Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/846046
July 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com 26 Do-it-all dozers One way is to make a single dozer do what two dozers, or a dozer and a motor grader, used to do. "We're seeing a shift to the use of one doz- er to do it all," says Nathan Horst- man, product marketing manager at John Deere. "In the past, customers used one of our big dozers, such as our 950K and 1050K, for rough cut followed by a smaller dozer or mo- tor grader for finish grading." Deere's SmartGrade and Auto SmartGrade are part of the reason one dozer can do it all. Available on the 700K, 750K and 850K doz- ers (130, 165 and 205 horsepower), Auto SmartGrade monitors track slip to achieve maximum produc- tion. SmartGrade, which is based on the Topcon 3D-MC2 system, provides final-grade precision. In addition, the 850K and 950K mod- els offer six-way PAT blades, so these large dozers can also provide finish grading. In some cases, features have migrated from one size class of doz- ers to another to round out per- formance. Caterpillar's AutoCarry feature monitors track slip and adjusts blade position to maxi- mize load carrying capacity while minimizing track slip. This feature first appeared on the D10 and D11, but is now on machines all the way machine matters | continued C onstruction equipment manufacturers typically answer customer demands by making equipment more versatile, durable and productive. That's fine for skid steers and toolcarriers, but what about purpose-built machines? Dozers, for example. There's no market for dozer-mounted au- gers. No one uses a dozer for snow removal. If a dozer's primary applications are to push dirt and grade, how do you increase its value to users? Cat added a gear between first and second on the new D6T. The new four-speed transmission and lock-up torque converter have been credited with reducing fuel consumption by 20 to 30 percent. Cat Command can be operated from a portable console or remote operator's station. With semi-autonomous opera- tion, a single operator can use Com- mand to manage up to four machines in push-to-an-edge applications.