“Rigging Tough Trucks” was published in the December 2023 issue of World Pipelines, discussing how BRADEN and Lennox Welding & Supply work together to provide winch truck solutions in Western Canada.
Winch trucks play a critical role in the oilfield and pipeline construction sectors, where they are tasked with hauling various configurations of trailers, loading and unloading cargo, and moving heavy equipment over both short and long distances. These tasks require equipment that is not only versatile but also extremely durable and reliable.
Founded in 1953, Lennox Welding & Supply is a family-owned and operated business based in Sherwood Park, Alberta. The company has established itself as a leader in the truck-mounted winch segment, with a strong presence in the oil and gas energy sectors of Western Canada.
Over the years, Lennox Welding has built a reputation for delivering high-quality, customized solutions for bed trucks, specialty products, and winch trucks. The company focuses on custom builds, specialized rig-ups and fleet builds, providing customers with tailored solutions that meet their specific needs.
Winches need to provide exceptional pulling power, line speed, and precise control to ensure safe and efficient operations.
Winch Supply Chain Consideration
The global market conditions over recent years have posed significant supply chain challenges for many industries. Supply chain disruptions can lead to delays in receiving crucial components, with the potential to impact winch truck welding and fabrication project timelines and operational efficiency.
For companies like Lennox Welding that serve competitive industries such as oil and gas, having a consistent supply of winch parts and being able to deliver new winches on time are key factors to meeting their customers’ expectations and keeping their reputation for service and reliability.
Needs for Technical Engineering Collaboration
Another critical issue is the complexity involved in optimizing performance for specific applications. Winch trucks are utilized under various conditions and used heavily in harsh oilfield environments, requiring precision engineering, fabrication and customization to ensure systems meet specific operational requirements.
This includes considerations for technical support and expertise concerning load capacity, line speed, mounting configurations, and integration with the truck’s hydraulic and electrical systems.
Lennox Welding takes a meticulous approach to winch truck fabrication, ensuring that each build meets the specific requirements of their customers. The process begins with selecting the appropriate chassis and considering factors such as payload capacity, overall size and power.
Lennox works closely with customers to determine the type of winch, winch capacity, and mounting location. BRADEN winches are designed to withstand the harsh conditions of oilfield environments, providing both exceptional performance and ease of use.
HP Series hydraulic planetary winches are specifically engineered for tough environments. With rated line pull capacities from 35,000 to 160,000 lb (15,876 to 72,757 kg), these winches are designed for continuous duty cycles and provide consistent performance without overheating.
The installation process is thorough and detailed, involving the alignment and integration of the winch with the truck’s hydraulic, electrical and control systems. Lennox Welding handles all aspects of the installation, including necessary adjustments, inspections and testing. BRADEN collaborates, providing detailed instructions and diagrams to ensure optimal performance.
This approach is based on the fact that winches must be properly installed and maintained to deliver optimal performance and reliability.
Lennox Welding’s need for specialized support in optimizing winch performance for truck builds is supported through BRADEN’s technical collaboration, as well as winch engineering, supply chain optimization, and parts availability. The partnership has resulted in winch truck solutions with enhanced efficiency, safety and customer satisfaction.
The focus is on ensuring companies can receive timely access to winch parts, and optimization assistance for their winch truck requirements, specifications, and customer service and support needs.
Landon Hiebert, Lennox Welding & Supply:
“The current global climate in this market this past year was driven by supply and demand – available product. I have had zero issues and am staying on top of my BRADEN parts stock. We have thousands of parts in our parts room, including more than a dozen winches in cold storage ready to go.”
“We talk to the customer, we go through the line drawings, prepare a 3D concept of the truck and winches, all ahead of time. BRADEN provides the parts and support. We lean on their technical department when dealing with anything that could be unfamiliar to us. They are knowledgeable and responsive. That helps my customers obtain a qualified response more quickly than with some vendors, a nice value-add.”
Lennox Welding requires partners who can provide not only the winches and components but also extensive technical knowledge and the ability to work as a dedicated team, ensuring each unit that goes out the door is 100% optimized for its intended application. The pulling power, line speed and precise control provided by the HP Series winches enable operators to perform essential tasks, with less room for unintended work stoppages due to technical issues, and fewer repairs.
The partnership between Lennox Welding and BRADEN, a PACCAR Winch brand, exemplifies how collaboration and commitment to quality can lead to superior solutions in the winch truck manufacturing industries. The partnership enhances Lennox Welding’s ability to offer high-performance winch truck solutions, meeting the demanding requirements of their clients as well as the critical challenges of operating in harsh oilfield environments.
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