Ring Power Corporation News

Cat® Connect Condition Monitoring capabilities allow our advisors to remotely analyze many things about a piece of equipment, including: site conditions, inspection results, repair history, electronic history and fluid analysis results.

An advisor then provided actionable recommendations for maintenance, repairs, training and operations. Following these recommendations can help keep your machine running better and more efficiently.

Before starting your machine it’s important to perform a daily walk-around.

First, always be sure to check you transmission fluid level. Next, take a look at the center articulation area. Keep an eye out for wear in the driveline area. Then, inspect all hoses and couplers, making sure there are no leaks. Remember — don’t check for leaks with your fingers. Next, check all tires. Check inflation pressure and look for any damage to the tires or rims, as well as checking for loose lug nuts. Don’t forget, the front tires need more pressure than the rear. Then, take a look at the lift arm – inspecting for wear. Look for any sign of leaks in the lines or any loose fittings or hose clamps. Next, take a look at the bucket. Look for any unusual wear patterns or cracked welds. Finally, examine the cylinder rod. Make sure the tilt rod is not scratched.

One of the most important features of Cat® Connect is the asset tracking service. Product Link allows us to collect fleet location and utilization data from anywhere around the world.  This data gets aggregated in the cloud and you can access it anywhere. You are able to see the locations of all your equipment – even down to a single piece of equipment. You can quickly and easily monitor utilization and check for fault codes. Cat Connect Services provide the information, advice and partnerships you need so you can make the most of your valuable machine data.

Before starting your machine, it’s important to perform a daily walkaround. After you’ve completed your walk around on the exterior, you will also want to check the engine compartment.

• Check engine enclosure screen for damage
• Inspect engine compartment for debris and/or leak
• Check the engine oil to ensure proper levels and look for any possible contamination.
• Check air cleaner service indicator
• Check coolant level
• Inspect fuel cooler; hydraulic oil cooler; charge air cooler hydraulic coil filter for debris and leaks
• Examine fans and fan enclosure
• Check the radiator and fuel cap
• Inspect hydraulic oil filter
• Look for signs of exhaust leaks
• Inspect V Belt
• Check Air Intake Hoses
• Look Under Machine

 Following these steps will help your machine working longer and more efficiently.

Ever since “Dinos Alive!” opened in February, more than a dozen species of life-size, animatronic dinosaurs have been on the loose at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, giving visitors a chance to experience what the prehistoric behemoths might have moved and sounded like when they actually roamed the planet.

Lowry Park, a longtime Ring Power customer, worked with Tampa air compressor sales rep, Todd Norris, to get the exhibit up and running. As a testament to the quality of our equipment and service, most visitors have no idea that an air compressor is what powers the dinosaurs’ lifelike performance.

Behind the scenes, an electric, 50-hp Sullair LSR16 compressor supplied by Ring Power breathes life into the awe-inspiring dinosaurs, including three of the most well-known: Tyrannosaurus, Brachiosaurus and Stegoceras. Fed by two custom manifold systems, the multi-sensory beasts move and make sounds that keep the guests engaged while the entire installation ― which consists also of a Sullair refrigerated dryer, receiver tank and hoses ― remains discreetly out of sight and earshot.

Kudos to all of the Ring Power Tampa Power Systems Division associates for their teamwork: Todd for securing the contract, Rental Supervisor Jonathan Grubb for coordinating the logistics, Rental Support Mike Lugo for assembling and testing the equipment, and Transport Driver Sam King for delivering it to the site.

“Dinos Alive!” will be a main attraction at Lowry Park Zoo through the end of August, 2017. To see how the air-powered dinosaurs move and hear how they sound, search for “Dinos Alive at Lowry Park Zoo” on YouTube, or visit www.lowryparkzoo.org.

Ring Power's Fluids Analysis Lab (a.k.a. “Oil Lab”) is one of the best in the nation.

Located in Tampa’s main service building, it houses about $1 million worth of high-tech diagnostic equipment and computer software and is staffed by a dedicated team of oil lab technicians ― five in Tampa and one in St. Augustine ― who process anywhere from 400 to 500 fluid samples each and every day!

Taking samples of oil, fuel and coolant to diagnose a machine’s operating condition is a good way to prevent component failures and unplanned downtime. Much like conducting biometric screenings to diagnose a person’s state of health, analyzing fluids is an accurate, reliable way to detect and resolve potential problems before they become major issues.

But putting 60+ samples an hour through a battery of sophisticated chemical tests without mixing them up is, by itself, no small feat.

Each fluid sample undergoes five tests ― depending on the fluid type and the preliminary results, some might require seven ― to check for viscosity, contaminants and wear metals. Think about that for a minute: That means our oil lab technicians must conduct and record the results for anywhere from 300 to 400 or more chemical tests every hour.

Add to that the extreme care that must be taken to ensure the validity of the test results ― measuring precisely, calibrating the equipment, following set procedures, keeping accurate records ― and you’ve got a real challenge.

Fortunately, our oil lab technicians are up to it.

Their days begin at 5:30 a.m., when Dennis Buckner brings in the sample bottles and sorts them by machine and fluid type. By 6:00, Sheri Delgado is hard at work, entering each sample into the LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) database according to the tests it requires while Alice Martinez begins checking and calibrating the equipment, monitoring the operating procedures, and verifying the data entries. By 6:30, Amelia Cullen and Travis Veitch are running the samples through the gamut of chemical tests and by 8:00, Eileen Garcia is at her computer in WCC, evaluating and interpreting the new data, comparing it with established baselines and previous results to look for trends.

Working in the oil lab takes commitment, integrity and ― above all else ― teamwork.

A basic knowledge of engines, hydraulics, transmissions and power trains is also helpful. Our oil lab team keeps up on equipment technology via online studies; Eileen, who interprets the test data, and Sheri, who backs up Eileen, must be recertified by Caterpillar every two years for this important job.

We applaud our team of topnotch oil lab technicians for their commitment to excellence. In March, they processed 10,638 oil samples, setting a new record and putting them on track to beat last year’s total. It’s easy to see why Ring Power has been at the forefront for fluids analysis since 1974.

Today is National Forklift Safety Day. National Forklift Safety Day is an important day to highlight the significance of operator training and the safe use of material handling equipment. This day provides educational opportunities for customers, forklift operators and government on the importance of safe forklift procedures.

Make forklift safety a year-around priority. 

Take Action Now: 
▶ Download a Sample Operator's Daily Checklist
▶ Review your operator's training certifications
▶ Schedule training for those operators in need of renewal or certification

Rental Generators, Air Compressors, Load Banks, Transformers and More: Ring Power has what you need to prepare for Hurricane Season

Hurricane season is officially underway. While no one can be absolutely certain what the season holds, experts are calling for 2017 to be an above average season with 11 to 17 named storms, five to nine hurricanes and two to four major hurricanes possible. It only takes one storm to cause major devastation, and even smaller storms can cause significant damage and power outages lasting days to weeks.

The loss of productivity can be devastating if you aren't prepared. Why put your business at risk? With Cat generator sets, you can trust that your facility will be ready in the event of an unplanned power outage.

Ring Power’s team of Power Systems experts can help you prepare for the unpredictable.

Ring Power provides rentals of:

Cat Sound Attenuated Diesel and Natural Gas Generators (20-2000kw)

Transformers

Load Banks

Air Compressors (diesel or electric) 20 to 3000 CFM, Compressed Air Dryers, High Pressure Booster Packages

Chillers - Water and Air Cooled - 50 - 500 Ton

DX - Split Systems, DX Units- 25 - 90 Ton

In addition to one of the most diverse rental equipment fleets in the country featuring heavy equipment, lift trucks, cranes and specialized utility equipment, Ring Power sells and services both new and used generators, as well as all makes and models of the machines you need to prepare for, power through or recover from any storm.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Open an account today and be “rental ready” when the need arises.  

Download our Contingency Planning Guides

See Ring Power’s Equipment Lineup

See Ring Power’s Specialized Utility Equipment

 In March, Ring Power became the first Cat dealer in the Atlanta district to achieve Service Excellence Gold for delivering heavy equipment customers the highest quality in product support facilities, processes and culture. Only three other Cat dealers in North America ― 13 worldwide ― achieved the Gold rating for Service Excellence Performance in 2016.

 This is truly a significant achievement and one that is not easily earned. To rate a dealership’s service operations, “Service Metrics” data on efficiency, effectiveness and customer satisfaction are gathered and analyzed on a quarterly basis. These objective data are then combined with subjective “Service Attributes” data on safety, sustainability, operational management, leadership, customer focus, learning and development, innovation, employee engagement and 37 other criteria, which are gathered once a year during a face-to-face meeting between the Caterpillar district and dealer senior service management teams. The resulting scores rank each dealer’s service performance relative to that of all Cat dealers worldwide.

 Kudos to all our service and support personnel for earning Ring Power a place on the elite team of SEP Gold Cat dealers!

Ryan Stallings has been promoted to Vice President, Cat Rental Store General Manager. He replaces Brian Cholmondeley, who was named Director of Power Systems Division last month.

A graduate of Florida State University, Stallings joined Ring Power as a sales coordinator for the Cat Rental Store’s Sarasota branch in September 2005 and quickly advanced to account manager, serving at several branches over the next several years.  In 2012, he was named Challenger (agriculture equipment) Division Manager, based out of Ring Power’s corporate headquarters in St. Augustine, Florida. Since 2014, when he was appointed Vice President, Stallings was the Cat Rental Store East Coast Sales Manager.

John DeWitt replaces Stallings as Cat Rental Store East Coast Sales Manager, effective May 1. DeWitt, a graduate of University of Florida, joined Ring Power’s Cat Rental Store in February 2005 as a sales coordinator for the Orlando branch.  In 2007, he was promoted to account manager and transferred to the Daytona branch. For the past five years, DeWitt has worked as an account manager at Ring Power’s corporate headquarters in St. Augustine.

About Ring Power Corporation

Ring Power Corporation, North and Central Florida’s Cat® dealer, is headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida. Ring Power is comprised of eight divisions and has more than 55 years of experience servicing and supporting Cat® products and allied equipment. For more information, visit www.ringpower.com