According to BME, the system provides programmable delays that support burden-relief-based blast designs, allowing engineers to tailor rock movement and fragmentation to site-specific mining conditions. The company says those controls can help improve blast consistency and downstream activities such as loading and crushing.

“Electronic initiation systems have long been recognized for their ability to deliver significantly greater timing precision than traditional shock-tube systems,” says Nishen Hariparsad, general manager of technology and marketing at BME. “Accurate programmable delays provide far greater control over burden relief, rock movement and fragmentation.”

BME says Vipertron offers timing accuracy with a coefficient of variance of about 0.02 percent, supporting more consistent blast execution and improved vibration control. The system also includes diagnostics and system-integrity testing before blasting to identify potential issues and reduce the likelihood of misfires. Dual communication channels and high-immunity characteristics are intended to support safe operation in demanding mining environments, the company adds.

“While accessibility has been a major design objective, Vipertron retains the technical advantages that define modern electronic initiation,” Hariparsad says.

BME says it developed Vipertron with simplified system architecture and workflows. It is intended to serve as a transition option for operations accustomed to shock-tube and other non-electric initiation practices, with bench procedures and workflows aligned to existing methods.

“Vipertron has been specifically designed as a practical bridge, so operations can adopt electronic initiation through intuitive workflows, straightforward system logic and minimal additional training requirements,” Hariparsad says.

The company says it also focused on cost competitiveness by emphasizing the functions most relevant to blasting operations, aiming to enable a transition to electronic initiation without a significant increase in operating costs.

Related: Drilling & Blasting | P&Q University Handbook

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McLanahan Corp. expanded its washing equipment line with a bucket wheel that is a continuous, high‑throughput machine for washing, classifying and dewatering sand or gravel.

With the bucket wheel, McLanahan says it is the only manufacturer to offer a full range of equipment for handling any water volume present in a slurry feed.

As the wheel rotates through the slurry tank, each bucket cuts into the settled solids layer and lifts material out of the water. The buckets are designed to let process water drain while retaining solids. Siphon tubes return the captured water to the tank, improving water recovery.

According to McLanahan, its bucket wheel rotates at a slow speed to allow as much water as possible to drain from the material before discharge, making them ideal for high-volume slurries. Product leaving the bucket wheel can contain up to 25 percent moisture, making the product conveyable or stackable.

When a drier product is required, McLanahan says material can be further processed with a dewatering screen to achieve a drip‑free final product. An auxiliary discharge outlet allows the recovery of near-sized solids before they settle in the tank or overflow the discharge weirs, creating a second product.

McLanahan says the bucket wheel is suited for applications with high water volumes, particularly dredging. According to the company, the machine can handle fluctuations in feed better than a fine material screw washer while providing comparable classification.

Available in single and double units, McLanahan bucket wheels range from 28 in. to 36 in. in width with capacities of 350 to 1,060 stph. They operate at low horsepower and are driven by one motor and gearbox, which McLanahan says allows for a smaller footprint.

Related: Blue Water Industries showcases custom wash plant

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How a quarter-century has passed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is beyond me, but here we are. The world as we know it is vastly different today from the one many of us knew before that day’s tragic events.

For those who lived it, 9/11 is one of those days that stays with you. Many of you went to work that Tuesday as you did every other day. Many of you were in a pit or a quarry that morning. Some were on the road hauling materials or visiting customers. Others went into the office.

Regardless of where you were, the details of that day are embedded in our minds like few other moments in our lives.

For me, 9/11 unfolded in a high school classroom. My senior year was just underway. I was in homeroom playing cards with friends when our principal appeared on the student TV to share early details about two planes that had struck the World Trade Center.

I was 17 at the time, and I don’t know that I understood the gravity of what our principal was saying. But the images that appeared later that day – the same ones you saw – are forever seared in my mind. And, like you, they affect my view of the world we all share.

Although 9/11 isn’t an industry-specific story, it undoubtedly affected everyone working in aggregates. To commemorate the 25th anniversary and reflect on a day Americans vowed never to forget, I asked friends and colleagues in the aggregates industry to share their 9/11 stories.

I want to thank everyone here who took the time to offer reflections by phone and over email. The company affiliations listed with each contributor reflect where they worked at the time of the attacks. If you’d like to share your 9/11 story, email me at kyanik@northcoastmedia.net.

Bill Sandbrook, Tilcon New York

Editor’s note: Bill Sandbrook worked at Tilcon New York at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, with an office located about 15 miles northwest of Manhattan. Sandbrook shared the 25th anniversary reflections that follow by phone on Sept. 10, 2026.

The day before, I was actually coming back from a meeting. I was on a private plane and flew right up the Hudson River. Sept. 10 was a crystal-clear day, right at sunset. We flew right by the Twin Towers. What I remember was how beautiful that scenery was and the sunlight.

On Sept. 11, I was in my office in Rockland County, [New York]. Tilcon did – and still does – have an office there. Somebody came in who had CNN on and said a small plane hit the first tower.

Later, I saw the towers collapse. Your mind starts racing pretty quickly because New York City was in my market area. I have customers down there. My neighbors work down there, and you’re trying to process all that.

You want to make sure your people are safe. They’re all in shock. They have family members down there. Nobody knows what’s going on. You’re trying to calm the office and employees. We closed the office at noon.

I was in the Army a long time and was trained to handle difficult situations. I was pretty connected with Gov. [George] Pataki, our congresswoman and Mayor [Rudy] Giuliani. I put calls into their offices and told them what I had available – and that it was at their disposal. I got a call back from one of them to be at the George Washington Bridge at noon [Sept. 12] with as much equipment and manpower as I could.

I called my different quarries and superintendents and told them they had to find their own police escorts and meet me at the George Washington Bridge at noon. We had 10 or 15 locations come together along with various subcontractors. We had a big convoy at the bridge.

The bridge was closed. We had a police escort across the George Washington Bridge and right down the Henry Hudson Parkway. We took a left turn onto Avenue of the Americas. We were escorted into Ground Zero late that afternoon.

They were all volunteers – all my employees. They all raised their hands. We ended up staying there about four days. I stayed down there the whole time, shifting people out every 12 hours and bringing in new crews.

We directed all the equipment to be under the fire department’s control. The heavy equipment was really clearing the streets of crushed vehicles – police cars, ambulances and fire trucks. You needed 966 loaders to do that. That was just to get access to the site. We were among the first people to clear it.

I stayed there on the bucket brigades later. There were volunteers just passing debris and rubble from person to person to person. I did that for four days.

It was on fire and smoking. You could tell it was a nasty environmental situation. EPA was saying there was nothing wrong, but I made everybody wear their masks.

A couple of anecdotes: Two of my right-hand guys who were with me have already passed away from cancer. They were like two lieutenants, basically, with 9/11-related illnesses.

One last story: Earlier in life, I was the Army representative to the Patriot missile program when Gulf War I occurred. My counterpart at Raytheon was Peter Gay. Peter was the program manager or plant manager at Raytheon’s Patriot missile production facility in Andover, Massachusetts. I was active-duty military and he was a civilian, but he was my counterpart.

Peter had later been promoted and was commuting back and forth between Boston and Los Angeles. He stayed home on Sept. 10 for his daughter’s birthday. He would have been in Los Angeles on Sept. 10, but he stayed home. The next morning, he was on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center.

As I reflect on it now, I thought after the events of 9/11 that you’d never see anything like that ever again. And now we’re in further wars in the Middle East – and things are maybe worse. But the country completely united that day. It didn’t matter what race you were, what political party. Everybody was an American after that tragedy. Now, I look back and say what a tragedy it is that we’re so divided now.

I’m still an optimist because in times of very dire national emergencies, I think we all come together as one because I saw it firsthand.

I look at myself as fortunate to have had the proximity to the event, having the ability to harness manpower and equipment and having the background to execute it in a time of crisis when New York needed to see a tangible, quick response so we could deal with this.

Vinnie Rocco, Northport High School (Northport, New York)

Editor’s note: Now serving AMCAST as executive vice president and COO, Vinnie Rocco was a student at Northport High School at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Rocco shared the 25th anniversary reflections that follow by phone on Sept. 10, 2026.

I was a sophomore in high school. I remember distinctly that it was a beautiful day in New York. Blue skies. A little bit cool. I vividly remember that day like it was yesterday.

I don’t remember the name of the class exactly, but it was kind of a law class in high school. The class got interrupted by somebody who came into the room and whispered something.

Once class was dismissed, we went to the common area. Each of the four grades had a common area where they would hang out.

The TV had the news on. One building was burning. Only one building had been hit at that point, and the news was live. Then the second building got hit while the news was playing in the common area.

It wasn’t the whole school, but there were a lot of kids in that common area who weren’t sure what to make of it.

It was really just a weird feeling. You know what’s going on at that age, but you also don’t really know how to understand it and take it as deeply as an adult does who understands the full realm of the situation. But, yeah, it was weird.

We had a full day of classes after that as the day unfolded, but it was on everybody’s mind. Some teachers were actually trying to teach. I remember my math teacher trying to teach us, but we had that on our minds so we weren’t able to focus on what was being taught.

At the time, I’m sure they were trying to keep the kids engaged and not worry too much. As the day unfolded, some kids were being pulled from school. Some parents were worried about what was going on in general. Other kids maybe had family members who worked in the towers or in the city who they were worried about.

The next week, we smelled that electrical – it was like a burning electrical smell.

All those memories are still vivid. For a lot of people – primarily the people most affected, but also us New Yorkers – we all knew exactly where we were when that happened.

Earlier this week, I was looking at the calendar, and it said Friday is Sept. 11. Oh my God, it’s 25 years.

Besides time flying and wondering where those 25 years went, when you come to the time around 9/11 and they start playing the documentaries and the recaps, I still really can’t watch too much of it. It’s just too emotional.

I wasn’t directly affected by it in terms of losing any family members, luckily. But being a New Yorker and understanding, 25 years later, and seeing the atrocities that occurred that day, I try to watch it to show respect for the event and the loss. But it’s very emotional to this day to watch stuff like that.

Twenty-five years went by very quickly. But it’s interesting how vivid those memories and the recollection of that day still are.

If you ever have a chance to go down to the 9/11 Memorial, when you’re standing there in that old footprint with the waterfall and the names of the people lost that day, it’s a stark reminder of just how vast that day was and how much it affected people – and still affects people.

To try to find a positive in such a horrific situation, I remember afterward the country felt so unified. Everybody came together. It didn’t matter for those months or that year what party you supported, which neighborhood you were from or which sports team you liked. Everybody was an American back then and a New Yorker.

It was amazing to see everybody come together. People put their differences aside and were Americans and united. It’s something I recall as part of the experience as one bright spot in all of that. People showed they are able to come together.

Stewart Petrovits, Route 82 Sand & Gravel

Editor’s note: Route 82 Sand & Gravel is located in Millbrook, New York, about 100 miles north of New York City. Vice president Stewart Petrovits shared the 25th anniversary reflections that follow by phone on Sept. 9, 2026.

The day of, it was a gorgeous, crisp fall day. I was getting a paving crew started at a transfer facility. I remember where I was. We had cellphones, but they were hardwired into the car.

I got into the car to drive back to the office. My sister called me and said a plane hit the World Trade Center. I’m envisioning a Piper Cub, a Cessna or something.

Forever, I listened to “Imus in the Morning.” I immediately switched over to Don Imus, and I vividly remember Warner Wolf was his sports guy. Warner lived down in that part of the city. He was on the phone – whatever phone he could get through on – and you still weren’t prepared for the horror when you finally got in front of a television.

I think I got back to the office to see the second plane hit. By then, everybody was in my dad’s office. He had a big-screen TV. We had no appreciation for how the world and our lives would change as a country.

I was 32 then. The last 25 years have been the meat of my career – probably the high point of my career – and it’s affected everything in some way, shape or form going forward – every industry, every person’s life in some way.

Personally, I still feel … just tremendous rage. I think the thing that impacted me the most at the time was when you’d see the victims – a lot of them were the age I was. A lot of them were young women and men who just got up to go to work and just never came home. They never did a thing to anybody other than trying to live the American dream. I felt like America was just doing its thing.

It’s still a terribly sad thing. I can’t watch the historical perspectives …

I remember the next day our Cat dealer, who we were close with, asked if they could bring 30 or 40 huge generator sets onto our property. By the second or third night, we had trucks bringing gensets to the city to help get some of these places going. It was something we were able to do – to just feel like we could do something.

My parents were trapped in Italy. I remember how gracious the Italians were to the Americans trapped there. I remember my dad telling me how just absolutely wonderful the Italians were where my parents were staying. You saw the beauty in some things and the horror of others.

It’s been a tough quarter-century – for all of us. Looking back, we had 9/11. We had the recession in 2008. We had COVID. It’s certainly been an interesting career. But everybody perseveres.

Bill Doran

Editor’s note: Bill Doran, who is now shareholder at Ogletree Deakins, is a regular Pit & Quarry contributor who authors the monthly MSHA & The Law column. Doran shared the 25th anniversary reflections that follow by email on Sept. 9, 2026.

On the morning of Sept. 11, I was leaving for work late after running an errand earlier in the morning. My wife was on the phone with a friend and suddenly shouted for me to stop.

She said: “Something has happened.”

We turned on the television to watch what was unfolding. Along with the reports from New York, the news announced that there was a fire at the Pentagon and that the White House was being evacuated.

I immediately called my office in D.C., which was located two blocks away from the White House. They had just heard the same report and were evacuating as well.

During this time, I checked in with my parents, who lived two towns away. My dad was retired after 30 years in the Army. He had been stationed at the Pentagon during the last decade of his career, and he was very worried about his friends and colleagues. 

I think about that day a lot. My parents have since passed and are buried in Section 64 at Arlington National Cemetery, which faces the side of the Pentagon that was struck by one of the hijacked planes. 

The Pentagon Group Burial Memorial is also located in that section. Whenever we visit the gravesite, we always stop by the memorial to pay our respects to the heroes who gave their lives for our country that day.

Mark Krause, Cedarapids

Editor’s note: Mark Krause, who retired this summer after 12 years at McLanahan Corp., was vice president of international sales at Cedarapids at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Krause shared the 25th anniversary reflections that follow by phone on Sept. 9, 2026.

Just two weeks prior to 9/11, [my wife] Stephanie and I were in New York on vacation. We have a picture of her with the World Trade Center in the background. She didn’t want to go to the World Trade Center because it had been bombed a few years earlier, so we didn’t go. But then you’re looking at the pictures after the fact … and there they are right behind you.

At the time, we had some people stranded overseas. When the airspace closed down, it was a challenge getting people home.

I was also on one of the first planes once the airspace opened back up. I was flying on a 757, and there were six of us on the whole plane. It was a weird, eerie feeling. That changed how we traveled. TSA didn’t exist 25 years ago.

I remember, like most people, where I was. I was in the office at Cedarapids in Iowa. When the first plane hit, you’re thinking it’s a little plane that got off course. Then the second one came in. We had a little TV in the office, and everyone sat around and watched it.

Then there was United Flight 93. I got the opportunity to see the memorial this year. You think of the bravery of those passengers who said they were going to charge the cockpit …

On a personal level, 9/11 meant a little more [because we had just been in New York]. It was so startling. It changed our lives in so many ways. Now, all this stuff is coming out about the air quality in New York. What a tragedy on so many fronts for so many people.

I remember there was a picture – I was working with Terex at the time, and a producer bought six 100-ton trucks from us. They actually had a picture of the 100-ton trucks on barges going up the Hudson, right by the Statue of Liberty.

It’s hard to put it all in perspective. My kids have some memories of it, but not a lot. There’s my age group, and we have memories because we were there.

People were asking if I was on the road. I was vice president of international sales at Cedarapids. When you’d go [overseas], you’d stay three weeks. I got to see a lot of neat places.

That first [flight after 9/11] was eerie. I remember the airport more than the airplane. Normally, there are lots of vibrant, moving bodies. That day, there was hardly anybody. I’m sure I was still in shock.

Scott Alexander, Rogers Group

Editor’s note: Scott Alexander, who is now vice president and general manager of aggregates at Quikrete, worked at Rogers Group at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Alexander shared the 25th anniversary reflections that follow by email on Sept. 9, 2026.

9/11 was quite memorable for me. For one, it’s my youngest daughter’s birthday.

For me, I was in the air flying at the time the horrific events occurred. I was on the company helicopter, flying in the co-pilot’s seat up front.

My pilot, Arnold, all of a sudden gave me a strange look. We had our headphones on, and he said: ‘This has never happened to me … ever.” Arnold was a retired military helicopter pilot with 40 years of experience – and calm as a cucumber.

I said: “What, Arnold?”

He replied: “The FAA has just ordered ALL AIRCRAFT DOWN, IMMEDIATELY.”

We landed at the closest airport and went inside. There was the broadcast on the TV showing the Twin Towers on fire. Everyone was in disbelief. It was truly shocking. I’ll never forget it. I recall exactly where I was at the time and remember as if it were yesterday.

Rob Fulop, Pit & Quarry

Editor’s note: Rob Fulop, who is now group publisher of Pit & Quarry, was regional sales manager for the brand at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Fulop shared the 25th anniversary reflections that follow in writing on Sept. 9, 2026.

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, started like a typical Tuesday for me.

I was sitting at my desk, just a few years into my career at Pit & Quarry. My 1-year-old son was home with my wife, and we had another baby on the way.

My wife called my desk phone. She was shaken by the news that an airplane had hit the World Trade Center in New York City. I reassured her that everything was fine.

“Airplanes have hit buildings before,” I said. “This is just an unfortunate incident. There’s no need to worry.”

Then came the chilling news of a second plane hitting the towers. The world had changed.

I remember watching in horror as the towers fell, huddled around a television in our cafeteria with my coworkers. We speculated that most likely tens of thousands of people had perished.

Soon, an executive vice president walked over and told us all to go home.

“Go home and hug your children,” he said.

I’ll never forget the eerily quiet skies over the next few days, broken only by the occasional military aircraft flying overhead.

Everything had changed. And as a young father with a 1-year-old son and another child on the way, I remember wondering what kind of world we were bringing our second child into.

Dino Vitanza, TMP Worldwide

Editor’s note: Dino Vitanza, who is now associate publisher of Pit & Quarry, was account representative at TMP Worldwide at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He joined Pit & Quarry four years later. Vitanza shared the 25th anniversary reflections that follow in writing on Sept. 9, 2026.

On Sept. 11, 2001, I was working at an advertising agency in downtown Cleveland.

Someone called me up to the conference room and said a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers. We turned on the TV just in time to watch a second plane hit the other tower.

Soon after, we learned a third plane was flying over Cleveland. Our agency’s director sent everyone home for the day.

Every Sept. 11, I remember that day as one of both heartbreak and hope.

Heartbreak for the innocent lives taken for no reason and for the firefighters, police officers and first responders who ran toward danger trying to save them.

Hope because, for a time, our country stood together as one, regardless of religion, politics or how we lived our lives. I hold onto that memory, and the belief that we can find our way back to that kind of unity again – without a tragedy to bring us there.

Jack Kopanski, Allen Elementary School (Strongsville, Ohio)

Editor’s note: Jack Kopanski, who is now managing editor of Pit & Quarry, was a young boy at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He joined Pit & Quarry in 2021. Kopanski shared the 25th anniversary reflections that follow in writing on Sept. 10, 2026.

I was only five years old – just a week shy of turning six, actually – on Sept. 11, 2001. Because I was so young, my memory of the day is very foggy.

I was in kindergarten, and the only thing I remember was our principal coming over the loudspeaker to let everyone know what happened. I obviously didn’t fully grasp what was going on, but I could tell based on his tone of voice and how my teacher reacted that it was serious and not good.

I can’t remember if we turned on the TV in the classroom or what the immediate aftermath of the announcement was like. I’m sure everyone’s parents came to pick them up, but I don’t remember that either.

Reflecting on that day now, I feel a strange mix of emotions. On the one hand, I’m glad I was so young so I could be unaware of such a horrific event. On the other hand, part of me wishes I was old enough to understand and fully comprehend the gravity of what happened.

I grew up being told to “never forget” 9/11. In the 25 years since then, I learned in and out of school about everything that happened that day; heard people’s stories about where they were, the loved ones they lost or how they were saved from being at the World Trade Center for various reasons; and I grew up recognizing the bravery and sacrifices made by thousands of people.

But it certainly isn’t the same as it would have been if I were old enough to understand everything unfolding in real time.

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Bell Trucks America added Hills Machinery Co. to its dealer network, expanding access to Bell articulated dump trucks and tracked carriers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Hills Machinery will provide Bell customers with equipment sales, parts, service and product support.

“Bell is an excellent addition to our construction equipment division and gives our customers a high-quality solution for demanding hauling and earthmoving applications,” says Jim Hills, president of Hills Machinery. “Bell has built its reputation around productive, reliable equipment, but just as important to us is the support behind that equipment. We see a tremendous opportunity to combine Bell’s products and technology with the local expertise, service and proactive uptime support our customers expect from Hills.”

Mitch Nevins, CEO of Bell Trucks America welcomed Hills Machinery to the company’s dealer network.

“Hills has built a strong reputation for understanding its customers’ businesses and providing the expertise, service and support they need to keep equipment working,” Nevins says. “That commitment to customer uptime aligns closely with our own philosophy at Bell – strong, reliable equipment backed by strong, reliable support. We believe Hills will be an excellent partner in building long-term customer relationships and helping contractors get the productivity and value they need from their equipment.”

Related: Hyundai adds dealer in West Virginia

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The National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA) named Chuck Fuqua senior vice president of strategic communications.

Fuqua has spent the last eight years with NSSGA, most recently serving as vice president of communications. In his elevated role, Fuqua will oversee the association’s public affairs strategy and internal communications.

“Chuck is a respected and experienced communicator whose leadership has elevated NSSGA’s voice across Washington and throughout the aggregates industry,” says Michele Stanley, president and CEO of NSSGA. “Over the past eight years, Chuck has built a strong communications team, strengthened our strategic messaging and become a trusted advisor to our staff, members and industry partners.”

NSSGA says this appointment comes during a pivotal time for the aggregates industry, as lawmakers prepare to work on the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.

“I am honored by the opportunity to continue serving the aggregates industry and advocating for the essential role it plays in building and connecting communities across America,” Fuqua says. “This industry is foundational to our nation’s growth and prosperity, and I look forward to working alongside our members to advance its future.”

Fuqua spent the last 18 years working for trade associations, including the American Frozen Food Institute and the American Forest & Paper Association, before joining NSSGA in 2018. Prior to that, he served as deputy public affairs director for the U.S. Department of Commerce and led media operations for four Republican National Conventions.

Related: NSSGA, NAPA endorse newly introduced infrastructure bill

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Major is transitioning operations to a new facility in Schertz, Texas, replacing its nearby former location.

The new facility is Major’s fourth in North America, joining locations in Fife, Washington; Candiac, Quebec; and St. Catharines, Ontario. Outside of North America, Major serves European customers through its location Belgium.

The upgraded facility in Texas is 125,000 sq. ft., more than twice the size of the company’s former 55,000-sq.-ft. building. Major says the expansion lets it streamline operations by bringing its cut-and-hook facility and Flex-Mat production under one roof. Upgraded equipment will also improve overall production and storage capabilities.

Flex-Mat production will increase by 20 percent, and woven finishing capacity will increase by 40 percent with the additional space the new facility provides, according to Major. With increased production capacity, the company says it will have shorter lead times, enhance service responsiveness and further support producers across the U.S. The facility also has room for future expansion.

“While we’re operating close to our previous location, this is a strategic transition for Major,” says Bernard Betts, president of Major. “The investment in a larger, upgraded facility allows us to respond more quickly to customer needs and deliver the high-quality screening solutions they depend on.”

Major also plans to begin producing its Flex-Mat modular product line at the facility in 2027. The expansion will include additional hiring to support operations and ensure continued customer service.

“Our new facility gives our team the space and equipment needed to operate more efficiently while maintaining the quality Major is known for,” says Alain Prevost, vice president of operations at Major. “By bringing production and the cut-and-hook operations under the same roof, we’re positioned to improve our customers’ lead times and support growth for years to come.”

Major expects to complete the transition to the new facility this month.

Related: ME Elecmetal to host open house for National Manufacturing Day

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The 42-mile single-flight conveyor system has the capacity to transport up to 13 million tons of frac sand per year. Prior to its commissioning, Atlas Energy Solutions relied solely on trucks and roadways to transport frac sand for its large-scale operations.

The system runs from Kermit, Texas, to just beyond the Texas-New Mexico line, shortening the distance sand travels. The system is expected to significantly minimize the number of trucks on the road along with the associated miles driven and emissions – all while driving efficiency gains at the wellsite.

As the second-largest conveyor in the world, the Dune Express required Atlas Energy Solutions and Voith Turbo, the system integrator, to deploy ultra-reliable mechanical drive technology. The application demands were extreme: extended-duty cycles, brutal desert sun and rugged terrain.

Each drive system required advanced thermal validation, high torque capacity and seamless electromechanical integration.

The chosen solution

To support the system, SEW‑Eurodrive supplied 36 X.e Series helical-bevel heavy-industry gear units engineered for high torque, reliability and application-specific thermal requirements.

To meet thermal requirements, each gearbox was equipped with synthetic GearOil lubricant and configured with either splash lubrication with shaft fans or pressure lubrication with oil-to-air cooling systems, depending on duty-cycle demands.

SEW engineers collaborated closely with Voith to deliver gearbox sizing matched to application dynamics, thermal performance modeling and bearing life analysis, as well as delivery logistics and on-site commissioning support.

SEW and Voith also collaborated on fabrication and fit verification for mechanical interfaces while integrating condition monitoring sensors and safety guarding into the system design.

“Engineering for a 42-mile conveyor takes more than knowing horsepower,” says Austin Burdette, heavy industry gearing product manager at SEW-Eurodrive USA. “It takes understanding the unique application dynamics, thermal insight and logistics at scale.”

Information for this article courtesy of SEW-Eurodrive.

Related: How Canfield Materials shifted into aggregates

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The event marks the company’s participation in National Manufacturing Day, which falls on Oct. 2 this year. The Manufacturing Institute, the education and workforce partner of the National Association of Manufacturers, started National Manufacturing Day in 2011 to counter false ideas about factory work and highlight clean, advanced technology jobs. National Manufacturing Day, recognized the first Friday of October every year, kicks of National Manufacturing Month.

ME Elecmetal says its open house, running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will give employees, customers, students, educators, families and community members the opportunity to experience firsthand the innovation, craftsmanship and career potential that define modern metal casting. The company will offer facility tours, live metal casting demonstrations and educational programming designed to highlight the role of manufacturing in the U.S. economy.

“At ME Elecmetal, Manufacturing Day gives us the opportunity to open our doors and share the pride, skill and innovation behind the work our teams do every day,” says Scott Schudalla, vice president of manufacturing at ME Elecmetal. “It is a chance to celebrate our employees, connect with the community and inspire students and families to see manufacturing as a dynamic and rewarding career path.”

ME Elecmetal’s foundry is located at 200 E. Carerett St., Duluth, Minnesota 55808.

Related: Schurco Slurry seeing shift toward new aggregate projects

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In reporting it to the mine operator, a manager made the comment: “Great, now we know the lay of the land and we can move forward.”

We recalled that comment several years later, when, in a different case for the same company, we did not obtain everything we had hoped for. In discussing that decision with the company, the same mine manager said: “Well, at least we know the lay of the land and we can move forward.”

Rules of the road

Everyone who has worked in the mining industry long enough can point to decisions from an administrative law judge (ALJ) – or the Review Commission itself – that impacted them positively or negatively. The key point in each instance is that this process enabled mine operators – and MSHA – to move forward with some certainty about the rules of the road.

That process of achieving certainty in mine safety and health enforcement is being challenged to some extent by the current staffing levels at the Review Commission. At the end of August, the Review Commission was slated to be down to one member when the terms of Mary Lu Jordan and Timothy Baker expired. That was expected to leave four of the five commissioner seats empty.

While the remaining member can accept appeals, decision-making in all cases will be stalled until a three-person quorum is achieved.

Running short-handed

While the work pause at the commissioner level is troubling – and will undoubtedly produce a backlog that will take some time to clear – in reality, the commissioners see only a very small percentage of the case filings that occur each year.

The bulk of the work is carried out by the Review Commission’s administrative law judges, who oversee trials of the contest cases and discrimination proceedings, conduct expedited hearings, and handle procedural and evidentiary disputes. The vast majority of those decisions resolve the case with no further appeal to the Review Commission.

Still, the situation at the ALJ level is critical. There are only three ALJs working at the Review Commission out of a normal, historical complement of nine to 12. While this number has fluctuated over the years, it has never dropped to its current level.

The causes for this reduction in judges are many. They include retirements, layoffs, different executive branch priorities and budget trimming.

As with many other federal agencies, this situation has been accompanied by sharp cuts in support staff as well.

While there certainly is a political dimension to all of this, that could be said – to differing extents – about any administration. This is not the first time a quorum was lost at the Review Commission.

Over the years, the Review Commission has always taken a hit in terms of attracting legislative and executive branch attention for vetting and confirming new members. Sooner or later, a quorum is usually restored.

Clearing the backlog

With that said, the ALJ situation is untenable and needs a solution.

Case dockets and calendars, already stretched by last year’s government shutdown, are only being stretched further. To stem the tide, judges are extending discovery and prehearing deadlines for months, and effectively pushing cases out months to find spots on the calendar for trial.

While discrimination cases appear to be getting priority on the calendar, that leaves many mine operators languishing for resolution to their challenges of MSHA enforcement interpretations, withdrawal orders and abatement demands.

In the age of pattern of violations enforcement, this can create real difficulty for mine operators trying to manage and maintain a low violation history. It is also problematic for supervisors and managers fighting the assessment of individual 110(c) civil penalties for alleged knowing violations.

Many in the mining industry, including those at industry associations, recognize this problem and are working to find a way to navigate the substantial budget barriers that have inhibited the acquisition of more judges. At a minimum, three more judges are needed in the short term to try to plug holes.

In the meantime, necessary, prompt resolution of important issues affecting mine operation compliance procedures and abatement disputes may need to rely on increased efforts in informal conferences – before the cases are filed, and settlement discussions after the cases are filed. In the near term, it may be the only way to obtain finality and enable operators and MSHA to move forward.

Bill Doran is with the national labor, employment and safety law firm Ogletree Deakins. He can be reached at william.doran@ogletree.com.

Related: What MSHA’s deregulatory push means for surface mines

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