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COVID-19 Takes Toll On Canadian Equipment Manufacturers

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on equipment manufacturers in Canada, according to a new survey released by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). For example, nearly half (forty-seven percent) of equipment manufacturers in Canada surveyed said it will take a year or more for their organizations to recover to pre-COVID business levels.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly impacted equipment manufacturers and the communities we proudly serve across Canada,” said Alexander Russ, Director of Government Affairs for AEM. “From new orders drying up to supply chain disruptions, this unprecedented crisis has caused many companies to reduce their immediate financial outlook. AEM continues to help our industry navigate these challenging times to come back stronger and fuel Canada’s economic recovery.”
As the country navigates the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors have largely remained open and continued to supply the equipment necessary to keep the country moving forward and help lead the recovery and renewal of the Canadian economy.
The survey was in the field from June 22 to August 5, 2020. The 24 respondents weighed in on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, the industry, their companies, supply chain and manufacturing operations, their financial expectations, as well as the challenges they continue to face and specific ways the federal government can keep equipment manufacturing strong and ensure the nation’s economic resilience.

Key Findings
•   Nearly half (forty-seven percent) of equipment manufacturers in Canada surveyed said it would take one year or more for their organization to recover to pre-COVID business levels.
•   More than three out of four equipment manufacturers in Canada surveyed identified a decrease in demand (new orders) as the primary impact of COVID-19 on their business and manufacturing operations (seventy-six percent). Four out of ten (forty-three percent) respondents identified supply chain issues as a major impact.
•   Fifty percent of Canadian equipment manufacturers say they have used or intend to use Canada’s federal COVID-19 assistance programs to help their business, with the other fifty percent saying they haven’t or will not.
•   Of the equipment manufacturers in Canada accessing the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), fifty-five percent said it was “easy” while twenty-two percent said it was “relatively easy,” and another twenty-two percent saying it was “moderately difficult.”
•   The top additional policies equipment manufacturers believe the Government of Canada should undertake to help their businesses through the COVID-19 crisis are recognizing the critical importance of Canadian manufacturing capacity, implement measures to increase the competitiveness of the sector, and reward innovative Canadian manufacturers (sixty-five percent), investing more federal money in infrastructure projects, including increasing the federal portion of funding for provincial and municipal projects (sixty percent), and creating a program to replace older equipment with new, lower emission equipment through tax credits or government grants and loans (sixty percent).

AEM continues to lead the industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is working closely with Canadian officials to keep the equipment manufacturing industry in Canada strong and ensure the nation’s economic resilience. AEM is calling for bold action by the Canadian government to incentivize the further development of the equipment manufacturing industry in Canada, and to provide additional economic assistance to businesses of all sizes.

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Sep 24, 2020 - 5 years ago
Brokk Offers Customized Options For High Heat Environments

Brokk, the world’s leading manufacturer of remote-controlled demolition machines, offers specialized, high-heat options, ideal for processing applications. These features are available as part of Brokk’s customization during initial purchase or afterwards through the manufacturer’s repair and refurbishment services. Equipment customization with heat-resistant options allows facilities and contractors to tailor equipment to fit their specific needs and the unique demands of cement, steel and foundry applications.
“Every jobsite has its own set of challenges, but processing presents some of the most extreme environments and highest risks for workers — making it perfect for a Brokk machine,” said Lars Lindgren, president of Brokk Inc. “Through our customization process, processing facilities can add the options they need to stand up to the heat so they can complete routine tasks faster and safer than ever.”
Brokk has developed a number of heat-resistant options, including cylinder protection, steel tracks and a forced draft cooling system. These features are available on most Brokk models, including the Brokk 800P, the manufacturer’s 11-ton, specialized processing machine, and can also be added to smaller units, such as the versatile, 1-ton Brokk 110 for hot applications in tight spaces. When combined with remote operation, heat-resistant features allow facilities to begin maintenance operations, such as ladle cleaning and refractory removal, while temperatures are still too high for workers to approach, increasing productivity and safety for these vital tasks.
The optional cylinder protection feature employs a metal shield to limit impact and radiated heat from damaging vital components on Brokk’s three-part arm. This allows operators to get closer and work longer in high-heat applications while avoiding heat-related equipment breakdowns.
Customers can also opt for steel caterpillar tracks, which offer a higher temperature threshold than Brokk’s standard rubber tracks. This customization allows the machine to move across hot surfaces, such as those found in a kiln during refractory tear out.
A forced draft cooling option is also available for hydraulic systems and electrical cabinets to help increase the unit’s cooling capacity and minimize heat-related breakdowns. The forced draft cooling system is recommended for jobs where the ambient temperature exceeds 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius), such as cement or lime kilns. An upgraded forced draft cooling option is available for the breaker, as well, allowing for use in red-hot applications with ambient temperatures in excess of 392 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).

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Sep 24, 2020 - 5 years ago
Hitachi Celebrates 70 Years Of Innovation

By Kristin Stires and Sarah Larson for Hitachi

From building its first hydraulic excavator to manufacturing technologically advanced equipment today, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd. is proud to celebrate 70 years of innovation.
For Hitachi, this year marks more than just the beginning of a new decade. It is a milestone achievement highlighting the start of full-scale production for Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.
“This milestone is possible because of Hitachi’s incredible customers and employees,” said Jonny Spendlove, product marketing manager, excavators, Hitachi Construction Machinery – Americas. “Hitachi’s longevity is so impressive, and it’s a tribute to the machine quality and innovation. We continually provide the efficiency, reliability and durability our customers are looking for.”
Hitachi’s mass production of construction machinery kicked off in 1950 with the development of the U06 cable-operated shovel. The company also pioneered hydraulic technology in 1965 by building the UH03, the first hydraulic excavator in Japan made purely with domestic technologies. Since then, the company has continued to succeed as a major heavy equipment manufacturer. From compact excavators and foresters to mining shovels and haul trucks, Hitachi continues to provide the range of machines customers trust for their operations.
The company has established powerful partnerships along the way. In 1983, Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd. and Deere & Company collaborated to reach an OEM supply agreement. Since then, two joint venture companies with three manufacturing facilities have been created. In 2002, Hitachi and John Deere also integrated marketing operations in North, Central and South America to streamline decision-making and improve customer support.
Hitachi continues to make significant investments in its manufacturing facilities to boost future production capacity and efficiency. Each machine is built to order, made possible by a lean manufacturing system combined with a quality assurance process.
The company has kept its focus on integrating advanced technology into its equipment to further help customers increase efficiency, reliability and durability on jobsites. One such technology is Hitachi Solution Linkage Integrated Grade Control with Topcon. The new construction excavator technology allows an operator to set a grade and hold it – increasing efficiency while also lowering daily operating costs.
As Hitachi continues trekking its innovative path, new machines are introduced to meet and exceed customers’ needs. In 2019, that included the fuel-efficient EX-7 Series excavators: the EX1200-7, EX2600-7, EX3600-7 and EX5600-7.
“The Hitachi team is constantly developing new machines and technology that can give our customers a competitive edge,” Spendlove said. “We thank our customers for trusting Hitachi equipment the last 70 years and look forward to a promising future.” b

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Sep 24, 2020 - 5 years ago
CP Completes Biggest-Ever Canadian Crop-Year Haul

Canadian Pacific has announced it hauled more Canadian grain and grain products in the 2019-2020 crop production year than any in its 139-year history. In total, CP moved 29.52 million metric tonnes (MMT) this crop year, exceeding last year's record of 26.77 MMT by 2.75 MMT, or 10 percent.
"The world depends on Canadian farmers for food and we understand the important role CP and the grain supply chain play in getting crops to market," said Keith Creel, CP's President and Chief Executive Officer. "In this banner crop year, the men and women of CP proved again they're more than ready for the task. I am immensely proud of the CP family and the entire grain supply chain in delivering a second consecutive crop-year record, and by such a significant margin. This truly shows the value of CP's capacity for the movement of grain."
In addition to the record crop year, CP announced today its best-ever July for transporting Canadian grain and grain products, with 2.58 MMT hauled. The July record is CP's ninth monthly record set during the 2019-2020 crop year.
This year's successes are a testament to the efficiency of the 8,500-foot High Efficiency Product (HEP) train model. An 8,500-foot HEP train can carry in excess of 40 percent more grain than the 7,000-foot train model when combined with the additional capacity of CP's new high-efficiency hopper cars. Customers are actively investing in their elevator networks to accommodate 8,500-foot trains. By year-end, more than 30 percent of the CP-served unit train loaders will be 8,500-foot HEP qualified, increasing capacity and efficiency in the grain supply chain for customers and stakeholders.
Shipping containers also played an important role in exporting Canada's crop. This year, CP moved more than 650,000 metric tonnes of western Canadian grain to export markets in containers. With containerized grain included in the total, CP transported more than 30 MMT during the crop year.
"Viterra depends on efficient, reliable transportation year-round," said Kyle Jeworski, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viterra. "With CP's 8,500-foot HEP train model, Viterra can move more grain with each train, creating efficiencies for the whole supply chain. And CP's reliable service throughout the crop year helped enable Viterra to meet our customers' needs. I look forward to CP's and Viterra's shared success in meeting the demands of our Canadian farmers and global customers in the coming crop year."
CP continues to take delivery of high-capacity grain hopper cars as part of a half-billion-dollar commitment in 2018 to purchase 5,900 of the newest-generation railcars. The new cars can carry 10 percent more grain by weight and 15 percent more by volume than the older Government of Canada cars they are replacing; more than 2,900 are now in service. As a result of this capacity upgrade, the amount of grain CP was able to transport in each railcar increased by 1 metric tonne from a year earlier.
"Today's announcement of CP's biggest-ever crop-year haul is a bright spot for Canada's agricultural sector," said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. "I want to congratulate CP for reaching this historic milestone, which would not have been possible without their strategic investments into the future, including their upgraded hopper car fleet. Our Government knows just how important grain farmers are to Canada's food supply and our economy, which is why we continue to open new markets and make improvements to our rail transportation system. While COVID-19 has affected many areas of the economy and many individual farmers, today's announcement demonstrates how our agriculture sector is well positioned to lead our nation's economic restart."
As the 2020 crop continues to mature, CP is watching carefully and assessing resource requirements in terms of personnel, locomotives and railcars to meet the challenge. To find out more about CP's preparations for the new crop year, visit https://www.cpr.ca/en/about-cp-site/Documents/Grain-Report-2020-21.pdf.

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Sep 8, 2020 - 5 years ago
Dana Unveils New Electric Motor, Drive Axle For Lift Trucks

Dana Incorporated has introduced new drive technologies for material-handling vehicles, including a low-voltage, high-efficiency motor for electric-powered applications, as well as a new series of modular, high-efficiency drive axles for Class I, IV, and V industrial lift trucks.
The new technologies demonstrate how Dana offers modular systems that support both bolt-on and fully integrated approaches to vehicle design. Dana's flexibility helps manufacturers reduce system complexity, shorten the time to develop and introduce new products, and facilitate the introduction of innovations into the vehicle life cycle.
Dana has a deep portfolio of Spicer axles, transmissions, and driveshafts for traditional applications driven by internal-combustion engines, as well as a full range of electric motors, inverters, and controllers for low- and high-voltage applications ranging from 24 to 800 volts.
Additionally, Dana supplies motion systems for work functions as well as advanced sensors and controls developed to optimize productivity, maximize life, and reduce maintenance.
"Performance, efficiency, and modularity are the top needs for manufacturers of material-handling equipment," said Aziz Aghili, president of Dana Off-Highway Drive and Motion Systems. "Dana's new generation of innovations provide the lowest total cost of ownership by helping equipment buyers navigate the challenges of Industry 4.0, human-to-machine communication, autonomous vehicle operation, Big Data, and the end-to-end digitization of supply chain processes."

New Low-Voltage, High-Efficiency Motor
Dana has launched a new 48- to 120/144-volt synchronous reluctance internal permanent magnet (SRIPM) motor targeted for Class I electric lift trucks, sideloaders, and mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs). Delivering up to 95 percent efficiency, the motor prolongs battery life and extends duty cycles by delivering higher power density than the AC motors typically used in these applications.
Currently available for field testing by equipment manufacturers, the motor offers continuous power from 20 kW to 60 kW, and peak power from 30 kW to 70 kW. It is scheduled for production in late 2020.
The new motor joins the wide breadth of technologies from Dana that allow manufacturers to address the specific performance, power, torque, and NVH requirements of any given material-handling application. Dana offers low- and high-voltage solutions including SRIPM, synchronous reluctance (SR), internal permanent magnet (IPM), and AC induction motors.
The motors can be combined with Dana's inverter, controller, software, and drive products to deliver a comprehensive system solution for original-equipment manufacturers.

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Sep 8, 2020 - 5 years ago
AG Trucking Maintains High Driver Satisfaction With Kenworth T880s

Spending 35 years with one company is impressive. For a driver to accomplish that with a transportation company, now that’s almost unheard of.
“I got the sense right away when I started with AG Trucking in 1984 that they were a family-oriented company that truly cared about its drivers,” said Rick Miller, who drove for the company for 25 years prior to transitioning to his current role as a recruiter for AG Trucking. “The company always had us in well-maintained, quality equipment and made a point to make life easier for us drivers on the road. I actually encouraged my dad to come work for the company, and he did. He spent 20 years driving for AG.”
According to Casey Stump, AG Trucking vice president and general manager, maintaining a high level of driver satisfaction is a key component to AG Trucking’s success. The Goshen, Indiana-based company specializes in hauling food grade liquid and material, such as sand and limestone, in all 48 continental states and in Canada. AG Trucking also has a small regional division dedicated to hauling dry bulk commodities throughout the Midwest.
“We’ve worked hard at establishing a company culture where drivers want to be,” said Stump. “We have several driver-focused programs in place and provide our drivers with Kenworth T880s that are spec’d to maximize driver comfort. We have a number of drivers who have spent more than 15 years driving for us – some eclipsing more than 30.”
AG Trucking operates 157 company-owned Kenworth trucks, including 120 Kenworth T880s purchased since 2017 from Palmer Trucks – Fort Wayne in Indiana. The majority of the T880s are spec’d with 76-inch mid-roof sleepers, 450 hp engines, and 9-speed manual transmissions.
According to Tim Boehlke, AG Trucking president and founder, Kenworth vocational trucks have long been a part of the company’s operation.
“Kenworth trucks have played a large role in our business since the very beginning,” said Boehlke, who founded AG Trucking in 1978. “We’ve operated other truck makes in the past, primarily trucks that we’ve acquired through business deals with companies, but we have always found trucks manufactured by Kenworth to be the best. It’s why our fleet is now made up of all Kenworth trucks. The quality, reliability, and creature comforts Kenworth trucks provide combine on-road performance with high driver acceptance.”
AG Trucking specs all of its Kenworth T880 76-inch mid-roof sleeper units with refrigerators, inverters, TV mounts, Kenworth Diamond VIT interior trim packages, and other driver-centric options to enhance the over-the-road experience, according to Stump.
“We’re always looking for the latest features and amenities we can spec our trucks with so that our drivers are as comfortable as they can be on the road,” said Stump. “Aside from what we’ve added to our trucks, our drivers have mentioned how much storage space they have in their sleepers. The designers at Kenworth did a great job maximizing the amount of space drivers are able to use on-board. It’s something our drivers are finding to be useful.”
While providing drivers with amenities that allow for a more comfortable stay on the road is key to maintaining high driver acceptance of the trucks in the fleet, Stump acknowledged that operating reliable equipment is just as important. The more the company maximizes its uptime, the more profitable its drivers and the company are. Drivers in the company’s food grade liquid and pneumatic divisions easily exceed 100,000 miles per year on the road.
“At the end of the day, our drivers want to be in equipment that they like driving and that is reliable. The more uninterrupted time our drivers are able to spend on the road, the more money they are able to make. Drivers don’t want to be in equipment that breaks down all the time, and we don’t want to accrue the costs associated with that. The Kenworth T880 has been a dependable truck for us.”
According to Stump, the Kenworth T880s enhanced visibility, smoother handling, and quiet cab were a few reasons the company decided to transition into the new vocational model.
With driver turnover a top concern fleets are faced with, Stump said that providing drivers with high quality equipment, combined with other driver-focused programs has helped the company stay well below the industry turnover rate.
“Our Kenworth trucks play a major role in keeping our turnover low and they also assist us in our recruiting efforts,” said Stump. “By providing drivers with high-performing and comfortable trucks, not only are we able to better retain our top drivers, we’re also able to recruit and gain the attention of quality candidates,” said Stump. “We are able to reduce the costs involved with onboarding new drivers. And when we do need to hire new drivers, we’re able add experienced and safe drivers who will fit right in.”
AG Trucking is on a four-year, or 450,000-mile trade in cycle with Palmer Trucks – Fort Wayne and according to Boehlke, it won’t be long before the company completes its transition to all Kenworth T880s.
“We’re getting close to phasing out the rest of our T800s,” said Boehlke. “They’ve been great trucks for us, and it set us up to make the transition to the T880. We’ve always received high resale value for the trucks we’ve traded in with Palmer Trucks, and our relationship with the dealership is strong. They’re a great partner, and always put us in trucks that provide us and our drivers the best equipment available.”

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Sep 8, 2020 - 5 years ago