Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR In case of accidental bumps and falls, thick rubber handles, a shock-absorbing case and an internal damping system protect the Hilti PR 30-HVS from damage. Related Links: Hilti Updates Breaker, Introduces 'Vampire Chisel' Electronic Laser Meter Quickly Measures Difficult Distances Expensive precision instruments don't always hold up to the extreme use that construction work places on them, but Hilti's new PR 30-HVS rotating laser tries to solve that problem.Designed for leveling formwork, setting slopes and performing layouts, the 5.5-lb PR 30-HVS claims to be accurate to 1/8 in. at 100 ft, with auto-leveling and an
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR Hull demonstrates the TSA 230 Cutquik, which targets users that make infrequent cuts. Related Links: Cement Use To Grow 8% in 2015, But Low Oil Prices Won't Help Much Stihl Inc. has rolled out the industry’s first battery-powered cutoff saw, which it is targeting at general masonry, concrete and hardscaping work.“We’re seeing gas-powered saws with 100 hours of run time on them but 3,000 starts,” said Dan Hull, manager of dealer services for the Virginia Beach, Va.-based tool maker, on Feb. 4 at this year’s World of Concrete show. “It’s like starting your car, going
Growing job markets, consumer confidence and construction spending will contribute to higher cement consumption in the U.S. this year, rising an annual 8% to 93 million metric tons (MMT), according to the Portland Cement Association.
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR Caterpillar plans to make a pulse-radar rear proximity sensor (at right) standard on its new 10,000-pound telehandler, which ships later this year. Related Links: Bendix Collision-Mitigation Technology Stops Vehicles in Their Tracks Which Construction Machines Have the Biggest Blind Spots? The familiar BEEP-BEEP-BEEP noise of heavy machinery backing up is slowly starting to accompany another alarm that warns operators when they are about to hit an object.“We invented these for the mining industry,” said Teresa Prisbrey, director of marketing for Boise-based Preview Radar Systems on Feb. 3 at this year’s World of Concrete show. “We
Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR The app allows users to pair a mobile device with a machine to track deep performance data. Related Links: Link-Belt Gives Crane Owners Telematics Data AEMP Reveals Comprehensive Telematics Standard Recognizing that many equipment operators, maintenance technicians and fleet managers now carry mobile devices with them, Caterpillar has introduced a Bluetooth app that allows users to pair their smart phone or tablet with a machine to access its data feed, including fault codes.“The more electronics you’ve got on the machine, the more data is available,” said Ben Hanks, parts growth consultant at Caterpillar in Leicester,
Related Links: Around the World With Caterpillar Chief Doug Oberhelman Equipment Forecast: Fleets To Add Capacity in 2015 Caterpillar Inc. predicts global sales will slide to $50 billion in 2015 from $55.2 billion in 2014, largely due to falling oil prices, continued softness in the mining industry and a stronger dollar.“The recent dramatic decline in the price of oil is the most significant reason for the year-over-year decline in our sales and revenues outlook,” says Cat Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman in the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report, issued on Jan. 27.Globally, quarterly growth in North America and Europe was not
Related Links: Xtreme Unveils Largest Telehandler at CONEXPO Top 25 Newsmakers of 2014: Don Ahern President of XTreme Manufacturing and noted equipment engineer Lee Kramer died in Las Vegas on Jan. 18 from pneumonia. He was 67.KRAMERKramer joined Xtreme in 2003 as vice president of engineering. He played a key role in developing the firm's lineup of telehandlers, which now includes the world's largest, Xtreme XR7038. Introduced last year at CONEXPO, the machine had a lift capacity of 65,000 lb but was soon upgraded to 70,000 lb. "Although pragmatic, Lee had a willingness to push the boundaries on design and
Photo by Jeffrey Cox/ENR Farrar is HERC senior director of marketing and e-business. Related Links: Earnings Probe Delays Hertz Equipment IPO Spinoff of Hertz Equipment Unit Faces Delay Hertz Spin-Off Would Jump-Start Rentals, Analysts Say Hertz Global Holdings is planning to spin off Hertz Equipment Rental Corp. into a standalone company; however, the move has been delayed by an internal audit of Hertz’s earnings for 2011-13 and a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation announced last year.ENR recently sat down at its New York City office with Lisa Farrar, HERC’s senior director of marketing and e-business, to talk about the spinoff,
Related Links: Q&A wth Lisa Farrar of Hertz Equipment Spinoff of Hertz Equipment Unit Faces Delay Hertz Spin-Off Would Jump-Start Rentals, Analysts Say Now in its 50th year, Hertz Equipment Rental Corp. plans to spin off from its parent firm as soon as Hertz Global Holdings Inc. restates its earnings from 2011-13, expected by year-end. HERC also plans to launch a new brand name."We are not allowed by the Securities and Exchange Commission to spin off until our financial statements are whole," Lisa Farrar, senior director of marketing and e-business, recently told ENR. "As soon as we work through that,
