Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/578350
EquipmentWorld.com | September 2015 67 C ompaction equipment man- ufacturers are now demon- strating their understanding of this maxim with design and technological advances. Leading the way are enhancements to the operator's environment, and the continued development of intel- ligent compaction (IC). Operator environment Design changes in compactors are evolving to dramatically improve visibility and to battle fatigue. Tim Kowalski, application sup- port manager for Wirtgen America's Hamm compactors, says the com- pany asks operators what they don't like about the equipment to gauge what improvements and modifi ca- tions are needed, rather than ask what they do like. "If there is something they don't like or would like to have, then we will look at making that change," he says. "Two very simple things that we added to our newer HD+ mod- els were cup holders and a place to put your lunch box. These two things alone changed the attitudes of many operators." Hamm also has been improving cab visibility to cut down on how much effort the operator must exert while running the machine, he says. Hamm compactors feature isolated and rubber mounted cabs to keep operators comfortable. Tim Hoffman, product manager for Atlas Copco's heavy compaction equipment, says when designing equipment the company always considers contractors' desire for increased productivity. "We moved some features on our large asphalt rollers to maximize visibility," he says. "The water tanks, for instance, are now in the middle of the ma- chines instead of over the drums, leaving the drum shell and drum edges fully visible from the opera- tor's platform." Hoffman says the machines also have been redesigned to dampen the vibrations in the operator's plat- form and cut back on heat trans- fer to the operator by moving the engines to the rear of the machines. The seats and steering assemblies now slide sideways to allow opera- tors to tweak their view. "This is less strenuous on the operator than a non-moveable seat because it doesn't require the operator to lean for several hours while trying to get the best viewpoint," he adds. Volvo Construction Equipment has redesigned the operating con- trols in its machines to accommo- highway contractor | by Chris Hill | ChrisHill@randallreilly.com It's a simple concept: to keep contractors happy they must have happy and productive equipment operators. TRENDS IN COMPACTION EQUIPMENT: OPERATOR ENVIRONMENT, INTELLIGENT COMPACTION GUIDE ADVANCES Recent compaction equipment advances include Volvo CE's Density Direct intelligent compaction system that measures density instead of material stiffness.