Heyl & Patterson Blog

Mining is the beginning link in the global supply chain for the metals, minerals and energy required to sustain economic growth and security around the world.  Mining operations can be grouped into five major categories in terms of their respective resources. These categories are oil and gas extraction, coal mining, metal ore mining, nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying, and mining-related support activities.

Heyl & Patterson's Dumper User Group Conference is now available online via LinkedIn social media.  Linkedin is a business-oriented social networking website that connects people with their trusted contacts and helps users exchange knowledge, ideas and opportunities with a broad network of professionals.  This functionality makes Linkedin a great way for Heyl & Patterson to keep in continuous communication with railcar dumper users.

Users of railcar dumper systems are invited to discuss the technologies and issues that affect their jobs, at the bi-annual Heyl & Patterson Dumper User Group Conference.  Originally formed in 1984 as the first conference of its kind, the Dumper User Group promotes the efficient and economic operation of rotary railcar dumpers and establishes best practices for the safe operation and maintenance of dumper systems.

The world has changed incredibly since Heyl & Patterson was founded in 1887.  The company has grown and changed across 14 decades, thanks to a heritage of innovation and the commitment of our employees.  We invented several of the markets for our products and have continuously developed to improve our products to meet or exceed our customers’ needs. Heyl & Patterson holds over 100 patents for new products and improvements to existing machines.

Coal became the preferred fuel for powering American cities in the 19th century, replacing wood around 1850.  Anthracite from the coal regions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia was perfect for household uses because it had high quality with few impurities, and stoves and furnaces were designed for it.  The rich Appalachian anthracite fields were close to the big eastern cities and a few major rail lines such as Reading Railroad.

During World War II, the U.S. government utilized a system of production awards to acknowledge the efforts of manufacturing plants that provided much-needed materials for the war effort.  The Navy “E” Award was based on excellence in quality and quantity, overcoming production obstacles, fair labor standards, conserving critical and strategic materials, low absenteeism and effective management, among other considerations.  An honor not easily won nor lightly bestowed, this wartime honor recognized companies that consistently met high standards with available resources.

The approval of new regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency regarding air pollution, water pollution and waste disposal could result in the retirement of 35-70 gigawatts of coal-fired power generation nationwide.  Electricity rates will most certainly rise, and many believe that even if construction jobs are created in the green industry, virtually no manufacturing jobs are likely to be created from the replacement of coal.  Transmission grid stability will emerge as a major issue, both because of power plant shutdowns and the intermittency of renewables.

In August 1961, encyclopedia publisher Funk & Wagnalls received a letter from Frank Hatten of Delavan, Illinois, requesting an appropriate word to describe his town’s 125th anniversary.  Two words that had previously been coined were "cenquadtennial" and "cent quart ennial," and Hatten was looking for a suggestion on which word might be preferable.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Pittsburgh, PA – Heyl & Patterson Inc., a specialist engineering company headquartered in Pittsburgh, has donated a collection of blueprints and photographs related to the company’s role in the construction of the Civic Arena to the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Iron is the second most abundant metal in the Earth, and iron ore is the lifeblood of the world's steel industry, with about 98% used in steelmaking.  Iron ore is mined in about 50 countries, and the seven largest account for about three-quarters of total world production.  Australia and Brazil together dominate the world's iron ore exports, each having about a third of total exports.  Iron ore is a low-priced bulk commodity, but mining it can only be economical if the deposit is large and easily accessible and transport costs can be kept to a minimum.