Palmer Johnson Expands Axle-Transmission Service in New Location

Enlarge Image PJ technicians reassembling the internal clutches of a powershift transmission.

April 18, 2007 • To meet its goal of becoming a one-stop shop for off-highway transmission and axle service, remanufacturing, and parts distribution, Palmer Johnson Power Systems recently moved into a new 65,000-square-foot facility in Sun Prairie, Wis.

One of 12 Palmer Johnson service locations in the United States, the facility consists of more than 50,000 square feet of dedicated shop space for transmission and axle remanufacturing and service. Additionally, the building houses a 10,000-square-foot machining center and the company's administrative headquarters.

 

Moving to a bigger place became a necessity for Palmer Johnson, one of the industry's most comprehensive off-highway construction equipment transmission and axle service suppliers, after it added several major manufacturers to its product offerings. In 2005, the company was named an authorized distributor and service center for ZF Off-Highway Products. Its territory includes 14 states in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region. That same year, Palmer Johnson was named an authorized distributor and service provider by AxleTech International. Carraro also came into the fold in mid-2006. These three agreements are in addition to long-standing distribution relationships with Twin Disc, Funk, Bosch Rexroth, Eaton, and Wichita Clutch.  

 

According to Brad Lyons, sales engineer with Palmer Johnson, the company also has strategic alliances with major powertrain suppliers that provide Palmer Johnson support with other lines, such as Dana Spicer (i.e., Clark), allowing the company to provide transmission and axle support for nearly every make of telehandler and loader in the United States.

 

“Telehandlers and loaders are sweet spots • two of our primary targets,” Lyons said. “Our broad range of support services covers practically 100 percent of telehandler and loader axles and transmissions. This provides a one-stop solution for powertrain support to rental fleets, construction companies, ground support operations, and more.”

 

He added that Palmer Johnson's 12 service locations are staffed with factory-trained technicians and equipped with heavy-duty service trucks, and the company will haul equipment, pull the axle or transmission, repair, test, and then replace the unit. It also inventories a broad range of exchange units to limit equipment downtime.

Remanufacturing focus

After successfully establishing national remanufacturing programs with several major OEMs, including John Deere, Caterpillar, and CNH, Palmer Johnson had outgrown its former remanufacturing shop. With 50,000 square feet dedicated to remanufacturing, the company now has room for its current needs and future growth.

 

Enlarge Image All reman units are tested on these specialty built in-house test stands.

In its second season of carrying the ZF, AxleTech, and Carraro lines, Lyons said the company is already experiencing significant growth in remanufacturing. “The longer these units are in service, the more of a need there is for remanufacturing,” he said. “Buyers get a reman unit at a fraction of the cost of new, and it will have a one-year warranty.” He added that 100 percent of all units are performance tested on specialty built in-house test stands.

 

Palmer Johnson service technicians remanufacture each transmission to the manufacturers' engineering specifications using only genuine parts. “Cutting corners and using aftermarket parts may save money in the short run, but using genuine parts and testing to OEM standards ensures the performance and life of new with a warranty to match,” Lyons said. “Most customers choose Palmer Johnson because they simply cannot afford to have their equipment down.”

 

Enlarge Image The ZF test stand communicates with German engineers in real time.

According to Lyons, Palmer Johnson has made significant investments in the training of its service technicians, which provides equipment owners trained experts at each of the 12 Palmer Johnson service facilities that can help troubleshoot problems through unit diagnostics and engineering support. Equipment owners also rely calling Palmer Johnson's 24-hour technical support line.

 

To ensure that the equipment is remanufactured correctly, Lyons said that Palmer Johnson has “invested a substantial amount of money in testing equipment.”  The company now has six test stands at its new facility that test repairs and remanufactured units. The newest is a ZF test stand that connects with German engineers in real time, so the facility will immediately receive the most up-to-date service information.