Cranes

A crane is a tower or derrick that is equipped with
cables and pulleys that are used to lift and lower
material.  They are commonly used in the construction
industry and in the manufacturing of heavy equipment.
Cranes for construction are normally temporary
structures, either fixed to the ground or mounted
on a purpose built vehicle.

They can either be controlled from an operator in
a cab that travels along with the crane, by a push
button pendant control station, or by radio type
controls.  The crane operator is ultimately responsible
for the safety of the crews and the crane.

Medieval cranes
Cranes of the Middle Ages were used to build the
cathedrals of Europe.  The crane was fixed on top
of a wall as it was being constructed and was
powered by men that ran inside of two large wheels
on each side.  Cranes were also used in medieval ports
and in shipyards.

Mobile cranes
The most basic type of crane consists of a steel
truss or telescopic boom mounted on a mobile platform,
which could be a rail, wheeled, or even on a cat
truck.  The boom is hinged at the bottom and can
be either raised or lowered by cables or hydraulic
cylinders.

Telescopic crane
This type of crane offers a boom that consists of
a number of tubes fitted one inside of the other.
A hydraulic mechanism extends or retracts the
tubes to increase or decrease the length of the
boom.

Tower crane
The tower crane is a modern form of a balance
crane.  When fixed to the ground, tower cranes
will often give the best combination of height and
lifting capacity and are also used when constructing
tall buildings.

Truck mounted crane
Cranes mounted on a rubber tire truck will provide
great mobility.  Outriggers that extend vertically
or horizontally are used to level and stabilize
the crane during hoisting.

Rough terrain crane
A crane that is mounted on an undercarriage with
four rubber tires, designed for operations off
road.  The outriggers extend vertically and
horizontally to level and stabilize the crane when
hoisting.  These types of cranes are single engine
machines where the same engine is used for powering
the undercarriage as it is for powering the
crane.  In these types of cranes, the engine is
normally mounted in the undercarriage rather than
in the upper portion.

Loader crane
A loader crane is a hydraulically powered articulated
arm fitted to a trailer, used to load equipment
onto a trailer.  The numerous sections can be
folded into a small space when the crane isn't in
use.

Overhead crane
Also refered to as a suspended crane, this type
is normally used in a factory, with some of them
being able to lift very heavy loads. The hoist is
set on a trolley which will move in one direction
along one or two beams, which move at angles to
that direction along elevated or ground level
tracks, often mounted along the side of an assembly
area.

In the excavation world, cranes are used to move
equipment or machinery.  Cranes can quickly and
easily move machinery into trenches or down steep
hills, or even pipe.  There are many types of
cranes available, serving everything from
excavation to road work.

Cranes are also beneficial to building bridges or
construction.  For many years, cranes have proven
to be an asset to the industry of construction
and excavating.  Crane operators make really good
money, no matter what type of crane they are
operating.

Comparing Trenchers To Compact Excavators

Both of these machines are affordable, popular,
highly productive, and they both have helped lay a
lot of cable and pipe in the ground.  While they
both can do the work, there are differences as
to how they perform when stacked up against each
other in residential utility installations.

Size and price
The average dig depth for utility installations in
residential applications is between 40 and 48
inches.  The basic trencher that digs to the above
depth will boast a 20 - 30 horsepower engine and
cost around 40,000 dollars.

The most popular type of compact excavator is the
2.5 metric ton size class, and it uses a 30 HP
engine and costs around the same price.  The
biggest difference in the two surfaces when you
need the trencher to dig deeper.  The 2.5 metric
ton excavator has no trouble at all digging to 8
feet or more, although a trencher that can dig
that deep will require an engine with around 100
horsepower and cost upwards of 90,000 dollars!

Life costs
Not counting the bucket teeth and the replacement
of the rubber tracks at 2,000 hours, fuel and
routine maintenance are your only daily costs
with a compact excavator.  The digging chain, teeth,
and sprockets on the trenchers are considered
wear items and need to be replaced often.  Even
with the high consumable costs of trenchers, the
differences will tend to even out when productivity
is taken into effect.

Productivity
For straight line trenching at an average depth,
trenchers will flat out lead compact excavators.
Under reasonable conditions, a trencher can work
three to four times faster than that of a compact
excavator.  Another area where trenchers really
excel is wooded areas, where tree roots and logs
can make for slow and sloppy digging when using a
bucket.

Versatility
When it comes down to it, compact excavators can
do a lot of things that trenchers can't, especially
when they have attachments on hand.  If you are
digging with a compact excavator, you can't go
anywhere near as fast as you can with a good quality
trencher.

Keep in mind that a trencher isn't a single minded
machine either.  Most styles of trenchers can be
outfitted with a backhoe attachment that attaches
to the front end.  Whenever concrete, rocks, or
asphalt stands in the way, the boom and chain can
be replaced with rock teeth and a wheel.  In soft
soils, you can set up a trencher with a plow
attachment and plow in cables faster than using
any other available method.

When it comes down to choosing, keep in mind that
it all depends on your needs.  There are some
cases where the compact excavator is best to
choose, while there will also be jobs in which
the trencher is going to do the best work.

Compact Excavator

The compact hydraulic excavator can be a tracked or
wheeled vehicle with an approximate operating weight
of 13,300 pounds.  Normally, it includes a standard
backfill blade and features an independent boom
swing.  The compact hydraulic excavator is also
known as a mini excavator.

A compact hydraulic excavator is different from other
types of heavy machinery in the sense that all
movement and functions of the machine are accomplished
through the transfer of hydraulic fluid.  The work
group and blade are activated by hydraulic fluid
acting upon hydraulic cylinders.  The rotation and
travel functions are also activated by hydraulic
fluid powering hydraulic motors.

Most types of compact hydraulic excavators have
three assemblies - house, undercarriage, and the
work group.

House
The house structure contains the compartment for
the operator, engine compartment, hydraulic pump
and also the distribution components.  The house
structure is attached to the top of the undercarriage
via swing bearing.  Along with the work group, the
house is able to rotate upon the undercarriage
without limit due to a hydraulic distribution valve
that supplies oil to the undercarriage components.

undercarriage
The undercarriage of compact excavators consists of
rubber or steel tracks, drive sprockets, rollers,
idlers, and associated components and structures.
The undercarriage is also home to the house
structure and the work group.

Work group
The work group consists of the boom, dipper or
arm, and attachment.  It is connected to the front
of the house structure via a swinging frame that
allows the work group to be hydraulically pivoted
left or right in order to achieve offset digging
for trenching parallel with the tracks.

Independent boom swing
The purpose of the boom swing is for offset
digging around obstacles or along foundations,
walls, and forms.  Another use is for cycling in
areas that are too narrow for cab rotation.  Another
major advantage of the compact excavator is the
independent boom swing.

Backfill blade
The backfill blade on compact excavators are used
for grading, leveling, backfilling, trenching,
and general dozer work.  The blade can also be
used to increase the dumping height and digging
depth depending on it's position in relation to
the workgroup.

The most common place you'll find compact excavators
is in residential dwellings.  When digging phone
lines or other things, these pieces of equipment
are very common for getting between houses.  Due
to their small size, they can fit almost anywhere.

Over the years, the capabilities for compact
excavators have expanded far beyond the tasks of
excavation.  With hydraulic powered attachments
such as breakers, clamps, compactors and augers,
the compact excavator is used with many other
applications and serves as an effective attachment
tool as well.  Serving many purposes, the compact
excavator is a great addition to any job that
requires the use of machinery.

Caterpillar Equipment

Caterpillar Incorporated, also known as CAT is a
United States based corporation that is based in
Peoria, Illinois.  The company commonly known as CAT
is known around the world as the largest manufacturer
of construction and mining equipment, diesel and
natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines.

Well known and famous for their products that feature
the Caterpillar track and distinctive yellow paint,
CAT produces a wide range of heavy equipment for
all types of jobs, including the very popular
Caterpillar D9 bulldozer.

History
The story of CAT dates back to the late 19th century,
when Daniel Best and Benjamin Holt were experimenting
with different ways to fulfill the promise that
steam tractors held for farm work. Prior to 1925,
the Holt family had pioneered track tractors and
gasoline powered engines.  After the companies of
Best and Holt were merged, the company went through
several changes then at the end of World War 2,
they began to grow at a very fast pace, launching
the first venture outside of the country in 1950,
which marked the beginning of CAT development into
a big corporation.

CAT equipment ranges from track type tractors to
hydraulic excavators, backhoes, motor graders, off
road trucks, wheel loaders, tractors, diesel and
gas engines, and gas turbines.  CAT equipment is
used in construction, excavation, building roads,
mining, energy, forestry, transportation, and
material handling companies.

Sales
Over half of CAT's sales are to customers in overseas
areas.  CAT products are sold in almost 200 different
countries.  The company has a worldwide network
of over 200 dealers - 63 in the United States and
over 150 in other countries.  CAT equipment and
components are manufactured in 42 plants in the
United States and 58 plants in Australia, Belgium,
Brazil, Canada, England, France, Germany, India,
Japan, Mexico, and several other countries.

Labor
CAT almost went down in the early 1980s due to
the massive union strikes and a down turn in product
demand.  At the time, several news reports indicated
that products were piling up so high in facilities
that temporary workers hired to work the lines
could barely get to their stations to perform their
jobs.

In the 1990s, CAT suffered yet another long strike
in which the company hired what it deemed to be
permanent replacements for union workers that
were on strike.  During both strikes, jack rocks
were placed in the home entrances of many of
CATs top executives and employees, puncturing
the tires of their vehicles and making things
worse for the company.

Not long after the strike of the 1990s ended
and the economy started to get back up again, CAT
adopted the "6 Sigma" quality management program,
to help reduce costs and inventory and identify
and correct the defects in processes and products.

Caterpillar D Series

The CAT (Caterpillar) 420D and 430D backhoe loaders
are the high performance machines in the D series
lineup.  The 420D boasts 85 HP and a backhoe digging
depth of 14 feet when equipped with a standard
stick.

The 430D offers 94 HP and a backhoe digging depth
of 15 feet when it is equipped with a standard
stick.  By using an extendible stick, you can
push the digging depth of the 420D to 18 feet and
the depth of the 430D to 19 feet, which is very
impressive to say the least.

Both D series machines are available in IT
(Integrated Toolcarrier) configurations for
applications that benefit from a parallel lift
loader linkage and the versatility of quick work
tool changes through the use of a versatile
hydraulic quick coupler.  Applications include the
use of pallet forks, material handling arms,
brooms, and even buckets.

The new and improved pilot operated hydraulic backhoe
and IT loader controls will help to ensure smooth,
precise operation with reduced effort on behalf of
the operator.  These backhoes use excavator type
joystick controls, and an optional pattern change
valve which allows you to select the patern of
control.

The 205 degree rotation that is offered by the
backhoe bucket linkage will make it easier to dig
vertical walls and clamp material when loading
trucks.  The rotation with the D series is 40
degrees more than with the C series.  Now, the
backhoe buckets feature a single pin position,
with the bucket link featuring an integrated
lifting eye as well.

The optional quick coupler you can get for the
backhoe will allow fast changes of working tools
for increased versatility and flexibility in
almost all applications.

Both of the D series backhoe loaders use the
turbocharged, direct injection, four cylinder diesel
engine, with a displacement of 4.0 liters.  This
engine offers superior lug performance which is
mostly due to the responsive fuel injection
system.

The standard power shuttle transmission provides
four forward speeds and four speeds in reverse
as well.  Fully synchromesh in all gears will
permit on the go shifting, while the forward and
reverse electric power shuttle will provide
instant direction changes through powered
clutches.

The auto shifting feature will automatically
shift between second gear and the highest gear
selected for ease of operation.  The auto shift
feature has five forward and three reverse gears,
with a transmission kick switch on the lever of
the loader control.

With D series loaders, you'll also have the choice
of standard two wheel drive or all wheel drive,
which you can engage easily on the go, under
heavy load, by pressing a switch that is located
on the front console.

The D series loaders from CAT are very fast and
versatile as well, as they will move faster than
most types of backhoes on the market.  The
diesel engines are very fast, while the machine
has enough traction and control to keep you
moving even in wet or muddy conditions.

The variable load sensing hydraulic system will
adjust the flow and pressure of the machine to
meet the demands of work with an increased
pressure of 3,300 PSI.  The hydraulic system is
tuned to work efficiently with the engine, and
it provides full hydraulic force to the working
tool on hand at any engine speed you desire.

Unlike other backhoe loaders, the D series will
reduce demands on the operator, cut fuel consumption
in half, reduce wear on the engine, and allow
for quieter operation.  To make a long story
short - the D series from CAT are among the best
backhoe loaders that money can buy - bar none.