Loader (equipment)
A loader is a
There are many types of loader, which, depending on design and application, are variously called a bucket loader, end loader, front loader, front-end loader, payloader, high lift, scoop, shovel dozer,
Description
A loader is a type of tractor, usually wheeled, sometimes on tracks, that has a front-mounted wide bucket connected to the end of two booms (arms) to scoop up loose material from the ground, such as dirt, sand or gravel, and move it from one place to another without pushing the material across the ground. A loader is commonly used to move a stockpiled material from ground level and deposit it into an awaiting dump truck or into an open trench excavation.
The loader assembly may be a removable attachment or permanently mounted. Often the bucket can be replaced with other devices or tools—for example, many can mount forks to lift heavy pallets or shipping containers, and a hydraulically opening "clamshell" bucket allows a loader to act as a light dozer or scraper. The bucket can also be augmented with devices like a bale grappler for handling large bales of hay or straw.
Large loaders, such as the Kawasaki 95ZV-2, John Deere 844K, ACR 700K Compact Wheel Loader, Caterpillar 950H, Volvo L120E, Case 921E, or Hitachi ZW310 usually have only a front bucket and are called front loaders, whereas small loader tractors are often also equipped with a small
The largest loader in the world is LeTourneau L-2350. Currently these large loaders are in production in the Longview, Texas facility. The L-2350 uses a diesel-electric propulsion system similar to that used in a locomotive.[1] Each rubber tired wheel is driven by its own independent electric motor.
Loaders are used mainly for loading materials into trucks, laying pipe, clearing rubble, and digging. A loader is not the most efficient machine for digging as it cannot dig very deep below the level of its wheels, like a backhoe or an excavator can. The capacity of a loader bucket can be anywhere from 0.5 to 36 m3[2] depending upon the size of the machine and its application. The front loader's bucket capacity is generally much bigger than a bucket capacity of a backhoe loader.
Unlike most
In construction areas loaders are also used to transport
Front-loaders are commonly used to remove snow especially from sidewalks, parking lots, and other areas too small for using snowplows and other heavy equipment. They are sometimes used as snowplows with a snowplow attachment but commonly have a bucket or snow basket, which can also be used to load snow into the rear compartment of a snowplow or dump truck.
High-tip buckets are suitable for light materials such as chip, peat and light gravel and when the bucket is emptied from a height.
Unlike backhoes or standard tractors fitted with a front bucket, many large loaders do not use automotive steering mechanisms. Instead, they steer by a hydraulically actuated pivot point set exactly between the front and rear axles. This is referred to as "articulated steering" and allows the front axle to be solid, allowing it to carry greater weight. Articulated steering provides better maneuverability for a given wheelbase. Since the front wheels and attachment rotate on the same axis, the operator is able to "steer" his load in an arc after positioning the machine, which can be useful. The tradeoff is that when the machine is "twisted" to one side and a heavy load is lifted high, it has a greater risk of turning over to the "wide" side.
Front loaders gained popularity during the last two decades, especially in urban engineering projects and small earthmoving works.
The term "loader" is also used in the debris removal field to describe the boom on a grapple truck.
Major components
The major components included in a loader are the engine (diesel in almost all cases), the hydraulic components (such as pumps, motors and valves) and the transmission components (gearbox, axles, wheels/tracks, pumps, motors, etc.). The engine runs both the hydraulics and the transmission, and these in turn move the front attachment (a bucket, forks, sweeper, etc.) to manipulate the material being handled, and the wheels or tracks to move the machine around the jobsite.
Wheel loaders
The first wheel loader was invented by Frank G. Hough in 1939, it was called the Payloader.[3] This machine consisted of a vertical mast affixed to the front of a tractor with a pair of loader arms running from the back of the machine ending in a forwards bucket, with the main lifting mechanism being driven a cable tensioned via vertically lifting hydraulic cylinder located inside the mast.[4] Today wheel loaders are articulated, a design choice introduced in 1953 via Mixermobile's Scoopmobile series of wheel loaders[5]. This articulation allows them both a superior turning radius and the ability to move the bucket in a small horizontal arc without having to move forward like a conventionally steering chassis.
Armored wheel loaders
The
Rio de Janeiro's police elite squad Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais (BOPE) has acquired one wheel loader designed for military use to open routes and make way for the police in Rio de Janeiro's slums, which are controlled, and blocked, by drug dealers.[6]
Several if not most countries have similar equipment. The Dutch armed forces for instance use models like the Werklust WG18Edef, which weighs 15 tons, 2 more than the corresponding unarmored civilian model. In addition, the Dutch military previously used extra armor modules covering most of the window surface with steel for extra protection. These were however not popular with the crews due to low visibility.
The
Tractor front loaders
These loaders are a popular addition to tractors from 40 to 150 kW (50 to 200 hp). Its current 'drive-in' form was originally designed and developed in 1958 by a Swedish company named Ålö when they launched their Quicke loader.
Compact front end loaders
Abram Dietrich Thiessen of Eyebrow Saskatchewan in the 1940s built the first quick attach front end loader.
Front-end loaders (FELs) are popular additions to compact utility tractors and farm tractors. Compact utility tractors, also called CUTs, are small tractors, typically with 10 to 40 kW (18 to 50 hp) and used primarily for grounds maintenance and landscape chores.[citation needed] There are 2 primary designs of compact tractor FELs, the traditional dogleg designed style and the curved arm style.
While the front-end loaders on CUT size tractors are capable of many tasks, given their relatively small size and low capacities when compared to commercial loaders, the compact loaders can be made more useful with some simple options. A toothbar is commonly added to the front edge of a loader bucket to aid with digging. Some loaders are equipped with a quick coupler, otherwise known as a quick attach (QA) system. The QA system allows the bucket to be removed easily and other tools to be added in its place. Common additions include a set of pallet forks for lifting pallets of goods or a bale spear for lifting hay bales.
Skid loaders and track loaders
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Swingloaders
A swingloader is a rigid frame loader with a swinging boom. The Swingloader was invented in 1953 by German manufacturer Ahlmann with the AR1 model. The boom can swing 180 degrees or more. The loader is able to lift on all sides and dump off on all sides. Swingloaders are often used by the railroad industry to lay rail. Like other loaders many attachments can be attached to the boom such as magnets, forks, and buckets. Smaller swingloaders can be used in farming applications for loading out. A swinging boom is advantageous where space is limited as stability, mobility and space management are greatly increased over their articulated counterparts.
Gallery
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A Hanomag loader
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DK45 with and without a toothbar on the bucket
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UNIMOG with front loader and excavator attachment (backhoe loader)
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A relatively small front loader
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A loader with a specialized claw used to move logs at a sawmill
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ASouth Florida.
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The front of a Caterpillar 930G fitted with loader rake.
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Wacker Neuson wheel loaders at a trade fair
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Compact utility tractor with a front loader showing two different measurement points for loader capacities
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Swingmaster Swingloader
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A
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VOLVO L60H Articulated loader
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Ahlmann AS90 Swingloder
Notable manufacturers
Notable loader manufacturers include (by country):
China:
- LiuGong
- Lonking
- Lovol
- SANY
- SDLG
- XCMG
- Xiamen XGMA Machinery Co., Ltd.[citation needed]
France:
Germany:
India:
- BEML
- Larsen & Toubro Limited(L&T)
- Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery
Iran:
Italy-US-Netherlands:
- CNH Industrial (produces Case and New Holland designs)
Japan:
Korea:
Serbia:
Sweden:
Switzerland-Germany:
Turkey:
United Kingdom:
- JCB
United States:
- Case CE
- Caterpillar Inc.
- John Deere
- Navistar (successor to International Harvester)
- New Holland
See also
References
- ^ "LeTourneau Unveils "World's Largest" Wheel Loader. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
- ^ "Cat - North America - Caterpillar". www.cat.com.
- ^ "Frank G. Hough Company Plant in Libertyv". main. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ Iii, Oscar H. Will. "Hough Loader Legacy - Farm Collector". www.farmcollector.com. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ Berry, Tom (2013-01-25). "Mixermobile builds the first articulated wheel loader". Construction Equipment. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Bope recebe veículo para quebrar concreto e derrubar barricadas do tráfico (Bope receives vehicle to break concrete and knock down traffic barricades)". UOL News (in Portuguese). 12 August 2009.
- ^ "Milli Savunma Sanayi Ürünleri ve Projeleri: TOSUN Zırhlı İş Makinesi" (in Turkish). Milli Savunma. 2017-10-15. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
- ^ "Ålö history: From innovation to world-leading position". Archived from the original on 2011-06-24. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ Doyle, Marcia - Caterpillar intros 415F2 IL skip loader: a backhoe-turned-compact-grader aimed at the West Coast Equipment World, March 4, 2016
- ISSN 2076-3417.