Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/946503
EquipmentWorld.com | February 2018 45 rable, silica particles that can cause the lung disease silicosis. "Typically, a contractor is applying a cement or lime to soils, so they're putting down an additive in a powder form that's very dusty; it gets caught in the wind, and it's all around the personnel onsite," says Stahl. "When the recycler is driven on top of this layer of powder, it stirs up dust as the machine travels in it. And then when the recycler engages with that material and the soils produce a stabilized base, that process generates dust as well. "Being exposed to this environment on a continual basis is not healthy for personnel. As we're seeing regulations in construction and other industries come out, they're trying to eliminate a lot of those health hazards, so the cab design just makes sense." Roadtec's SX-8 soil stabilizer-reclaimer addresses this with a cooling system that pulls air from the top of the machine be- fore it is exhausted through the radiator package. This design reduces the amount of dust traveling though the cooling sys- tem, the company says. Cab climate control shields operators from sweltering temperatures, direct sun and other elements, when most of these machines are running. Wirtgen's cab is mostly glass to in- crease visibility, Stahl notes. The cab slides hydraulically from side to side, so if an operator wants to look down the left or right side of the machine, he or she can extend the cab over the edge of the frame. The comfortable driver's seat, which has air and spring systems, swivels 90 degrees along with the steering col- umn and armrest. "The reasons for the design of the cab are to decrease the health hazards to the operator, increase the safety for the operator and the crew working around the machine, and ultimately, increase production," Stahl says. Similarly, at BOMAG the trend with its recycler and soil stabilizer machines contin- ues to focus on advancing safety, pro- ductivity and gradation quality, says Dave Dennison, manager of marketing services. Recently introduced features on BOMAG'S machines address product qual- ity, operator safety and comfort, he says. Caterpillar's RM500B has an ISO- mounted cab that reduces vibration and is pressurized to keep out noise, dust and the elements, according to Mark Eiden, Caterpillar global sales consultant. The RM500B is designed for both full- depth road reclamation projects and soil stabilization jobs. Cat's sliding, climate-controlled cab also optimizes visibility and operator comfort. Simple controls are easy to use, making it quick to learn for new opera- tors, the company says. Enhancing cab design for higher productivity Wirtgen's multi-function ergonomics joystick enables the operator to have all controls at his or her fingertips. The joystick on the right arm console con- trols much of the machine, including forward, reverse and speed. A button on the right hand of the joystick allows the operator to change between the four steering modes. A palm trigger serves as a safety feature; it must be depressed for the machine to move. A toggle switch al- lows changing gears on the fly from two "turtle speeds" when an operator is engaged with the ground, or two "rab- bit speeds" for traveling. The operator can also toggle between four different camera views with the touch of a button on the joystick, espe- cially handy for backing up, Stahl notes. "All these features provide a benefit to operators in terms of comfort, but also allows them to sit there and see what's going on in the cab with greater visibility," he says. "There is no need to get up or step to the side to grab some controls. It's similar to an airplane cockpit, where all controls are at the operator's fingertips." Stahl adds that an automated rotor depth feature allows the operator to preset the desired depth, press two buttons on the joystick and consistently achieve rotor depth. This saves consid- erable time over manually lowering the Wirtgen WR-series reclaimer-stabilizer cabs are among machines that feature simpli- fied controls and enhanced ergo- nomics to improve productivity and operator comfort.