Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/473140
Doosan Doosan's DL350-5 wheel loader has a break- out force of 37,093 foot-pounds and dump height of 9 feet 11 inches. The Tier 4 Scania en- gine is rated at 270 net horsepower, has a high-pressure common rail injec- tion system and cooled exhaust gas recirculation. Stan- dard on all Doosan wheel loaders is a 3-year subscription to Doosan Telemat- ics that allows remote monitoring of location, hours, fuel usage, and other vital operat- ing information. March 2015 | EquipmentWorld.com 24 E quipment manufacturers break wheel loader applications into two broad categories: production and utility. Production work is re- petitive loading using a V-pattern (or Y-pattern) cycle or a load-and-carry cycle. The loader may run constantly throughout a work shift. Utility work involves more varied use – including digging, loading and lifting – and may have more idle time. The challenge for OEMs is to create features that are of value to all customers, re- gardless of which category they fall into. This infl uences design choices for everything from lift linkages to cab glass to hydraulic reservoir placement. All this while also meeting the de- mands of Tier 4 Final emissions regulations. Among the common improvements are transmissions with lock-up modes, auto-idle and auto-shutdown, and various work modes to match performance to the demand. While each has multiple and disparate benefi ts, they all work to improve fuel effi ciency. Joystick steering, in addition to or in lieu of a steering wheel, is also becoming more widely avail- able. Ride control damps oscillations dur- ing travel to improve operator comfort and minimize bucket spillage. More than fuel effi ciency Current wheel loaders provide big improve- ments in fuel effi ciency over previous mod- els. Case Construction Equipment, for ex- ample, says their Tier 4 Final 821F and 921F models have up to 30 percent better fuel effi ciency than previous models. An available 5-speed lock-up transmission plays a role in fuel savings, but the benefi ts of that optional transmission extend beyond a reduction in fuel consumption, says Philippe Bisson, Case brand marketing manager. "This transmis- sion improves acceleration, travel speeds and climbing power, and by eliminating power loss, it can increase fuel savings by as much as 8 percent," he says. The fi ve-speed transmission also includes Case Powerinch, which allows low ground speeds for precise approaches to targets while maintaining high engine speed to maximize hydraulic power. This provides optimal control and accuracy in tight loading areas, regardless of engine speed or grade, machine matters | by Richard Ries WHEEL LOADERS AS 3- TO 5-CUBIC-YARD MACHINES ENTER TIER 4 FINAL, MANUFACTURERS MAKE FULL USE OF HYDRAULIC POWER