Robotic Aircraft Washing Equipment
07.01.08 (6:38 am) [edit]How does it work? Well, the aircraft will taxi underneath an arc which puts out sufficient GPM to rinse the aircraft and give it a fresh water wash. In Singapore there is a Lady who runs a huge company cleaning aircraft with a robotic arm device which is hooked up to a water tank and pressure washer but it puts out more in the neighborhood of a 2 inch fire hose when cleaning, not too dissimilar to De-Ice units.
Lately, I have seen huge advances in robotic aircraft washing units with rotating brushes, Also if you will look you will see that UUV underwater unmanned vehicles using similar technologies exist used by Military and Commercial Fleets. The scrub the bottom of the ships and some can look for "evil doer" devices which may have been attached too!
You will see these technologies advance using several different systems to maintain safety while washing to prevent damage, such a Lidar, Optical Flow Sensors, electronic eyes (car wash industry) and other sensors used to win the DARPA Grand Challenge like the superstar engineer kid from Stanford. Also you will see more unique devices for sensing. Such as "Stereo Sound" wave sensors of many different types of waves low to high frequency.
Haptics will also play a part in aircraft washing sensing how much pressure to place onto an aircraft as to not damage horizontal, vertical stabilizers, flaps, etc., which is very critical on Aluminum Aircraft of course. In the future with carbon nano-tube construction it will not be as critical yet the machine needs to be able to limit water flow in flap tracks, wheel wells as to not de-lubricate them.
I suppose as these robotic units get to be fully-autonomous, oh yes they will! That they will also be a street sweeper cleaning the ramp of any waste wash water. Any other questions along this line of thinking - well let me know on that, because I see a robotic aircraft washer in your future.
Ford trucks - America
05.08.08 (3:52 am) [edit]Smith Electric Vehicles has launched the Smith Ampere, an electric light van, at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, England. Based on the Ford Transit Connect, it will be launched in the U.S. concurrently with the conventional gasoline Transit Connect that will be sold across North America.
The Ampere will be branded jointly by Ford and Smith; it was developed by Smith’s parent company Tanfield in collaboration with Ford. The Ampere is aimed at urban operators using large fleets of light vans, such as postal and courier companies, utilities and telecommunications. It has a range in excess of 160 km and a top speed of up to 112 km/h, and a payload capacity of up to 800 kg. Its new 50-kilowatt electric motor and iron phosphate lithium-ion battery pack were developed specifically for the Ampere. Tanfield also launched the Faraday Mark II, specifically aimed at North America.
Ford will supply a range of chassis for Faraday commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of up to 13,000 kg. Tanfield will commence manufacture of the first of these new products for North America in the second half of 2008. Tanfield has reached a broad agreement with Ford to collaborate on future zero emission vehicle projects and is investigating further opportunities in sales, marketing and product development in both Europe and North America. “The launch of Ampere brings leading edge zero-emission technology to the light van sector for the first time,” said Darren Kell, Chief Executive of The Tanfield Group. “Our relationship with Ford in North America will provide Smith with high-quality chassis that will be recognizable to, and readily accepted by American customers.
Today’s product launches will significantly increase the addressable market for our electric vehicles and are a major step towards our goal of offering a full global range of zero-emission commercial vehicles, from light vans to medium-duty trucks.”
Speed to race trucks for Bill Davis
04.02.08 (6:29 am) [edit]Scott Speed is set to add more races to his stock car schedule this year, competing in eleven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events for Bill Davis Racing, Red Bull Racing Team announced Tuesday.
The former Scuderia Toro Rosso driver has competed in two truck events thus far driving a Chevrolet Silverado for Morgan Dollar Motorsports, first at Atlanta and then at Martinsville, where he scored a tenth-place finish last weekend.
Red Bull Racing Team has now secured a deal to allow Speed to compete in eleven races driving the No. 24 Toyota Tundra for Bill Davis Racing. Richard 'Slugger' Labbe, who used to be Jacques Villeneuve's crew chief, will work alongside Speed.
"We're very fortunate to work with a Truck Series team as successful as BDR, and a crew chief of Slugger's credentials," said Jay Frye, Red Bull Racing Team General Manager and Vice President. "They'll both be great assets and resources for Scott through the next phase of his stock car development program."
Speed's first race with BDR will be at Kansas Speedway on April 26, and he will alternate between his ARCA RE/MAX Series commitments and his new Truck Series schedule. That means he will compete in no less than 30 stock car events this season.
Former Truck Series champion Mike Skinner and Johnny Benson will be Speed's new teammates. Skinner is currently driving the No. 84 Red Bull Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series replacing AJ Allmendinger, who had also competed for BDR in the Trucks in 2006.
"This is a great opportunity for me to work closely with Skinner while I get my feet wet in the Truck Series," Speed said. "He knows what it takes to run well and win races, and that's a hell of a mentor for me to have. The more I can learn from him, the quicker my learning process will be in these Trucks."
Speed's next race will be the second round of the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Salem Speedway, Indiana on April 13th.
Ford says U.S. sales fall 14 percent in March
04.02.08 (6:16 am) [edit]Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday its U.S. sales fell 14 percent in March as weaker sales of trucks and sport-utility vehicles more than offset gains for its new vehicles, such as the Edge crossover.
Sales of light trucks were down 16.7 percent from a year earlier, while car sales were down 9.6 percent.
The automaker said its retail sales were down 17 percent, while sales to fleet customers, including car rental agencies, were down 13 percent.
Sales of Ford's market-leading F-Series pickup trucks were down almost 24 percent. Overall, Ford sold 227,143 vehicles compared with 264,975 a year earlier.
The results were broadly in line with the expectations of industry analysts, who had forecast weak sales results across the industry in March due to the ongoing housing slump, tighter credit and more cautious consumer sentiment.
Ford was the first of the six major automakers to report monthly sales results for the U.S. market, the world's largest.
Ford reports its sales figures without adjusting for the number of sales days in the month. Other major automakers, including Toyota Motor Co, report the adjusted figures more widely tracked by analysts and investors.
There were 26 selling days in March, two fewer than a year earlier, meaning that Ford's adjusted sales decline would have been 7.6 percent.
Analysts had forecast an adjusted sales decline of up to 10 percent for Ford, now the third-largest automaker in the U.S. market behind Toyota.
Despite the overall sales decline, Ford pointed to success with its new Focus sedan, where sales rose 24 percent from a year earlier. In a statement, the company also said its Edge crossover was selling more strongly outside its strongest market in the Great Lakes region.
Ford shares were up over 2 percent at $5.85 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Construction On Demand
03.28.08 (11:40 pm) [edit]The largest manufacturers of heavy construction equipment are located in the United States, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Whereas the second largest and less competitive manufacturers of heavy construction equipment are found in Canada, China, Russia, Latin America, South Korea, Italy, Belgium and Sweden. Yet this position can shift easily with today's ever changing market trends and with developing countries being able to attract heavy construction equipment manufacturers by offering low material and labor costs.
The global demand of heavy construction equipment is widespread and on a large-scale of production with almost thirty percent entering the foreign market every year. This market has been defined by the major flows among the already developed countries and by the large-scale importing by the developing countries with little domestic production.
Next to the United States, Japan has been the dominant net exporter of heavy construction equipment with Germany and the United Kingdom following close behind. The United States is also a major importer of heavy construction equipment, importing in ample amounts and running a moderate sized trade surplus. In a developing world and given the variety of construction equipment prevailing in major geographic regions and even in individual countries, it's typical for heavy construction equipment to find some use by private contractors and public agencies as well. Purchasing used heavy construction equipment is also an option.
Production designs and manufacturing technology for heavy construction equipment are well established and are making advances on a regular basis. Tractors, loaders, mixers, cranes and other heavy construction equipment containing automatic transmissions, electric controls, engine monitoring systems and many can now be programmed to repeat the same cycles. Other advances to enhance operator comfort are air conditioned cabs, tilting steering wheels and noise reduction devices.
The global heavy construction equipment industry primarily consists of almost one thousand companies, with smaller businesses specializing in small equipment, e.g. parts and attachments. Some of the major manufacturers include: Caterpillar, Komatsu, Case, Volvo, Deere, New Holland and Hitachi. All heavy construction equipment manufacturers must plan strategically and decide whether their company will continue to expand and stay strong or whether their company should draw back, perhaps sell out and abandon the industry. These decisions have many companies choosing to form partnerships with other companies as an effort to flourish and continue on, as Caterpillar had fused with New Holland to form CNH, Inc. The emphasis is on cost-cutting, competitiveness and down sizing.
There is an increased emphasis on research and development, making the manufacturers of heavy construction equipment seek a competitive edge in many ways. With Caterpillar and Komatsu, for example, being two of the leading producers and spending the most on research and development by using computer design along with manufacturer systems. As technology develops, all major manufacturers of heavy construction equipment will find new and improved way to test and improve their products to stay one step ahead in the competition.
Used construction equipment – tips and tricks
03.28.08 (11:20 pm) [edit]Try used construction equipment yourself
We shouldn't have to say it, but some buyers still make this mistake: don't buy a piece of used equipment without trying it yourself. Don't let your interest in a good deal get the better of your common sense. Even if the seller seems trustworthy, even if it's a brand or model that has a stellar reliability record, even if you take a look at the vehicle and it looks good, there is no substitute for a thorough test drive.
A five minute jaunt around the parking lot isn't going to cut it, either. Dig, dump, lift, scrape, push – whatever the equipment is supposed to do, put it through its paces.
Look carefully...
Go over the used equipment you're investigating slowly and carefully. New paint jobs are relatively cheap and can cover up a lot of problems. Look for evidence of rust patching or cover-up – poke suspect areas with a tool to be sure. Check underneath the vehicle for evidence of leaks. Inspect hoses and valves before and after the test drive, so you easily spot fresh leaks.
... but use all your senses
When you're testing out used construction equipment, don't go by your eyes alone. Listen to the engine and the hydraulics as you're testing it out – is the machine straining more than it should? After it's been running for a while, are there any smells of burning oil or electrical problems? Do the controls feel as responsive as they should?
If possible, buy from established dealers
You're much more likely to have problems if you buy used construction equipment from individuals or from businesses that don't focus on construction. Construction equipment dealers have several advantages when it comes to used equipment:
- They have a reputation in the industry, whether selling new or used
- They know that if you're buying used vehicles now, you're likely to need new equipment in the future
- They're better able to inspect and repair any potential problems with the equipment
- They can provide limited warranties – 30 or 60 days – to insure you against any unforeseen problems.
Buy Sale Used Semi Trucks For Sale - Dump Truck, Commercial Truck, Chevrolet Trucks
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Dump Trucks at Truckys
02.13.08 (3:43 am) [edit]Have you ever thought about truck driving for a living; in particular, have you ever thought about driving dump trucks. Getting your certification to drive dump trucks is a smart career move. It not only gives you a job that you can do anywhere, rain or shine, it gives you a job that is easier to do. If you have been in construction for a while, you might be carrying a few injuries. It gets harder to do a lot of the more physically demanding tasks as you get older and if you are unskilled, that can make it harder to find work. The great thing about dump trucks is that they do not place any undue stress on your body. Sitting inside a dump truck you are out of the elements and not doing any heavy lifting, what more could you ask for? Many people think that the only place for dump trucks is in the construction industry, they could not be more wrong. Today, dump trucks are used in construction, agriculture, mining, landscaping and for many other functions. This is great when it comes time to look for work. If you get tired of working in one industry, you can always change to another. That is the beauty of versatile certifications like dump trucks. If you are looking for more information about dump trucks, please do not hesitate to contact us at Associated Training Services.