New hydraulic fluids to meet mining industry’s needs

Petro-Canada Lubricants has developed a new generation of hydraulic fluids with its Total Wear Protection formulation that provides superior anti-wear protection and up to three times longer fluid life than conventional hydraulic oils. The company has launched two new product lines from its plant in Mississauga, Ont.–HYDREX and ENVIRON–to withstand the demanding conditions in surface and underground mining operations.

The new products start with the patented HT purity process to produce 99.9% pure base oil; this is blended with next-generation additives to provide outstanding stability under thermal oxidative stress. This allows operators to extend service life of equipment and reduce total wear in virtually any hydraulic system and its component parts. Tests in independent laboratories for oxidation stability and hydraulic pump wear demonstrate that HYDREX AW is superior to a leading North American competitor.

OTR Tire redesigned, re-engineered, reinvented

Firestone has introduced a redesigned off-the-road bias tire for loaders and graders. Using new technology, Firestone OTR tires will work much harder, providing better value and performance. Renewed investment in its testing and development facilities has allowed Firestone to produce state-of-the-art bias tires that offer improved tire uniformity, consistent tire quality and dependability. New compounds were developed that enhance adhesion in the casing and in the sidewall, adding significantly to the tire’s durability. Improved rubber viscosity, innovative curing processes along with stringent process control and quality control also contribute to better performance.

Firestone’s OTR bias tires are made at the company’s Bloomington, Ill., production facility and marketed in Canada by Bridgestone/ Firestone Canada Inc. in Mississauga, Ont.

Engineering firm one of Canada’s top employers

Wardrop Engineering Inc. has been named to the list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for the second year in a row. This list appears in a book published by Mediacorp Canada Inc. The author Richard Yarema and his staff worked from an initial list of 42,000 companies and tried to identify companies considered to be the leaders in their industry in attracting and retaining quality people. Criteria used in the selection included corporate growth, charitable work and employee working conditions, benefits and opportunities for advancement. Once again, Wardrop was the only engineering company selected.

With 45 years of experience and 450 employees in Canada, the U.S. and overseas, Wardrop integrates multidisciplinary engineering expertise, environmental services and information technology. Its Canadian offices are in Toronto, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg and Saskatoon.

Cost-effective alternative to packed piston pumps

With the Series 500-E diaPUMP from Mississauga, Ont.-based Peacock, users of packed piston pumps can economically upgrade to the performance advantages of a true hydraulically actuated diaphragm pump and eliminate packing replacement and greasing. The 500-E provides leak-free metering of a wide range of corrosive, flammable or hazardous liquids, keeping contaminants from polluting the environment.

The latest addition to Peacock’s metering pump line-up has a maximum capacity of 68 litres per hour simplex and a maxium pressure of 1,100 pounds per square inch. It can be capacity adjusted by micrometer dial while running 10% through 100% of operation range.

The Neptune Series 500-E features a unique Variable Oil By-pass stroke adjustment for improved valve performance over variable linkage designs. Depending on the specific model, liquid end materials of construction include combinations of cast iron, 3316SS, PVC and Kynar. Peacock, a Weir Group company, offers a full range of Neptune pumps with simplex capacities from 3.78 to 1,225 litres per hour. Duplex pump configurations are available.

Remotely accessing a blast event

Instantel, based in Kanata, Ont., knows that the timely distribution of blast event data to project team members and clients is a major challenge for seismographs in remote locations for long-term monitoring. However, modern communications technologies can be harnessed to overcome this problem and deliver results from remote sites just minutes after an event.

Instantel’s E-Link communication strategy applies these technologies to give users a range of options for remotely accessing event data. A key component of E-Link is the ability to access real-time results over the Internet using a standard web browser. With the Auto Call Home function of Instantel’s BlastWare III software, BlastMate monitors can be programmed to automatically download data to a remote PC, either immediately after an event or at a specific time. The data are then transferred over to a database for uploading to the web site.

The appeal of the application lies in the universal reach and flexibility of the Internet. Any number of clients and staff can view the data at the same time, without having to visit the field. We may look forward to a time when users will be able to retrieve detailed graphical data from almost anywhere–no PC required–using a portable Internet-enabled device.