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Supplier Newsline

Norcan Fluid Power is now Rexroth’s authorized distributor in Western Canada

Bosch Rexroth Canada Corp. has announced the appointment of Norcan Fluid Power Limited as the authorized distributor for industrial and mobile hydraulics products in Western Canada, including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, effective March 1.

The agreement between the companies is intended to provide Western Canadian customers with greater access and choice for Bosch Rexroth’s industry-recognized quality hydraulic products and innovative solutions to achieve their specific application requirements and at the same time, expand service, technical support, application expertise and local inventory, says Bosch Rexroth.

Customers and industries will benefit from Norcan Fluid Power’s multi-branch footprint, and their extensive industry experience and Western Canada presence, the company added. Bosch Rexroth Canada, with sales, engineering and service support locations in all major business centres across Canada, together with head office, manufacturing and logistics centre in Welland, Ontario, will maintain a direct market strategy while supporting future growth via the new Norcan Fluid Power Agreement.

Norcan, founded in 1974 in Vancouver and owned by BCB Corporate Services Ltd, is a major Canadian distributor in the areas of industrial, mobile and marine hydraulic components, and provides a wide array of services and technical expertise. The company has seven strategic branch locations across Western Canada including Langley, Prince George, Kamloops, Calgary, Red Deer, Leduc, and Saskatoon, with 120 employees with 22 outside sales reps.

Tom Light, President of Bosch Rexroth Canada Corp., and Bill Dix, President and CEO of Norcan Fluid Power, said they are excited about the opportunities for the two companies. The strong quality and brand recognition of Rexroth Hydraulics with best in class application features and benefits, together with representation from a strong technical fluid power distributor sales and service organization like Norcan Fluid Power, certainly reinforces their commitment to serve customers in the region, said the executives.

www.boschrexroth.ca

www.norcanfluidpower.com

New Sellick Equipment forklift designed for rough terrain

The new S150 Sellick Equipment forklift is now in full production.

The new machine, which has 15,000 lb capacity at 24” load centre, is powered by a 74 horsepower, four-cylinder, intercooled Tier 4 final electronic engine that produces 295 lb-ft of torque. The clean burning diesel does not require exhaust after-treatment, diesel exhaust fluid, nor regeneration cycles.

The engine is coupled to a fully automatic power shift, four-speed transmission and when equipped with the 4X4 option, allows for on-the-go engagement of the steerable drive axle.

The S150 features a fully isolated operator platform that reduces noise and vibration, and the overhead guard structure is both ROPS and FOPS certified. Load sense steering and power assisted brakes reduce operator fatigue and increase productivity, says the company. Operators can monitor the machine’s systems through a multi-function digital LCD screen that also provides on board diagnostics that reduces downtime.

The S150 is designed for heavy industrial applications such as engineered wood products and various other applications in the forest industry.

www.sellickequipment.com

Autolog has a leading edge in optimizing

Autolog continuously invests in state-of-the-art technology to provide the wood processing industry with high-tech products, keeping in mind the user’s concerns for performance, system modernization, simplicity and cost of ownership.

The company’s transverse optimizers (edger, gang and trimmer) are no exception to the rule with key elements including:

• Autolog offers a modular frame for its scanners. This concept allows systems to be moved and installed effortlessly in locations with even the most difficult access, without having to open the roof. It is also possible to position the frame through existing transfer chains.

• The board scanner sensors can be installed on the frame at 45 degrees from the wood flow. The angle of the sensors increases the reading accuracy while reducing the cleaning intervals.

• Autolog recently redesigned all of the software for their transverse optimizers and offers, among other things, a high definition user interface, personalized user profiles, an alarm center, and a real time distribution of products and production graphics.

www.autolog.com

SEC merges into COMACT line of products

B.C.-based SEC, a subsidiary of the BID Group of Companies, has announced that its line of products will be merging into the COMACT line of products.

This strategic decision is part of a plan to offer a completely integrated world class solution for its sawmill and planer mill customers, said the company. COMACT, as part of its line of products, will offer and support the SEC fence, sawmill and planer mill stackers and stick systems, and tilt hoist and pivoting hook sorters.

While the engineering will be done out of the Quebec-based engineering group, the manufacturing will be done as close as possible to the market in one of seven facilities across North America. The Salmon Arm, B.C. facility will continue to manufacture equipment and parts for the BID Group product lines of Comact, Deltech, PHL, Miller Planers and the recent addition of Ron McGehee. The company continues to be committed to the Salmon Arm area and the company’s exceptional people, manufacturing capabilities, and its industry leading Serviplus Group, it said.

www.bidgroup.ca

Resolute Forest Products calls on provinces to show leadership on FSC issues

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) International says it is convening a mediation process to bring together stakeholders in a spirit of collaboration to address issues raised recently in Canada, particularly in Quebec and in Ontario, about FSC certification.

It says over the last two years, significant areas of FSC certified forests were suspended in Canada mainly because of lack of consent from First Nations, and also because of inadequate forest management plans for species at risk, namely woodlands caribou in the Canadian boreal forest. Most of these suspended or terminated FSC certificates are held by Resolute Forest Products.

Based on a continued lack of dialogue between Resolute FP and its stakeholders, FSC says it believes that this mediation will lead to constructive solutions and restore trust between First Nations, unions, communities, environmental groups and Resolute FP.

In response, Resolute FP says that it firmly believes that any mediation process concerning forest management in Quebec or Ontario must be led by the respective provincial governments, as they are clearly responsible for issues related to forest management planning.

“Beyond the leadership of the provincial governments, it is critical that all of the parties impacted by forestry activities in the boreal forest be involved in any discussion concerning certification,” says Richard Garneau, president and chief executive officer of Resolute. “This includes First Nations, local communities and unions. Of course, we believe that environmental groups should have a voice in the process. Greenpeace, the only ENGO mentioned in FSC’s proposal, has been engaged in a campaign of misinformation targeting Resolute. We believe it would be more appropriate to engage with responsible organizations with a track record of constructive engagement in the public policy discourse, to ensure that the process is neutral and fair.”

Resolute notes that a growing number of Canadian companies have seen their FSC certificates suspended or terminated in recent months, including Arbec, Eacom and, recently, Domtar, for a tenure in Ontario. It adds that in October 2015, the Coast Forest Conservation Initiative (CFCI) voluntarily terminated its FSC certificate for the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, an area totaling nearly 850,000 hectares.

www.resolutefp.com

Millar Western completes sawmill sale to Northland

Millar Western Forest Products has sold its Boyle, Alberta operations to Northland Forest Products Ltd for $30.69 million plus working capital. 

“Since purchasing and reopening this facility in 1994, Millar Western has appreciated the strong support of our employees, families, contractors and neighbors in Boyle. We are pleased the operation will be transferred to a well-run, family-owned organization,” said Millar Western President and CEO Craig Armstrong.  

“The Boyle operation is a good strategic fit for Northland Forest Products,” said Northland President Howard Ewashko. “We are very pleased to have this opportunity to grow our business and enhance our fibre security.”

www.millarwestern.com

Gater offers high lead logging solution

Kamloops, B.C.-area inventor, Gordon Randall, has worked hard to provide solutions for many challenges faced by the forest industry. One product his company, Gater Grapples, offers is the model 17 “Jaws” high lead grapple, powered by a Kubota diesel engine with a load sensing piston pump. It has continuous rotation and only weighs about 1500 lbs. It opens to 10’ and closes to 4”, and is radio controlled by the operator.

www.gatergrapples.com

Bosch Rexroth Canada Corp achieves ISO and OHSAS certification

Bosch Rexroth Canada Corp says it is committed to providing the forest industry with superior products and services. To ensure that these reach its customers in the fastest and most reliable way, it constantly verifies and reviews all systems, thus ensuring consistency and best practices. Bosch Rexroth Canada’s ISO 9001 certification indicates that the company will meet not only its stated requirements, it will also meet more of their implied requirements.

ISO 14001 certification by Bureau Veritas verifies that it is committed to identifying and controlling its environmental impact and also improving its environment performance. The OHSAS 18001 certification shows that the company has a clearly defined management system and it wants to minimize risks to its workforce, visitors, sub-suppliers and contractors on its premises.

Bosch Rexroth Canada has locations throughout eastern and western Canada.

www.boschrexroth.com

Komatsu Forestry launches new 855.1 forwarder

Komatsu America Corp recently launched its new 855.1 forwarder, which the company says offers many updated features.

The new 855.1 has an eight per cent increase in payload, a 17 per cent larger load space area, and an 11 per cent increase in tractive effort, compared to the previous Komatsu 855 model. The 855.1 matches the previous model 860.4 in payload and load space, plus has 4.5 per cent greater tractive effort. The 855.1 also features the ‘Comfort-Ride’ hydraulically dampened cab suspension system as an option.

It is powered by an Agco Power Diesel 6.6 litre, 204 hp EPA Tier 4 Interim emissions certified engine. While producing the same horsepower as the 860.4, the 855.1 engine has 13 per cent higher torque and five per cent lower fuel consumption. The cooling system features a larger radiator and variable speed fan to increase cooling capacity by 23 percent.

www.komatsuforest.us