Efficient Graders Out-perform Predecessors

Optimized designs improve operability and availability while lowering the cost of ownership

By Jesse Morton, Technical Writer

The most recent news to drop from the major grader OEMs shows that research and development (R&D) has focused in increasing efficiency and longevity. The suppliers say that the R&D was driven by the need to empower customers to efficiently and reliably hit their development goals. That need, they say, will continue to drive R&D.

Komatsu Introduces GD955-7 to U.S.

Komatsu America Corp. introduced the GD955-7 motor grader to the North American market. A Komatsu expert said the grader offers operators the power and efficiency needed to build and maintain mine haul roads for trucks.

“The efficiency of a mine site and longevity of a haulage fleet is dependent on smooth, well-maintained haul roads,” said Daniel Prochaska, associate product marketing manager. “Designed to build and maintain haul roads for trucks 100 tons and up, Komatsu’s GD955-7 is a valuable addition to any fleet.”

With a Tier 4-Final, 15.24-L Komatsu SAA6D140E-7 engine, the grader offers a 48% increase in horsepower compared to predecessor models. One result is “a 19% increase in working travel speed,” Prochaska said.

“In addition to power, a 50% increase in operating weight coupled with a 17% longer wheelbase provides best-in-class blade downforce pressure for penetrating hard-packed haul road surfaces,” he said. “The GD955-7 achieves a 33% increase in productivity with the standard 5.5-m moldboard, and a 46% increase with the optional 6-m moldboard.”

Beyond productivity, the benefits offered include improved performance, operability and maintainability.

The grader offers excellent maneuverability. “It can execute tight U-turns on a standard 100-ton class haul road without the need to fully cut the wheel or course correct,” he said. “The large 27° articulation angle allows for a tight turning radius and provides maneuverability for narrow haul road applications in confined spaces and around obstacles.”

Compared to predecessor graders, the GD955-7 is easier to operate. It is “designed to enhance production with the efficiency of a direct-drive transmission and the controllability of a torque converter drive transmission,” he said. “This feature is perfect for trained operators of all experience levels and applicable to a wide variety of tasks, including maintaining and building haul roads.”

The cab is designed for operator comfort, and features an “air-suspension, heated and ventilated seat that helps dampen mechanical vibrations from the environment,” Prochaska said. “Operators can also electronically or manually adjust the control lever console height to their preference.”

The hexangular cab and retracted console layout offer a view of both the moldboard and front tires. “Strategically placed mirrors enhance visibility, while KomVision provides a bird’s-eye view around the vehicle on an in-cab monitor,” he said.

Improved visibility and control help operators achieve heightened precision. “Controls within easy reach allow operators to quickly adjust to changing grading conditions or terrain, helping optimize performance,” Prochaska said. “Fingertip controls make for a more ergonomic and comfortable working environment.”

The grader is designed for longevity, with design features that ensure durability and maintenance features that ensure high availability. “Komatsu’s GD955-7 features a redesigned front and rear frame to help withstand greater forces and torsional loads, reducing life-cycle costs and promoting a longer service life,” Prochaska said.

The grader features “a long-life bearing-type drawbar circle, eliminating the need for frequent play adjustments and wear plate replacement, reducing maintenance time by up to 21%,” he said. “The 72-point auto-lubrication system automatically supplies grease at adjustable, preset hours, avoiding the need to periodically lubricate with a manual pump.” The ground-level service center centralizes engine oil, hydraulic oil, and coolant drains.

“One can conveniently perform routine checks, inspections, and repairs with a centrally located ground-level service center and auto-lubrication system,” Prochaska said. “Regular maintenance helps promote the machine’s uptime, while easy access streamlines maintenance workflow.”

The success of the predecessor GD825A-2 motor grader in markets outside the U.S. led Komatsu to develop “a new and larger motor grader, the GD955-7,” he said. Previously, the new grader was trialed “in some of the toughest, harshest, and coldest conditions” in mines in Central Canada.

“Komatsu wanted to ensure that they met their development goals and that this machine would be ready to perform across North America as expected,” he said. “Following a successful trial unit, Komatsu has been looking forward to providing customers across all of North America with the optimal grading solution.”

Customer feedback will drive any future development of the model. “Komatsu is looking to make further technological advances in blade control and create an even more efficient power train,” Prochaska said. “There will always be a need to support productive equipment such as large trucks and loaders by creating low-resistance, well-maintained haul roads to maximize efficiency,” he said. “To support these production requirements, Komatsu looks forward to the future by offering an optimal solution for their customers.”

Caterpillar HPC Cuts Costs, Downtime

Caterpillar announced the new High-Performance Circle (HPC), for Cat 24 and 24M Motor Graders, improves machine performance, efficiency and uptime availability. “When paired with Cat-exclusive extended-life blade-rail wear strips, the HPC reduces total cost of ownership for the drawbar circle moldboard and downtime by up to 80%.”

The new HPC has a 16,000-hour service life. It “eliminates hours of monthly planned maintenance for frequent inspection, wear strip replacement and circle shoe adjustments associated with conventional circles,” the supplier said. “Industry-leading machining capabilities designed to tight tolerances help ensure the drawbar, drives and circle perfectly align and require no adjustments for the life of the grader.”

Heavy duty planetary gearboxes with integrated forged pinion shaft and gear replace the work-drive gearbox and pinion gear system. “The gearboxes have sealed-for-life slip clutches that eliminate adjustments and isolate the clutches from the rest of the drive to increase reliability,” Caterpillar said.

“Significantly reducing maintenance time, the slip clutch assemblies can be changed out in less than an hour and come adjusted from the factory,” the supplier said. “The brass circle wear strips and shim system is replaced with a sealed roller bearing.”

The roller bearing enables smooth and effortless blade rotation. “Fully integrated with standard machine auto lube, the design eliminates daily greasing and can require no maintenance, adjustment or replacement for 16,000 hours, depending on the application,” Caterpillar said.

Other design improvements that can help cut downtime and reduce maintenance costs include a new pinion gear shape with increased shaft diameter that improves durability, allowing drives to be removed vertically without drive adjustments. “Dowel locators precisely position motors for easier servicing, optimal tooth contact, and longer pinion life,” Cat said. After 16,000 hours, the teeth can be rotated 180°.

The new HPC can be retrofitted to all Cat 24 and 24M graders.

The new, more powerful Cat 24 can be paired with the 28-ft moldboard for improved performance. “The grader’s new Cat C27 engine, with an up to 37% increase in torque, and the new HPC are well equipped to accommodate the blade’s increased weight and width without slowing or bogging down the machine,” Cat said.

The 28-ft moldboard reduces the amount of time spent in the middle lane clearing the windrow. “When used for a wider pass, it brings haul roads back to spec in fewer passes,” Cat said.

“The 28-ft moldboard reach places the windrow farther away from the rear tandems to increase traction,” the supplier said. “It also allows the operator to use a more aggressive blade angle to reduce machine load, increase speed on passes, and help improve material handling.”

The longer moldboard can be connected to the machine with Cat extended-life blade rail-wear strips, Cat said. The strips are “available for both standard- and high-performance circles to achieve up to three times longer service life than standard rail-wear strips.”

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Updated Road-design Software Features Optimization AI

Softree Technical Systems said the new version of RoadEng Software features an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that helps determine optimal road and corridor locations. “Using this technology engineers can quickly explore millions of possible road locations to find low-cost, construct-able candidate solutions,” said Erin Wasney, business development manager.

The new version of the software also includes a tool for optimizing earthworks for a road’s vertical profile. “These solutions take into consideration design constraints such as grade, horizontal curvature, hydrology, and geotechnical conditions,” she said.

The two tools, Path Explorer AI and Vertical Alignment Optimization, compliment “Softree’s patented road optimization technology, which represents more than 10 years of research and development in collaboration with the University of British Columbia (B.C.),” she said.

Path Explorer AI “explores for feasible road alignments under constraints like min/max grade, max side slope, min/max vertical offset (cut/fill), no-go zones, high-cost zones, and more,” Wasney said.

“Path Explorer returns optimized alignment options within a matter of minutes,” she said. Ideally suited for “greenfield corridor projects,” it leverages large datasets, such as those captured by LiDAR, drones and other survey technologies.

Vertical Alignment Optimization “automates the creation of the road’s vertical alignment, solving the complex mathematical problem of balancing cuts/fills and material movement,” she said. “It results in a typical reduction of sub-grade construction costs by 10% to 30% or more.”

That and other cost reductions top the list of benefits offered by RoadEng Software.

“Access road and haul roads represent a significant cost to mining operations,” Wasney said. “With RoadEng you can design lower-cost roads by finding the most cost-effective locations and optimizing earthworks.”

The software also offers time savings. It arrives at “feasible options in minutes,” she said.

It has the “ability to quickly and easily include haul road-specific design elements, such as benches and berms,” Wasney said. In road design processes, it “drives efficiency; allows users to include environmentally and geotechnically sensitive areas; and reduces total earthworks for a road,” she said. “Less earthworks means less emissions, less costs, and a smaller disturbance area.”

One customer used RoadEng for road design to achieve “a staggering $1.9 million in savings,” Wasney said. “That’s a remarkable 19% reduction in subgrade costs.”

Separately, another customer, Australia’s WSP, used RoadEng for mine haul road design. The solution “exceeded our expectations in every way,” said Shakir Essop, technical director, Civil, WSP in Africa.

Use of the solution “for the intricate benching requirements, not only streamlined the design process but also resulted in a remarkable reduction in overall design time,” he said. “Despite the project’s demanding timelines, we seamlessly integrated multiple design software tools to achieve our final result.”

The solution allowed WSP to “tailor our methods to meet the project’s unique demands,” Essop said.

Softree supported “a collaborative environment that made our journey immensely successful,” he said. “Their expertise, coupled with a genuine passion for our project, transformed what could have been a daunting task into a seamless and highly positive experience.”

That support “truly set this experience apart,” he said. “Their unwavering commitment to our project’s success made them feel like indispensable members of our team.”

Path Explorer development launched in 2015, shortly after the launch of development for Vertical Alignment Optimization. In initial testing, the tool “would need to run for day to find a solution,” Wasney said.

“We revisited the idea in 2021, and are extremely pleased with the results,” she said. “Path Explorer AI spent nearly a year in beta-testing before releasing officially in April 2024 as a part of RoadEng.”

Softree Technical Systems launched in 1989 and initially focused on the forestry vertical. Since 2012, RoadEng “has been successfully applied to forestry, mining, pipeline, and other civil projects in B.C. and worldwide.”