Until the economy and the coal industry around the region of Corbin, Kentucky strengthen significantly, simple economics dictate that companies are going to rebuild hydraulic components on construction and earth-moving machinery rather than buy new ones, says Mike Harbin, manager of Whayne Supply’s Power Rebuild Center. Normally, this would mean a significant increase in profit for the Caterpillar dealer; however, the hone it was using

to resurface scratched and rusted cylinder barrels lacked the power, capacity and rigidity necessary to resurface these components to Cat specifications. In search of a better solution, Whayne agreed to use an all-electric HTA tube honing system from Sunning Products Company (Saint Louis, Missouri) as part of a beta test. Eventually, the hone would prove to be just what the shop needed to produce quality parts.

Whayne Supply has rebuilt more than 400 complete machines on 33 different models since 1985. The Cat-certified rebuilder has 14 locations and approximately 1,300 employees, 200 of which are work at the Corbin facility. All exchange/re-sell goods are processed in its Louisville, Kentucky and Corbin rebuild centers. The Corbin hydraulics shop employs eight cylinder technicians, three full-time machinists, three pump experts, plus a foreman and service coordinator.