Hydraulicspneumatics 1205 T1255action2
Hydraulicspneumatics 1205 T1255action2
Hydraulicspneumatics 1205 T1255action2
Hydraulicspneumatics 1205 T1255action2
Hydraulicspneumatics 1205 T1255action2

Multiple HSTs run surface-mining equipment

June 6, 2002
Hydrostatically controlled cutting drums with carbide teeth on Terrain Leveler mine swath 12 ft wide and up to 30 in. deep. Vermeer's 2000.2 Trencher Electronic Control System monitors operating conditions, measures ...
Hydrostatically controlled cutting drums with carbide teeth on Terrain Leveler mine swath 12 ft wide and up to 30 in. deep.

Designers at Vermeer Mfg. Co., Pella, Iowa, developed the Terrain Leveler as an attachment for their established T1255 Commander rock trencher. The machine combines toughness with technology. The Terrain Leveler is aimed at the burgeoning crushed stone market — specifically gypsum, coal, cement, and limestone materials. Large hydrostatically controlled cutting drums replace the trencher's digging chain. The drums can cut a swath 12-ft wide and up to 30 in. deep. Their hydrostatic drive systems produce deep tooth penetration and better efficiency than drilling or blasting. The result — larger chunks of material with fewer material fines. The equipment also can perform on overburden-removal soil-mixing/remediation, rockexcavation, concrete-removal, and road-construction applications.

Vermeer's 2000.2 Trencher Electronic Control System monitors operating conditions, measures full-range ground and head-shaft speed; display informs the operator of machine performance in real time.

The T1255 trencher — with a 6-cylinder, 600-hp Caterpillar C-16 diesel engine — serves as the Terrain Leveler's tractor. Its tracked ground drive is controlled by a dual-path hydrostatic system with a pump/motor/planetaryfinal-drive for each track. This configuration makes full independent counterrotation of the trencher tracks possible for greater machine maneuverability.

A Funk pump drive at the rear of the engine transfers power to all the trencher's pumps. These include:
a pair of 52-gpm, 5,000-psi pumps for the ground-drive motors. (The trencher's working travel-speed range is 0 to 66 fpm; its high transport speed is double that.)
two sets of 5,000-psi pumps for the drum drives. (Each set can supply a total of 168-gpm flow to its Rotary Power SMA low-speed/ high-torque drum motor), and
a 26-gpm, 3,000-psi auxiliary pump that supplies the pressure-and-flow-compensated (loadsensing) implement circuit.

Rated 5000 psi continuous and 7000 psi intermittent, Rotary Power's 3000-lb SMA LSHT motor is well suited to deal with hydraulic and mechanical shock loads and pressure spikes seen by cutting drums. Speed range is 10 to 125 rpm; maximum continuous torque is almost 60,000 N-m.

Vermeer's patented TEC 2000.2 microprocessor-based electronic control system makes life simple for the operator. The system monitors operating conditions and interfaces the hydraulic systems with commands from the operator. He or she runs the ground drive with a forward/neutral/reverse lever and a separate steering knob. Speed is proportional to lever displacement from neutral — except when working; then, the microprocessor matches the load to engine output. To steer, the operator turns the steering knob in the desired direction, and the TEC 2000.2 responds by changing the track speeds to accomplish it. If the turning command is severe, the control goes into track counter-rotation mode.

Operating the cutting drums is just as easy. A detented 3-position (forward/neutral/reverse) switch selects the direction of rotation, and another knob turns to set the rotational speed.

On uneven ground, a patent-pending tilt head system allows the Terrain Leveler to cut a level grade. Two cylinders, commanded by the implement circuit, rotate the head on a 22- in. diameter shaft. This automatic feature provides 6° of tilt in either direction.

In line with modern mobile equipment, operators can view the Terrain Leveler attachment from the elevated cab. The rollover-protected cab features a swiveling air-ride seat, filtered pressurized air, a heater, and air conditioning.

About the Author

Richard Schneider | Contributing Editor

Contributing Editor, has been affiliated with Hydraulics & Pneumatics for more than 30 years and served as chief editor from 1987 through 2000. He received a BSME from Cornell University and also completed additional courses at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. His diverse background in industry includes ten years with a fluid power distributor and a variety of other professional positions. He has also been active with the National Fluid Power Association and Fluid Power Society.

Continue Reading

Motor leakage variations

Oct. 18, 2006
affect low-speed performance

The Impacts of Electrification on Fluid Power Systems

May 15, 2023
Electrification presents challenges as well as opportunities to re-evaluate and improve upon the design of hydraulics and pneumatics.

Sponsored Recommendations

7 Key Considerations for Selecting a Medical Pump

Feb. 6, 2024
Newcomers to medical device design may think pressure and flow rate are sufficient parameters whenselecting a pump. While this may be true in some industrial applications, medical...

How Variable Volume Pumps Work

Feb. 6, 2024
Variable volume pumps, also known as precision dispense pumps, are a positive displacement pump that operates by retracting a piston to aspirate a fluid and then extending the...

What is a Check Valve and How Does it Work?

Feb. 6, 2024
Acheck valve, a non-return or one-way valve, is a mechanical device that allows a gas or liquid to flow freely in one direction while preventing reverse flow in the opposite ...

The Difference Between Calibrated Orifices and Holes

Feb. 6, 2024
Engineers tasked with managing fluid flow talk about both holes and calibrated orifices, but they are two distinct entities. A hole can be any opening, but a calibrated orifice...