Midwestern Manufacturing: Getting a grip on things

Source: Energy Digital

Date :7/21/2008 12:09:48 PM

Armon H. Bost had an idea for a better sideboom and his innovations more than 50 years ago laid the groundwork for Midwestern Manufacturing.

Written by Sheridan Cross and Produced by Rich Gentile

With years of field experience under his belt, Armon H. Bost knew there had to be a better means of operating the sidebooms used by pipelayers in the 1950s. So, he set about the task of solving the problem and, in 1953, introduced the industry’s first hydraulic sideboom pipelayer attachment.

Bost’s innovative machine was used to lay natural gas lines in Detroit, Chicago, and New York and thus was born Tulsa-based Midwestern Manufacturing. Today, the company’s sidebooms have evolved into the industry standard, meeting individual job requirements and used with confidence by major tractor companies such as Caterpillar, John Deere, Case and Komatsu. Midwestern’s products are renowned for safety, reliability, ease of operation and cost efficiency.

Research reveals that older sidebooms, driven by a chain and winch system, were prone to slippage and malfunctions. When they failed, operators were exposed to significant danger. Additionally, the six-lever operating system was unforgiving and difficult to master. Bost’s innovations included a three-lever operating system that was much easier to operate and reduced operator training considerably while improving operator safety.

According to its website, Midwestern “has converted more than 7,500 tractors to safer, more efficient hydraulic pipelayers. The company remains true to its original values including excellence, integrity, ingenuity, and customer service.”

Operations

Midwestern Manufacturing has remained family-owned and operated from the outset. Today the company is guided by Armon Bost’s son, chairman of the board James A. Bost, and president Thomas F. Golden. Midwestern – along with its parent company Midwesco Industries and sister companies Midwestern Equipment and Midwestern Pipeline Products – maintains offices in Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico. Each of the companies is involved in the global distribution of pipeline and heavy construction equipment.

The company, says its website, “is an active member of the International Pipeline and Offshore Contractors Association (IPLOCA), Pipeline Contractors Association (PLCA), Pipeline Contractors Association of Canada (PLCAC), Distribution Contractors Association (DCA), American Pipeline Contractors Association (APCA) and Australian Pipeline Industry Association (APIA).”

Midwestern sells and rents fully outfitted hydraulic piplelayers and also provides some of the finest hydrostatic fill and test pumps and hydraulic rear-mounted winches on the market.

The company’s practice of converting older crawler-tractors into pipelayers has proven to be both cost-effective and environmentally responsible. Recycling and re-use of existing equipment promotes both the company’s and industry’s sustainability goals.

Product visibility is achieved via attendance at trade shows and conferences and by advertising at the local level. The company has approximately 150 employees at its various locations and experiences very low turnover.

Practical Applications

Midwestern-engineered sidebooms can lift from 10,000 to 200,000 pounds, or from 4.5 to 90 metric tons. The primary use remains in the laying of pipeline and, in 2005, the company completed field testing for a 200,000-pound sideboom attachment for a Caterpillar D9H tractor body. Introduction of this piece of equipment allows for precise installation of what the industry refers to as “big inch” pipe.

There are a number of other manners in which Midwestern’s sidebooms can be used. As the company is located in the midst of numerous high-traffic freight rail routes, derailments are inevitable. Speed and safety are essential in re-railing or removing cars and, with lifting capacities of up to 200,000 pounds, Midwestern’s sidebooms provide the perfect option.

According to the website, “With simplified controls and a hydraulic design that maximizes safety, Midwestern derailment sidebooms are ideal for this type of application. These reliable attachments are engineered and manufactured to efficiently lift, hold, and position any object within their weight capacity.”

Mining companies also utilize Midwestern’s equipment to install pipe for slurry lines ranging in length from a few to several hundred miles long, often through rugged, unforgiving terrain. Midwestern’s website says the company “can manage the lift capacity and pipe diameter needed for any job – large or small.”

Evolution

The company is constantly adapting its products in order to keep pace with changes in tractor design. For example, the website says, “When high-track machines were introduced, Midwestern engineers quickly adapted the sideboom kit originally designed for oval-track crawlers.”

Projections by industry experts forecast an increase in the use of large diameter pipe (36 to 50 inches) around the world within the next five years. Thanks to its investment to making the best technology available to its team of highly qualified engineers, Midwestern expects to be prepared to meet that challenge.

As the company closes in on its 60th anniversary, expect the commitment to quality and to its customers first laid by industry pioneer Armon Bost, to remain unwavering. As its website states: “No matter the make or model of tractor, Midwestern can provide solutions for any pipelaying need.”