Bulk material handling equipment is an investment, it’s a large expense, and its useful life is often measured in decades. But what happens when that useful life comes to an end after 40 years of service, and there is no capex budget for a replacement? That's when H&P steps in to help you rehabilitate aging equipment for a longer future of material handling. H&P will help customers to progressively replace equipment components to return aging machinery back to its original specs.
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Tags: bulk material handling equipment, power generation, upgrades
Many people think of Heyl & Patterson only as equipment manufacturers for the coal and steel industries, and they’re not wrong, however, our real passion is found in engineering solutions. Building custom equipment for thousands of customers across the globe is only one of H&P’s many pursuits, but our real knack is problem solving, which keeps us moving forward. In 129 years we have uncovered solutions for some very unique problems.
Read MoreTags: upgrades, aftermarket, field service
Happy New Year! As we head into a new year many of us resolve to be less stressed, more efficient and in the best shape of our lives. Those same resolutions can often be applied to capital equipment. So while you are setting those goals to improve your well-being in 2016, let us review the ways we can improve the life of our equipment. A few simple preventative maintenance items can make 2016 your continuous barge unloader’s best year yet.
Read MoreTags: barge unloaders, grain, maintenance, coal handling, continuous barge unloader (cbu), upgrades, inspections
Maintenance involves any actions that are necessary to conserve the condition of a piece of equipment to achieve its maximum useful life, while compensating for normal wear and tear. Routine operations are performed to both keep the device in working order and prevent trouble from arising. Different machines often have their own best practices and maintenance schedules that are unique to their own operation. Similarly, upgrades are the replacements of mechanical or electrical systems with a newer or better version, in order to bring the entire system up to date and improve its overall functionality.
Read MoreTags: maintenance, wagon tipplers, upgrades, railcar dumpers
An all-too-painful truth is that bulk material handling equipment breaks down over time, and whenever it occurs, it's almost always costly. The most common problems that lead to breakdowns are actually quite preventable. They include improper maintenance, overrunning a machine's capability, not replacing worn parts, poor electrical connections, and even operation by untrained personnel or not consulting the operator manual. Almost all mean that someone has ignored the warning signs of an impending stoppage. These problems account for most of the breakdowns seen in the field, and all are avoidable by taking some simple precautions.
Read MoreTags: trade shows & conferences, bulk material handling equipment, power generation, upgrades
Dust is a collection of particles in the atmosphere that can consist of anything from soil to pollen to skin cells. In terms of bulk material handling operations, dust mainly refers to tiny fragments of the very materials being transported or transferred. After dust is formed, it causes more wear on equipment components such as bearings, and can create a grinding effect for increased abrasion. It also leads to an increased risk of fire, higher maintenance costs and decreased visibility for workers.
Tags: barge unloaders, ship unloaders, continuous barge unloader (cbu), upgrades, dust collection
The words "built to last a lifetime" are overused in today's world. There are few examples of products that actually hold true to that promise. One of the few is Hammerhead Crane 110 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyards, constructed by Heyl & Patterson in 1940 and instrumental in America's effort during World War II. More than 70 years after it helped build the fleet that won the war, it is still standing.
Tags: upgrades
Few things are built to last these days. Even fewer are built to last a century. Heyl & Patterson recently provided replacement parts for equipment built in 1913. To put that in perspective, when that particular machine went into service, the Ford Motor Company had introduced the first moving assembly line, the Lincoln Highway became the first road to cross the United States and the modern zipper had just been invented.
In order to be useful for several decades, Rotary Railcar Dumpers must be properly maintained. Heyl & Patterson offers replacement parts and upgrade services, for our own products as well as for those made by other manufacturers. In addition to increasing the life of a dumper, upgrades and replacement parts make the work environment safer and elevate a dumper’s performance and efficiency, saving time and money.
Custom upgrades are one way to ensure the long life of a dumper. Heyl & Patterson can convert an existing dumper into one capable of handling heavier loads more easily and securely. Upgrades also permit dumper owners to better plan and provide for capital expense efficiencies by identifying parts that need replacement, rather than necessitating a more extreme overhaul in the case of an emergency repair.
Dumper upgrades include a full array of field-tested enhancements that customers can use once or on a continual or as-needed basis, in order to accommodate heavier loads with greater reliability and reduced maintenance costs. Several innovative designs permit a more uniform spread of weight, which decreases the potential for future problems while extending dumper life.
Mechanical upgrades increase dumper reliability as they decrease the possibility of an unexpected breakdown. Electrical upgrades are engineered to ensure peak performance, smoother operation, and reduced wear with added safety features.
In addition to upgrades, proper maintenance is essential to ensuring durability and longevity. Proper maintenance includes periodic inspections to ensure operating efficiency. These inspections catch problems in their initial stages before they become catastrophic, and they identify necessary upgrades.
Necessary inspections include visual, mechanical, structural and electrical evaluations. Inspections evaluate the need for adjustment, maintenance, monitoring and/or replacement. Heyl & Patterson's four-part process comprises a comprehensive inspection program. These steps include:
In addition to an inspection service, Heyl & Patterson offers field service as a portion of its maintenance services in order to extend the life of a dumper. Field services include consultation on parts installations, outage planning, maintenance recommendations, upgrades and start-up assistance. In addition, Heyl & Patterson offers engineering studies to monitor equipment and maintain peak operating performance, reliability, and life of the equipment. With proper maintenance and upgrades, a dumper can last more than a lifetime.
For more information on Heyl & Patterson's railcar dumper upgrades click here,
Tags: maintenance, upgrades, inspections, railcar dumpers