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LETTER
FROM THE EDITOR
 In
just a few weeks, 2005 will be behind us, and
we will be heading into 2006, that we hope will
be prosperous for all.
During this past year, we
have encountered a few bumps in the road that
has had quite an impact on Bleutec’s future.
As you already know, our new association with
Blickle is bringing a wind of change that is blowing
dynamism into the entire Bleutec team.
 This
year-end edition of the leader.com gives you a
peek at some of the changes we’ll be bringing
to our newsletter in 2006. We’ll be focusing
more on our business partners, such as you, and
we want to bring you a bit of leisure time with
more informative and fun articles to read.
With the countdown
that has already started to the holiday season,
all of us at Bleutec would like to take this opportunity
to wish you and yours a most happy holiday season,
and we hope that 2006 is a healthy and prosperous
year for all!
Signed,
Luc Turcotte
Editor
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HOW ARE BLICKLE CASTERS TESTED ?
I thought that I would
give you an idea of the extent of caster testing,
and how it is done. This is the first part of
two articles about a few methods used by Blickle
to inform you about our products' performances.
Softhane™ wheel test.
Our transport equipment
casters are tested on a rotating test bench
in accordance with specific European standards.
This test is known as the Dynamic load capacity
test. The norm is as follows:
Speed is usually 4 km/h
(2.48 mph) but can vary depending on the customer’s
request. This test is done at a controlled temperature
ranging from 15°C to 28°C (59°F
to 82°F). The load applied is the load indicated
in our Blickle G14 catalogue for the tested
caster.
Results of Dynamic Load Capacity
Test for our Softhane™ 8"(200 mm)
wheel
Additionally, the hard
and horizontal surface of the test bench is
equipped with an obstacle. This obstacle’s
height depends on wether we are testing a hard
wheel (which is considered greater than 90 shore
A) or a soft wheel (which is considered less
than 90 shore A).
• Soft wheels are
tested with an obstacle of 5% of the wheel’s
diameter
• Hard wheels are tested with an obstacle
of 2.5% of the wheel's diameter
One of Blickle's test benches.
As an example, an 8"
Softhane™ wheel, with its hardness of
75 shore A, would be tested with an obstacle
of 5% of 200mm (8"), which equals an obstacle
of 10mm (3/8"). The travel distance of
the test is equivalent to 15,000 wheel revolutions.
Click
here for a perspective of possible wheel hardness.
This standard test will
determine the wheel or caster’s dynamic
weight capacity and its ability to resist the
normal operational conditions in a material
handling environment.
Many
other types of tests are done to provide specific
information. Make sure you read our next edition
as I plan to write and show you more about Blickle’s
wheel and caster testing methods.
Frederic
Lagace
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Emergencies….why?
 It
used to be that when we heard the word “emergency”,
we’d automatically associate the word to
hospitals and to life or death situations. Today,
emergencies govern our everyday lives, at work
and at home.
Everything goes so fast
these days that it feels like we’re always
going 150 mph, or it’s as if we’re
being served tennis balls from 40 different tennis
players, all at the same time. All this is the
consequence of the new “instantaneous”
technologies (e-mails, cellular phones) that evolve
faster and faster. We therefore find ourselves
complaining of living in a permanent state of
emergency.
 The
word emergency denotes a notion of irreversibility:
if we don’t act now, the outcome will be
devastating. Emergencies have become problematic
because they have changed the whole concept of
time, and have made an impact on people’s
lives. Everything has not become urgent, it has
just come to the point where we sometimes are
unable to differentiate between the degrees of
importance: is it of essential or of secondary
importance?
What does all this mean
in the world of wheels and casters? Everyday emergencies
and urgencies, essential or secondary, affect
people’s behaviour and relationships with
others. When we get to the point where we just
can’t manage anymore, there is a high risk
of cutting corners, and mistakes are inevitable.
 In
order to avoid getting caught up in the “emergency”
mode, we have to learn to not become prisoners
of urgencies, and we need to be able to distinguish
the primary and secondary emergencies. Yes, wheel
and casters are essential components of mobile
equipment, but is there a real need to expect
an order to ship the same day, no matter what?
Is this a
real urgent order? Or is it our own workload
that has caused it to become urgent? Sometimes,
simply planning and prioritizing our daily tasks
can help to avoid non-urgent emergencies, thus
avoiding frustration and aggravation that sometimes
leads to a higher level of absenteeism in today’s
workplace.
Luc
Turcotte
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DON'T FORGET TO WRITE US...
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Inventory
2005
A small reminder to all our customers that
we are holding our annual inventory on Thursday
and Friday (December 1st and 2nd).
Therefore, it will be very difficult for
us to process any “rush” orders.
We ask for your understanding and patience
during these 2 days. We anticipate completing
the inventory on Sunday in order for us to
resume shipping on Monday December 5th.
If you have any urgent requirements, please
advise us before Wednesday as we will not
be expediting orders on Thursday or Friday.
THE BLEUTEC TEAM,
Luc
Turcotte
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Bleutec Catalogue Volume 4
 The
newest edition of our catalogue, with the many
new Blickle wheels and casters, is finally off
of the printing presses and we’re quite
proud of its new look!
Volume 4 showcases our
most popular wheels and casters which represent
80% of our sales. Also, all products shown are
“inventoried” items, which means
that we will have in stock on a permanent basis
which will allow us to provide you with the
best service possible.
We are still in the process
of building our inventory of Blickle products,
therefore we appreciate your understanding that
we are still adjusting our quantities on hand
to reflect our customers’ needs and buying
habits.
If you haven’t received
our new catalogue, please call us so that we
can send you your copy today!
Luc Turcotte
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Maslack
Supply Ltd.
Maslack Supply Ltd./Nordic
Bearings is one of our distributors who serves
the industrial, automotive, fleet, and refinish
markets in Northern Ontario.
Established in 1959, Maslack has 12 branches,
with locations in Sudbury, Timmins, Elliot Lake,
Chelmsford, and Val Caron. Their 130 employees
share a common mission: “to provide the
best possible combination of service and price
in a constantly evolving business environment”.
Maslack Supply (www.maslack.com)
is affiliated with Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance.
They also distribute products from a wide variety
of manufacturers such as Morse, Bosch, National
BCA, Moog, and Bleutec Casters.
Maslack Supply Ltd.
488 Falconbridge Road
Sudbury, Ontario
P3A 4S4
Tel.: 705-566-1270
Nancy Allen
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| Attaches
Richard Inc.
Attaches Richard, situated in Laval Québec, has
been a Bleutec distributor for over 5 years.
Established in 1984, they specialize in fasteners
and industrial hardware.
At Attaches Richard, you’ll
find a team dedicated to serving you and to
answering all your questions and needs. Your
expectation of being served by a knowledgeable
and professional staff will be surpassed, thanks
to their energetic work method. You’ll
have access to a wide range of products at competitive
prices, and you can visit their showroom where
you will see their full line of products.
Attaches Richard offers
quality and quick service. When you order, they
deliver, both in service and in delivery!
www.attrichardgirco.com
Les
Attaches Richard
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Marketing
gone wild!
Yes,
we have definitely gone wild with marketing,
especially when a town renames itself after
a U.S. satellite television provider!
 I
recently heard this story on the radio, and
I couldn’t believe my ears so when I
got home, I logged onto the internet to find
out if I heard right. Sure enough, I found
that the small town of Clark, Texas, renamed
itself DISH, after EchoStar Communications
Corporation’s DISH Network.
In August, DISH Network
launched a marketing campaign to offer free
satellite television for 10 years to all residents
of a town willing to rename itself DISH. Bill
Merritt, mayor of newly christened Dish, accepted
the company’s offer and on November
16th, the town legally changed its name. Now
all 125 residents of Dish, a small suburb
of Fort Worth, get free satellite TV (which
includes equipment and installation). Unbelievable!
I’m afraid
to ask, but is your town going to be renamed
too?
Nancy
Allen |
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