INANCING - Finning

SPRING 2012
The Next Tier
How it works and what
it means to you
Knuckle Down
A logging plant has
a modified loader
at its heart
www.finning.ca
A FINNING CANADA PUBLICATION PM #40020055
Who knew screw piles
were this cool? P. 20
Caterpillar is offering special financing on the following
machines until May 31, 2012.
•CompactTrackLoaders
•MultiTerrainLoaders
•SkidSteerLoaders
•CompactWheelLoaders
•MiniHydraulicExcavators
•BackhoeLoaders
•SmallHydraulicExcavators
•SmallTrack-TypeTractors
•SmallWheelLoaders
Don’t miss this limited time opportunity! Contact your Finning representative today for more details.
1-888-finning | finning.ca
(346-6464)
*Offer good from February 1, 2012 to May 31, 2012 on select new models at participating Cat Dealers. Offer is available to
customers in the USA and Canada only and cannot be combined with any other offers. Financing and published rate are subject
to credit approval through Cat Financial. Subject to machine availability. Offer may change without prior notice and additional
terms may apply.
©2011 Caterpillar All rights reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress
as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.
Contents
Spring 12
20
16
16
32
Columns & Departments
4 Finning Focus
The Next Tier
It affects off-road diesel engines, including your
yellow iron. Here’s how it works, and what it
means to you
20
Presto Change-o
25
Knuckle Down
29
A Vancouver Island company gets some heavy
iron to surgically guide logs into a chipper
Switch Up the Iron
A top-to-tail landscaping company finds
that keeping it fresh means keeping
machine life-cycle costs down
Ben Kasprick, HPS
Photo: Rob Olsen
www.finning.ca
5
Letters
6
Groundbreaker
A helical pile company modifies its yellow iron,
and power scarecrows are popping up like daisies
On the Cover
20
Meet Italy’s most talented Cat lover
15
10
11
Loyal readers write in
Bucyrus update, Super excavator sim,
Paver love, More Cat models, New parts
website, Cat truck update + MORE!
By the Numbers
Yesterday & Today
Caterpillar pavers have defined an industry
12
Operators’ Tips
14
Managers’ Tips
15
Safety First
32
Portrait
33
Bill’s Business
34
Count on Us
Know your warning signals
Not all training is the same
Cautionary Clothes: Trends in PPE
Brent McDowell in Lethbridge
Can Bill’s rep help him get a ride bonus?
12
Another blast from Finning’s past
Spring 2012
3
A Model
Craftsman
BY JEN JANZEN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Precision and patience are at the heart of this iron
aficionado’s efforts
When Gabriele Banci posted photos of his D11
on an online forum for radio-controlled model building enthusiasts, he only wanted to share his project
with fellow hobbyists. He never expected images of
his work to make it into the pages of a magazine published on another continent.
Early last year, we received
Many model builders use draft- photos of a D11 track-type
ing software to create blueprints, tractor model. We were approbut Gabriele planned his machine priately impressed, but with no
model with manual drawings. return address on the envelope
and no additional information
included in the package, we couldn’t recognize the
pristine craftsmanship. In short, we had a mystery on
our hands.
Tracks & Treads subscriber Martin Hicks swooped
in to solve it for us. He saw the pics in the summer
2011 issue, along with our plea for information about
the anonymous builder. Martin recognized the pictures from an online radio-control model forum, and
he passed the builder’s information on to us.
Gabriele, a retired banker living in Italy, and a
member of an Italian club for heavy equipment model
enthusiasts, was happy to talk about his project.
Turns out he produced hand-drawn plans (many
model builders use drafting software to create plans
for such projects), using a 1:50 die cast model. He
studied website photos and a D11 parts manual to
fi ll in the blanks.
Part of building a model like Gabriele’s is not only
getting the parts to look right, but building a machine
that is realistic in every way, even down to the fine
movements of its real-life muse. Four years after
starting the project, the machine is operative, though
Gabriele says he still needs to finish and test the
hydraulic system.
What is most impressive about the mini D11 is
that Gabriele has never seen a full-size version in
4
Spring 2012
person. “I chose this machine for its impressiveness
and power,” he says. “But mostly for the mechanical
architecture.”
His ultimate goal, once he’s perfected his own
model? To build more miniature D11s for fellow
Italians who are as fascinated by Caterpillar equipment as he is.
For his help in solving our mystery builder riddle,
Martin received a $50 Heavy Duty Gear Store certificate, and we sent some Cat goodies over the pond to
Gabriele too.
SHARE THE LOVE
Check out page 8 for another Cat model maker, this one
a 15-year-old woodworker. If you share the love of yellow
iron creation, whether it’s radio-control models or a cake
that looks like a scraper, send us a picture of your work
and we’ll showcase it in a future issue.
www.finning.ca
SPRING 2012 Volume 53, No. 2
PUBLISHER
Ruth Kelly
[email protected]
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Jen Janzen
[email protected]
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Joyce Byrne
[email protected]
EDITOR
Mifi Purvis
[email protected]
COPY CHIEF
Kim Tannas
EDITORIAL ADVISORS
Hilary Anaka, Heather Evens, Jeff Howard,
Michelle Loewen, Jeff Wuite
ART DIRECTOR
Charles Burke
[email protected]
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR
Andrea deBoer
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR
Colin Spence
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Vanlee Robblee
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Betty-Lou Smith
CIRCULATION COORDINATOR
Jennifer King
[email protected]
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
Anita McGillis
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Robin Brunet, Caitlin Crawshaw, David DiCenzo, Keith Haddock,
Michael Hingston, Cailynn Klingbeil, Michelle Lindstrom,
Lindsey Norris, Tricia Radison, Lisa Ricciotti
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS
Phillip Chin, Rob Olson, Heff O'Reilly, Chip Zdarsky
Tracks & Treads is published to provide its readers
with relevant business, technology, product
and service information in a lively
and engaging manner.
Tracks & Treads is published for
Finning Canada by
Venture Publishing Inc.
10259-105 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1E3
Phone: 780-990-0839
Fax: 780-425-4921
FAITHFUL READER: I was delighted
when the Winter 2011 Tracks & Treads
arrived in the mail. I found the issue really
interesting. A note about the 289C compact track loader working on a mountain
bike track: last summer for a week here
in Quesnel, B.C., I helped build such a
facility too. They had the same 289C.
What a great tool!
Last spring I made a comment on an
aerial photo of a frac job done by Cal
Frac Well Services. I left the comments
on the voicemail, and their retiring CEO
phoned me to say my comments had
made many people in their company very happy and he
thanked me for them. While in Calgary last summer, I visited Cal Frac
in Red Deer. I got out of the taxi and noticed their next-door neighbour
is Finning.
This January I was visiting with one of the guys I used to work with.
He is now a grader operator and he was telling me they have a new Cat
grader that he operates. It has no steering wheel or levers for the blade
control, just two joy sticks. When spring comes I’ll ride my bike out there
to have a look at it. Thanks again for Tracks & Treads.
Forbes Campbell, Quesnel, B.C.
SENIOR FAN: I was wondering if there was a possibility of getting
Tracks & Treads. I have always admired those yellow machines. In the late
1950s I worked for B&T Contractors at Leader, Alberta. They got a new
D6 Cat and an overshot loader installed. I enjoyed working with that
machine and I just loved the sound of the motor.
In the early 1960s, I opened a pit just west of Leader, about 20 miles
west of Three Hills. I had a gravel crusher powered by a D7 motor, and
I had a 920 Cat loader and later another 950 for feeding and loading.
Now I am almost 88 years old and retired in Pincher Creek, but whenever I’m travelling and see a crushing outfit, I’m tempted to stop and
ask what kind of loader they have. I would really appreciate getting the
magazine.
Harvey Thiessen, Pincher Creek, Alberta
Sure thing, Harvey. We’ll send you a quarterly subscription to
Tracks & Treads. Enjoy it!
– Editors
Tell us what you think
Tracks & Treads would love to hear from you. Tell us what you think
of the magazine’s stories, columns and look, so that we can improve
it and make it a more interesting read.
Send your comments to editor-in-chief Jen Janzen by email at
[email protected] or the old-fashioned way to: Jen Janzen, Tracks & Treads,
Finning Canada, 16830 – 107 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5P 4C3
Contents © 2012 by Finning Canada. No part of this publication
should be reproduced without written permission.
PM #40020055
www.finning.ca
www.finning.ca
Spring 2012
5
BY MICHELLE LINDSTROM AND CAILYNN KLINGBEIL
Almost Real
Learn to use a Caterpillar excavator
without having to go outside! Eight
models of Cat simulators – medium offhighway truck, mining truck, M-series
motor grader, track-type tractor, hydraulic
excavator, small-wheel loader and largewheel loader – have updated graphics,
exercises and training material available
for customers to train employees before
sending them out into the field.
The feedback so far from operators is
that the controls are very realistic, says
Wes Rains, SITECH Western Canada
Solutions Ltd. technology sales and service
representative.
The benefits of Cat simulators are
plenty. Here are some of them:
• Operators gain muscle memory on
machines before entering the real
world, thereby increasing safety.
• Companies reduce costs for fuel and
engine maintenance. The simulators
take the training burden off machines,
which can remain working on the
jobsite.
• Newbies can’t hurt simulators the way
they can machines, reducing potential
damage and repair costs.
• Instructors can train multiple students
at the same time, any time of the day, in
any weather.
• Companies can test potential employees
and choose the most qualified operators
based on accurate Cat simulator results.
• The first year of Cat simulator global
tech support (in English) is free with
purchase. Translation services are
available for a fee.
• Customers can use SimU Campus™
records management software on all
Cat simulator models. User results
are easy to access and run on the
same computer as the simulator
software. Instructors can customize the
curriculum, benchmarks and default
measurements included in the training
program to best fit their needs.
• Pass/fail results are immediate.
6
Spring 2012
It’s Here!
After months of waiting, the CT660, Cat’s first ever vocational truck,
is here. Finning industry marketing manager Duncan Schroff says the first
truck will be ready for work in early March. The truck made an appearance at
a Finning management meeting at the end of February, then went to work
at The Cat Rental Store in Edmonton.
Cat has always supplied engines and components for trucks, but never the
whole truck, which makes this new product especially exciting for Caterpillar
aficionados. A customer has already signed an order for the truck and
Schroff says excitement continues to build.
After January’s World of Concrete Trade Show in Las Vegas, a customer
called wanting three trucks. “He had never seen them before and he saw
them in Las Vegas and was all excited and wanted to order them right
away,” Schroff says. As the new trucks begin to hit the road, it is likely those
calls will keep coming.
PARTS ONLINE
Cat machines in need of parts? Parts in need of a new tool?
Parts repair in need of a little direction? parts.cat.com will give you
all of that – any time, any day. Reference material, specs, pictures and
videos are all on this site to guide you to the right part or information you
require to complete your job. Cat updates the site all the time with new
info tidbits, so it’s worth visiting often. If, for some reason, you still can’t
find what you need on the site, contact your local Finning rep.
www.finning.ca
Pave and Save
Caterpillar Paving brought its Paver Saver program to a new
level, explains Sheldon Allan, a Finning paving and compaction
specialist. The program, which launched last November, runs
through to April 30, 2012.
In general, the Paver Saver program offers North American Cat
customers great opportunities such as rebuilds, machine sales,
over-the-counter equipment paving parts, general Cat parts and
financing. The program looks a little different in each Finning
location. For example, the program might offer free Cat boots
for contractors who schedule an inspection, or discounts on
parts for paving equipment.
“Winter is the off-season for paving equipment,” says
Allan. “And it’s also rebuild time, so we want to work with
our customers to help them prevent critical down time
for the 2012 paving season.”
Time to Kid Around
In February, the Red Deer Rebels teamed
up with the local branch of Finning Canada
(as presenting sponsor) for a KidSport charity
benefitting local children. During the first period
of a game in February, fans of the Rebels bid on
jerseys the players were wearing. Bidding ended
after the first intermission. At the end of the
game, each Rebel’s player peeled off his jersey,
autographed it and presented it to the lucky
auction winner. Along with Finning Canada, the
Rebels presented a cheque to KidSport Red Deer
totalling $26,250.
KidSport aims to ensure that all children have
opportunities to play the sports they love. The
funds will help support children, through grants
to help with the cost of registration fees and/or
equipment, so they can achieve health and wellbeing through sport.
www.finning.ca
Spring 2012
7
Devastated
Demo Days by Fire
Did you know Finning offers a full line
of Caterpillar work tools and attachments?
The heavy-duty tools tailor Cat machines to a
customer’s requirements and working needs,
offering a comprehensive assortment of
hydro-mechanical and fabricated tools. Catbranded work tools are specifically designed
for Caterpillar equipment,
resulting in maximum
durability, performance and
fuel efficiency.
Colin Yanitski, Finning’s
product manager in
charge of work tools, is in
the process of planning
demos for certain work
tools and attachments in
2012. “We have exceptional
work tool attachments,” Yanitski
says. He is making it a priority
to educate customers on the
benefits of using them.
WHEELS STILL TURNING
There’s good news for the folks on your
next jobsite: Finning is extending its H-Series
wheel loader promotion. And for customers in
general construction, Finning is also extending
the sweet deal of zero-per-cent financing for
42 months.
If you’ve been thinking about a wheel loader,
now’s the time. Eligible models include the
950H, 962H, 966H, 972H, 980H and IT62H.
Move more tons per litre with the H-Series
and its performance series buckets, powershift
transmissions, variable shift control and constant
net HP. These are just some of the components
providing best-in-class performance.
The techs love the H-Series. Ground-level
service points, electrical and hydraulic service
centres, remote pressure taps and easy engine
compartment access make maintenance a breeze.
Ask your Finning rep about financing and
capitalize on Finning’s free extended powertrain
and hydraulic warranty and some great options:
parts credit, rental credit, additional Cat work tools
and preventive maintenance contracts.
8
Spring 2012
www.finning.ca
TRUE BRAND LOYALTY
Matt Haasen, president of Blue Con Excavating in Calgary, recently sent these
images of a model Cat excavator that his 15-year-old son Ryan made to Finning
rep Trevor Wiebe. By the looks of things, Haasen would do well to keep the boy
close – he’d make a good Finning tech one day.
Another reader sent us a link that the Haasens might enjoy. It has pictures of craft
model Cats in progress, specifically, the D11 model we ran a couple of issues back.
You’ll also find a tiny D9R and 463 scraper. Check it out, Ryan:
www.rctruckandconstruction.com/showthread.php?t=310.
BUCYRUS UPDATE
Caterpillar, new owners of mining equipment company Bucyrus, recently
announced that Finning will acquire the distribution and support end of the
business in Western Canada and portions of South America and the U.K.
Finning will provide sales, service and support for former Bucyrus mining
products in all of Finning's dealership territories. The transaction is valued at
approximately USD $465 million.
“The acquisition of the Bucyrus distribution business is a major strategic
milestone for Finning that will expand our leadership position in the growing
mining sector and deliver greater value for our customers and shareholders,”
said Mike Waites, president and CEO of Finning International, in a press release.
“On the close of this acquisition, Finning will be able to sell and support a
comprehensive product line that meets our customers’ surface and underground
mining equipment needs.”
This sale makes Finning an expert in an industry-leading product platform.
Cat mining equipment can now be found in every part of a mining operation, in
resource-rich mining territories in South America and Canada. The move brings
new opportunities and robust, long-term growth potential for Finning and the
customers it serves.
“We’re making good progress as we transition the product distribution and
www.finning.ca
support of former Bucyrus machinery to Cat dealers
around the world,” said Steve Wunning, Caterpillar
group president with responsibility for resource
industries. “Cat dealers have a proven track record
helping customers realize the highest productivity
and lowest owning and operating costs.”
Stayed tuned! Future issues of T&T will tell you
more about the historic merger.
Spring 2012
9
BY JEN JANZEN, CAILYNN KLINGBEIL AND MIFI PURVIS
By the Numbers
9 (of diamonds)
This card is sometimes called the
Curse of Scotland
1
3100 BCE
The year that Britain’s oldest structure was
built, in the Neolithic village of Skara Brae on
Orkney Island, Scotland
1845
The numberof
middle names of
Donald Fauntleroy
Duck
The year the pneumatic
tire was invented. In
Scotland, of course.
At
least
30:
4
The number of aglets on a pair of
shoelaces (They’re the little plastic
bits at the ends.)
423.1
million
Dollar amount
earned by
Disney for The
Lion King
The number of
attachments
adaptable to a Cat
216B Series mini
skid steer loader
size
8 feet long The
of a North
male
mountain lion
and 150 lbs: American
5690
lbs:
the 216B’s
operating weight
39
inches:
Its wheelbase
38.1
1st
1 of a
kind
3
The number of years
it took Disney's
CG department to
create the wildebeest
stampede scene
The mane of each
male African lion is
like a fingerprint
The length in centimetres of
Brahim Takioullah’s left
foot, which is slightly
larger than his right.
Takioullah, who
lives in France, has
the largest feet in
the world
2nd
He is tall, but
he’s not the
tallest man
Sources: A4h.wsu.edu, disney.wikia.com, imbd.com, sierraclub.com, cat.com, afp.com
10
Spring 2012
www.finning.ca
BY KEITH HADDOCK
Cat Paves the Way
Current paving product lines come from
a rich heritage of technical innovations
Paving machines sporting the Caterpillar name
have been around since 1985. Not as long as most of
Caterpillar’s other current product lines but, through
the acquisition of reputable companies that include the
pioneer of the asphalt paver, today Caterpillar is a leader
in paving product technology.
Paving machines first appeared under the Caterpillar
brand following a branding agreement with CMI
Corporation in 1985. Founded in 1961 by G.W. “Bill”
Swisher, CMI had earned an enviable reputation in
automated profiling and paving equipment with many
innovations and patents to its name. In the mid-1960s
CMI launched a two-lane pavement sub-grader which
automatically levelled the surface to a pre-set grade prior
to paving. This automation boosted productivity to four
times higher than other existing methods employed
in the paving industry. The CMI branding agreement
provided Caterpillar with a line of paving products that
included pavement profilers, asphalt pavers, finegraders
and, for a limited time, concrete silpform pavers.
In 1987, Caterpillar expanded its paving products
by acquiring Raygo, Inc., with its well-respected line
of compactors. These included a wide range of rubbertired, smooth-drum and vibratory rollers. The following
year, Caterpillar demonstrated its commitment
to serving the paving industry by establishing a
new company, Caterpillar Paving Products, Inc., at
Minneapolis, Minnesota, the former home of Raygo.
Another important acquisition, further strengthening
Caterpillar’s paving products business, was the purchase
of Barber-Greene Company of Aurora, Illinois, in 1991.
Founded by Harry H. Barber and W.B. Greene in 1916, the company’s early products
included bucket elevators, trenchers and other material-handling equipment. In
response to requests for a machine to lay asphalt, Harry Barber designed and built
the first practical asphalt paver. This machine made possible today’s asphalt highways
and streets, and it was destined to become one of the most important pieces of
construction machinery. Prior to this development, placement of asphalt was primarily
accomplished by manual methods, producing a non-uniform density and a short life
for the pavement.
The Barber-Greene paver incorporated horizontal screws to evenly distribute the
asphalt, and an independent floating screed combined with a vibrating tamper to
achieve uniform material density regardless of base irregularities. The first production
machine, the Model 79, was launched in 1934 with upgrades to the 879 in 1936, 879A
in 1940, and 879B in 1957, which remained in production until 1964. These models
could lay a blacktop mat 10 feet wide and, apart from some minor upgrades, the basic
design and appearance remained unchanged for 30 years.
Until Caterpillar took over in 1991, Barber-Greene achieved continuous success,
introducing new models and additional products associated with paving and recycling
of pavement material. Caterpillar gained Barber-Greene’s range of rubber-tired and
crawler-mounted asphalt pavers, windrow elevators and Dynaplane cold planers.
Caterpillar derives its current paving products from these lines. In 1996, Caterpillar
introduced the first paver equipped with the Mobil-trac flexible belt system, which
significantly reduces track wear.
Today’s Caterpillar pavers feature variable-width screeds, hydrostatic pumps and
propel drives for infinitely variable speeds, electric-heated screeds to reduce emissions,
and diesel engines with environmentally-friendly Cat ACERT technology. Cold planers
also use ACERT technology in their engines, and boast a short turning radius for
increased productivity. They also feature a water spray system for dust control and bit
cooling, a front discharge conveyor for work in congested areas, and a computerized
monitoring system that provides warning of abnormal operation.
People encounter smooth asphalt mats everywhere without really noticing them,
and Caterpillar machinery is behind many of them.
SIGN OF THINGS TO COME: A Barber-Greene Model 879A asphalt paver of the 1940s,
so well-designed that its appearance remained virtually unchanged for over 30 years.
www.finning.ca
NEWBIE: A modern Caterpillar crawler-mounted asphalt paver is behind
today’s smoothest streets.
Spring 2012
11
Tips
Now Look Here
When it comes to talking to you about safety,
your yellow iron isn’t mincing its words
BY LISA RICCIOTTI
You read them and think … seriously?
Sometimes the warning labels found on everyday
products are unintentionally funny, like these
real-life examples:
• Caution: Remove infant before folding
for storage. (On a portable stroller)
• May be harmful if swallowed.
(On a box of hammers)
• Do not iron clothes on body.
(On packaging for an iron)
Or, sometimes safety warnings state the obvious,
like this one on a rear-view mirror mounted on a
motorcycle helmet: Remember, objects in the mirror
are actually behind you.
Still, worksite safety is serious business, and
when you’re a long-time trainer like Finning heavy
construction and mining applications specialist
Brad Nunn, you don’t make any assumptions.
Of course all operators receive safety training
before running any piece of yellow iron, but we’re
all human and need ongoing reminders. That’s why
Caterpillar uses two sets of safety symbols to highlight
potential hazards that could occur during equipment
operation or repair.
The first system uses the familiar warning stickers.
The second is more high-tech: an in-cab electronic
monitoring system that sends alerts digitally. Nunn
finds most operators understand sticker symbols,
but aren’t as sure about those that flash when their
machine tries to talk to them via an on-board display.
When in doubt, you know what to do, read the
manual attached to every cab’s seat. The Operation
and Maintenance Manual (OMM) can be your best
friend – and possibly save your life.
Not surprisingly, the sticker most frequently
used on Cat equipment is the “Do Not Operate”
symbol which warns never to operate or work on
equipment without having read the OMM. You
probably see it every day as you climb in the cab,
but let’s use it to understand how Cat’s safety symbol
systems work.
12
Spring 2012
Watch for the
Safety Alert Symbol –
an exclamation mark inside
a triangle. It’s a red flag
wherever it shows up, on
stickers or display screens.
On stickers, the alert
symbol is followed by a
“signal word” such as
DANGER, WARNING
or CAUTION.
Next comes a
pictogram to visually
explain the hazard.
For example, the don’toperate-without-reading-theOMM symbol shows a book;
a warning about the recoil
hazards of compressed springs
shows a stick person being
nailed by a giant spring. Written
text often accompanies the
symbols to further explain dangers.
“The symbols are common across the industry, varying slightly
depending on the equipment manufacturer,” says Nunn. “Experienced
operators know the danger spots of their machines, but they’re not
always obvious to others. So if stickers come off during
pressure washing or painting, they must be replaced.”
www.finning.ca

Shaky on sticker symbols? Nunn advises brushing up
on these top danger symbols: “Any that show crushing spots
or pinch points in articulation areas. Symbols that indicate
contents are hot and/or under pressure and burning alerts like
Crushing Hazard
Burning Alerts
on turbochargers. And any that warn of rotating mechanical
parts, like fan blades.” Others not to take lightly include the
Do Not Weld On The ROPS (or FOPS), which can impair a
machinery’s safety – and void its certification.
High Pressure
Do Not Weld
CATERPILLAR MONITORING SYSTEM
On to Caterpillar
monitoring
system (CMS)
symbols. “Cat
takes great pride
in its full monitoring systems,
the best in the
industry,” says
Nunn. He’s allowed
to brag. Many
electronic monitoring systems display
symbols, but only
Cat follows up
with complete
instructions, written in clear layman’s language.
“A decade ago, Caterpillar’s monitoring systems only used symbols
and a warning sound. Sometimes an alert would be serious; other
times an operator would stop the machine to be safe, but the problem
would be something small that could be easily fixed. Now the CMS
gives additional instructions so operators don’t lose time waiting for a
mechanic if they can solve the problem themselves.”
So listen to your machine. Here’s what it’s trying to tell you via
CMS safety symbols, which range from Category 1 (Heads-up, operator!)
to Category 3 (Situation critical!):
CATEGORY 1: Symbol or text flashes up, but no alarm.
Machine is saying: “Hey! It’s nothing catastrophic, but you better
pay attention.”
Action required: It could be as simple as following the machine’s
advice: “Take off the parking brake” or “I’m running low on gas”
or “I’m still operating, but check out (x) at the end of your shift.”
www.finning.ca
For categories 2 and higher, all messages are recorded on
an electronic module. This information can’t be erased and
shops often use it to pinpoint the cause of the problem to
give feedback to operators. Recorder info also stands up as
evidence in court during safety investigations.
CATEGORY 2: Alert symbol plus a big red action light,
followed by written instructions (if required).
Machine is saying: “If you don’t do something, you’re
going to hurt me!”
Action required: You need to change operating procedures –
you could be running in the wrong gear, for example. You might
need to have maintenance performed immediately. If you ignore
this message, you could damage the machine components.
CATEGORY 2S: The “S” stands for “Severe.” You get an alert
symbol, action light, plus a steady buzz from the alarm.
Machine is saying: “Hey! I really mean it! Fix me!”
Action required: If operator ignored the first Category 2 warning, the
machine repeats instructions more forcefully.
CATEGORY 3: Alert indicator, action light and alarm – at a piercing,
impossible-to-ignore pulse.
Machine is saying: “Either you’re gonna die, someone else is gonna die
or I’m gonna die if you don’t do something! NOW!”
Action required: Immediate shut-down to prevent human injury or death,
or severe machine damage. Causes include a major failure of the steering or
braking systems, or the loss of oil pressure, which can fry an engine in
a heartbeat.
While you increase your symbol vocabulary, here’s the key takeaway
point: Anytime an exclamation mark comes up inside a circled triangle,
it’s a Category 2 warning (or higher) and it is your cue for immediate action.
“There’s no excuse for ignoring a Category 2 alert,” says Nunn. “If you
don’t know the symbol, find someone to ask.”
Spring 2012
13
Tips

Invest in
training
Employees will work better, and stick
with you, when you offer them the right
learning opportunities
BY CAITLIN CRAWSHAW
Even at the best of times, managers are up to their eyeballs with running their departments or work sites. But while your
to-do list may be daunting, employee training shouldn’t fall to the
wayside.
“It’s extremely important to make sure everyone can do their
jobs,” says Bryan Schaefer, president of Calgary’s Custom Learning
Solutions Inc. “There’s a number of core skills required for a job.”
But training isn’t just about ensuring employees have the hard
skills needed to do their jobs properly; it’s also about employee
satisfaction and retention.
“Employees need to feel engaged, valued, and part of an organization willing to invest in them,” he adds. “Training is the first thing
that gets cut, budget-wise. But I always ask the question: ‘What does
it cost you if you don’t invest in it? What’s the cost in terms of employee turnover, unproductive employees, or loss of customers?’”
Regular training opportunities are especially important for the retention of Gen-Y workers, says Don Smythe, principal associate with
global training and development company Priority Management,
which has branches in Edmonton and Calgary. “If you’re competing
for the top employees, that’s one of the things they’re looking for:
‘What can I do here and how can I keep learning?’ ”
Creating a successful training plan for an employee begins with
understanding their job, says Schaefer. If you haven’t already, read
your employees’ job descriptions and speak with human resources to
get at least a basic idea of what everyone does. After this, meet with
the people you’re supervising, one-on-one, to find out how they’d
like to grow in their careers and where they’d eventually like to be, a
few years from now.
“It’s not about saying, ‘Here’s a bunch of courses.’ It’s sitting down
with an individual and creating a development plan,” says Schaefer.
Work together to find courses that will help an employee do his
current job better, as well as allow him or her to progress within the
organization.
But the work doesn’t end here. It’s critical to sit down with
employees before and after the training has occurred. Before a
course, ensure your workers know what they’ll be learning and how
it should relate to their job. After the course, talk to the employees
14
Spring 2012
about what they learned and create a plan to execute that knowledge in the workplace. “Learning doesn’t stick until you’ve had a
chance to practise it,” says Schaefer.
Sometimes, it can take time for a worker to put his new knowledge and skills to work, which can put him at risk of forgetting. To
ensure the information doesn’t slip away, Schaefer suggests that
employees present key findings from a course to their colleagues
shortly after: “The highest retention comes with teaching others.”
Managers can also create opportunities for the knowledge to be
used. Schaefer recently assigned a new project to employees who’d
just finished a project management course.
Smythe says about half of the companies he encounters see training as a necessity, but just as many see it as a luxury. This presents a
problem in the current economy where many companies are shortstaffed. “In this day and age, there’s more responsibility on individuals to get the job done,” he says.
But if a manager is working for a company without a strong training culture, he or she can “sell” training to upper management by
showing how the course will benefit the organization and how the
learning might be measured, after the fact.
Regardless of your company’s view on training, ensure you’ve
investigated the course or program before registering an employee.
There’s nothing worse than shelling out company cash and having
your employee come back feeling as though it was a waste of time.
Speak to other employees or managers who’ve sent employees on
the training program. “Research the training organization, find out
what its background is and what it's good at,” he says. “The organization you’re looking for should be very focused.
www.finning.ca
STORY BY MICHAEL HINGSTON ILLUSTRATION BY HEFF O'REILLY
Cautionary Clothes
Personal protective equipment has evolved
right alongside other jobsite equipment.
But it’s no substitute for ordinary caution
Personal protective equipment (PPE) has come a long way
since the days of T-shirts and baseball caps. (These were for keeping cool
and blocking the sun, naturally – what else could a person need?) These
days, items such as hard hats and work boots are standard issue anywhere heavy machinery is used. And according to Ross Schram, a safety
specialist with First Aid and Survival Technologies Limited (F.A.S.T.),
there’s been an increased push in recent years towards more gear, worn
more of the time.
“The desirable approach is proactive,” he says. So instead of companies
waiting for injuries to occur and adjusting safety policies after the fact,
the goal is now to stop injuries before they happen in any possible location and for any foreseeable reason. “And part of that is wearing the stuff
so you can be seen.”
When it comes to PPE, there are three main pieces that are mandatory on any jobsite: a hard hat, a high-visibility vest and protective footwear. “That’s the minimum,” Schram says. A fourth piece, safety glasses,
is a common addition to that list.
Beyond these essentials, though, exact policies on PPE vary from
company to company. Depending on what kind of work is being done,
workers may also be required to wear protective eyewear (such as
goggles or face shields), special gloves or hearing protection. And some
companies err even further on the side of caution, making eyewear or
Say you’re working on a jobsite where hard hats aren’t mandatory,
hard hats mandatory everywhere, even in some areas where this equipment may have been previously exempt, such as the inside of vehicles or as long as you’re working inside the cab, so far, so good. The problem
comes later when the operators have to step outside, even briefly.
site offices.
“They’re required to get out to talk to somebody, or look at something,”
The move to greater safety has also brought changes to what kind of
Schram says. “And whether they forgot, or whether they don’t think
material PPE is made from. Some outerwear is made of mesh, which
they need it,” the hard hat often gets left
allows added breathability when the weather is
Today’s vests and garments are
behind on the seat, unused. The risks to such
hot, for example. Other garments might have
designed with a four-point tearaway a shortcut are very real: even a few seconds
fire-retardant properties. And today’s vests
and other garments are designed with a foursystem in case they get caught in a without head protection exposes those workers to falling objects and projectiles.
point tearaway system in case they get caught
piece of machinery.
Schram also recommends that workers
in a piece of machinery. Most of these changes
look beyond what’s mandatory and wear gear appropriate to their work
are a far cry from when Schram began his career as a cement finisher in
and the surrounding conditions. “You want to dress according to the
the early 1990s.
weather,” he says. In the summer, for example, workers should consider
New workers are informed of what PPE is required on the jobsite at
wearing clothing that protects the skin against sun damage.
their orientation, both in terms of what they need to bring, and what
Above all, Schram is quick to point out that wearing any amount
their employers will provide. Once on-site, it’s up to the workers to
of PPE is not enough to guarantee safety on a jobsite. Workers should
satisfy those requirements, which Schram says employers are enforcing
never rely on their equipment to keep them out of danger; there is still
more heavily than ever before.
no substitute for being careful and alert, ensuring that all engineering
Still, some workers continue to take dangerous shortcuts with their
and administrative controls are followed.
safety equipment, putting themselves in unnecessary danger. Schram
“Personal protective equipment,” Schram says, “is the last line of
says one of the most common risks he sees with machine operators has
defence.”
to do with their hard hats.
www.finning.ca
Spring 2012
15
16
Spring 2012
www.finning.ca
This year, Environment Canada officially unrolled
the latest stage of regulations affecting off-road
diesel engines, including your yellow iron.
Here’s how it works, and what it means to you
BY LINDSEY NORRIS
Y
ou might not have known it, but for the
past few years there has been a quiet sparring
match occurring in the world of diesel engines.
In one corner, there was the standard diesel
engine found in heavy equipment and other off-road
vehicles, everything from diesel-powered ATVs to
the Cat 338E hydraulic excavator. In the other corner,
there were the new Tier 4 regulations that the United
States and Canada introduced, which require companies to reduce two very critical pollutants – oxides of
nitrogen (NOx) and diesel particulate matter (PM).
In the middle of the ring sat the engineers at
Caterpillar, who faced the problem of bringing these
pollutants to heel without reducing the reliability or
power that Cat is known for.
After successfully meeting requirements for the
The Cat NOx-reduction
system captures and cools
a portion of the exhaust
gas, then returns it to
the engine to reduce combustion temperatures, and
therefore NOx levels.
www.finning.ca
three previous tiers, engineers were facing an increasingly
complex problem. The two pollutants – NOx, a type of gas
that forms when fuel is burned with excess air, and PM,
particulates that form during the combustion process – are
inversely related: when you decrease one, the other increases.
“Tier 4 actually considers four pollutants, but when you’re
talking about diesel engines, NOx and PM are the big ones,”
says Ryan Kisko, an emissions engineer with Finning who
has been working with the technical aspects of emissions
reduction for the past four years. “A balance beam effect
occurs inside the combustion chamber. NOx is created by
high combustion temperatures, greater than 1,800 Kelvin.
By lowering the combustion temperature, you lower the
amount of NOx created, but now you don’t burn off as
much particulate matter.”
Caterpillar engineers are solving the problem.
Three critical after-treatment components are in
place to reduce the particulates emitted without raising temperatures:
A Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) uses an oxidation process to remove unburned hydrocarbons, CO,
and a small portion of the PM from engine exhaust.
A Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) traps particulates from the exhaust stream, and prevents it from
being released in the atmosphere.
The Cat Regeneration System (CRS) removes the
soot that accumulates in the DPF, and automatically
kicks in when engine exhaust alone is not hot enough
to oxidize the soot, so the operator won’t even notice
it’s taking place.
Tier 4 regulations also
monitor crankcase emissions, which escape from
the engine block and
vent into the atmosphere.
A crankcase filter system
has been installed to keep
these blow-by emissions
at acceptable levels.
Spring 2012
17
The Next Tier
Meet your new machine
The new Tier 4 machines are being released in stages, with new models now becoming
available. When you get yours, here are a few small changes you can expect:
Expect about the same
or slightly improved
fuel economy – up to
five per cent on some
equipment – and the same
horsepower and transient
response as previous tier
engines.
18
Spring 2012
Tier 4 machines use Ultra
Low Sulfur Diesel
(ULSD) fuel and follow
ATI specifications, which
requires CJ-4 oil.
For most machines the DPF
will need to be cleaned
every 5,000 hours.
The crankcase filter system
is new, and there is a new
maintenance requirement
for the filter.
www.finning.ca
Tier 4 machines have a regeneration inhibit
button, which prevents regeneration from happening automatically – but this should be used
with extreme caution. “The system is designed to
be automatic so that the engine will protect itself
from damage. Filter damage will likely occur if you
override the regeneration and forget to activate it
manually,” Kisko explains.
So why, you may ask, might one want to regenerate manually? A misconception, mostly. “Some
people may think the temperature employed by the
regeneration process is a potential fire hazard. The
system is double-walled stainless steel, with an
insulation wall between the two keeping the skin
temperatures close to temperatures seen during
normal operation.”
According to Environment
Canada, the Tier 4
amendments will reduce
emissions by a total of 2.7
kilotonnes (kt) of VOCs, 63.3
kt of NOx, 8.4 kt of PM2.5,
and 9.5 kt of SO2 between
2012 and 2030.
www.finning.ca
HAVE CAT, WILL TRAVEL
In a global economy, in which companies regularly ship equipment and parts
across borders to be sold or perform
work, emissions regulations must be
similarly interconnected. As a result, the
Tier 4 Caterpillar equipment meets new
emission guidelines in the following
countries:
United States: Tier 4 Interim
Canada: Tier 4 Interim
European Union: Stage IIIB
Japan: Step 4
Currently, Caterpillar is releasing Tier
4 Interim/Stage IIIB models. In 2014
through 2015, Tier 4 Final/Stage IV
machines, which require an additional
reduction in NOx emissions, will be available. Regulations phase in NOx emissions
reductions and PM reductions and are
dependant on the power of the engine.
Stay tuned.
Spring 2012
19
PRESTO
Change-o
A helical pile company
modifies its iron to enable
power scarecrows to pop
up with little disturbance to
the landscape
DO NOT DISTURB: HPS of Edmonton installs helical piles that
are easier on the surrounding landscape than traditional piles.
20
Spring 2012
www.finning.ca20
BY TRICIA RADISON
B
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB OLSON
etween Medicine Hat and Calgary, an unusual
sight captures the eye. Row after row of massive
power line scarecrows (the towers that hold
electrical lines aloft) lie on the ground in sections, like
giant snap-together toys. Pretty soon, these structures will
stand about 100 feet high, anchored into the ground with a
relatively new foundation technology – and with the help of
some decidedly different looking Caterpillar equipment.
The Southern Alberta Transmission Reinforcement power
line runs from Cassils, west of Brooks, to Whitla, south of
Medicine Hat, and consists of approximately 750 lattice
structures. It will be the largest transmission line project
ever constructed exclusively on helical piles.
www.finning.ca
Spring 2012
21
Presto Change-o
HPS offers custom-engineered systems for
Helical piles, also called screw piles, are a bit like supersized screws: pieces of steel
heavy-duty projects in the oil and gas, transmission
pipe with spiral plates welded to the base. The piles are connected to a hydraulic head
and distribution, commercial and industrial and the
attached to the boom of an excavator and screwed into the earth.
alternative energy sectors. The
The scarecrows have clusters
company has five locations
of piles ranging from 12 to 36 per
across Canada and an office
tower with the size and load of the
Helical piles, also called screw piles, are a bit like
in Houston, Texas. It’s been
tower determining the number
supersized screws; pieces of steel pipe with spiral
the leader in helical piling
of piles.
plates welded to the base.
technology since 1977, but the
“Several things can influence
technology has only recently
the load, including exposure
But excavators, of course, are typically
become widely accepted by
to wind, snow and ice; spacing
equipped with buckets and used to move earth
industry. And that complicates
between towers; and deflection
from one place to another – a very different
matters.
angles,” Ben Kasprick says.
“As the market grows and
“Whenever the line deflects or
application to what HPS was considering.
the technology is accepted
takes a turn, the tower size and
from an engineering perspecload increases.” It’s Kasprick’s
tive, the piles are getting larger, the loads are getting
business to know the nuances of a string of power scarecrows. He is the vice-president
larger, and therefore the equipment required to install
of operations for Helical Pier Systems (HPS) in Edmonton, the company installing the
the piles is getting larger,” says Kasprick.
foundations for the transmission line.
DEEPER THINKING: Ben Kasprick, vice president of Helical
Pier Systems, champions the benefits of screw pile systems.
22
Spring 2012
www.finning.ca
Traditional truck-mounted units don’t cut it on their
own for projects like the transmission line, the piles for
which are between seven and 12¾ inches in diametre, and
between 18 and 80 feet long, with length depending on
soil conditions. But alternative equipment simply doesn’t
exist; it has to be invented. Innovators just can’t wait.
“In order to move forward in the marketplace, we
custom-design and build all our own attachments,” says
Kasprick. “We’ve been developing drive-head equipment
for excavators for probably the last 10 years.”
HPS uses excavators for installation because of
their hydraulic ability and mobility. Kasprick likes
the Caterpillar 345D series because the machines are
big, but not so large that they can’t be transported
year-round. A larger machine could only be hauled
for about 70 per cent of the year. The company owns
two 345Ds as well as a 330D, 336E; four multi-terrain
loaders – two 289s and two 299s – and three 924
wheeled loaders. (Continues on page 24.)
GAINING GROUND
Helical piles are becoming increasingly popular across North America thanks to some
significant advantages over other types of foundations.
“The primary driver is cost. The helical foundation is much less expensive,” says Ben
Kasprick.
He explains that helical piles can be installed in any condition, including unstable
soil, permafrost and high water table areas. “We can pick up a lot of capacity without
having to go with depth because we use more of an end-bearing type pile
as opposed to a concrete friction pile. This allows us to adapt to changing ground
conditions easily.”
The piles are also environmentally friendly and greatly reduce the amount of traffic
on landowners’ property because there’s no need for dump trucks to remove soil. In
fact, no soil is removed at all. And there is no need for concrete trucks to deliver material. This reduces the time and cost of preparing right-of-ways and of reclamation. They
can be installed in confined spaces or in areas with limited access. And if planners
make an error or engineering change, it’s easy to correct.
“Imagine the tower foundation has been installed and is ready for erection and it
turns out that a couple towers ahead there becomes an issue. It cannot be placed as
originally intended. A concrete foundation cannot be removed but the helical foundation can not only be removed by essentially unscrewing it, it can be reused at the new
location,” says Kasprick.
HPS also sees cost savings because of how rapidly the piles can be installed. If
everything goes well, HPS can install a foundation in a day as opposed to 10 days for
a concrete foundation, making the technology ideal for fast-tracked projects. On a
project like a traditional transmission, companies can typically install 80 to 100 piles
in a day the old way. On one alternative energy project HPS undertook in Ontario, it
installed 500 to 700 piles each day.
www.finning.ca
Spring 2012
23
Presto Change-o
But excavators, of course, move earth from one place
to another – a very different application to what HPS was
considering. Needing to outfit the excavators for a novel
use, HPS turned to Finning for assistance.
Grant Dykstra, a Finning rep in Edmonton, helped
facilitate the new configuration. “They needed to
install special hydraulic lines on the excavator and
reconfigure the excavator slightly so that the operator
could use a foot control to control a massive hydraulic
head,” Dykstra says. “That isn’t something we see every
day. But they had a clear idea of what they needed and
we had a clear idea of what we could provide.”
The drive head HPS had developed for the 345D
had 250,000 pounds of torque. Working together,
Caterpillar engineers in Vancouver and HPS engineers
were able to put together a solution that transformed
the 345Ds from earthmovers into what amounted to
giant drills.
This isn’t the first time HPS has modified with a
Cat to get it to fit a unique function. In response to
challenges in the field, HPS has developed and manu-
factured many specialty attachments and accessories that have been sold around the
world.
For instance, the company recently wrapped up a power line project in the U.S. that
went through a sensitive marsh wetland in Wisconsin. Somehow, HPS had to install
piles in a five-foot-deep floating bog. “There is no traditional equipment that would be
able to go out onto the bog,” says Kasprick.
The answer was to mount a Cat 336 excavator on marsh tracks. With the unique
piece of equipment, the job went off without a hitch.
Kasprick only uses Caterpillar equipment in his operation, a move he made in
2005. He likes the equipment first for its dependability; he’s found it reliable in
all seasons. The second reason he chooses Cat is the level of service he gets from
Finning.
“I have had fantastic service. They’ve always responded quickly to any of
my needs and are always available to try to work through the issues, trying to
troubleshoot to get us going quickly prior to sending out service and, if it can’t be
resolved over the phone or with our own resources, they are quick to respond with
field service,” he says.
For Dykstra, working with such an innovative client is enjoyable. “It has been an
interesting challenge to work with Ben and his group at Helical Pier. They are always
working towards making their product better and I feel as though we at Finning have
helped them do that and will continue to in the future.”
FASTER WITH HPS: In some cases, HPS can install as many as seven times
the number of piles in a day than can be installed using tradional methods.
24
Spring 2012
www.finning.ca
KNUCKLE
DOWN
BY ROBIN BRUNET
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILLIP CHIN
A Vancouver Island company gets some heavy
iron to delicately guide logs emerging from the
plant’s debarker into a narrow chipper
O
ver the years, DCT Chambers Trucking Ltd. has relied on
Finning Canada and Caterpillar equipment to conduct its business
in a timely and efficient manner. “We have a lot of older Cat loaders in
operation as well as newer units,” says Joanne Stone, the Vernon-based
hauling company’s operations director.
www.finning.ca
Spring 2012
25
Knuckle Down
DCT and its 200-plus truck fleet is an important supplier to
board plants, power plants, pulp mills and sawmills throughout
B.C., Alberta, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. It’s
somewhat ironic, then, that the company’s latest acquisition from
Finning – one that is crucial to operations – would be a machine
that DCT site manager Neal Deane describes as “sitting idle a lot
of the time.”
DCT employs the Cat in question, its new modified 519 knuckleboom loader, at the company’s chipping plant in Chemainus, near
Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Its main function is to facilitate the
flow of logs emerging from the plant’s debarker into a chipper with
a 30-inch throat, and Deane justifies his “sitting idle” remark by
explaining that vigilance on the part of operator Mark Krentz is the
key to uninterrupted wood flow – a relatively delicate manoeuvre.
“Our goal is to chip five or six days per week, and if so much as two
20-inch logs emerge from the debarker and aren’t pulled ahead of
one another before they reach the chipper throat, there would be
problems,” says Deane.
obsolete,” says Deane. “To rebuild it would have been prohibitively
Outfitted with four surveillance monitors so that Krentz can
expensive and, more importantly, it would have taken a minimum
keep tabs on other areas of the 10.5 acre plant, the 519 is arguably
of three weeks, which is more downtime than we can afford.”
the nerve centre of the entire DCT chipping operation, and its aura
DCT’s board of directors voted in favour of replacing the
of importance is augmented by the fact that the machine is bolted
machine and announced a call
to a pedestal between the debarker
to tender in 2010. “Finning was
and chipper.
The 519 is arguably the nerve centre of
a bit higher in price than
The new loader may have been
the entire operation, its aura of importance initially
the competition, but we ultimately
a no-brainer purchase (Stone estiaugmented by the fact that the machine
chose them at the end of the year,”
mates that production would have
says Stone. “That led to a lot of
dropped by 50 per cent without it),
is bolted to a pedestal.
brainstorming between us and
but the actual acquisition was comNorm and Neil Roine before placing an order in February of 2011.”
plex. The 519 replaces an old loader that was built in 1994
(Stone is referring to Finning’s Roine brothers. In Vernon, Norm is
by former employee Reg Ross from three different machines,
the general line sales rep and Neil, product support rep, is Stone’s
including two taken from a scrapyard. “It was a good piece of
main contact in Naniamo.)
equipment that had defi nitely reached the end of its lifecycle: its
Stone adds that Finning secured the deal “because there was zero
swing motors alone had been rebuilt several times and were totally
26
Spring 2012
www.finning.ca
NERVE CENTRE: At the helm of the 519 is Mark Krentz,
who makes sure the chipper isn't overwhelmed.
down payment, the conditions of agreement were clear and
accompanied by good documentation, plus the installation
support of the 519 was included in the purchase price.”
Norm Roine gives credit “to Finning’s forestry group in Surrey,
especially forestry product manager Dave Aldridge, for helping to
determine that the 519, along with specific stick and boom lengths,
was the way to go. They really got this deal off the ground.”
Some of the brainstorming involved Norm Roine and Neal
Deane travelling to Tacoma, Washington, to witness another
519 in action in a similar chipping outfit. “By that time I realized
we needed a modified cab and, after viewing the Tacoma operation,
we made sketches to make the cab as big as it could be built given
the restrictions of the boom cylinders,” Deane recalls.
The modifications were necessary for several reasons:
Deane wanted to upgrade the monitors that had been used in
his old loader. He also wanted an improved range of visibility.
www.finning.ca
“Plus, I wanted space for a small jump seat for training purposes
or for visitors,” he says. Weldco Beales Manufacturing’s Langley,
B.C. facility was tasked with building the cab and, Norm Roine
says, “I think we drove head engineer Nick Cindrich crazy
with refinements and extra requests. The cab manufacture
consequently took several months longer than expected, but
the results were worth it.”
Of the transition from old loader to new in October 2011, Deane
remarks, “It was organized for minimal downtime. A substructure
was built to accommodate the 519, and electricians from KJ Electric
in Nanaimo arrived to cut the power towards the end of the week
while the 519 was installed with 2,200-pound bolts. Re-wiring took
place over the weekend, including wiring of our four new touch screen
monitors.” At the same time, Finning technicians hung lighting and
ensured that the loader was torqued properly. Deane says everything
was up and running by early the following week.
Spring 2012
27
Knuckle Down
“I realized we needed a modified
cab,” DCT’s Deane recalls. “We made
sketches to make the cab as big as it
could be built given the restrictions
of the boom cylinders.”
For the record, the monitors are linked to
cameras positioned at the chip line, the hogger and
underneath the chip line. Aside from monitoring
and sorting logs coming from the debarker, Krentz
is constantly eyeing the screens for any signs of
other operational information.
As of January, the 519 was functioning to everyone’s
expectations. “There was a bit of a learning curve in
that Mark had to get used to using a joystick instead
of pedals, plus the unit came with a low-back seat
that we’re thinking of replacing, but other than
that we’re happy with the outcome,” says Deane.
“We’re just in time, hopefully, for as busy a year as
we enjoyed in 2011.”
Stone adds, “We value Finning’s knack for
clear communication and attentiveness, and this,
combined with the trustworthiness of people like
Norm and Neil Roine, are the reasons we remain
long-time customers.”
FAMILY TIME
Joanne Stone’s observation that trust is at the
heart of DCT’s relationship with Finning and other
businesses is understandable when one considers
that, for all its scope, DCT is a tightly-knit familyrun organization. “We’re a hard-working group
that relies on companies like Finning to keep our
operations going smoothly,” she says.
The liaison “stretches back for years,” she says.
“Finning has supplied us with portable chippers,
stationary chippers and gen sets complete with
chipper duty. At one time we had three chip
plants and Finning was the dealer in Canada for
the chippers – so we had excellent parts and
service support.”
More recently, DCT’s Chemainus plant relied
on Caterpillar 3412 engines to power the
chipper. “They proved to be reliable and gave
us great service,” says Stone. “The only reason
we don’t use the 3412 today is that we converted
our chipping plant to electric.”
Caterpillar is an equally prevalent brand in DCT’s
trucking division. “We run 966 and 980 wheel
loaders, also with great success, and of course we
operate a lot of older machines,” says Stone.
For his part, Norm Roine calls DCT “an extremely
good customer. Although I’ve personally only dealt
with them for the past five years, we enjoy a strong
level of mutual trust. Hopefully, now that the 519
is up to speed, there will be other equipment
upgrades coming down the turnpike.”
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Spring 2012
LONG-TIME BUSINESS: Finning rep Neil Roine (right) knew that
DCT's Neal Deane (left) could use a modified 519 for his operations.
www.finning.ca
ROTATING
THE IRON
A top-to-tail landscaping company finds
that keeping it fresh means keeping
machine life cycle costs down
BY ROBIN BRUNET
F
or many customers, life cycle costing has become an integral part
of Finning’s value proposition. It’s a proven method that looks at overall
owning-and-operating costs for a pre-determined length of time.
Often, the findings have prompted customers to reduce maintenance costs
by purchasing new Caterpillar machines and creating a standard replacement
program, rotating the iron sooner than they would have otherwise.
www.finning.ca
Spring 2012
29
planting petunias,” says Wilco NW Purchasing Manager Cory Grismer. “In recent
As any Finning rep will attest, life cycle costing
years we had established an excellent relationship with Finning, and by crunching
of equipment is embraced by industries with large
our numbers via life cycle costing, we realized that our habit of getting the most
fleets that are constantly under pressure to improve
out of our machines, if pursued into the fourth year of operation, would have been
efficiencies. Mining is a notable case in point. But,
financially unacceptable. The downtime is as costly as the actual repair itself.”
as branch manager for general construction in
Grismer goes on to say, “We worked closely with Finning
Edmonton Peter Le Mare
reps David Muller and his successor Shawn Lipka and
notes, life cycle costing is a
“THERE WERE ONLY MINOR
realized that if we continued our approach to machine
relatively new development
HICCUPS, WHICH FINNING
management, we would have had to add more machines to
in the landscaping sector.
FIXED FAIRLY QUICKLY,” SAYS
compensate for the inevitable downtime that would occur.
Wilco Contractors
GRISMER. “TODAY, OUR FLEET
That would have been an inefficient option, to say the least.”
Northwest Inc. of Edmonton
Instead, Wilco purchased the skid steers and loaders and
recently purchased an even
IS 100-PER-CENT CAT.”
will resell them after one year. “We expect this will greatly
number of 262C skid steers
reduce the potential for downtime.”
and 289C compact track loaders (20 in total) as well as
Edmonton isn’t the only branch of Wilco Contractors Northwest to adopt this
two 305D CR mini hydraulic excavators, two 308D CR
machine management strategy. After Wilco Edmonton signed a deal with Finning
SB mini hydraulic excavators, and one 314D LCR for
and proved the operational benefits of life cycle costing concept, the company also
its operations between Edmonton and Fort McMurray.
They complement a fleet of seven Cat dozers ranging in acquired 34 new skid steers and loaders for its Calgary and Saskatchewan branches.
Le Mare says the purchases mark a shift in thinking among landscapers and other
size from a D3 to a D6R.
equipment owners. “The most common model among landscapers is that they keep
“We’re a unique landscaper in that we can do everyequipment in use for long periods,” he says. And why not? The Cat machines Finning
thing from bulk grading and excavation right down to
30
Spring 2012
www.finning.ca
sells and services run well for years with regular maintenance. “But
ing 20 new units and operating them for four years before putting
Wilco shifted gears and discovered a cost savings.”
them up for auction,” says Lipka. “Life cycle costing proved that
Wilco didn’t become a die-hard Caterpillar customer until the
maintenance costs on existing machines escalated in years three and
spring of 2009, when Grismer and a few colleagues journeyed to its
four – by which point they’d have logged in excess of 4,000 hours.
North Carolina production facilities – and
In fact, the maintenance costs would have
consequently purchased two skid steers.
eclipsed the cost of a new purchase.”
EQUIPMENT ROTATION COULD
“We’d been having reliability issues, and the IMPROVE WILCO’S IMPRESSIVE
Wilco undertook a detailed life cycle
North Carolina trip was the result of having
costing and agreed that a machine’s later
EFFICIENCIES. IT MADE SENSE TO
tested machines from a variety of manuyears can become more expensive not only
START AN ANNUAL PROGRAM.
facturers and being impressed by the Cat’s
in dollars, but also in down time. It made
performance, plus we liked the design of the
sense to start an annual rotation. The com289C undercarriage,” Grismer recalls.
pany ordered both tracked and wheeled models, equipped with XPS
And Wilco puts a lot of hours on its machines. The two skid steers,
hydraulics and variable displacement pumps to achieve fuel savings,
for example, worked for a combined total of 2,450 hours during their
and Wilco took delivery in January. “Most importantly, a one-year
first season, moving materials back and forth over 17 kilometres of
machine rotation could improve Wilco’s already impressive efficiengravel trail daily during construction of Fort McMurray’s Birchwood
cies,” Le Mare says.
Trails, a municipal recreational trail system. “There were only minor
For his part, Grismer is focused on the work at hand. “We’re
hiccups, which Finning fixed fairly quickly,” says Grismer. “Today,
gearing up for a busy spring and summer and fully expect that
our fleet is 100-per-cent Cat.”
efficiencies will be improved. Reliability is a big thing with us,
Le Mare credits Lipka for helping Wilco understand the benefits of
and we’re happy that Finning stepped in to help us modify our
the life cycle costing process. “Wilco initially thought about buymaintenance program.”
ON THE GROUND
Wilco Contractors Northwest Inc. prides itself on being a leader
in open-space site development, a disciplined exemplified by its
work on the Timberlea Community Park project in the Regional
Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
The $16-million project involved construction of a recreational
park and associated International Association of Athletics Federation
sports fields within the urban service area of Wood Buffalo. Wilco
completed all construction of sports fields and landscaping, as well
as all associated earthworks. “At any given time we had a number of
excavators, articulated dump trucks, skid steers, three dozers and
two large 815 compactors at the site,” says Grismer.
Construction officially began at a groundbreaking ceremony in April
2011. Dignitaries from the local government of Fort McMurray as well
as from the Fort McMurray Public School District, the Fort McMurray
Catholic School District and Wilco NW took part in the ceremonies.
Thanks to Wilco’s expertise, the project finished on budget and
is scheduled to officially open in July, 2012. The new facility will put
Wood Buffalo and Fort McMurray on the map as destinations of
choice. “The nice thing about a project like this,” Grismer says, “is
that it enables us to use all our skills – and our Cat equipment – to
do everything from site grading all the way to planting trees, shrubs
and flowers in the field.”
www.finning.ca
Spring 2012
31
Portrait: Brent McDowell
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB OLSON
In the 1980s, Brent
McDowell played junior B
hockey for a year after
high school. Unsure of his
near future, he moved to
Langley with his parents
and worked graveyards in
the warehouse at Finning.
“I never thought I’d stay,” he
says with a laugh. But stay
he did – and why not? It
had worked well for his dad,
Barry, who’d been a lifetime
Finning employee with a
career that took him across
Western Canada before he
retired. (Barry died several
years ago.)
Like Barry, Brent has
worked his way up, apprenticing as a partsman
in Campbell River, working in product support in
Grande Prairie, general line
sales (construction) and
customer account manager
(forestry) in Red Deer, then
to Calgary as sales manager
for general construction.
In 2009 he moved to
Lethbridge, where he’s now
branch manager.
“I like the variety of tasks
and people, as well as the
diversity of opportunities
in Lethbridge,” Brent says.
With 28 staff members, the
branch is one of Finning’s
newest facilities and is
positioned to grow. He and
his wife Frankie stay busy
with a summer property at
Lake Koocanusa, B.C. In
winter Brent is usually at
the hockey rink coaching
one of his three boys, ages
nine to 13.
32
Spring 2012
www.finning.ca
www.finning.ca
Spring 2012
33
Count on Us
PIE TIMES
You know your event is important when
the Hoot ‘n Toot Show covers it! From rock
hauling to log hauling, this Caterpillar 769
truck was repurposed back in 1969 and
unveiled for the masses during a major
event complete with equipment demos
and fruit pies for the onlookers.
34
Spring 2012
www.finning.ca
EX
IT DOESN’T
THIS
THAN
TH
ED30
NDUNE
TE TO J
BETTER
GET
FINANCING
ON CAT® H-SERIES
MEDIUM WHEEL LOADERS
TILL DEC 31ST, 2011
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FINNING BRANCH TODAY
PROMOTION APPLIES TO MODELS 950H, 962H, IT62H, 966H, 972H, 980H
SEE IN STORE FOR PROGRAM DETAILS AND ELIGIBILITY
PROGRAM NOW EXPIRES JUNE 30TH, 2012.
1-888-finning
(346-6464)
|
finning.ca