Cat Global Pipeline Tractor Product Manager Scott Johnson says that the demand for pipelines will continue to rise. “The pipelayer industry has been somewhat dormant for years, but now represents a significant growth opportunity for future sales. Tractor products have increased focus on this business with new products and additional pipelayer staff.”

Global dealer goes local

PipeLine Machinery International (PLM) was established in May 2005. The company acts as a global dealer working with local Caterpillar dealerships to provide project-based site solutions. Caterpillar recognised that the global energy demand was driving an increase in worldwide pipeline construction activities, and created PLM to provide a more focused approach to deliver solutions tailored to the unique product and service needs of this global customer group. With this approach, the company enhanced its distribution network and global support, using its top class global dealer network, combined with the expertise of PLM, to provide a higher level of service to this unique market.

“Cat Global Pipeline was created to provide global focus and direction for Cat to the pipeline construction industry,” Cat Asia Pacific Marketing Manager Andrey Denisov said.

PLM is responsible for the distribution of dedicated pipeline machinery, while the local dealers provide parts and service support to the client.

The company’s Product Services Team assigns specific PLM project co-ordinators to each major pipeline project, making regular visits to the contractor’s worksites to liaise with equipment managers and machine operators. The team also works closely with Caterpillar to resolve product issues, and with local parts and services teams to ensure coverage is maintained throughout a project’s span. This brings together the collective strengths of both organisations to provide the best combined support for the customers in the region.

“Communication between PLM, local dealers and customers became easier, everyone utilised the same terms and knew the business not just locally, but globally. No matter where the customer is, they can find support from this new approach,” PLM President Mel Ternan said.

PLM Communications Manager Sherry Gettis said that Cat has changed and reorganised itself “around key customer segments and industries in order to improve responsiveness to customer needs based on critical requirements to act quickly”.

“Mainline contractors often have projects that are of relatively short duration but they encompass hundreds of miles, different geographic regions and sometimes even different countries. Where the contractor once had to deal with several different dealerships along the project, they can call on the expertise of PLM to provide their Caterpillar solution and co-ordinate all parties.”

A greener industry

Ms Gettis said that one of the biggest challenges facing the pipeline industry is the commitment to reducing the environmental impact of carbon emissions, and believes that PLM is focused on minimising its carbon footprint.

“As equipment suppliers, PLM and Cat are working toward the most efficient, clean burning engines. Using the technologies available to add efficiencies to the operation and maintenance of equipment, we strive to ensure our customers maximise the efficiency of their entire fleet on the pipelines.”

To this end, PLM has introduced a new, more fuel efficient tractor, the Caterpillar D7E with electric drive. The D7E has been designed to meet the demand for powerful, manoeuvrable tractors that are versatile enough to work in production bulldozing, as well as fine grading applications.

“The D7E uses an electric drive system that delivers 10–30 per cent greater fuel economy, greater productivity and lower lifetime service costs compared with conventionally designed crawler tractors of equal weight and horsepower,” Ms Gettis said.

“Electric drive eliminates the torque converter, powershift transmission and related drive shafts used in all-mechanical designs, which significantly lessens cooling requirements, decreases the number of moving parts and reduces the volume of fluids required.”

The tractor’s diesel-electric technology has won a Clean Air Excellence Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of outstanding efforts in making progress toward achieving cleaner air.

Training

PLM works with various associations to ensure that state-of-the-art equipment is available to train new operators. Custom training programs have been developed for clients operating in remote areas where no standard training programs are available.

“One of the biggest challenges in the pipeline industry is introducing new operators to the job. Improved controls simplify the tasks of learning and training, but the machine is only part of the safety equation,” Ms Gettis said.

Ms Gettis said Caterpillar is committed to safety training and has developed multi-industry safety training available online at SAFETY.CAT.COM. The site promotes environmental health and safety by offering free safety videos, safety toolbox talks and safety checklists. The site also provides online training to ensure pipeline employees remain aware and can mitigate safety hazards.

Looking ahead: providing the Australian market

Ms Gettis believes PLM’s ‘one dealer, one focus’ concept will provide a focused approach to the Australian pipeline construction industry. The company has formed a strong relationship with local Cat dealers, such as Hastings Deering, to work on significant projects in the region.

“The Australian pipeline market is very active and we see great potential in upcoming development of CSG fields in Queensland. We are working closely with Hastings Deering Cat and supplying equipment for the early works component of the PNG LNG Project,” Ms Gettis said. Working closely with Hastings Deering combines the collective strengths of both organisations to provide the best combined support for the customers in the region.

PLM offers the full line of Caterpillar pipelaying machinery, ranging from 18,000 kg to more than 91,000 kg lift capacity, as well as traditional machines outfitted with pipeline-specific configurations such as angle blades and winches on its tractors, and extended reach booms on its excavators. Equipment can be provided to PLM’s contractors as direct sales, short-term rentals or as part of a rental purchase plan through Caterpillar Finance.

The company also provides:

• Purpose built machines, such as ‘shack tractors’ – a Cat D6 tractor with sideboom for holding automatic welding tents, plus a continuous power welding unit and mounted bottle rack; Combination units with sidebooms and bulldozer blades;
• Hydraulic conversion kits to update older model mechanical draw-works pipelayers;
• Connected worksite software, including the Cat Product Link/Equipment Manager, which uses mapping, maintenance scheduling and troubleshooting tools and features a remote management system that provides fluid readings, location of machines, hours, time fencing and geo-fencing, diagnostic code alerts and fuel level alerts; and,
• The Cat Accugrade™ System, which helps operators record and maintain consistent ditch depth and machine information.