Wheel Loader

Overview

A wheel loader is a fast, rubber-tyred earthmover that scoops, carries, and loads material with a large front bucket. Its centre-pivot articulated frame lets the front and rear halves swing relative to each other, so the machine steers tightly while keeping all four wheels driving and on the ground. Loaders are the workhorses of quarries, aggregate yards, and construction sites, filling trucks, stockpiling, and handling loose material at high cycle rates.

The machine joins a front and rear half at the Articulation & Steering hinge, powered by the Diesel Engine and Powertrain, with a Front Linkage carrying the bucket.

How it works

The Diesel Engine drives the Powertrain: a torque converter multiplies torque when the bucket digs into a pile, and a powershift transmission feeds drive through propeller shafts to the Front Drive Axle and the oscillating Rear Drive Axle (Oscillating). The rear axle pivots on its centre to keep all four Wheel Assembly units loaded over uneven ground, and the Tire set is sized for the loads and traction of loader duty.

Steering is by the Articulation & Steering hinge: two cylinders bend the machine about the centre pin, so the bucket follows the rear wheels' path and the loader can crowd a pile in a tight space. The Hydraulic System system supplies these steer cylinders along with the lift and tilt cylinders of the Front Linkage, whose Z-bar or parallel linkage raises the bucket and rolls it back to retain the load.

The operator works from a Cab / ROPS with ROPS/FOPS protection and a joystick or lever control. A rear Rear Counterweight balances the loaded bucket and keeps the front axle within limits, the Electrical System system handles starting, charging, and lighting, and a Access Ladder & Handrails with rails provides safe access to the high cab.