Author: Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

Why is Safety Important?

Posted on June 23, 2014March 27, 2020 by Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

In the construction industry, safety is always a relevant issue. Although the industry has taken steps to promote a greater awareness of the importance of safety in the workplace, accidents still occur. Some of these accidents are preventable, which is why it is important to educate industry members about safe practices and procedures regularly. Just recently, in Midtown Manhattan, a woman was struck by a flying buzzsaw from a nearby construction crew. NBC New York reports that the woman sustained a gash on her leg from the 3-foot blade and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Thankfully, the injury was not serious. The incident is a strong reminder that accidents can and will happen, creating serious breaches in safety. In this case, the construction crew had been using the buzzsaw to tear up a roadway to fix an underground water main. Witnesses say that the blade came off the machine and was propelled down the sidewalk by its own force. As a result, workers and bystanders alike were put at harmful risk. To minimize the likelihood of accidents like the one in Manhattan, groups like the Construction Industry Safety Initiative (CISI) and Incident & Injury Free (IIF) Group strive to develop a culture where safety is a core value. Events such as Safety Week 2014, which was held in May, help promote this idea through free organized activities, employee training, and safety performance evaluations. At Metro Hydraulic, we’ve worked hard to encourage a safety culture at our distribution and service centers. We fully support efforts by the construction industry to bring the issue of safety to the forefront of discussion—and on workers’ minds. We hope that these events make a positive difference in the lives of both construction workers and the larger public.

Building Bridges with Hydraulics

Posted on June 3, 2014March 27, 2020 by Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

This year, two major bridges in the tri-state area have either begun or planned out major renovations and infrastructure repairs. These include the heavily traveled George Washington Bridge and Pulaski Skyway. Both projects have a budget of $1 billion or more, and require substantial construction. Metro Hydraulic is proud to report that some of this work will be completed with the help of our hydraulic equipment. The George Washington Bridge, an 82-year-old bridge that connects New York and New Jersey, is set to undergo a series of renovations and upgrades over the course of seven years. According to CBS, the planned changes include replacing 592 suspender ropes, repairing the main cables, installing new safety technology, and swapping the necklace lighting our for programmable LED lights. The extensive construction project is slated to begin in 2017 and end in 2024. Like the George Washington Bridge, the Pulaski Skyway is also 82-years-old. It was recently shut down for a reconstruction project that may take about two years. The Pulaski Skyway is often used by riders who travel from New Jersey to New York through the Holland Tunnel. Unfortunately for these commuters, the bridge needs significant renovations to its reinforcing bars, concrete railings, and roadbed, among others. The New York Times reports that the crossing has become “so frayed that the state installed netting to catch the falling debris.” Metro Hydraulic distributes hydraulic equipment to some of the construction companies that work on these projects and other, similar infrastructure repairs. As the tri-state area moves forward with renovations on the George Washington Bridge and Pulaski Skyway, they will rely on our high-quality equipment and timely shipments to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. As a member of the New Jersey community, we look forward to the completion of these exciting renovations!

Posted in Construction, Hydraulics and ConstructionTagged bridge construction and hydraulics, bridge construction tri state area, hydraulic equipment for construction applications, hydraulics and constructionLeave a Comment

Innovations for Hydraulics: Advanced Bridge Construction

Posted on April 19, 2014March 27, 2020 by Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

One of our main sectors of business here at Metro Hydraulic is within the sphere of construction. There are many different uses of hydraulics in construction, from materials handling, to jacks and pullers, and other applications for transport of materials and work pieces. One of the coolest innovations we’ve seen in construction recently also utilizes hydraulics, and we’re intrigued. This article is a great expo on the new process called “Accelerated bridge construction” or “ABC”, for building highway overpasses and other bridge structures, and explains what we think is a great new process that improves vastly on the old for several reasons. First, it allows traffic to continue to flow while the building process, which takes up the majority of the time of construction, is in progress. This alone is immensely practical solution to the tedious detours associated with most other jobs of this type. The road closure time taken for this particular application was 8 hours – an incredible reduction of time and associated labor costs. The system that makes this possible is a combination of hydraulics and a lubricated sliding surface. The new structure is progressively slid into place along the sliding surfaces, pushed by hydraulic jacks which are incrementally moved as the new platform is slid into place. We’ve seen a lot of great innovation in our experience with construction, and this is no exception. ABC represents a significantly improved process that serves both commuters who use the roadways and construction companies that build them. It’s heartening for us as hydraulic suppliers to see hydraulic systems being used to such great effect for construction. We hope this process continues to be gain acceptance and be further implemented for infrastructure construction and repair everywhere.

Posted in Construction, Hydraulics and ConstructionTagged accelerated bridge construction, advanced bridge construction, bridge construction, hydraulics and constructionLeave a Comment

Fall Protection in Construction

Posted on December 16, 2013March 27, 2020 by Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

It’s a sad fact that the construction industry is a dangerous one. If the proper steps aren’t taken to ensure workers safety, the risk of injury or fatality is high. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) claims 46 hundred construction workers were killed on the job in 2011, which is third lowest annual total in the two decades since the fatal injury census started. The worst thing about this fact is every onsite injury is preventable. “Falls are among the most common causes of serious work related injuries and deaths,” according to OSHA’s fall protection page. “Employers must set up the work place to prevent employees from falling off of overhead platforms, elevated work stations or into holes in the floor and walls.” Overhead platforms, elevated work stations, and holes in the floor and walls all pose hazards for workers, and it’s the responsibility of employers to make sure that precautions have been taken to keep workers safe. Once a workers height reaches four feet in general industry workplaces, five feet in shipyards, six feet in the construction industry or eight feet in long shoring operations, OSHA mandates that fall protection measure are taken. This also applies to workers that are above dangerous equipment. Here are employer requirements to prevent falls and other injuries:

Guard every floor hole into which a worker can accidentally walk (using a railing and toe-board or a floor hole cover).
Provide a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open sided platform, floor or runway.
Regardless of height, if a worker can fall into or onto dangerous machines or equipment (such as a vat of acid or a conveyor belt) employers must provide guardrails and toe-boards to prevent workers from falling and getting injured.
Other means of fall protection that may be required on certain jobs include safety and harness and line, safety nets, stair railings and hand rails.
Provide working conditions that are free of known dangers.
Keep floors in work areas in a clean and, so far as possible, a dry condition.
Select and provide required personal protective equipment at no cost to workers.
Train workers about job hazards in a language that they can understand.

There are a lot of things for employers to keep track of, but keeping up with OSHA’s high standards is the best way for construction companies to keep their workers safe. These construction dangers can be limited if employers take proactive steps to provide for the safety of their employees. We at Metro Hydraulic encourage you to do your part to make sure your work environment is on par with these regulations. Tweet @MetroHydraulic and tell us your safety stories today!

Posted in ConstructionTagged construction, fall protection, hazards, OSHA, safety, safety trainingLeave a Comment

What Makes a Jack a Hydraulic Jack?

Posted on August 19, 2013March 27, 2020 by Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

It’s obvious that we know a thing or two about hydraulic jacks at Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.; they’re the basis of our business. Most people have an idea of what jacks are, but there is a lot that goes into these load bearing tools.

When people think of jacks, most often mechanical jacks would come to mind. This category of jacks most notably covers car jacks as well as house jacks. Hydraulic jacks like bottle jacks and floor jacks on the other hand, are used to lift loads that are even heavier.

Hydraulic jacks use multiple cylinders to create pressure by applying force. By putting force on one cylinder, it will create pressure in all connected cylinders. These jacks will have one cylinder larger than the other to produce a greater force, despite the fact that the same pressure is applied in both cylinders.

Using this method, oil is pushed into the two cylinders by pump plungers. This moves the oil through an external discharge check valve before it reaches the cylinder chamber. The valve on the chamber closes to build pressure in the cylinder.

There are several types hydraulic of jacks used for different applications. Bottle jacks are most popularly used for lifting cars for auto inspections, and floor jacks are used to lift items that need a larger lifting pad. Despite their differences, these, along with other varieties of hydraulic jacks all function with the same basic structure.

Posted in JacksTagged air jacks, hydraulic jacksLeave a Comment

Building NYC’s 2nd Ave. Subway

Posted on July 8, 2013March 27, 2020 by Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

The New York City subway system is one of the largest mass transit systems in the world, and NYC’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is making it bigger. Currently, the MTA is constructing the Second Avenue subway line to accompany the city’s existing trains, but this isn’t the first time this subway line was contemplated.

The Second Ave. subway line was conceived originally, with the idea of an East Side train dating back to the 1920’s. According to Second Avenue Saga the train was originally planned to be built from 1930 to 1935, but was abandoned after the stock market crash of that era. There were several more attempts over the past eight decades that all fell through.The unconstructed train line even getting a nod on AMC’s period-drama “Mad Men.”

According to the MTA website,“The Second Avenue Subway will reduce overcrowding and delays on the Lexington Avenue line (4, 5, and 6 trains), improving travel for both city and suburban commuters, and provide better access to mass transit for residents of the far East Side of Manhattan.” . The project will cost $4.45 billion and is being built in phases. The first phase will provide service between 96th St. and 63rd St. as via a rerouted Q train by December 2016.

Even though the idea for this line came almost a century ago, the construction process is anything but old fashioned. Below is a video from the MTA website that shows a “Milestone” event of a tunnel boring machine breaking through a rock wall east of the Lexington Ave-63rd St. subway station.

Posted in UncategorizedTagged 2nd ave subway, nyc subway constructionLeave a Comment

Construction Season Gives Hope To Sandy Victims

Posted on June 18, 2013March 27, 2020 by Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

Hurricane Sandy devastated the American Northeast last October and people are still feeling the effects. Now that construction season is kicking into gear, victims of the superstorm can look forward with optimism.

Late spring and summer are the busiest times of the year for construction workers and parts of the eastern coast of New Jersey, along with New York City and the south shore of Long Island are in need of repair. Post-Sandy construction has already aided the construction industry, with employment in the first quarter reaching over 111 thousand, up 1.3 percent from the previous year according to Crain’s New York.

The construction work goes beyond just rebuilding homes and commercial buildings damaged by the storm. The Rockefeller Foundation recently announced that it is investing $100 million in a project that will make the NYC more resilient.

“In this world today we will not be able to predict or prevent every catastrophe, take climate change—extreme weather, raging fires, vicious storms,” Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin said according to the Daily Beast. “That’s where resilience comes in. We can prevent their catastrophic impact much better, by implementing resilience strategies that let us buffer those shocks more effectively.”

The investment will feature such advancements as emergency management learning mechanisms, new water waste systems, innovating ideas for urban housing and land use planning focused on resilience principles.

Constructing homes and commercial buildings, along with making the areas safer is aiding everyone involved. Bringing NY and NJ back to life after the devastating storm over six month ago is rebuilding the construction industry.

Posted in UncategorizedTagged hurricane sandy reconstruction, nj construction, ny constructionLeave a Comment

Did You Know We Repair And Sell Lubrication Systems Too?

Posted on March 29, 2013March 27, 2020 by Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

We’re a third-generation family business at Metro Hydraulic Jack Co., and we’re well known in many industries for repairing and distributing hydraulic equipment since the 1940’s. We are also one of the leading sales & service centers in the United States. But, did you know we design, repair and sell lubrication systems too? LincolnCustomers in the transportation industry and any business/industry that requires systems for performing period maintenance on vehicles – towns, public works department, transit garages, auto repair facilities, etc. – work with us. We have a complete product line of competitively priced, quality lubrication equipment (lubrication dispensing systems, computerized inventory systems, pumps, dispensing valves, metered valves, and more), and we sell and repair most major brands, including:

Graco
Alemite
John Dow Industries
Balcrank
Samson
Lubeq
National Spencer
Cox Reels
Reelcraft
Containment Solutions, and other manufacturers.

To keep things running smoothly in their businesses, shops across the U.S. work with our NJ-based facility. In addition to repair and installation, other services we provide in the lubrication equipment realm include product specification and sales (helping customers answer questions like “What’s the best dispensing valve for our garage?” or “What type of lubrication pump do we need?”), and we also offer garage design and layout services. Learn more about Metro Hydraulic’s lubrication equipment and services by visiting our website or call us at (800) 633-8234. We can help you keep your business running smoothly with the lubrication systems we offer!

Posted in UncategorizedTagged hydraulic, inventory systems, lubrication systems, manufacturing, pumps, valvesLeave a Comment

We’ve been repairing hydraulic cylinders for over 60 years. So we’ve earned the title of “experts!”

Posted on February 25, 2013March 27, 2020 by Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

Hydraulic cylinders are used for several applications and can be found in practically anything that needs to be raised, lowered, lifted, bent, or pressed. That includes construction equipment, hydraulic presses, automotive lifts, and automotive and materials handling equipment. When using hydraulic cylinders on a consistent basis, we know that equipment failures happen. That’s why Metro Hydraulic is here to help when something goes wrong. With everyday hydraulic cylinder use – it’s possible that seals can become worn, rods can bend, and internal cylinder bore diameters can become scored. At Metro, we have complete honing and machining capabilities. So we’re prepared to make repairs quickly and accurately to get you back up and running as soon as possible. We repair a variety of cylinder shapes, sizes, and types including construction hydraulic cylinders, NFPA hydraulic cylinders, and Enerpac type hydraulic cylinders. We can fix sizes ranging from 20 inch bore diameters and up, to 15 ft. of stroke. We also stock metric and American chrome rods. Our cylinder repair capabilities are very extensive. So we’re able to repair internal pistons, rods, tubes, and even machine different cylinder mounts. Are you using hydraulic cylinders in the construction, automotive, industrial production and maintenance, transportation, and material handling industries, and seeking repairs? Come see Metro Hydraulic today! Our turn-around times on repairs range from same-day, to up to one week (depending on cylinder condition and part availability.) We are experts, Stock components, & have the necessary machinery, so there are no limitations on what we can do!

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When Hurricane Sandy hit, we were there to help.

Posted on December 18, 2012March 27, 2020 by Metro Hydraulic Jack Co.

When Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast this October, Metro Hydraulic was there to help. Subway systems, bridges, tunnels and major equipment of all types were just a few of the many items damaged by this unfortunate storm. We have the experience and shop capabilities needed to repair many of the tools and equipment damaged by this storm. As a result of the hurricane, NJ Transit Rail Operations was one of the facilities hit the hardest. They had over 4 feet of salt water throughout their building complex. Thousands of commuters use mass transit on a daily basis, so their machinery was repaired on a priority basis. We were given the task of rebuilding railroad axle journal bearing pullers, and jacking equipment among many others. We also were entrusted with repairs for Public Service Electric &Gas. They had many tools that needed emergency repairs. These were some of the tools used to help restore power to Northern New Jersey. We’ve been repairing hydraulic equipment since the early 1940’s:

Auto equipment
- Jacks and garage equipment.
- Hydraulic cylinders.
- Pumps, motors, and tools.
- Lubrication equipment and systems
- Snow plowing equipment repairs.
Transportation industry
- Track and jacking tools used for trains and the repair of engines, cars, and trucks.
- Ground support equipment and aircraft jacks
Material handling industry
- Scissor lifts and lift tables
- Pallet jacks

Metro Hydraulic can turn around repairs in as little as two weeks. If you have rush repair we can prioritize it and get it done even sooner. Our goal is to work with you to understand your needs, and deliver! Please take a look at the repairs page on our website, and see what we can do in more detail. For more information on how we can help your organization with repairs, please call us at 800-633-8234.