Capital Equipment News February 2018

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In recent years, OEMs have simplified motor grader operation with machine/control platforms that are simple and intuitive

Cat joysticks have reduced the operator hand movement by 75%, which dramatically decreased operator fatigue and increased concentration on the moldboard positioning

Improvements in hydraulics have allowed the traditional graders to move to fluid blade move- ments from the previous mechanical operation

The main difficulty when working on a conven- tional grader with a set of levers is to learn and remember all the functions of each of them and to multitask

“It is a tough job when you have eight levers with a steering wheel in the middle of them and the task is to steer, lift the moldboard and rotate it at the same time, especially for the new operators. That is why operating the grader was called an art.” Yaroslav Chechik, Motor Grader Product Specialist at Caterpillar

movements from the previous mechanical operation. Automatic transmissions allow the operator to engage the grader in a specific gear requirement, which allows the operator to focus only on the blade control with limited need to control the vehicle itself,” explains Oldridge. “Having said that, there is still an element of ‘art’ associated with these machines as the operator does need to control a host of different settings in order to achieve the desired result at the highest productivity.” Antonio Strati, Graders Product Marketing Manager – CNH Industrial Construction Equipment for Europe Africa and Middle East, agrees that operating a motor grader requires a lot of skill and experience, bear- ing in mind the need to complete simulta-

neous operations, for example, to set the controls, while keeping an eye on the angle and height of the moldboard, at the same time. “The main challenge is to be produc- tive, ensuring good grading results in the process. Traditionally, only experienced operators were really able to ensure a good level of productivity,” says Strati. Simplified operation In recent years, OEMs have simplified motor grader operation with machine/ control platforms that are simple and intuitive. Several developments have been made in this regard. Bell Equipment has standardised on the “antler” control configuration, said to be the

“Bell Equipment has standardised on the ‘antler’ control configuration, the most common configuration in the market. To simplify the operation of the grader the 8 forward and 8 reverse gears can be pre-set.” Dale Oldridge, Product Marketing Manager at Bell Equipment

KEY TALKING POINTS

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS FEBRUARY 2018 17