PipeLine Machinery International (PLM) and Caterpillar hosted Pipeline Industry Day at the Caterpillar Malaga Demonstration and Learning Center (MDLC) in Malaga Spain on June 14. Over 70 customers, Caterpillar, PLM and PLM Solution Partners attended the event – the second of its kind with the first being held in that location in 2007. This year’s event was held to showcase the new PL series pipelayers – the PL87, PL83 and PL61 as well as the 953D Welding Tractor and the Cranesmart Load Monitoring System and the DECKHAND® pipe handling system.
This special day started with our group meeting in the auditorium of Caterpillar’s Malaga Demonstration and Learning Center where they received informative presentations by Cat, PLM, and Cranesmart. The features of the new pipelayers were presented by the Cat team. PLM Executive Vice President and General Manager, Tony Fernandez presented the history of PLM and introduced the concept of PLM’s mission to be the industry’s solution provider. PLM Vice President Lindley Imeson did a presentation on the PLM Solutions from the Vanguard suite of offerings, to the DECKHAND pipe handling system, EK Pass training solutions and on to PLM’s own 72H pipelayer. Mark Holt from Cranesmart was there to present the load monitoring solution.
The afternoon was spent with a live demonstration of a simulated pipeline workplace. D8T’s and a 345D equipped with Accugrade demonstrated the efficiency that technology can bring to the right-of-way. A 349E equipped with the DECKHAND Pipe Handling System demonstrated pipe pick up and lift. The 953D Welding tractor drove into center stage. Finally, the PL61, PL83 and PL87 majestically ‘walked’ into the viewing area for a very impressive demonstration. The guests were invited to get up close with the machines and have some one-on-one time with operators and engineers on the machines. A great day!
A fun wrap-up of the event was dinner held in an antique car museum. An amazing collection of one-of-a-kind and rare automobiles is showcased beautifully in one of Malaga’s most architecturally stunning buildings – the old tobacco factory. With words of appreciation from Marco Jannuzzi (Caterpillar), Tony Fernandez and Gerry Grothe (PLM), guests showed their appreciation for a fine event. The following day, Cat hosted an optional General Line Demo at the MDLC and approximately 30 guests took that in as well.
The event was a great success thanks to the hard work of many. Special thanks go to Jerry Scott and Gerben van der Veen for taking two weeks out of their busy schedules to ensure that all machines were ready to go for the show. Once again it was a nail biting few days at the end but their hard work right up to the day of the event ensured the show went off smoothly.
Very special thanks to Dawn Rivera, Sherry Gettis and Marco Jannuzzi for behind the scenes administration. Many thanks also to the team at the MDLC who, once again, demonstrated the Caterpillar ingenuity and expertise that keeps us as industry leaders.