As part of our CSR initiatives, EIK Engineering together with its partner has contributed a total of RM30,000 to SJK(C) Ming Chih to help the school in its fundraising drive to build a new building and facilities enhancement. The meeting room was named with “EIK ENGINEERING SDN BHD” as an appreciation.

This Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiated by EIK Engineering is geared towards providing students a more conducive learning environment as Malaysia inches towards its recovery phase.

Tiew Kim Boon, Managing Director of EIK Engineering, said that with the contribution, the school will be able to improve its facilities for teachers to conduct their lessons and provide a better learning environment for its students.

The company is always committed to give back to the community and look forward to play its role in nurturing future talents.

SJK(C) Ming Chih, a half-subsidised school, was relocated to Horizon Hills in 2010 from Batu Pahat. Currently has about 1,180 pupils and teachers.

We are excited to announce that our newly revamped www.eikengineering.com has launched after many months of hard work and dedication from our team.

The new site features a refreshed look, improved navigation and responsive resource across all platforms and devices.

Some of the great new features of this site include:

• Easy access to more comprehensive product information (Brochure, updated product specification table and images)
• Instant communication by WhatsApp
• Customer portal where you can access the documents and information

We will be constantly updating our content with up-to-date information, company announcements and industry news in the Media Center.

For the current clients, our new customer portal login page can be found at this address: https://eikengineering.com/login/ or in the top right-hand corner of the main menu for easier access. It is a secure and personalized platform with greater ease of access to information such as product part book, manual, installation/assembly manual anytime, anywhere right at your fingertips.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback, please contact us through the website or at eik_marketing@eikengineering.com

We hope you enjoy our new look!

In conjunction with National Day and Malaysia Day this year, EIK Group together with Platinum Golf Group and Horizon Hill Golf & Country Golf Club Fighter Group took the initiative to launch a “One Heart One Mind” Food Bank campaign on 11th August for the very first time to help Malaysians who are hardest hit by the pandemic.

The team has successfully raised a total of RM 74,778 to assist the underprivileged community, of which RM 57,578 was used to purchase 850 packs of essential groceries and RM 17,200 of cash donations were donated to several non-governmental organizations. We have received 1,000 boxes of face masks sponsored by In Shield Medical Mask which was donated to St. John's Ambulance and Malaysia Red Crescent Johor Bahru.

Among the essential groceries are, rice, salt, condensed milk, sugar, oil, and canned food such as sardine and baked beans have been swiftly collected and delivered through several organizations including the Malaysia Red Crescent Johor Bahru, Golden Century Lions Club, 448 Food Bank, Suria Foundation, Food Bank Malaysia, Yayasan Food Bank, Che Luan Khor Moral Uplifting Society and Kuching Food Aid (KFA).

The cash donation was handed over to three identified charity homes which are Shan De Charity Home, Yu Shan charity organization, and Calvary Care Center to sustain their daily operations. With EIK's support of cash donation, Johor Relief Organization has contributed the body bag to Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru to ensure dignified handling of COVID-19 deceased.

“One Heart One Mind” Food Bank campaign is part of the EIK flagship “One Heart One Mind” umbrella which pledges to promote social responsibility efforts and serve the community better.

BRINGING POSITIVE IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY

EIK Group Managing Director Tiew Kim Boon said “understanding that times has been especially challenging with the increase COVID-19 cases in Malaysia. The prolonged Movement Control Order has resulted in the economic impact for B40 communities in sustaining livelihoods.”

“May our donations and immediate food aid bring some relief to the families that need support, I am grateful that EIK is doing its part in lending hand during this challenging period,” he added.

“He also expressed his appreciation to the EIK staff, sponsors, and NGOs who play a significant role in making the smooth distribution of food during the operation of this “One Mind One Heart” Food Bank campaign. ”

The current COVID-19 pandemic is affecting lives and business activities in unprecedented ways around the world. Like most countries, the Malaysian government is closely monitoring this fluid and developing crisis, responding with stringent measures to combat and contain the spread of the virus. One of the measures undertaken was to require private businesses to cease operations (except for essential services such as water, electricity, energy, telecommunications, postal, transportation, irrigation, oil, gas fuel, lubricants, broadcasting, finance, banking, health, pharmacy, fire prevention, food supply and retail) under a Movement Control Order (MCO), pursuant to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and the Police Act 1967. The MCO will take effect from 18 March to 14 April 2020 for the whole of Malaysia.

Our sales team has reached out to customers to keep them informed of this short-term disruption, at the same time working to reprioritise their orders to minimise the impact to their businesses. For customers whose delivery have been affected, we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience. Our sales team is always contactable and ready to help. You may also contact us via our social media channel: Facebook, Instagram & Linkedin.

We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to business associates for their outpouring of concern for the well-being of our employees and families. We thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support. By the same token, we hope all your employees and their families stay healthy and vigilant as well.

EIK is committed to weathering this crisis with conviction, unity and resolve. We shall succeed together.

Many of us probably still have a vivid memory of the 2017 hurricane, Harvey, reigning havoc in the Gulf Coast, especially for those who have had to endure the brutal aftermath. Harvey first made landfall over San Jose Island and then near Rockport, in south-central Texas, late Aug. 25 as a Category 4 hurricane, threatening millions of residents with 130-mph winds, heavy rains, and a massive storm surge that swamped coastal areas. Harvey ranks as the second-most costly hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since 1900, causing about $125 billion in damage. The storm dumped more than 27 trillion gallons of rain over Texas, with one-third of Houston completely flooded. Some parts of Houston received more than 50 inches of rainfall. An estimated 13 million people were affected, nearly 135,000 homes damaged or destroyed in the historic flooding, and up to a million cars were damaged.

Public Works departments of major cities that have been hit by hurricanes and floods are investing billions of dollars on improving infrastructure on flood mitigation and prevention projects. Most flood prevention projects involve the widening and deepening of existing water channel systems in the city and in residential areas. The city of Houston is one such example, every time a hurricane has landed, it damages embankments and causes soil erosion in waterways, resulting in millions of cubic yards of sand, mud and silt settling in creeks, rivers, and reservoirs. As a result, creeks and reservoirs are not able to hold the intended amount of water; a moderate to heavy rain fall will pose a huge risk of flooding.

Creek widening and deepening in progress with amphibious excavator

This project, taken on by Texas Dewatering, is to deepen and widen a channel by removing 278,000 cubic yards of material over a 2.2 miles. The banks on both sides of the creek have eroded toward the middle and was heavily silted. The tropical weather in Texas is a thriving environment for aquatic plant, if left unattended, the fast-growing plant will further cause obstruction and decrease the flowrate of traveling water.

The dredged material has to be transported to an approved disposal site located few miles away. Texas Dewatering was only given 150 days to complete the entire job, rain or shine. This is equivalent of hauling 350-400 truck loads per day on a 6- day work week schedule. A logical option is to increase the number of trucks and excavators to help speed up the process,  but the main obstacle to overcome;  how to remove the silt from the river spanning 105 – 120 feet wide fast enough to meet the daily quota? There are restrictions on transporting wet and drippy material across local subdivisions, which not only creates a logistical nightmare,  but also implements strict safety measures to be held within the local community and township.

“The critical success factor of this project is to find the most cost effective and swift method to dredge material out from the water and dry it before hauling away” says Adrien, the project manager. A number of options have been considered to complete this project and overcome the obstacles. The most common option would be the use of a Cutter Suction Dredger (CSD), dragline, flexi-float pontoon system.

With a CSD, a minimum of two dredgers are required to run full time with the assumption of zero down time. Transporting and assembly of a CSD at the site is a major challenge because of the limited space on either side of the bank for loading, unloading and assembling. CSD machines can be very noisy when running at full capacity; noise pollution at the residential area is a major concern. After the material is pumped out of the water, it has to be stored in a temporary holding area for drying. A typical CSD can only pump around 10 – 20% of solid material, which means 80% or more is water. A CSD requires a certain water depth for the cutter head to be effective and operate optimally, however, the varying water depth of the creek does not permit the CSD to operate in even the most optimum conditions;  a major risk to the timely completion of the project.

The Flexi-float platform is a ‘Lego’ concept style of floating pontoon where it can be stacked or assembled to form a floating platform of any desired size. Long reach excavators and supporting equipment can be placed and operated from the pontoon deck to dredge material out from the river. The flexi-float pontoon is flexible and can build a working platform adapting to the varying width of the river, the downside is it is tedious to move around. A crane is needed at the site on full time basis to construct and deconstruct the flexi-float as the dredging operation progresses. Lack of access to roads for the cranes in certain sections of the river add more complexities to the task. Moving the flexi-float platform would require additional steps, procedures, time and money.

The site condition is particularly challenging for typical construction equipment. The riverbed is very soft and only a machine with extremely low ground pressure with the ability to maneuver freely, without fearing of sinking or getting stuck, would work. The amphibious excavator is designed to trek on soft and swampy terrains, and on shallow water too. The high and wide pontoon undercarriage can easily overcome the varying water depths in different sections of the river. The pontoon also has sufficient floating capacity to support the entire machine mass as a safety design feature. Low ground pressure is the hallmark of the pontoon undercarriage, it permits the machine to move unconstrained in this difficult ground condition where standard crawler excavators  would not be able to work.

Mid year, in South Texas, is the start of the rainy season and can be unpredictable. These weather conditions add further pressure to the already tight schedule. Multiple amphibious excavators are working alongside with other equipment racing against time. The main task of the amphibious machine is to dredge the riverbed to the desired depth. Dredged material is temporarily placed at the bank for drying before transporting to the disposal site.

Unknown to many, these machines are working on an active channel where water level can vary from 2 to 10 feet, or more at times.

Temporary holding area for drying of wet material prior to disposal

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

An unexpected event took place mid way through the project. Hurricane Imelda came through and the work had to stop for a week. The hurricane ruined sections of the completed job and brought in additional sediment back into the river. Amphibious excavators are mobilized back to the damaged section to carry out the repair. The repairs took a week and a half to complete, an additional work schedule outside of the original plan.

“This is the perfect machine and cut out for the job, without it, I don’t see how we could have completed the project ahead of schedule” says Adrian, with a huge sigh of relief.

PATENTED DRIVE SYSTEM

EIK’s patented ‘multi-synchronous direct drive’ system is credited to be pivotal technology that positions us at the forefront of amphibious excavator products. This paradigm shift on how modern amphibious machines are designed has won over the hearts of numerous customers and for both new and experienced amphibious excavator users.

What our customers have to say about EIK:

With my 30 years’ experience of operating swamp excavators, the EIK hydraulic drive is a lot better and has more power than the chain drive systems. The hydraulic retractable pontoons make it easy to transport.

Russel B. from Houston. AM200 with CAT320E

We were in the water everyday, the machine maneuvered very well and had a lot of power.  This was my first time using polymer tracks, I was skeptical, but after two months, was very impressed by their performance and durability.

Tim E. from Houston. AM200 with CAT320E

The climbing power provided by 4 hydraulic motors is unmatched by the local products using a sprocket and drive chain.  The quality of construction is the pinnacle of professional. 

Stephen B. from Louisiana. AM200 with Volvo EC210

The EIK is well built and heavier duty in design than most swamp excavators but its power is its strong point. I also like that it does not have a drive chain.

Perry A. from Louisiana. AM300 with Hyundai R290

We have not had one problem at all.  With the telescopic retractable feature we are able to haul our machine from one jobsite to another without a permit.

Toby from Houston. AM300 with Hyundai R300

We looked at some of the manufactures and decided on the EIK AM80 as the reports on power and build quality were rated highly. We are overwhelmed with the power the double drive produces and the way the arm folds up for transport. I will be ordering another machine in the near future from EIK.

Lee C. from Europe. AM80 with Hitachi ZX70

Lakes are part of the natural beauty of our living earth. They are not only water sources, but food sources for millions of people around the world. In modern society, natural lakes and wetlands also provide opportunities for recreational activities such as water sports, fishing and wildlife hunting.

Typical immersed aquatic vegetation in wetland

The Challenges and Debates

The removal of overgrown nuphar and water hyacinth are very common in the Southern States. This invasive aquatic plant has very dense and fine, fiber-like roots that are tightly interweaved. They grow rapidly developing into large floating mats or islands, especially during the high growth seasons. Left unchecked, trees eventually grow on these islands causing it to be far too costly and tedious to remove.

There are various tried-and-tested methods to maintain aquatic plants at the optimum level for the environment; broadly, biological, chemical, mechanical and physical methods. Biological control involves agents such as insects, fish and pathogens. Chemical  control refers to the use of specially formulated herbicide to kill or inhibit growth. Mechanical control refers to the use of machinery to cut, shear, shred, convey, transport, and remove, such as amphibious excavators, harvesters, shredders that slurry plants, and draglines. Physical control refers to the physical manipulation of plants or their habitat.

Each of these methods have their own benefits and limitations. However, the most commonly seen are the mechanical and chemical control methods, in spite of the latter being controversial. There are ongoing debates on its long term impact to the environment. Recently, there have been reports of aquatic plants developing resistance to the herbicides used in lakes and wetlands.

Mechanical Control

Mechanical control is one of the oldest forms of invasive aquatic plant management, and it remains effective for many waterways and wetlands. In this particular case study, an EIK-Cat320D long reach amphibious is used alongside with other equipment. The process begins with an amphibious machine trekking to the targeted spots to loosen and break the large floating mats of aquatic plants into small, manageable pieces. Some of these plants are rooted to the ground and are not easily removed by weed cutting machines. Once the plants are loosened and broken up, the harvester will go around to remove them from the water and convey it onto a floating pontoon. This floating pontoon act as a dumping platform for the harvested plants, which will be subsequently transferred inland for proper disposal.

Prior to the introduction of the amphibious excavator to the existing machines fleet, chemical agents had to be sprayed to kill the targeted plants before the harvester could remove them. A harvester is not designed to uproot or break up large size floating plants bundled tightly together. There is a necessary interval between the spaying and harvesting’, for the chemical to take effect. Furthermore, native plants are unavoidably killed as well.

“The amphibious excavator is saving me $3,000 per day.” Thom S.

Poultry is the second-most widely consumed meat in the world, after pork – a multi-billion dollar industry that provides millions of jobs. In the US alone, the poultry industry provides 1,682,269 jobs, $96 billion in wages, $441.15 billion in economic activity and $34 billion in government revenue. Many poultry slaughtering plants handle more than a million chickens a week, and generate millions of gallons of wastewater in the process. The waste from such facilities includes feathers, dirt, fecal matter, blood, slaughtering wastewater, carcass parts, and animal fat. These processing facilities need large swathes of land to hold discharged waste awaiting further treatment to meet the stringent environmental regulations enforced by the EPA.

If the waste is left untreated, contaminated wastewater and liquefied sludge will gradually seep into the surrounding groundwater, spreading contaminants for miles and polluting local clean water sources. The need for speedy and efficient methods to manage this waste is urgent. Apart from protecting the living environment of people residing near such facilities, it also an opportunity to revitalize the industry and generate employment.

Waste discharge to the temporary holding area

In this particular case study of a poultry plant, the discharged waste could be recycled and blended into a highly effective organic fertilizer beneficial to both the poultry and agricultural industries, a conscientious effect toward environmental sustainability. Crops grown with blended compost result in higher yield and provide lower-cost feed for the poultry industry. Recycling the waste discharged from the poultry industry for the growing of crops would create a sustainable ecosystem between these two industries, reversing the damage done to soil due to decades of intensive agriculture with chemical fertilizers. However, the waste had to be extracted first.

Recovery of discharged waste for processing into organic fertilizer

Smart Hands Make Quick Work

The waste holding areas of the poultry plant spread across acres of land similar to a tailing pond in a mining site. Waste management contractors used long reach excavators to  recover  material from the perimeter of pond, a slow  process that was not able to cope with the vast amount of discharge coming from the poultry processing plant. A long reach excavator is at best, able to reach out to 55ft from the fringe of the pond – material beyond this distance is unreachable. A standard crawler excavator is not able to trek to the center of the pond, where the waste deposit, mixed with waste water, is too soft for the machine to stay afloat. The use of pumps is also impractical due to the high viscosity of the waste and the presence of large debris.

“The amphibious excavator allows me to reach material that would otherwise require dewatering pumps. Productivity has increased by 23-24%.  We are able to collect 500 tons of material daily.”  Thom S.

The main features of the amphibious undercarriage comprises of two large hermetically sealed pontoons fitted with caterpillar track. Movement is accomplished by the ‘multi-synchronous’ hydraulic drive system on each pontoon. The pontoon undercarriage provides the necessary buoyance and extreme low ground pressure, and a higher level of tractive efficiency over wide range of soft terrains. An optional supplementary pontoons and hydraulic spud system can be added to enhance the stability and operability in the event of working in shallow water environment.

Size or Speed? You Can Have Both

EIK’s amphibious excavator is known not just for its high performance, patented ‘multi-synchronous’ drive system, but also its telescopic extendable pontoons that have unequivocally impressed customers. Once experienced, it is a feature that users cannot do without. The built-in hydraulic actuator in the pontoon enables it to be retracted and extended ‘on-the-fly’ from the comfort of the operator’s cabin. With it, a 20 ton class amphibious excavator can reduce its footprint down to a narrow 15’9” (4.8m), allowing it to be transported easily on a single low bed trailer. Without the need for disassembly and assembly when transporting the machine from one job site to another, time and cost is saved.

Patented Drive System

EIK’s patented ‘multi-synchronous direct drive’ system is credited for being the pivotal technology that positions us at the forefront of amphibious excavator products.  This paradigm shift in how modern amphibious machines are designed has won over the hearts of numerous customers, for both new and experienced amphibious excavator users.

“Works great! Did everything it was advertised to do and we could not have finished our job without it“, said Robert R. from Missouri who owns an EIK AM300_CAT329D machine and specializes in CCR projects.

For decades, power plants generated electricity by burning millions of tons of coal per year for each plant. Coal burning leaves behind CCR (Coal Combustion Residuals), some heavier and some fine powdery materials. This fine ash would ‘fly’ out of the smoke stacks earning its name, ‘fly ash’.  Power plants developed systems to collect more than 99.99% of the fly ash for disposal.  Until the late 70’s, water was added to the fly ash and it was conveyed as slurry and collected in ash ponds.  An ash pond will vary in size, some will cover over 150 acres and contain more than 1.5 million tons of the wet ash.  There are over 1000 of these ash ponds in the United States and more than half of them are in the Eastern part of the country.

Images courtesy of Washington Post & Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

Many uses have been developed for fly ash, it is used as a filler in paint, mortar, brick and many other products that blend resin and cement. Because it contains high amounts of silica and alumina, it is mainly used as a replacement for Portland Cement that mainly consists of chalk and clay. Cement companies use around 25-30% of fly ash in their mixture and is commonly known as blended cement. This blended product is stronger, more durable, and less permeable, with a higher resistance to soft water, chemicals and acids that are harmful to concrete. Furthermore, the price of blended cement, being around one third of the cost of traditional cement, also puts it in high demand.

It is not uncommon in South Carolina to see new concrete containing recycled wet ash being used in the construction industry. Current ash ponds will most likely provide materials for concrete and jobs for the next 20 to 30 years, conserving mining resources, with the end-goal of transforming the area to an environmentally friendly wetland.

CAT326F SLF mounted on an EIK AM250 Amphibious Undercarriage working in an Ash Pond

Fear No Terrain

The challenge with moving wet material from a pond is that it is viscous, muddy and unstable.  This is where the right machine is critical. The ash pond is wet and consists of approximately 20% water, and the removal of ash requires a machine that will not sink or get stuck due to high viscosity of the wet ash. The conventional method of moving wet ash is typically via long reach excavators working from the banks in the dry areas, but there are severe limitations in term of accessibility and productivity due to vastness of the pond. Only an amphibious excavator can manoeuver freely and unconstrained in the entire pond to move the wet ash.

CAT326F with EIK AM250 undercarriage maneuvering in high viscosity ash pond

“The conversion is straight forward, a matter of few simple steps and you are in for business” said Jorge G., a mechanic from Houston Heavy Machinery whom has converted and installed numerous EIK amphibious excavators. “The design of the EIK pontoon undercarriage is unlike any others I have experienced, the upper body is secured on top of a pair of cross beams between the pontoons. Installation is fast, simple and I felt very much safer versus other where the excavator has to be suspended over my head“.

Right Machine for the Job

With the new CCR rules being in place, there is a greater emphasis on the careful handling and disposal of CCR. This includes the closure of ash pond in protecting the environment. Coal power plant operators are obliged to meet the new regulations implemented by the EPA. There are 2 options for closure, managing coal ash in place (closed-in-place), or excavating and moving coal ash to another location (closed-by-removal). Both methods involve a dewatering process. Dewatering trenches are constructed within the ash pond allowing for water to be drained from the wet ash piles. Subsequent ash management measures then help stabilize and compact the ash so it can be safely left in place for permanent closure, or removed for disposal in another location.

The EIK amphibious excavator has proven to be a very cost effective machine in tackling such challenging conditions presented by the ash pond environment. It helps contractors to complete the job in a shorter time period and thereby increases their Return-On-Investment (ROI). In essence, the right machine for the job.

Recovery, Reuse and Recycling

As technology progresses, the reuse and recycling of industrial waste has becoming more viable. Coupled with new-found applications for CCR, it has benefited other industries outside the energy segment. For instance, fly ash is used as a partial substitute for the Portland Cement in concrete. In our ongoing quest to become a more socially responsible company, EIK is actively creating awareness on the concept of reuse and recycling. With the use of the proper equipment, EIK and its customers’  are working together with the power plants to increase the reuse of coal ash to provide an alternate source of material for construction. We do our part to conserve our natural resources, decreasing our carbon footprint and keep America and the world beautiful!

Patented Drive System

The patented ‘multi-synchronous direct drive’ system is credited for being the pivotal technology that positions EIK at the forefront of amphibious excavator products. The paradigm shift in how modern amphibious machine are designed has won over the heart of numerous customers, for both new and experienced amphibious excavator users.

An operator with 25 years of experience is using a CAT324E with an EIK AM250 amphibious undercarriage with a 60 foot (18.5m) Long Reach to maintain one of the “DAMP” sites near the Houston Ship Channel, North America.

Dredging is an ongoing process in the Ship Channel to maintain a minimum depth of 45 feet to allow large ships access. Without the Ship Channel, Houston would not have a port which would limit our commerce and our economy severely. Think of the more than 750,000 jobs just in the petroleum and chemical industries that depend on sea freight.

Dredged Material Placement Areas, usually referred to as “DAMP” sites or placement area are areas enclosed by a levee that only accept soils that have been dredged   from the Houston Ship Channel, there are a few islands that serve this purpose also. The silt is usually piped in by a 24” pipeline at up to 19,000 gallons per minute and spread out in layers approximately a foot deep.

Steve, the operator, said the best features is that this machine “does not get stuck” and that with the 4 motor patented multi-synchronous hydraulic motor direct drive system “there is plenty of power and with the enclosed hydraulic drive, there is not an exposed rusty drive chain to seize up like most other machines.”

The AM250 was equipped with polymer track shoes that are less susceptible to deformation than steel or aluminum, and are non-corrosive.   Although this application did not call for working in water, each pontoon has 3 sealed compartments and optional supplementary pontoons are available with a hydraulic spud system that allow for work in up to 13ft (4m) of water. As with any equipment maintenance is necessary, the pontoons have manholes in each sealed section for easy maintenance and field servicing. The modular design, especially the telescopic style hydraulic extendable pontoon function, has made transportation easy. The pontoon undercarriage can be retracted to a narrow foot print, hauling the entire machine by a low bed trailer is a breeze.

The CAT329/AM300 and CAT324/AM250 Long Reach amphibious excavators belong to Houston Heavy Machinery in Cypress, Texas, and are available for rent or sale.

EIK Engineering is committed to be the leader in innovation and quality manufacturing to meet all your heavy equipment attachment needs. We strive to be your supplier of choice by offering the best in class quality, customer service while providing the best value.