The agriculture business is booming, with billions of dollars being generated in imports and exports every year. How can you stay competitive in both domestic and foreign markets?

While humans have been cultivating the land for over 10,000 years, the methods we use have come a long way. You need the most up to date industrial, agricultural products to get on top — and stay there.

Here’s a look at several exciting developments in industrial, agricultural products.

360Sprint System from The Yield Center

This speedy fertilizer refill system helps you do more in less time. It’s designed to refill fertilizer while on the go, slashing refill time.

It takes around four minutes for it to fill 300 gallons of fertilizer. That leaves you more time to fertilize more acres.

Automatic Cow Milking Machine

There are over 95 million cows in America, making them one of the most widely used livestock. From meat to milk, from their hide to even their bones, we use this versatile animal in many areas of our lives.

Milking cows has grown more efficient. There’s a new automatic machine that milks cows without any human intervention, ensuring the process runs smoothly.

Goodyear R14T Tires

Agricultural workers know their equipment needs the right parts to be at their most efficient. Tires may seem trivial, but they make a big difference.

Goodyear released their R14T premier tires, expanding it to 18 sizes. Upgrade your tractor with these tires and experience the difference for yourself.

Crankenstein

This tool has a funny name, but it’s all business. We can guarantee you won’t want to be without it when your machine’s battery dies.

Crankenstein can jump-start any dead machinery and operates in temps as low as 28 degrees below zero. It weighs in at only nine pounds and holds a charge for around a year.

Potato Harvester

Potatoes are a versatile veggie that forms the backbone of plenty of meals. The problem is they take a lot of digging to get to.

There are potato harvesters available for both small and large scale operations that make harvesting them a breeze. They dig in, bring up a clump of dirt, then separate the potatoes from them.

Internet of Things Devices

Perhaps the most significant change to the field of agricultural equipment is the new “Internet of Things” devices on the market. These apps, programs, and accessories allow farmers to keep an eye on their products and automate a lot of functions.

There are IoT devices that can find the optimal time to water crops, can analyze the best time to plant, can track products as they move through the supply line, and more.

The Best Industrial Agricultural Products on the Market

Our guide to the best industrial agricultural products on the market should give you some great ideas. You can start planning how to upgrade your equipment and improve your output.

If you’re ready to improve your agricultural business, then we’re ready to help. Check out all that we have to offer the agricultural industry and contact us today!

Do you source your machine parts from dozens of suppliers?  There are nearly 20,000 machine shops in the U.S. alone. Do you have to patiently explain what you need and why to a new person every single time? 

Industrial hoists and cranes, oil rigs, hydraulic lifts, etc. need maintenance. For some long-lived equipment, the original manufacturer no longer exists– what then?

Finding the right machine parts is challenging. You need a knowledgeable and innovative partner with a reputation you can trust.

Read on to learn more.

Off-the-Shelf Machine Parts

If the original manufacturer still supports your equipment, you can seek replacement parts through an authorized distributor. For example, if you need a Demag hoist unit, you have many choices. If you have many different types of machinery, you might end up with dozens of vendors.

Choose a dealer with experience in your industry to steer you to the right piece. Printed catalogs, online ordering, and toll-free calling are your friends. If you have machinery from many different vendors, an all-in-one distributor is especially convenient.

Original Equipment Manufacturer or Aftermarket?

Some types of equipment offer choices between OEM and aftermarket replacement parts. Obviously, your original manufacturer won’t offer a less expensive or more innovative aftermarket part.  For example, for mobile crane brake liners, you have a choice of interchangeable items. In the construction and agriculture industries, aftermarket parts have a reputation of exceeding OEM performance. 

Specialized, Customized or Re-Manufactured Parts

When you have needs outside of standard parts, you want a partner with custom fabrication skills. For many applications, a customized solution is the only answer. When that part needs repair or replacement, you need a partner with the know-how to reverse engineer and create the exact item.

Look for a vendor with a full-service machine shop in-house. Laser-cutting, milling, molding, and finish assembly are very different tasks and need experts at each step. A shop that can provide services in-house often has competitive pricing, as well.

Communicating your needs to multiple vendors can be tricky. Again, experience in your industry is the key to success. Choose a partner who knows your machinery well.

Choose Kor-Pak for Off-the-Shelf and Custom Fabrication

At Kor-Pak, we have more than 40 years of partnership with the best names in the industry. We represent a dozen quality manufacturers and distribute thousands of parts. Our network of resources and field experts help you implement, service, and maintain your machinery. 

We take pride in our extensive catalog, but our real strength is sourcing hard-to-find, obsolete, or unusual machine parts. If we can’t find something, our custom machining experts and engineers create parts and assemblies to meet your needs. 

 Kor-Pak is much more than a company that sells parts. We are your one-stop partner for industry machinery solutions. Contact us today to learn more. 

Industrial braking systems involves a process that is very “problem versus solution-oriented.” Those who run into problems on the job may report to an equipment distributor. The distributor then shares that feedback to begin working on solving it.

Sometimes the problem starting this chain of communication is from a flawed product. More often, it’s about finding better and more productive ways to get work done. These are just the necessary parts of an industrial mining braking system.

Mining brakes should be safe to use at all times. Any adverse performance traits of a braking system can have horrible consequences. Let’s look into what each type of brake requires.

Industrial Braking Systems in Mining

Mining brakes find their way into underground applications often. Some machines that do excellent above-ground work are not as great below ground. There are often more challenging operating conditions deep below the surface.

Some unseen bumps or holes cause a jarring impact and shock. It’s enough damage to destroy vehicles or their components seriously. Thick sludge build-up and moisture or airborne contaminants also contribute to damage.

Productive Braking Systems

Enhancing safety is a priority, but machine designers also focus on sustaining productivity. They get rid of any downtime in the industrial business by focusing on mining. And the mine operators prioritize on the cost-per-ton of material they use or produce.

Closed-center electrohydraulic brake valves, in particular, have their own purpose. They modulate the output pressure in proportion to its input current. This automatically ties these mining brakes to safety.

Engineers can facilitate braking features that help vehicle operators better operate. These enhanced features help them better navigate the difficult terrain of underground mines. This all increases productivity.

Using Electrohydraulics

Electrohydraulics are excellent aids for mining operations. Their features, like an automatic retard control, helps vehicles maintain speed. When vehicles work their way up and down inclines, this braking system keeps them at a steady pace.

Electrohydraulics also assist with load sensing. Even master equipment operators can make errors in judging loads. With load sensing, they can use electronic sensors to apply the brakes automatically.

Other mine vehicles can be used in especially hazardous areas. Instead of putting workers at risk, these machines work from a remote control. Electrohydraulic brakes can be used here when there isn’t an operator present.

Flexibility and Control

One of the hardest aspects of industrial braking systems is the lack of variation from mine to mine. As operators search for braking solutions, well-structured systems become more of a necessity. They look for a notably high level of flexibility and control to make their work successful.

You can program electronic signals to meet the demands of different job sites. This precise control helps with vehicle movement and is a big reason why electrohydraulics work. Having this control is excellent for any harsh and unpredictable conditions of underground mines.

Bottom Line

Reducing productivity and increasing safety is the end goal. Industrial braking systems that adhere to these priorities make for a successful operation. And no matter what, machines need these things to perform at their best.

If you need to learn more about how mining brakes can make a difference, speak with our experts!

Hydraulic workholding offers a wide range of benefits to manufacturers.

Faster clamping, faster machining, and improved part quality are only a few of the reasons why you should use hydraulic workholding clamps for heavy industrial projects.

If you’re not sure what kind of workholding clamps you need, we’re here to help.

Read on as we look at the main types of hydraulic workholding clamps and how they differ from each other.

Link Clamps

Link clamps are a great option if you need high clamping force but don’t have a lot of space.

The basic construction is a hydraulic cylinder that lowers onto the work to hold it in place. There are two main options: single action or double action.

Single action link clamps use hydraulic power when clamping down and a spring to retract the piston. Double action link clamps use hydraulic power to retract the piston also, making them better for fast usage.

Link clamps allow unobstructed loading. You don’t need to remove the clamps to load the next workpiece, speeding up processing times.

Pull Down Clamps

If you need to work on the surface of your material unobstructed, then pull down clamps are your best bet.

These clamps hold your workpiece firmly against the machine table or fixture. This is usually done by clamping through a slot or hole in the workpiece, allowing the clamp to hold it in place from below.

By clamping from beneath, the surface of your workpiece is free for processing.

Swing Clamps

Swing clamps offer the best of both worlds.

A hydraulic swing clamp allows you to clamp your workpiece in place without the need for any holes or slots that a pull-down clamp would require.

But unlike a link clamp, you can have full access to the workpiece for loading and unloading because a swing clamp has two actions. The arm will first rotate through 90 degrees until it is over the workpiece, and then clamp down, holding it in place.

Once the job is complete, the clamp will lift off the workpiece, and then rotate back through 90 degrees leaving the workpiece free to be removed unencumbered. These clamps can also be single or double action. If you’re running a high-speed manufacturing process, then a double-action swing clamp will speed up production.

Are You Looking for Workholding Clamps?

If you’re looking for hydraulic workholding clamps, you’re in the right place.

We offer hydraulic workholding clamps from all the biggest names in the industry, including Enerpak, Monroe, Vektek, Berg, Merkle, Hydrocomp, and more. If you’re not sure which products to choose, we can help with that too.

Contact Kor-Pak to discuss your machining and fabrication requirements, and we can help you choose between the best hydraulic clamp manufacturers. It will enable you to have a system ideally suited to your needs. Don’t forget to check out our other amazing products!