Railway Track & Structures - December 2008 - (Page 32)

Big job forming rail car bearing maintenance.” Power Team lightweight hand pumps can be combined with its RA Series aluminum cylinders, which are half the weight of comparable capacity steel cylinders. Also available is a family of hydraulic nut splitters (HNS150 and HNS225). These tools are available in 15- and 25-ton capacities and offer the safe alternative of cutting off old nuts rather than burning them with a torch. Rehwald points out an aging infrastructure and the need to perform increased maintenance on older equipment is driving demand for lightweight tools, preferred for their ease of use and faster operating speeds for increased productivity. “Safety is a priority at Power Team. We monitor customer feedback to engineer our products to be as safe as possible. We offer comprehensive training instructions with each product so users understand how our products should be properly operated. We offer product safety training classes so maintenance teams can be trained on best safety practices for operating high-force hydraulic tools,” said Rehwald. PortaCo, Inc., recently introduced its hydraulic Rail Notcher. The company believes the welding process will drive the industry into the future and says the Rail Notcher enhances and aids in track rail repair welding projects to save time and money. PortaCo holds safety as a must, with tools getting lighter and smaller, which is why it keeps safety in the forefront of its product designs, along with productivity and ergonomics. The company notes that business has been good this year and it looks forward to reasonable growth in 2009 by further extending product lines with additional new tools. “Ergonomics and safety are always the Number One consideration in our de- Small tools Focus on welding Tools for tight spaces sign criteria to modify and develop new and existing tools,” said Steve Birkholz, president of Racine Railroad Products. The company has developed several new products, including a new hydraulic impact wrench designed to function in tighter work areas. Its reversible handle gives handhold positioning for working vertically with lag screws. Racine is also developing a competitively-priced “low temperature” operating portable hydraulic power unit to address heat-related problems that are associated with higher maintenance costs to hydraulic-powered hand tools. The company plans to introduce a new gasoline drill designed to work in restricted space areas and will feature a “rail shoe” design to accommodate vertical rail positioning for more than one rail size to lower accessory costs. Racine notes that the annular broach-style cutter can easily be changed out without the need of tools or fasteners for faster operation. Birkholz projects business to be lower in 2009 due in part to the economy and the delay of new product introduc- 32 Railway Track & Structures December 2008 www.rtands.com http://www.rtands.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Railway Track & Structures - December 2008

Railway Track & Structures - December 2008 Contents On Track Industry Today Supplier News AREMA News NRC News TTCI R&D Hand-Held Tools Continue Big Role in Railroad Engineering AREMA C&S Moving Ahead Optimizing Winter Speed Restrictions RTA 2008 Conference Makes Splash in Savannah, Ga. Products and Literature People Calendar Sales Representatives Advertisers Index Website Directory Professional Directory Classified Advertising Chicago Perspective

Railway Track & Structures - December 2008

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