More than just doing the job: the hand-held tool market continues its move toward more customized tools, but the one thing everyone wants is continued safety

Railway Track and Structures, Dec, 2004 by Mischa Wanek

Hand-held tool manufacturers continue to develop lighter-weight, more-efficient, ergonomic and cost-effective tools by doing one thing: Listening to their customers. Whether the customer wants a faster drill or a lighter saw, one thing on everyone's shopping list is safety.

Cembre

Cembre Inc. manufactures a variety of hand-held tools, including electric, two- and four-cycle gas or hydraulic-powered rail drilling machines and wood-tie-drilling machines.

The company says it keeps a close focus on safety issues and points out that it produces solid equipment that will accomplish the task at hand in a safe and efficient manner.

Cembre develops new products with the end user in mind and pays special attention to customer opinions and suggestions.

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"The development of the LD-41PY four-cycle gas rail drill is a good example: a very light and compact machine that is able to cover a wide range of applications, but also with a very limited gas and noise emission, and it complies with CARB-EPA standards," said Chris Drew, North American sales manager at Cembre.

Cembre is in the testing phase of a new gas-powered impact wrench. According to the company, this new tool will be a compact unit capable of developing a torque higher than what is now offered by similar machines already on the market and designed to offer the maximum comfort to the operator.

Hougen/Trak-Star[R]

Hougen Manufacturing, Inc., Trak-Star[R] Railroad Equipment manufactures a full line of gas, hydraulic and electric-powered rail drilling machines. To supplement the drills, Hougen/Trak-Star carries the Partner K1250RAIL Saw with the "Active Air Filtration" system for the rail crew that has to use it everyday.

The RB27 Rail Boss, officially introduced in January 2004, is the company's latest rail drill on the market. The drill was engineered with one operator in mind, weighs 45 pounds and drills holes in 15 seconds or less. It is built with a four-cycle Honda engine, takes regular gasoline and eliminates the need for two-cycle oil.

"Railroads are always looking for tools to be lighter, safer, faster and more economical. When these requirements are satisfied, the tool is sure to be a winner with the rail crews," said Benjamin Ruppel, field and technical support representative at Trak-Star.

Ruppel continued that the most-important thing on everyone's mind while working on the railroad is safety and, as a responsible manufacturer for the railroads, it has to be on Hougen/Trak-Star's mind, as well.

"While designing machines, safety considerations like the weight of the tool, ergonomic controls and dangerous moving parts of the machine, are put at the forefront. We pride ourselves in having the lightest, most-dependable drills on the market," said Ruppel.

Matweld

Matweld, Inc., manufactures a complete line of hydraulic MOW tools, including a new, lightweight weld shear. The company says the new product has a 15-percent weight reduction without compromised structural integrity.

"Railroads are always trying to improve on methods and procedures to ensure safety, efficiency and cost effectiveness with the maintenance-of-way work at hand," said Alex Hellkamp, Matweld's sales manager. "Lighter-weight equipment to do the job is a common request. Due to the rugged nature of the railroad environment, lightweight equipment must be well-engineered to survive."

One issue Hellkamp thought was once a trend, but that he now believes to be a way of life, is the industry trying to get more and more accomplished with smaller work forces and fewer expenditures.

"When it's time for railroads to purchase equipment, safety, quality, cost and support after the sale are all considerations taken into account. These are all important aspects that equipment manufacturers need to stay in touch with in the market. Everyone on the Matweld, Inc., team is dedicated and committed to excel with these aspects in mind," said Hellkamp.

Modern Track Machinery

Modern Track Machinery, Inc., manufactures hand-held tools for grinding, rail shearing, bolting, plus power packs, bolt tightening and torque tools, rail saws, tie tampers, spike drivers and pullers for track spikes and hairpin spikes.

The company offers stand-up handles for its grinders, saws and impact wrenches and now has a tool designed for the removal and installation of Pandrol FAST-CLIPs. Modern Track Machinery has worked to improve its hand-held grinders to allow them to be used while standing, relieving the operator of fatigue.

Power Team

Power Team, a division of SPX Corporation, manufactures hydraulic hand pumps, cylinders, jacks, compact electrical power pumps and bearing-maintenance tools, such as pullers and pushers. The company also offers a number of larger tools for railroad/railcar repair and can customize its designs to meet specific applications.

The company's new additions to its product line include a lightweight hand pump, torque wrenches and a special electric power unit that can be used to supply pressure to rams to pull track together for welding new and repaired track.