Crane Services Ltd., says he’s not entirely sure what the future holds.
“I’m always hopeful,” Neumann says. “But the problem is the slowdown in Alberta and Saskatchewan. A lot of the guys there are coming here now.”
Neumann adds that Able Crane has kept busy enough with expansion work undertaken by Manitoba Hydro, as well as a variety of commercial jobs. “This (pipelines) would be maybe a blip on our radar for a year or two but we’d still be servicing our big customers going forward.”
A line of Liebherr and Grove 100- to 165-ton all-terrain cranes supplied by NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul attend to a pipeline pull in Alberta. The 42-inch pipe was lifted so it would be at the right angle to be pulled underneath a river in Alberta.
Photo courtesy of NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul
An Entrec Corporation all-terrain crane and a rough-terrain crane hoist a building.
Photo courtesy of Entrec Corporation.
Large Selection of Manitex Boom Trucks in
“In the long run it’s going to be good because we won’t see growth in Canada unless we have the capacity to get our product out of here and out to different markets.”
~ John Stevens, CEO, Entrec Corporation
“There’s an awful lot of hysteria around pipeline construction, oil or gas, yet we’ve been doing them for a hundred years and have been very safe in constructing them. There’s a lot of pipelines that people’s homes are backed onto all throughout Canada and there’s never been any issues.”
~ Mike Gallagher, business manager, International Union of Operating Engineers local 793
“Some of the
environmental groups are saying they’re going to mount legal challenges, so that could potentially slow the pipelines down.”
~ Ted Redmond, president and CEO, NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul
“This (pipelines) would be maybe a blip on our radar for a year or two but we’d still be servicing our big customers going forward.”
~ Alan Neumann, CFO, Able Crane Services Ltd.
Engineers Training Institute of Ontario in Morrisburg.
project, but he’s also talking about doing that at a fee priced to TransCanada in terms of a type of tax.”
Also concerning, Gallagher says, is the risk to Canada’s auto industry if Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler are impeded from manufacturing in Canada and shipping product to the U.S.
“That would be a blow to the stomach of our economy,” Gallagher says. “So that’s
all the more reason for us to support Energy East and also resource developments like the Ring of Fire (in northern Ontario). It means developing our resources, it means refining most products here, and it means perhaps finding markets in China, Asia and other places in the event we have difficulties in our trade relationships with the U.S.”
Other infrastructure also important
Matt Hnatuk, general manager with Prairie Crane in Saskatoon, says the economic slump means companies wanting to participate in renewed activity will be especially aggressive, and that could have an impact on profit margins at the end of the day.
And with most of the serious action for cranes in the Prairie provinces likely coming upstream from the pipelines, Hnatuk is less focused on the pipes themselves and more on the surrounding infrastructure.
“There’s lots of people sitting, so any investment in infrastructure and expansion is good and will help the economy,” Hnatuk says. “But for us I don’t see it being a huge deal. I see it being an average-size job — nothing compared to a job at a refinery or an expansion at a potash or uranium mine or anything like that.”
At NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul, Ted Redmond says future economic prospects for the region ultimately come down to the global price of oil.
“The oilsands probably need $65-plus oil (per barrel) for the projects to begin to become economical,” says. “It’s not happening yet, but we’re starting to get close with $50 a barrel oil. So the price of oil is trending the right way. A year ago it was $27 and no projects were economical, but at $50 new projects are getting close to being economical. It’s just a wait-and-see game on what happens with the price of oil.”
Of course, the global price of oil won’t be settled in Alberta or anywhere else in Canada. However, one piece of the complex
puzzle lies south of the border, and the election of Donald Trump and a Congress and Senate dominated by Republican Party politicians who have traditionally been friendly to fossil fuels.
Keystone approval anticipated
Redmond says he anticipates support for the Keystone XL pipeline, which would run north-south to refineries in Texas.
“It’s been a longstanding policy of the Republican Party to support the completion of the Keystone XL Pipeline, so it’s likely that Congress will approve it and the president will not veto it,” says Redmond, who becomes chair of the Crane Rental Association of Canada in June. (Redmond’s comments came before President Trump issued his executive order to approve Keystone XL.)
Entrec Corporation’s John Stevens says the U.S. election looks good for his company, which maintains facilities there.
“Ninety per cent of our revenues have (traditionally) come from oil and gas, and we’re down to about 75 per cent, now,” Stevens says. “We operate in the U.S. in the Permian Basin (in west Texas) and in North Dakota, and we’re looking to expand to other places in the U.S., as well.”
At IUOE Local 793, meanwhile, Mike Gallagher worries about U.S. protectionism under a Trump administration and says this is all the more reason to boost resource development and production north of the border.
“He’s talking about supporting the (TransCanada Corp.) Keystone pipeline
Sidebooms are used in a pipeline training course at the Operating
Gantries hoist for transit line
Project will add second east-west route for Toronto commuters
Two 700-ton hydraulic gantry cranes have done their part to make life easier for commuters in uptown Toronto.
Toronto is Canada’s biggest city but has just one citywide east-west rapid transit line, the Bloor-Danforth subway, and that’s located on the north edge of the large downtown core.
An attempt to build a second east-west subway line along Sheppard Avenue was derailed 15 years ago with just a handful of stations east of Yonge Street. However, a new light-rail line currently being built along Eglinton Avenue, roughly halfway between Bloor-Danforth and Sheppard, stands to add a second east-west route for people wanting to avoid the city’s cumbersome network of buses.
The 19-kilometre, $5.3-billion Eglinton Crosstown light rapid transit line, scheduled to open in 2021, had crews using tunnel boring machines to dig two adjacent tunnels for trains running in opposite directions. One pair of machines worked from Black Creek Drive in the west end to Yonge in the city centre, while a second pair dug east-end tunnels from Laird Drive over to Yonge.
SAUL CHERNOS
Mammoet gantry crane moves tunnel boring machine in April 2015 during construction of $5.3-billion Eglinton Crosstown light rapid transit line. Areas were cordoned off so residents could catch a view of the movement of the machines.
Photos courtesy of Metrolinx
continued from page 11
The machines, each seven metres in diameter and weighing 430 tonnes, were assembled on site where their drilling was to begin. However, project planners deemed it too risky to have the two west-end machines digging too close to the existing north-south Spadina subway line.
Mammoet brings in 700-ton gantries
This set in motion a weekend of frenzied action last year, with project proponents contracting two 700-ton gantries and operator services from Mammoet Canada Eastern.
“They weren’t able to dig directly underneath the (Spadina) line because they were worried about the vibrations of the machines,” explained Kyle Hannah, an account manager with Mammoet. “Rather than dismantling them, which would be a very long and labourintensive process, they decided to ‘jump’ the line and came to us for a solution to lift them out at one side of the existing tunnel and then put them back in on the other side.”
In the week leading up to the manoeuvre, crews opened two large square shafts on the north side of Eglinton Avenue, one on each side of the University-Spadina line, and placed a series of large beams to accommodate the gantries.
“The limits for where we could work were fairly stringent. The delivery and assembly schedule had to be timed because we had 20 to 25 truckloads of material coming in for the job, and we couldn’t have 25 trucks lined up on Eglinton waiting to be offloaded. So we had to work with our client to have suitable staging areas and things like that.”
The manoeuvre itself began on the Friday night. After attaching 300-ton strand jacks to the gantries, crews rolled the first gantry into position over-top one of the tunnel boring machines and used rigging to attach it to the gantry and strand jacks.
“They hoisted it up about 60 feet to the surface level,” Hannah said, describing the gantry’s four-point lift. “Then they slid the gantry forward so that it was overtop the street where we could set the tunnel boring machine down on a hydraulic trailer.”
Crews tied the machine to the trailer, drove it across the existing tunnel, attached it to the eastern gantry, rolled the gantry over-top the eastern shaft, and lowered the machine down into the eastern shaft to resume its work eastwards towards Yonge Street.
Crews then moved the second machine in a mirror image of the first lift. “It was basically the same operation twice in one weekend,” Hannah said.
The two machines then resumed their lengthy trek, reaching Yonge Street this past June.
While the job was relatively straight-forward, there were some challenges.
As with many urban jobs, space was tight. Crews closed Eglinton Avenue to traffic for the duration of the weekend hoisting but maintained one lane in each direction while building the shafts and setting up and dismantling the gantries.
“The limits for where we could work were fairly stringent,” Hannah said. “The delivery and assembly schedule had to be timed because we had 20 to 25 truckloads of material coming in for the job, and we couldn’t have 25 trucks lined up on Eglinton waiting to be offloaded. So we had to work with our client to have suitable staging areas and things like that.”
Work draws a crowd
The lift also enjoyed a relatively high profile. “Everyone in the neighbourhood wanted to come out and see what was happening,” Hannah said. Metrolinx, the provincial government agency responsible for the project, cordoned off an area on each side of the street and even set up viewing stands so spectators could watch from a safe distance.
The high visibility and tight schedule made it imperative that the job go smoothly. “We only had one weekend to do it, so everything had to go according to plan, and it did,” Hannah said. “Everyone did a great job.”
As well, the construction consortium, Crosstown Transit Constructors, wanted to keep the western shaft as narrow as possible in order to maintain traffic flow, because the Allen Expressway’s southernmost offramp spills onto Eglinton Avenue at that same juncture. Mammoet used extra-large beams to bear the weight of the gantry and tunnel boring machine without requiring a wider shaft to allow space for vertical support pillars.
Then, when Crosstown expressed concern about the heavy trailer load crossing over-top of the subway line and requested extra reinforcement, Mammoet designed a ramp system. “We used some of the ramps we’d designed primarily for barge offloading and similar types of operations to ramp over that section of the (subway) tunnel,” Hannah said.
In the end, crews completed the two lifts by Sunday morning, roughly 12 hours ahead of schedule.
“It went very smoothly given the size of the machines and the complexity of the job,” said Jamie Robinson, who oversees community relations and communications for rapid transit projects for Metrolinx.
“We spent months planning this move. I’ve been down in the tunnels a number of times, but to see them actually hoist the machines out of the pit and see them standing there being held by a crane and then being manoeuvred onto the flatbed and lowered into the extraction shaft — it was truly remarkable.”
CONEXPO PREVIEW
Last call for ConExpo continued from cover
We’ll be watching for you
The combined attendance in 2014 of ConExpo and the co-located International Exposition for Power Transmission totalled 129,364. Twenty-four per cent of show visitors were from outside the U.S., according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, which organizes the event. The AEM didn’t have a figure for the Canadian attendance, but 10 per cent would be a conservative estimate based on badge sightings.
“Naturally, our booth attracted a lot of Canadian visitors attending the show in addition to fellow exhibitors looking for ways to increase their product exposure in Canada,” Thain observed following the 2014 ConExpo. “As a firsttime exhibitor at the show, we were very pleased overall and specifically found the event an excellent opportunity to connect face-to-face with the many supporters of the publication.”
Three years ago, the magazine exhibited in the Gold Lot, amid the shadows of the towering crane booms of the massive stands of Terex, Liebherr, Manitowoc, Link-Belt and the like. This year, the Crane & Hoist Canada booth is indoors, in the Gold Hall, next to ForgeFX Training Simulations (G73420) and Sterling Lumber, a maker of crane mats (G73323), and across the aisle from Liftmoore Inc., a maker of truck cranes (G73313), and F & M Mafco Inc., a manufacturer of after-market cranes parts (G73320).
Other nearby booths include Edmonton-based craneboom maker Weldco-Beales Manufacturing Inc. (G73507), Toronto-based Mechanics Hub (G71501), Edmontonbased Cranesmart Systems, Ontario-based Atlantic Braids Ltd. (G73220), as well as the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario, which is sharing a booth (G72413) with Montreal-based CM Labs Simulations.
“Visitors will be able to test drive any of our three new Vortex Advantage Simulators (including motion platform), along with two desktop simulators,” said a recent email from David Clark, product marketing manager with CM Labs Simulations, who will be attending his first ConExpo in March. “These simulators will be running CM Labs’ Construction Suite training modules, including mobile and tower cranes, as well as wheel loader, excavator, and backhoe training modules.”
Exhibitors from eight provinces
A search in late January of the ConExpo website revealed 150 exhibitors from eight provinces. That was eight
more Canadian exhibitors than listed in earlier searches, as we reported in the last edition. In one notable change, the more recent ConExpo website search correctly identified Penticton-based Brutus Truck Bodies as a B.C. company. Brutus is sharing booth G3125 in the Gold Lot with Italian truck-crane manufacturer Next Hydraulics S.R.L.
The website now identifies 26 B.C. companies, compared to 23 previously. Meanwhile, Ontario now has 61 exhibitors, up from 57. Quebec has 29, up from 28. Alberta has gone to 15 from 14. Saskatchewan has 12, up from 11. Manitoba has nine, up from eight. And New Brunswick has
doubled its contingent to two.
Overall, the number of exhibitors is too large to list. Aside from the dozens of crane exhibitors — 54 listed under rough-terrain cranes alone — the exhibition features scores of listings under accessories such as hooks (21), and wire rope (33).
“The show is really busy,” said Darren Darnley, a sales representative with Nanaimo-based VMAC vehicle mounted air compressors, during the 2014 show, his first visit to ConExpo. “It’s important to get your name out here. There are a lot of big players here. It’s good to be ahead of the game with the latest and greatest and kind of stay on top of things. As a me-to company, you want to make sure that your new products are out there and being displayed.”
ConExpo keeps growing
The 2017 version of ConExpo promises to be even bigger. According to the AEM, the 2014 version had more than 2.35 million net square feet of exhibition space and more than 2,000 exhibitors. For 2017, there will be in excess of 2.5 million of exhibition space and more than 2,500 exhibitors. Among the exhibitors are nearly 700 new ones.
Also new to ConExpo is the Tech Experience pavilion, which encompasses over 75,000 square feet. Described on the ConExpo website as an “immersive, future-forward showcase that allows you to see what’s possible tomorrow, today,” the Tech Experience features a 3D printed excavator, simulator training, and solar roadways demonstrations.
This year’s ConExpo features more than 130 education sessions, not including repeat sessions, in 15 different tracks. Those tracks include cranes, rigging and aerial lifts. (See related story). Attendees can purchase tickets for single sessions, day passes, or passes for the entire conference.
Among the other ConExpo highlights are the NASCAR Experience at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 10, and a concert by classic rock bank Foreigner on March 8 to benefit the Call of Duty Endowment. The concert at the Brooklyn Bowl “was made possible through a generous donation from Terex Corporation,” notes a posting on the ConExpo website. Attendance for that is limited to the first 2,350 people to register and make a suggested donation of $29 to the Call of Duty Endowment.
At the 2014 ConExpo Terex hosted a show by ZZ Top at The Joint, a 4,000-seat showroom in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. And later that week, REO Speedwagon performed a free concert downtown on Fremont Street. For more information about ConExpo 2017, visit www.conexpoconagg.com.
Elson Oliveira, an equipment fleet manager with Odebrecht who is based in Guarulhos, Brazil, speaks with Lilian Cardenas, Quebec Citybased Rayco-Wylie’s account manager for Latin America, at ConExpo 2014 about her company’s i4507 tower crane load moment indicator.
Richard Coulas, director of training and operations at the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario’s Morrisburgh campus, plays around with a Vortex simulator of a Grove mobile at the institute’s 2014 ConExpo booth.
Richard Samelko of Port Perry, Ont., and Greg Horvat of Oshawa, who both work for Waterloo-based Modern Crane, visit the Crane & Hoist Canada stand in 2014.
Crane booms appear to bend in this fisheye view of the Liebherr stand at ConExpo 2014.
ConExpo education sessions to feature Canadian content
Entire track of programs dedicated to heavy lifting
everal sessions of particular interest to those in the crane industry are among the more than 120 educational programs on tap at the triennial ConExpo-Con/Agg trade show Las Vegas this March.
There’s even some Canadian content among the sessions in the “Cranes, Rigging, & Aerial Lifts” track, one of more than dozen tracks of educational content at ConExpo, which takes place March 7-11 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
What follows are brief descriptions of the crane-related educational sessions. Unless otherwise indicated, they are applicable to all levels of industry experience.
• What Does Certification Have to Do With Qualification? happens March 7, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Objectives of the sessions include understanding the role of certification in qualifying personnel; knowing the latest state federal requirements; and learning “how employers have put certification programs to good use.”
Speakers are Graham Brent, CEO of the National Commission for the Certification of Cranes Operators; Thom Sickelsteel, branch manager with Barnhart Crane and Rigging; William Smith, executive vicepresident of claims and risk management with NationBuilders Insurance Services Inc.; and Dr. Roy Smith, executive director of Workcred, an affiliate of the American National Standards Institute.
• Quality Crane Inspection: What is That? takes place March 7, 1-2:30 p.m. Considered a intermediate level session, for those with six to 10 years experience on the job, it covers “when cranes are required to be inspected, who can inspect them, what qualifies a person to be a crane inspector, and how to know if you received a quality crane inspection.”
The speaker is Raymond Feldt, a corporate inspection/training manager with Stephenson Equipment Inc., a Manitowoc Crane dealer in Pennsylvania and New York state.
• Responsibilities of Onsite Personnel for Cranes is on March 8, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Learning objectives include understanding the roles and responsibilities for each job on the site and the training requirements for those roles. Thom Sicksteel of Branhart Crane and Rigging is the instructor.
• Mechanics of a Super Lift takes place March 8, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and repeats March 10, 1-2:30 p.m. Rated as a novice session, for those with one to five years of experience, it covers “various considerations for managing super lifts, including how plans are developed and checked, technical challenges, and how to develop a lift manual.”
The speaker is Joseph Collins, heavy lift division manager for Becht Engineering Co. Ltd., which is headquartered in Liberty Corner, N.J.
• Crane Assembly and Disassembly
Checklists is March 8, 3-4 p.m., repeating March 10, 9:30-10:30 a.m. “This session will review the specific responsibilities when assembling or disassembling mobile and tower cranes.” It also includes selecting the crane, understanding site preparation, and “pre-delivery inspection requirements.”
The speaker is Jeff Hammons, who has “27 years of experience in corporate safety and risk management working for major contractors, engineering firms, and transportation and crane rental companies.”
• The Case for Cranes and Telematics: Specialized Circumstances & Concerns takes place March 9, 9:30-10:30 a.m. The session will include discussions of the specialized challenges telematics presents for cranes, and look at “how telematic management systems assist their organizations in lowering costs using data fields specific to cranes.”
The panelists are Ken Burke, country manager for Sarens Canada Inc.; Mike Lauer, training manager and project/account manager at OEM Data Delivery, headquartered in Shelton, Conn.; and Mickey Hammers, equipment coordinator for Traylor Bros. Inc., headquartered in Evansville, Ind.
• Root Causes of Mobile Crane Incidents is presented March 9, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
“This session will analyze a large number of accidents of mobile cranes over the course of more than 20 years.” It will explore the root causes of crane accidents; how behavioral training of personnel can improve safety; and “guidelines for proper maintenance, inspection and repairs.”
The speakers are Soren Jansen a consultant as well as a director of ESTA, the European association for mobile cranes and abnormal road transport; and Klaus Meissner, director of product strategy for Terex Cranes.
• Planning Load Moves: ASME P30.1 and its Practical Application takes place March 9, 1-2:30 p.m. Geared toward the intermediate level (six to 10 years experience), this presentation and workshop “will show the attendees how to identify the proper equipment and methods needed for a unique load handling assignment.”
The presenters are Joseph Kuzar of Industrial Training International, and ITI founder and technical director Mike Parnell. ITI is based in Woodland, Wash., and has a training centre in Nisku, Alta. Kuzar and Parnell are both familiar faces in Canada, having conducted sessions at industry conferences in Edmonton in recent years.
• Working in the Blind: The Impact of Technology in a Claims Scenario occurs March 9, 3-4 P.M.
Aimed at the intermediate level (six to
10 years experience), the session will look at “the role of hook cameras and other technologies, both on the site and in legal scenarios,” how plaintiffs might use such information, and the “best practices in crane technology.
The speakers are Arthur Kirkner, vicepresident of claims with NBIS; and William Smith of NBIS.
• Lift Director: Qualifications & Requirements happens March 10, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The sessions will review the responsi-
bilities of lift directors “in a variety” of environments; identify the common elements of lift plans; and the “prevailing standards and best practices” for lift directors.
The presenters are Hank Dutton Jr. and Scott Richert, who are both senior technical specialists with Travelers, an insurance industry giant based in Hartford, Conn., and also the sponsor of the ConExpo educational programs.
Prices range from $69 for a single session to $395 for a pass to all sessions, which is also included in the show’s Supreme pack. For more information, visit www.conexpoconagg.com/visit/education/.
Joe Kuzar of Industrial Training International will join ITI founder and technical director Mike Parnell in leading a workshop at ConExpo on “equipment and methods needed for a unique load handling assignment.”
Klaus Meissner of Terex Cranes will be among the speakers during educational sessions at ConExpo 2017.
File photos by Keith Norbury
New crawler to debut at ConExpo
new 130-ton crawler crane from Link-Belt Construction Equipment will make its debut at ConExpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas next March.
Built on Link-Belt’s Hylab, latticeboom crawler line-up, the 228 HSL can move at under 120,000 pounds as an assembled machine with tracks on, said a news release from the manufacturer, which is based in Lexington, Ky. By removing the side frames, it can achieve a transport weight of less than 80,000 pounds.
“There are markets that will appreciate the increased capacity with these transport weight options,” the release quoted Scott Knight, Link-Belt’s product manager for lattice and telescopic crawler cranes.
A “whisper quiet” 270 horsepower Cummins QSB 6.7L tier 4 final diesel engine powers the 228 HSL. The power plant couples to a direct-drive gearbox powering the Kawasaki main pump package. And an operator selectable “auto-idle” engine shutdown feature allows for maximum fuel economy during extended idling.
“Link-Belt Hylabs built their reputation on great reliability and durability and these proven components have been integrated again on the 228,” Knight said.
Matching main and auxiliary “power-up and power-down” winches come standard equipped with the selectable free-fall system. Main hoist drums are grooved for 26-millimetre wire rope. These winches provide maximum line pull of 43,198 pounds, and feature Link-Belt’s wet-brake design for controlling the load on-hook during free-fall operation.
Like many Link-Belt Hylabs, the 228 HSL will offer maximum boom lengths with two different styles of boom: tubular boom, up to 235 feet; and angle boom, up to 155 feet. A fixed jib, common to the 218 HSL, with lengths of 30 to 75 feet, in 15-foot sections, is available.
Standard features on the lower car body include hydraulically extendable side frames, hydraulic car body jacks, swing out axle extenders, and centralized grease points. Side frames feature completely sealed under-carriage components, hydraulic track tensioning system and self-cleaning full contact track shoes. A pair of 13,250-pound “hook and pin” style car body counterweights fit neatly between retracted side frames.
To accommodate varying transport regulations throughout North America, the 228 HSL is equipped with car body jacks and quick disconnects for lower hydraulics for quick and easy installation and removal of side frames when needed. Depending on the geography, it can transport with full counterweight in four or five loads.
Other features of the 228 HSL include the following:
• third drum common to 218 HSL for “plug and play;”
• 730-foot-pounds of peak torque at 1,500 rpm;
• programmable swing stop with function kick out;
• telematics for forecasting maintenance and service needs. For more information, visit www.linkbelt.com.
The 228 HSL lattice-boom crawler is a new addition to LinkBelt’s Hylab line-up. Link-Belt is in booth G3864 in the Gold Lot at ConExpo.
From Quebec to Las Vegas simulators set to steal show
ontreal-based crane simulator manufacturer CM Labs Simulations will launch a new “professional-grade” entry-level desktop training simulator at ConExpo-Con/Agg this March in Las Vegas.
The company, which will share booth G72413 (in the Gold Hall) with the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario, will also showcase its immersive Vortex Advantage simulator, said a news release from CM Labs. Simulations of the Vortex Advantage — which was launched last October — include tower, mobile and overhead cranes, as well as boom trucks and other heavy equipment.
The new desktop-mounted simulator is designed for the classroom and makes it “easier than ever” for training organizations to deploy a full range of training modules from CM Labs. It can also maximize operator seat time, the release said.
The Vortex Advantage simulator, meanwhile, “is designed for maximum training flexibility.” It comes with one, three, or five displays, with rotation for three-display option, an optional motion platform, hot-swappable control sets and pedals, and operator training modules for mobile, tower, and overhead cranes and other equipment.
CM Labs Simulations’ Vortex Advantage immersive simulator will be on display at ConExpo-Con-Agg.
In addition, the company’s full catalogue of modules “is ready to run on any Vortex simulator,” the release said. For more information, visit www.cm-labs.com.
Quebec company launches three products at ConExpo
Rayco-Wylie Systems, a Quebec-based crane accessory maker, is presenting three new products at ConExpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas this March.
The new products are the i4300 load moment indicator; wireless aluminum loadcells; and i4500 crane indicator, according to Rayco-Wylie’s listing on the ConExpo website.
The i4300 LMI features a grayscale graphical 4.3-inch display.
The wireless aluminum load cells, with capacities from 12 to 500 tons, have hand-held display to help a user “monitor load under the hook.”
The i4500 is an “all-in-one” rated capacity indicator, or RCI. According to the Rayco-Wylie website, the system is designed for all types of cranes — in material handling, construction, or offshore — and “has the capability to centralize the safety information, engine data and camera images all on one clear, full-colour display.”
Those display sizes come in 4.3-inch, seven-inch, or 10.4-inch versions.
“The system hosts multiple sensor inputs such as load, radius, angle, slew, hook height, wind speed and permits up to four camera views,” notes the description on the ConExpo site.
Rayco-Wylie, which is headquartered in the Quebec City suburb of Sainte-Foy, is exhibiting in booth G3878 in the Gold Lot.
For more information, visit www.raycowylie.com.
The Unmistakable Power of Strongco
Dale Thornton a crane supervisor for Mission Support Alliance of West Richland, Wash. uses Rayco-Wylie controls to operate a model crawler crane at Quebec-based Rayco-Wylie’s booth at ConExpo 2011.
File photo by Keith Norbury
New crane operating system coming to Las Vegas event
The latest version of Link-Belt Construction Equipment’s patented crane operating system will be showcased on new crane models at ConExpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas this March, says a news release from LinkBelt.
Link-Belt Pulse 2.0 “provides a simple interface for crane operators with a larger display, along with programmable features that allow each operator to customize their display; and software can be updated remotely,” the release said.
The new system has a 10-inch display, which is 47 per cent bigger than the original Pulse’s screen.
“It has been carefully selected to deliver a high resolution screen tough enough for harsh operating environments,” the release said. “A resistive touch screen can be used with gloves and be seen in direct sunlight with larger, clearer images; and the unit is pivot-mounted for optimal viewing. The interface is more dynamic throughout the operating system, with larger buttons and interactive indicator lights displayed on the margins.”
The 2.0 version can also service and update the software remotely. It includes a wi-fi hub that uses the machine’s serial number to detect any updates. And it downloads and installs the software to the appropriate controller.
Headquartered in Lexington, Ky., Link-Belt will occupy booth G3864 in the Gold Lot at ConExpo.
For more information, on Link-Belt, visit www.linkbelt.com.
RTs to make world premiere
The “world premiere” of a pair of rough-terrain cranes and a virtual realty tour of a tower crane in action are among the promised highlights at the Liebherr stand at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2017.
The 90-tonne LRT 1090-2.1 and 100-tonne LRT 1100-2.1 RTs are new crane models that “feature an outrigger monitoring system as standard,” said a news release from Liebherr, which is exhibiting at booth G4637 in the Gold Lot.
The LRT 1100-2.1 has a 50-metre telescopic boom with a “Telematik” telescoping system “on which the various telescoping sections can be extended independently with a single cylinder and then pinned to the telescopic section above,” the release said. It has 14 tonnes of counterweight and can lift about 15 per cent more than the the LRT 1090-2.1, which features a 47-metre telescopic boom, the release noted.
All LRTs come standard with Liebherr’s trademarked VarioBase support system.
Visitors to the Liebherr stand can also take a virtual reality tour of a 710 HC-L luffing-jib tower crane in action 300 metres in the air as it works on the Museum of Modern Art Tower in New York City.
“Simply take a look through the virtual reality goggles and you will find a whole new world,” the release said. Using a game pad, visitors can get close to the man-sized hook and “fly into the crane’s jib or through gigantic urban canyons and watch the traffic below – anything is possible.”
Back in the real world at ConExpo, Liebherr will exhibit its new 81 K.1 fasterecting crane, an upgrade of the 81 K. The lifting capacity of the 81 K.1 can be temporarily increased by up to 20 per cent, the release said.
Liebherr, which is headquartered in Switzerland, is also unveiling a new optional exterior cabin for its K series cranes.
The company also has an indoor booth, S84230, to display its mechanical, hydraulic and electric drive systems. For more information, visit www.liebherr.com.
Link-Belt’s Pulse 2.0 display will be displayed at ConExpo.
The LRT 1090-2.1 is one two Liebherr rough-terrain cranes making its world premiere at ConExpo.
New hammerhead to debut in Vegas
erex Cranes will introduce a new SK series hammerhead tower crane at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2017 in Las Vegas this March.
The hammerhead will be among the machines and new technologies on display at the Terex booth, G3382 in the Gold Lot, said a news release from the company.
“Terex Cranes representatives will be on hand to discuss and show customers the latest features available for the allterrain, crawler, rough terrain, tower, boom truck and truck crane products,” says a recent posting on Terex’s Facebook page. “The latest crane innovations that enable customers to operate efficiently will also be on display.”
In early 2017, Terex plans to introduce a 300-ton sixaxle crane, re-enter the City class crane market, and launch a new flat-top tower crane, the release noted. For more information about Terex Cranes, visit www.terex.com/cranes/en/.
New RT featured at ConExpo
new two-axle roughterrain will make its debut at the Tadano America Corporation stand at ConExpo 2017.
The new GR1200XL features a 56-metre six-section formed boom and a 10.1-metre to 17.7-metre jib, said a news release from Tadano, which is exhibiting in booth G4137 in the Gold Lot.
Other features of the GR1200XL include Tadano’s AML-C load moment indicator “with full on-board diagnostics;” a Cummins-powered Tier 4 compliant QSB6.7 direct-injection engine; and safety features such as multiple tie-off points.
Ingo Schiller, Tadano America’s incoming president, said the company is eager to unveil the GR1200XL, noting that it “fills the gap between” Tadano’s popular GR1000XL and GR1600XL models.
Tadano is also reintroducing an upgraded version of its ATF110G-5 all-terrain crane, the release noted.
The 110-tonne crane includes “multiple counterweight configurations for ease of transport and the new AML-F load moment system that includes full on-board diagnostics,” the release said.
The ATF110G features a 52-metre five-section formed boom and a jib configuration ranging from 3.8m
to 32 metres. The jib includes an integrated heavy lift jib.
“The former ATF110-G-5 was one our most popular cranes,” the release quoted Mark Krajci, all-terrain crane product manager. “We have been looking forward to the new model introduction and the improved ability to work and transport the machine in multiple counterweight configurations.”
Other features of the new ATF110G-5 include the following:
• asymmetrical outrigger set up, a lift-release adjuster safety system that provides radius correction for boom deflection under load;
• main and auxiliary drum- and frontmounted driver’s cab cameras;
• flat front driver’s cab glass;
• quick removable hose reel with stand; and
• a two-engine design.
Tadano will also be displaying five other RT and AT cranes.
They are the GR1000XL, a 100-ton RT; the threeaxle GR1600XL; the four-axle ATF70G-4; and the GR150XL ORI, an RT used in confined applications such refineries and cities.
For more information about Tadano, which is headquartered in Japan, visit www.tadano.com.
Terex SuperLift 3800 towers over the Gold Lot at ConExpo 2014.
Surprises promised at ConExpo stand
Manitowoc Cranes plans to unveil several new machines at ConExpo-Con/Agg this March in Las Vegas.
However, the Wisconsin-based manufacturer is keeping details “under wraps until the show itself,” the company said in a recent news release.
“We are unveiling a number of cranes that should surprise and delight customers,” the release quoted Barry Pennypacker, Manitowoc’s president and CEO. “As a company we’re committed to bringing greater velocity to our operations, and introducing new products more rapidly to improve the return on invested capital for our customers.”
Cranes the company has confirmed for its ConExpo 2017 booth, G3348 in the Gold Lot, include the Grove GMK5250L and GMK5150L all-terrain models. “These two long-boom units are both appearing for the first time at a trade show in North America,” the release noted.
The 250-tonne GMK5250L has a 70-metre boom available while the 150-tonne GMK5150L has a 60-metre boom available. Both models are mounted on five-axle carriers and feature a single engine — “an innovative design concept pioneered by Grove in larger all-terrain cranes,” the release said.
Also confirmed for ConExpo 2017 is the 75-tonne Grove GRT880 rough-terrain crane, also being displayed publicly for the first time on this continent. It features Manitowoc’s Crane Control System, or CCS.
ConExpo will also feature three Potain tower cranes — the self-erecting Hup 40-30 from a range unveiled in 2016; and two top-slewing models, the MD 559, and the topless MDT 219. Both feature CCS.
Also on the stand will be a NBT 40-1 series National boom truck. For more information, visit www.manitowoc.com.
Luffing-jib tower crane to mark trade show first
or the first time ever, Linden Comansa America will display a luffing-jib tower crane at a North American exhibition.
The company, a subsidiary of the Spain-based manufacturer, is bringing the LCL 310 luffing-jib tower crane to ConExpo-Con/Agg this March in Las Vegas.
Linden Comansa (booth G2789 in the Gold Lot) will also highlight new developments and original flat-top cranes launched during the year leading up to ConExpo, the company said in a news release.
The LCL310 comes in 12-, 18-, and 24-ton versions with maximum jib lengths of 60 metres and jib lengths every five metres, the release said.
An electric crane, it has a compact, out-of-service position and reduced hook radius, making it “ideal for use in cities or congested job sites,” the release said.
Meanwhile, Linden Comansa will launch the largest luffer in its lineup, the LCL 700, a few weeks before ConExpo at the company’s headquarters in Spain. It comes in 50- and 64-ton versions. More details will be available at the ConExpo booth.
Other cranes Linden Comansa is promoting are of its 2100 series, including the latest 21 LC 335 and 21 LC 550 crane models, which can now accommodate up to 20 tons from 18 tons in previous versions. The new 21 LC 450 crane model, meanwhile comes in 20- and 25-ton versions to replace the previous 12- and 18-ton models.
The 3000 series flat-top tower cranes vary from 32-ton, to 48-ton, to 90-ton. And the 16 LC 260 “features an integrated tower top and counter-jib into one component.”
Founded in 2002, Linden Comansa America is exhibiting for the fifth time at ConExpo. Last year, LCA opened a Northwest rental division to serve, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. For more information, visit www.comansa.com/eng/index.htm.
Remote crane camera among chosen for ConExpo 2017’s Tech Experience
The maker of HoistCam, a remote camera monitoring system, has been chosen to take part in the new Tech Experience pavilion at ConExpo-Con/ Agg in Las Vegas this March.
“We are thrilled that the HoistCam suite of remote monitoring products was asked to create interactive demonstrations for the Job Site Zone at the Tech Experience,” a news release quoted Chris Machut, chief technology cfficer for Netarus LLC, maker of the trademarked HoistCam platform. “Participants were carefully vetted by an independent panel of judges based on the ability to deliver an immersive, futuristic experience for attendees.”
At the show, Netarus will debut its trademarked SiteTrax.io, “which enables raw video and photography to be automatically analyzed into near real-time, meaningful reports,” the release said. The system overlays images to create three-dimensional point clouds and digital surface maps “to deliver as-built reports,” the release noted.
or equipment operations, improving productivity and safety,” the release added.
“The last thing project managers need is more data to decipher,” Machut said, “SiteTrax.io does the work for you and seamlessly integrates with your business operations.”
It also builds upon HoistCam Director fleet monitoring software, allowing “construction owners and general contractors to view and manage hundreds of job sites
Hands-on demonstrations of SiteTrax.io will take place in the Imagine What’s Next: Jobsites vignette of the Tech Experience, located in Silver Lot 3.
HoistCam cameras and HoistCam Director will also be exhibited in Gold Lot booth G71913 as well as at several crane exhibits.
For more information, visit www.hoistcam.com.
The LCL 310 will make its North American debut at ConExpo 2017.
The Grove GMK5250L (shown above) and GMK5150L will make their North American debuts at ConExpo.
Multiple video and image frames captured from the HoistCam camera system and HoistCam Director are processed into a 3D point cloud, which then is analyzed by SiteTrax.io to produce near real-time reports.
New gantry cranes give lift to Alberta manufacturer
pair of twin singlebeam gantry cranes were delivered recently to an Alberta manufacturer of precast concrete products.
Eagle Builders of BlackFalds, Alta. will use the 50-ton capacity Shuttlelift SB50 cranes “to handle larger and heavier product more safely and efficiently” as well as make use of “every square foot of expanded production space,” said a news release from Shuttlelift, which is based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
The new cranes will be used in tandem with Eagle Builders’ existing 50-tonne Shuttlelift ISL50B “to increase our loading and storage efficiency,” the news release quoted Kevin Kooiker, director and production manager at Eagle Builders, which is in Aspelund Industrial Park about 15 kilometres north of Red Deer.
The company started with a 10,000 square foot product shop in 2000. It has since expanded to a 150,000 square foot manufacturing plant, the release noted.
Features of the new SB50 mobile cranes include all-wheel electronic steering; 12-volt LED lights for night operations; automatic variable throttle, or ATV, which saves on fuel; and remote diagnostic communications to maximize the crane’s uptime.
“We have enjoyed the maneuverability of all-wheel electronic steering on our ISL50B for years now and felt this was a must for our new machines,” Kooiker said in the news relesae. “And with the wireless remote control we are able to reduce the required manpower by allowing the operator to be hands-on and closer to the action, and in turn, make the machine extremely efficient and safe to run.”
Another consideration for Eagle Builders was the service provided by Kendrick Equipment, Shuttlelift’s certified service dealer for Alberta and one of the crane maker’s worldwide network of dealers.
“The overall quality of the Shuttlelift product, as well as the first class service provided by Kendrick Equipment, played a critical role in choosing which cranes we invested in,” Kooiker said in the release. “Dave Marshall (sales manager) and the rest of the team are always going the extra mile.”
For more information about Eagle Builders, visit http://eaglebuilders.ca. For more about Shuttlelift, visit www.shuttlelift.com.
Ontario firm’s subsidiary appoints a new president
Omaha Standard Palfinger has appointed a new president.
Jason Holt, who became president effective Jan. 2, “has made tremendous contributions to the operational objectives at Omaha Standard Palfinger since his installment in 2013,” said a news release from the company.
Holt was previously the vice-president of operations.
Mark Woody, who temporarily served as president for the last year and is now Area North America’s vicepresident of sales, said in the release that Holt “is a strong leader and he possesses the required skills to leverage Omaha Standard Palfinger with a strong focus on the operational side of our business.”
Holt will report directly to Woody and to Randy Wingenroth, Palfinger’s North American vice-president.
“I am very excited to step into this role,” Holt said in the release. “As president, I look forward to leading our company through its next phase, while supporting our customers with high quality products.”
OSP is based in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Since 2008, it has been part of the Palfinger North America Group, which is headquartered in Niagara Falls, Ont. Palfinger products include knuckle-boom cranes, service cranes, hoists, service and truck bodies, and Pal Pro mechanics trucks.
For more information about Pal nger, which is headquartered in Austria, visit www.pal nger.com.
Ontario firm now represents Italian crane manufacturer
ntario-based Canadian Professional Crane Inc. is the new Canadian dealer for Italian crane manufacturer FB Gru’s self-erecting cranes.
In the arrangement, which took effect in November, Canadian Professional Crane will also represent FB Gru in the United States and Lebanon, said an email announcement from Canadian Professional Crane owner Aram Malek.
His company, headquartered in Waterdown, Ont., will also now have an office in Calgary, Alta.
The first FB Gru crane Malek’s company will be offering is the GA 136, which he described as a clean, pollution-free and low-cost maintenance machine. The GA 136 features a boom radius of 124 feet and a maximum capacity of 8,800 pounds.
Characteristics of the GA 136, which has a one-jib version, include the following:
• hoisting, trolley and slewing mechanisms with three speeds;
• divisible and removable erection ballast blocks;
• possibility of working with a folded jib, both in horizontal and luffed position;
• 1,000-kilogram maximum load with folded jib;
• trolley-out limit switch for folded jib with automatic positioning;
• optional mini derrick;
• reduced slewing ratio contained inside the bearing legs;
• steel-shaped electric cubicle and accessories box;
• all winches and all limit switches contained in the lower part of the crane;
• erection pump driven by inverter for the control of the erection speed of the crane; and
• standard height of 68 feet.
For more information about Canadian Professional Crane, visit www.cpcrane.com or www.matticrane.ca.
For more about FB Gru, which is headquartered in Valmadrera, Italy, visit http://www.fbgru.it.
Niagara
Falls firm names new VP
Palfinger has appointed Randy Wingenroth as vice-president of operations for the company’s North American business area.
Wingenroth succeeds Michael Berger, who is returning to Palfinger’s headquarters in Austria to become head of corporate human resources, said a news release from the company.
Bringing over 20 years of senior leadership experience in operations, strategic sourcing, supply chain management, and
lean manufacturing, Wingenroth will work Mark Woody, the vice-president of sales, to lead Palfinger’s North American business, the release said.
Both men will report to Lennart Brelin, president of Palfinger’s Americas region.
“Randy will be a great addition to the management team and with a stronger drive for process quality, consistency and lean manufacturing, I’m confident that his contributions will add great value for our customers,” Brelin said in the release.
Palfinger North America is headquartered in Niagara Falls, Ont. The company’s products include knuckle-boom cranes, mechanic trucks, service cranes, and hoists.
Shuttlelift SB50 cranes will increase lifting capacity at Eagle Builders of BlackFalds, Alta.
The GA 136 will be the first FB Gru offering from Canadian Professional Crane Inc.
Jason Holt
MARCH 2017
March 7-11, 2017
ConExpo-Con/Agg
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
“Every major construction industry is represented amongst 2,400 exhibitors, including asphalt, aggregates, concrete, earthmoving, lifting, mining, utilities and more.”
http://www.conexpoconagg.com
March 14-17, 2017
Work Truck Show
Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Ind.
“North America’s largest work truck event is your once-a-year chance to see all of the newest industry products.”
http://www.ntea.com/worktruckshow/
March 19-22, 2017
North American Iron Workers/IMPACT Labor-Management Conference
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, San Diego, Calif.
http://www.impact-net.org
March 21-22, 2017
Buildex Edmonton
Edmonton Expo Centre, Northlands, Edmonton, Alta.
“With over 150 exhibits, and more than 35 educational seminars Buildex attracts over 2,500 attendees annually.”
http://www.buildexedmonton.com
APRIL 2017
April 3-6, 2017
ProMat
McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill.
“ProMat is where manufacturing and supply chain professionals come to find their X – that unknown quantity that will take their supply chain to the next level of success.”
http://www.promatshow.com
April 6-7, 2017
National Heavy Equipment Show
International Centre, Mississauga, Ont.
“Held biennially, it is a showcase of the leaders of the heavy equipment, road building, construction, snow removal, aggregates and related sectors.” http://www.nhes.ca
April 23-26, 2017
Associated Wire Rope Manufacturers Spring General Meeting
Westin Savannah Harbor, Savanna, Ga.
“Serving the lifting, rigging, and load securement industry.”
http://awrf.org/events/
April 24-27, 2017
22nd International Offshore Crane and Lifting Conference
Stavanger Forum, Stavanger, Norway
“Don’t miss this opportunity to meet colleagues in the offshore crane and lifting business, to participate in discussions related to offshore cranes, lifting and material handling, and see an exhibition of new services, goods and technology.”
http://www.liftingoffshore.com
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
April 27-29, 2017
Steel Erectors Association of America
45th Annual Convention & Tradeshow
Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
“Tackling the issues essential to steel erection.”
http://www.seaa.net/events/
MAY 2017
May 1-4, 2017
Offshore Technology Conference
NRG Park, Houston, Texas
“OTC is the largest event in the world for the oil and gas industry featuring more than 2,400 exhibitors, and attendees representing 120 countries.”
http://2017.otcnet.org/
May 8-11, 2017
Web Sling & Tie Down Association
Annual Meeting
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino, Incline Village, Nevada
“These meetings provide information and discussion on the issues important to the web sling and tie down industry.”
http://www.wstda.com/meetings/
May 8-11, 2017
Interwire Trade Exposition
Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga.
“When industry professionals look for new wire and cable technology, supplies, and equipment they choose Interwire, the benchmark for wire business in the Americas.”
“All sectors of the wind energy industry come together at WindPower in the thousands ... and it’s growing.”
http://www.windpowerexpo.org/
May 24-25, 2017
Vertikal Days
Silverstone
Towcester, Northamptonshire, U.K.
“If you are a rental company, fleet owner, user or lifting professional Vertikal Days will give you an unobstructed view of the lifting industry’s latest products.”
http://www.vertikaldays.net/
May 26-27, 2017
Canada North Resources Expo
CN Centre, South Prince George, B.C.
“A showcase of the resources sectors’ leading companies and products, this massive event covers four acres of indoor and outdoor space with tons of big iron.”
http://www.cnre.ca
May 30-June 3, 2017
Construction Equipment & Technologies 2016
Crocus Expo IEC, Moscow, Russia
“Get a broad overview of the entire spectrum of the Russian construction machinery industry and drive your business in Russia to success.”
http://ctt-expo.ru/en/
JUNE 2017
June 6-8, 2017
Offshore Wind Energy 2017
ExCeL London, London, U.K.
“Offshore Wind Energy 2017 will attract more than 10,000 professionals and showcase over 500 exhibitors from all sectors of the offshore wind industry.”
http://offshorewind2017.com
June 7-10, 2017
Crane Rental Association of Canada Annual Conference
The Algonquin Resort, St. Andrews, N.B.
“The CRAC Conference is a unique annual event giving the opportunity to meet with the leaders of the Canadian crane industry.”
http://www.crac-canada.com
June 21-22, 2017
Atlantic Canada Petroleum Show
Mile One Centre, St. John’s, Nfld.
“The show celebrates the technology, people and projects of Canada’s offshore oil & gas industry.”
http://atlanticcanadapetroleumshow.com
June 27-29, 2017
TOC Europe
RAI Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
“The exhibition is a showcase for port and terminal technology and operations.”
http://tocevents-europe.com/
SEPTEMBER 2017
Sept. 12-13, 2017
Oil Sands Trade Show & Conference
Suncor Community Leisure Centre, Fort McMurray, Alta.
“Spanning over 99,000 net square feet of exhibit space, the show brings industry professionals face-to-face with over 400 suppliers and services companies showcasing the newest technologies, products and services at the forefront of the oil sands industry.”
http://oilsandstradeshow.com
Sept. 17-19, 2017
Intermodal Expo
Long Beach Convention Center
Long Beach, Calif.
“Find 3PLs, ocean carriers, motor
carriers and drayage companies, railroads, equipment manufacturers and leasing companies, technology vendors, shippers/ BCOs and many more intermodal industry professionals.”
“By exhibiting and actively participating at our event, you will learn about the changing rules and regulations that affect industry.”
http://www.cvsa.org/events/events_ list_2015.php
Sept. 23-29, 2017
National Safety Council Congress & Expo Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Ind.
“The National Safety Council Congress & Expo offers prime networking opportunities to help you build business relationships and have fun while you’re at it.”
Palais de Congres, Montreal, Que. “Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet industry experts.”
http://windenergyevent.ca
Oct. 9-11, 2017
Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference
Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands “With the industry in transition OEEC offers offshore energy professionals the ideal meeting place to network, discuss and learn about the future of energy.”
https://www.offshore-energy.biz
Oct. 17-19, 2017
Breakbulk Americas 2015
George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas
“Exhibitors and sponsors include specialized ocean carriers, freight forwarders, ports/ terminals, logistics providers, ground transportation, heavy air, export packers, equipment companies and more.”
