Tag Archives: heavy equipment dozer

Stripping of the gears of crawler dozers made it more resourceful than it was few years ago

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It was never simple to work on a crawler dozer and only the best operator was in a position to get the work done without causing any damage to the machine or to things on the site. Operators working on a crawler dozer were paid more than other operators as they were operating a machine that is not at all easy to work on. However, this is not the case now. With the dawn of new technology, things have started becoming simpler for the operators and also for people who own the latest model of crawler dozers. The installation of hydrostatic transmissions in the under 130 horsepower machines and the introduction of advanced GPS machine control system has completely changed the dynamics of the machine. What was once known for moving at snail’s pace and leaving work undone for most of the time has been transformed into a fast paced next generation machine that has the capability to crumble the mountains or move the minutest of dirt from the site. The hydrostatic transmission that is installed in the newer version of machines is dominating this class of dozers. If we compare the hydrostatic transmission, we see that in the year 1999, there were only 25 hydrostatic transmissions which have now increased to 38. There are only 9 power shifts transmissions which were 33 in 1999. Well, this change in technology wasn’t brought overnight. It came slowly and gradually and with sheer determination of the engineers.

One company to be specific should get maximum applaud for the success of this technologically rich dozer. It is John Deere that has been in the forefront of this rapid change in technology. What they did is they removed the concept of gears from the machine making it gearless equipment. By having done this, they have got a very good control over the speed of the equipment. It becomes very useful on a flat ground where you do not have to shift gears to slow down the machine. The equipment automatically slows down when the machine takes the load and the speed increases when it discard the load. In this process, the machine just does not loses its momentum which otherwise would have been a problem with machines having gears in it.

Other than this, when the machine is moving at a speed and there is a dip in the load, the operator does not have to do anything manually. All that will be taken care by the machine and will manage the load. One very important benefit of hydrostatic transmission is that it keeps the braking system quite dynamic. The operator only has to relieve the throttle and the hydraulic pressure in the machine will do the rest of the work.

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Mid range crawler dozers are widely accepted by customers in the construction domain

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Working in a small space will not allow huge equipment and you have to restrict the use to either mid-range or small equipment. When we talk about heavy equipment, it is not only about those big machines that you often see at construction sites but it is also about equipment that you see in your backyard clearing the garden or clearing the snow off the road. You do not always need a big dozer to clear the snow from the road. Imagine if the road is not that big to accommodate a big dozer, it will not be able to complete the work. In such a situation what you need the most is a mid range crawler dozer.

The demand for the mid range crawler dozer has increased over the last few years. People have begun to realize that it is not all about big machines but at times we also need something smaller in size to get the work done. This is how people have understood the importance of such machines and has led to the growing acceptability of it. Before we speak further on this, we need to understand what category of machine come under mid range and what goes above that. Machines that have horsepower between 130 to 200 hp are in the mid-range category. Anything falling short of that is a small machine and machines that have more than 200-300 hp fall in the higher range of machines.

A reports also suggest that the mid-range machines play a dominant role in the construction industry which was not the case few decades ago. However, not everybody likes to purchase high range equipment and keep themselves content with the lower version. Irrespective of the construction company being a big one or just a newbie, they all prefer mid range machines. The maneuverability of such machines are simpler and faster and are therefore considered potent for work that is meant for small range as well as high range equipment. Caterpillar’s Dave Cusac feels that though some companies want mid range machines to have hp more than 300 but due to certain technical alignment, it has been limited to the range of 150 to 215 hp.

Mid range crawler dozers have varied uses. They are not just used for single category of work but are used for several purposes and this is what makes the machine more in demand. Case Construction Equipment brand marketing manager has bifurcated the use of the machine on the basis of the horsepower it possess. According to him, the machine with hp of 130 is used for construction of roads and bridges but not into residential construction. Machines with hp of 150 are also used for building of bridges and roads but they can simultaneously spread their wings into larger jobs. Machines more than 214 hp can be used for mining, overburden clearing and similar operations. Having said this, it does not mean that these machines do not have the capability to perform heavy duty jobs.

Dozer Engine Specifications – How can one know more of them?

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A construction site is installed with various heavy equipment. They need almost all sorts of heavy equipment to complete a project. Out of all the heavy equipment that they have on their site, a bulldozer is a must. Many big construction companies say that dozers are the most integral part of their business and they can’t dream of completing a project without the presence of highly efficient and easy to use dozers. Dozers are not only needed in big construction projects but also in projects which are not huge in nature. One can do away with any other heavy equipment which they feel can be ignored but never with a dozer. They will always feel the need of that equipment for the completion of their project.

Now we have something which is of such an importance. Have you wondered what would be the specifications of its engine which carries most of the load of the machine? An engine is said to be the heart of the machine and if that is in good shape, any external damage to the machine can be easily dealt with. However, if something goes wrong with the engine, it takes a heavy toll on the project as you may expect the machine to not to work for few days. Unless you have an alternative for the equipment, things will be harsh.

Let us now talk about the specification of the engine of a dozer. Before we go any further with the topic, please note that different companies have different makes and every make has variation in its engine. So the specification of the CAT dozer engine will be spoken in length.

The model of the CAT dozer engine is 3406 with around 315 horse power with a displacement of 590.9 cu in. The horse power that the engine gives is quite immense in comparison to models made by its competitors. Nevertheless, there are few makes manufactured by companies like John Deere, Hitachi etc that marvels many times that the CAT model.

In order to know in depth about the specifications of the dozer engine, the most reasonable way is to explore the internet. You may find unlimited search results that will help you understand the design or the pattern of the engine. Though exploring the internet is one of the best options but there are some flaws as well. Getting too much of options can sometime make things very confusing. You may not understand what to see and what to skip and especially when you are running short of time, it becomes a pain to browse the entire site just to know a simple specification of the engine.

In such a situation, it is often advised to meet a dealer or visit the dozer manufacturing company’s office and ask for a brochure which will contain all the minute information of everything. You can focus your attention to the design of the engine or can have a look at the entire brochure. You never know what might catch your attention the next minute.

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What is the ultimate small dozer?

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You do not always need big things to get smaller work done. Similarly, in case of heavy equipment when you see some petty work, it would be highly unwise of the person to bring in the big heavy equipment to get that small work done. In case, if he tries to work with the big machine, he may get everything wrong and may have to start things from all over again. Therefore, it is always advisable to identify the machine and check if it is compatible for the work before you start doing your work. The sight in a big construction company will have all huge machines however; you will also get to fix your eyes on some small machines. Wonder why? It is only because they understand that not all work can be done with the help of these big equipments. They also need small heavy equipment to complete certain kind of work.

We would be discussing about small dozers and how they are effective in many scenarios.

Why do we need a small dozer when we already have the bigger ones?-

A big dozer is a heavy machine and at places where we do not need the strength of a bigger machine, a small dozer comes handy. For instance, you just want to work with the garden area at the front of your house and you need to do some digging work and after that dump the dirt at a place that is meant to do so. In this situation, you can’t use those big dozers because they will simply pull off the entire mud making it improper for you to work on it. You will need those small dozers which have less strength and can get the required work done. Moreover these dozers are quite user-friendly. You will not have a tough time dealing with them and can get your work done in a smooth manner.

No need of specialized operators to work on it:-

Big construction companies have specialized operators who work heavy equipment. It is believed that the function buttons of these equipment are quite complex and it needs good deal of training to completely understand the different buttons and levers which is not possible for a naïve person to do. As the small dozers are quite simple than their complex counterparts, a person will definitely go for it. They just want to get their work done without wanting to know the complexities involved in operating a bigger version.

Companies that manufacture small dozers:-

There are many companies that are manufacturing small dozers. However, some of the prominent companies are Cat, John Deere, and Case, etc. Caterpillar has 4 models of small dozers. All the dozers are less than 130 hp. All the models have full power turn potential, dynamic braking. Steeples speed range and few other important features that one may find helpful while operating the machine. The joystick of the machine takes care of speed, direction and steering lessening the strain of the operator.

 

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What is the ultimate medium dozer?

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Heavy equipment are of various types each type of heavy equipment is meant for a specific function. Though there are few equipment that are multi-purpose but they also come with certain constraints and keeping into consideration those constraints, an operator bring that machine to use. It depends upon the operators recommendations if the equipment should be used for a specific work because he would be in a better position to understand if the work is doable with the equipment. Similarly, heavy equipment can’t do all kind of work that it is meant to do.  For instance, you are given a project to repair the road which looks fragile. You know that you have to unearth the strip using an excavator and then roll a dozer to plain the road. In this situation, you can’t use the excavator that is used for big projects and also can’t use the big dozers. It becomes important for you to identify the kind of machine you need for the work. You perhaps need a medium dozer to complete the work in contrary to the higher version.

We would be talking about why we need a medium dozer and is it really going to be effective.

Not all work suitable for all machines:-

Not everybody is compatible for everything. This also goes good with heavy equipment. Construction companies that are engaged with mighty projects need big dozers. However, while doing those big projects, they come across situations where they require a medium range or small dozers because they may not find the bigger ones compatible for the small work. They may see the use of a medium dozer in that situation. Similarly, when a person needs to work in his garden or there’s some work in the school campus or in the university campus, a medium dozer is much preferred machine.

Very simple to use and bar the requirement of an operator:-

The medium dozers and quite simple to use and do not have complex buttons that you may see in a big dozer. It would be almost impossible for a layman to understand the various functions in a big dozer. He may ruin the work if at all he uses the complex machine. However, if the person decides to hire an operator, that will be an additional expense on his part. Firstly, it is not so easy to get a heavy equipment operator. They are people with expertise knowledge about the machine and are usually hired by big companies paying them fat packages. Nevertheless, if he still manages to get hold of one, he may not be able to afford him. In such a situation, the medium dozer comes very handy. He only need to follow few very simple instructions and can get his hands on the machine.

Quite economical in terms of fuel consumption and high productivity:-

The medium dozers are highly economical when it comes to fuel consumption and still manages to deliver high productivity. After a lot of research work, engineers of various heavy equipment manufacturing companies have come up with latest technology enabled medium dozers that saves good amount of money for the user. It can also give a good sales value after using it for some time.

Top ten models of bulldozer

Manufacturers of heavy constructional equipment, farm and mining bring out innovative models of the machines with prototyping tools of the manufacturing companies. As these tools develop a clear understanding of the total effective cost, risk management and maintenance requisites, one can go ahead with confidence. This advancement in designing the models of heavy machines especially bulldozers slash the construction time and hence, enhances the speed time of the product marketing.

Different designs of bulldozers have their own applications in their respective areas. The skilled engineers use CAD tools to increase the productivity which in turn will reduce the cost making it affordable to the users.

List of top models of bulldozers

Fiat Allis FD-50 Bulldozer: – It is outfitted with an engine of Cummins VT28-C. Due to some rationalism in its marketing, the manufacture of this type of bulldozer has come to an end. FD-50 had the highest power of 600 hp with carrying a total weight of 80 tons.

Promtractor CHETRA HEAVY 40Ya Bulldozer: – The model of the diesel engine which the bulldozer uses is YaMZ-E856. Its fuel tank has the capacity to hold 1200 litres. Its main technical data indicates that this kind is less efficient as compared to the above said model with the maximum power of 590 hp and working weight capacity of 68.5 tons.

KOMATSU D375A-6 Bulldozer: – This kind of bulldozers uses a dislocation of 23 litres of the engine of KOMATSU SAA6D170E-3. The bulldozer can run at the rate of 15.8km/h. It is efficient with 645 hp power and carrying limit of 72 tons at its best.

Promtractor T-50.01Bulldozer:- Russian product which came into existence in the late 1980s. The width of the track is 740mm with the installation of U-shaped blades. Its power of 751hp with loading capacity of 93.5 tons makes it stand out from other models of bulldozer.

Caterpillar D10T Bulldozer: – D10 in 1970s was the largest bulldozer types. The latest T – type models use the cylinder engine of D10T-12. Both its power and lifting retention is low i.e. 671hp and 66 tons respectively.

Ch TZ T-800 Bulldozer:- This bulldozer is equipped with the diesel engine of 6-turbocharged cylinder. It has two back and four forward gears, but this machine is not efficient to give out more than 8 units when carried out to work of mining and removal of the debris.

KOMATSU D475A-5SD Bulldozer: – The capacity of its fuel tank is 1670 litres. The technical info shows that the bulldozer has the maximum power of 913hp and working weight of 113 tons.

KOMATSU D575A-3SD Bulldozer: – It has total 6 gears-three reverse and three forward. The bulldozer can hold maximum 2100 l fuel. The length of its machine is 11.72metres.

ACCO Bulldozer:- ACCO, an Italian company manufactured the world’s best designed bulldozer model in 1983. Due to some technical fault, it can’t be operated. It never got any appropriate occasion to show its efficiency.

Caterpillar D11T CD Bulldozer:- This kind of bulldozer uses the displacement of 32L of the diesel engine of Cat C32 ACERT. It can carry upto 113 tons of weight utilizing its power of 950 hp.

To sum up, the rapid advancement in the field of technology has definitely boosted up the designs of the bulldozers giving it a completely different look and efficiency.

 

 

 

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Simple 3 Tips To Maintain A Dozer

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Prevention is always better than cure. Steady and éclat maintenance are key factors to keep the dozers in optimum condition irrespective of the age of the equipment, geographical and weather conditions. Age is the most important thing which acts upon the performance of a dozer. . If you have purchased a used dozer, you have to take extra care. As a used dozer has undergone wear and tear for many years, its level of performance automatically stoops down.

You may have faced problems with the performance of your used dozer many times and at the same time, you cannot stop using this equipment as it plays a major role in a construction site. So, why not maintain spend some time in maintaining your dozer properly? After you read this short article, you will realise how easy it is to keep up your dozer’s proficiency.

Tips to maintain a dozer properly

  • Checkups for steady repair: – Regular checkups of the dozer are essential to ensure a fine working condition. You should change the oil and other fluids in a systematic interval. If you keep your dozer in extremely wet climatic condition, it will damage more quickly. It is because rust will form rapidly on the important parts of the machine. In case of used dozers, the chains, bolts and the undercarriage should be checked to detect the damaged parts.

 

Checking helps to increase the life span of the constructional equipment. If you find any defaced part, immediately repair it with the assistance of a skilled technician. To avoid any kind of damage, don’t forget to use appropriate tools while checking. You should also put on Hard Hat and gloves while going through the machine.

  • Cleaning of the track frame: – To work in muddy conditions especially in winter freezes the mud on the track frame of the dozer. Therefore, you cannot ignore cleaning off the mud while the equipment is still warm. Use a track spade which perfectly fits into the gap between the track and the frame making the work of cleaning smoother for you. After cleaning, park the dozer either in the snow or on aged tires.

 

If you do not shovel the mud, it will freeze on the track creating a big problem for the dozer to start up and move. The finest way to unfreeze a frozen dozer is to control the heat and fire and to make use of propane light.

  • Maintenance of Electrical system: – Proper maintenance ofelectrical system which consists of batteries and wires should not be overlooked. Their periodical checkup is necessary to avoid short circuit. Replace the damage or old battery instantly once you detect them. Your wire should be good enough with an efficient fuse system.

 

Use 12 V batteries connected in series to ensure the working of your 12V radio for two-way business. You can also make use of an inline fuse system close to your battery. It will help the radio to work more effectively without causing any harm to the other parts of the machine.

To put it practically, routine maintenance of equipment will help you to save your money. So, it’s better to do minor fixing to upturn the average life of the dozer.

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Use the Caterpillar D11 Dozer to Work Smoothly

The sector of big infrastructure makes use of the machines which are specialised in carrying out the works of massive earthmoving in connection with big construction works like dams, building construction, harbours and roadways. When the matter of moving objecting bodies come, no other equipment can work better as compared to Caterpillar D11 Dozer. It is gaining a prominent place in the construction industry because of some of its outstanding features which are later discussed n this article. Just check out.

Features of Caterpillar D11 Dozer

Caterpillar D11 Dozer is a giant bulldozer which is manufactured by the company Caterpillar Inc. It was first manufactured in East Peoria, Illinois. The equipment’s main applications are in the mining industry. Though it looks very similar to a bulldozer, but it is capable to do more work smoothly a compared to a heavy-sized bulldozer. It is also used to push the huge scrapers and to rip the overburdened rocks. By ripping the oversized rocks, it breaks the rocks into minute particles making it easy to shift from one place to the other. The Caterpillar D11 Dozer has replaced the Dozer D10 in the month of February in 1986. The height and length of the Dozer D11 are 14.9 ft and 35.8 ft respectively. The total power uses by the equipment is 936hp. The maximum weight it can shift is 230,581lb. The Dozer consists of a huge track and a special blade along with a curvature which helps the machine to push the objects to at least 57 yards away. The Dozer is designed in such a manner that it can handle extra weights with ease. According to the statement made by the Company Caterpillar, more than 3000 Dozers have been manufactured in Illinois by 2000.

Both the models of the Caterpillar Dozer- D11T and D11 T CD are installed with a CAT C32 Engine which makes full use of the technology ACERT. As all the models of the Dozer designed by Caterpillar are big, delivery sometimes comes as an obstacle when it is ordered from a distant country.  That’s why, they are shifted through railroad flatcars which consists of a blade where the ripper frames and the push arms are removed. Most of its parts are dismantled during transportation by making use of innumerable semi-trailer trucks.

The major company which comes up as a rival to the Caterpillar D11 Dozer is Komatsu D475. Another Dozer named Acco Super Bulldozer manufactured by ACCO, an Italian Company, also is giving a tough competition to the Caterpillar Dozer. Though the other models lack in many respects when they are compared with the D11 Dozer, yet D11 dozer has to be improved more to stay active in the competition?

If you are planning to buy dozer which has enough strength to carry out innumerable works with ease and is not sensitive to rough handling, you should not think twice while going to purchase D11 Dozer. In fact, it is the best option which will help you to do all your tasks smoothly and complete it within the prescribed time limit.

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Operating A Dozer Is As Simple As Driving Your Own Car

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If you think that in order to operate a dozer, you need to take some very special training then you probably have to change your thoughts. It may require you to take some level of training but it is definitely not as rigid or complex as taking a space shuttle and flying away in the space. It may sound to be little complicated but the process is quite simple and easy to understand. At the end, you may find it as simple as driving your car. Few things that are important is to understand the intricacies of the equipment and once you know the in and outs of operating the dozer, it would be nothing more than a cake walk for you.
Things that one should consider learning in order to operate a dozer
Knowing more about the machine:- If you want to be a good operator, it is of due importance to know well about the machine. You should know the utilities of various switches inside the cabin. They may be for various reasons and as long as you do not know them all, you may not be able to make optimum utilization of those switches. It may also extend the period of a work assigned to you which will ultimately affect your productivity and may also incur loss to the company. Other than this, not knowing the various functions of the dozer may also lead to accidents and unwanted casualties. No company would ever want these things to happen and therefore, one should learn everything possible about the dozer they are working on.
Get some basic training:- Due to technological changes happening every other day, new model are coming up in the market. These models more or less have the same functions. However, the manufacturing companies try to add few more features to make it look more user-friendly and therefore also attach a higher price value to it. It is because of this reason that the operator should get some basic training in understanding those extra functions and that he can incorporate them in his day to day activities.
Buddy-up under an expert:- You learn well if you learn it from an expert. Operators who have been in this industry for years may have worked with all sorts of machines and therefore are quite competent enough to train young guns. They may teach you many things as to how you can operate a dozer and may also share few of their experiences which may help you under a given situation. The knowledge they have gained all over the years will help the trainees fetch more benefit than any other book can ever provide.
Check the web:- You can also take help from internet to know how you can operate the machine. You can go to youtube and check live demonstration. This will give you a better picture of how you can operate the same stuff all by yourself. Though this is useful, you still will get to learn more from physically working on the dozer.