Ruedas en excavadoras: innovaciones para mejorar el rendimiento

Introducción

Las excavadoras son piezas de equipo de construcción pesada invaluables y versátiles que se utilizan para una amplia variedad de aplicaciones de excavación, elevación, movimiento y manipulación de materiales. Tradicionalmente, las excavadoras cuentan con orugas que, si bien son efectivas en muchos lugares de trabajo, limitan la movilidad y la velocidad de desplazamiento entre áreas de trabajo.

However, recent innovative excavator models feature large heavy-duty wheels rather than crawlers. These wheeled excavators provide substantial performance enhancements and advantages on various terrains and working environments.

This article explores key innovations around incorporating wheels on excavators and the measurable improvements they enable for efficiency, productivity, and precision operation.

Increased Mobility and Transportability

One of the primary benefits that wheels provide on an excavator is vastly improved mobility and transportability compared to traditional tracked models, especially over longer distances. Wheeled excavators can travel directly and efficiently between locations at normal roadway speeds.

They eliminate the need to load the excavator onto a trailer and truck it to the next site. This allows faster setup, breakdown, and movement from one job area to the next. Operators can more quickly access Multiple dispersed work zones within large areas.

Wheeled excavator models have high ground clearance and some even oscillate to maintain stability and traction while driving or working. This allows driving directly across finished surfaces without needing to lay down plates.

Advanced Maneuverability

In addition to road travel and access benefits, wheels provide excellent maneuverability on loose or uneven ground. The independent wheel control and all-wheel steering on wheeled excavators allows precise inching, crab steering, turning, and repositioning.

Operators leverage exceptional control moving the boom, arm, and bucket while traveling in tight areas or across unstable terrain. The advanced maneuverability that wheels facilitate makes using the excavator for finishing work far more practical.

Some models also have optional features like individual wheel braking for even greater handling. This nimbleness rivals smaller equipment while maintaining full excavation capabilities.

Minimal Ground Disturbance

Since they disperse weight widely over four or more wheels with large contact patches, wheeled excavators minimize ground pressure and impact compared to narrow crawlers. Models designed specifically for sensitive surfaces have very low ground pressures.

This allows wheeled excavators to drive and work directly on finished landscapes, green infrastructure, athletic fields, or ecologically sensitive environments while minimizing disturbance, soil compaction issues, and turf or plant damage.

Wheels also tread lightly over subsurface utilities compared to tracks which are more likely to collapse drains or pipes. Wheeled operation protects valuable infrastructure investments while finishing or improving the area.

Comfort and Control

Operating a wheeled excavator provides a vastly smoother ride compared to track models which are notoriously bumpy. The cabin remains stable when driving between areas and has minimal vibration when working or swinging loads.

This increased comfort prevents operator fatigue, allowing longer days and improved productivity. Unique center-of-turn features on some models rotate the cab itself when turning so that the operator’s perspective looking forward stays consistent.

Advanced touchscreen monitors with customizable settings and access to stored design models also expand precision. Operators leverage these ergonomic and technological control enhancements that wheels facilitate.

Customized Configurations

Wheeled excavators now have extensive factory and aftermarket customization options allowing owners to optimize setups for specialized needs. Multiple wheel size, tread type, counterweight, and equipment attachment packages are available.

Owners choose configurations matched specifically to common working environments and soil conditions. Customized tool carriers extend adaptability through one-off modifications supporting highly specialized devices for niche work that would be extremely difficult with a crawler-based excavator.

Conclusion：Wheels on Excavators

Incorporating heavy-duty wheels on excavators instead of traditional tracks provides measurable performance enhancements through expanded mobility options, precision maneuverability, minimized ground impact, and advanced operator control.

Custom configuration and specialty modification potential further optimizes wheeled excavators for peak efficiency and productivity across diverse applications from massive earthworks to delicate landscape protection and everything in between.

Continued innovations around wheeled excavator technologies and capabilities will undoubtedly unlock even greater possibilities and value for owners, operators, and the industry overall.

Preguntas más frecuentes

Q: Are wheeled excavadoras road legal?

A: Wheeled excavators are road legal in most jurisdictions. However, owners must comply with any licensing, insurance, lighting, load securing, and overweight permitting requirements.

Q: Can a wheeled excavator lift as much as a similar track model?

A: Yes, wheeled models generally have very comparable lift capacities. Some may use counterweights to offset reduced track weight to maintain stability under heavy loads when lifting.

Q: Do wheeled excavators work in snow or ice conditions?

A: Wheeled models can work well in snow or ice with proper precautions like chains, the right tire selection, and even studded treads. Slow measured operation preserves traction and control.

Q: What are the main limitations of wheeled excavators?

A: The main limitations are reduced stability while operating or swinging heavy asymmetric loads on uneven terrain compared to tracks. But even then, a skilled operator can perform well.

Q: What safety practices apply specifically to wheeled excavators?

A: Safe driving protocols are critical. Also, dropped heavy objects have greater likelihood of uncontrolled roll on wheels. So strictly follow load securing standards, lifting ratings, and hazardous energy lockout procedures.