Challenger Services is a global company that supplies construction and pipeline equipment and support items. Challenger aims to offer top-quality equipment that makes pipeline construction easier, safer and more economical for contractors. Challenger equipment such as cranes, pipelayers and earthmovers is used for applications in construction, rental fleet, shipbuilding, railroad, vehicle manufacturing and repair.
Challenger welder tractors are modifications and additions to existing designs, gleaned from over 55 years of experience in the industry. Along with tractors, Challenger also offers heavy-duty designed fill pumps, test pumps, combination pumps and ditch pumps. Challenger support items include welding machines, holiday detectors, slings, spreader bars, external clamps and accessories.
Challenger also handles sales and services for vehicles and machines built by a wide range of global brands. This includes Caterpillar, Grove, Sabre International, Wheatley, Peerless, Goulds and Quincy. Challenger offers complete product support for all models of welder tractors, pumps and other products, irrespective of manufacturer.
Hydraulic pipelayers
Challenger hydraulic pipelayer attachments are easy to operate and require minimum training. Hydraulics require less maintenance than mechanically operated drawworks, resulting in cost savings. The attachments are available with various Caterpillar, Komatsu and Dressta tractors. Lifting capacity ranges from 10,000lbs to 200,000lbs. Challenger can mount the attachments itself or ship them around the world for installation.
Welder tractors
Challenger welder tractors offer versatility, solid state circuitry and avoid surging during the welding process. They use Lincoln Idealarc DC-400 rectifier welders with the D6E Auto 400 tractor also offering the option for Miller XMT 350 welders. Both welders are low maintenance with a long service life, easy operation and great arc performance. Challenger stocks these models separately and will also repair welders.
Challenger Auto Pac welder packages are mostly bolt on for simple onsite installation. The attachments are available for a variety of tractor brands including Caterpillar, Dressta and Komatsu. They can be shipped in containers or crated as break-bulk cargo.
Challenger also offers combination welder and pipelayer and welder and loader tractors. These have similar equipment to the single-use welder tractors plus additional attachments. The welder/ pipelayer Challenger combo tractor has two hydraulic planetary winches while the welder/ loader tractor can support a 416 or a 420 loader with 77 and 88 horsepower respectively.
Welding support equipment sold by Challenger includes:
- External clamps
- Pneumatic and manual internal clamps
- Heat induction system for welding preparation
- Pipe-facing machines to secure pipes for beveling
- Saddle and band-type cutting and beveling machines
Pipe trailers and lifters
The Challenger CH65 and CH75 pipe carriers come equipped with a Hiab 250 knuckleboom crane and are available for rent at a monthly rate of $9,500. The Challenger PC30 pipe carrier is designed specifically for the Caterpillar Challenger Series tractor. It offers removable racks, cradles sized for each pipe diameter and the option for a knuckleboom crane behind the cab so it is self loading and unloading.
Challenger pipe trailers handle well in mud, dirt, sand and snow and have 4in strap winches along the length of the trailer to keep the load from shifting. They can handle general cargo and single or double-joint pipes. Quick-adjustable saddle width with slide control and chain lock means they can be used for varying pipe diameters. Models with rubber tracks have great flotation and stability and maximum speeds of 30mph.
Challenger stocks the Vaculift RC40D plant pipe lifter and the RC10 to RC20 pipe lifters for track vehicles. Pipe lifters are much more efficient than pipe hooks, pipe forks or pipe tongs. They decrease damage to the pipe, reduce the need for men on the ground and improve safety. Pipe lifters therefore reduce overall costs compared to other methods. The model number of the pipe lifter corresponds to 1,000kg of capacity.
Challenger also stocks pipe support equipment including:
- Challenger roli cradles
- Lined steel choker belts
- Lowering-in belts
- Choker slings
- Pipe hooks and inserts
Test pumps
Challenger’s range of combined pumps to fill and pressurise pipelines includes the FT-86, FT-83, FT-835 and the FT-535. The fill rate ranges from 500 gallons per minute (GPM) at 231 feet of head for the FT-535 to 2,200 GPM at 270 feet of head for the FT-83. The test performance ranges from 8.4 GPM at 10,000 pounds per square inch (PSI) with a 0.75in plunger for the FT-86 to 93 GPM at 1,000 PSI with a 2.5in plunger for the FT-83. Challenger speciality test pumps offer a test performance as high as 165 GPM at 2,950 PSI with a 2.5in plunger for the T-31 model.
Pipe benders
Challenger pipe benders are designed to bend steel pipes of various thicknesses and alloys, for pipe diameters from 6in up to 60in depending on the model. Hydraulic controls allow a single operator complete control of all bending machine functions. Bending sets are required for each pipe size within the machine range. These are also supplied by Challenger.
