In the dusty construction sites, mines piled with ores, and busy ports filled with goods, there is often a figure to be seen: It has a strong and vigorous body made of steel, with a huge bucket like its "arm", effortlessly handling all kinds of materials. This is the wheeled loader, the well - deserved "steel steed" on construction sites. Today, let's uncover its mysteries.
I. High Efficiency and Flexibility: The Core Advantages of Wheeled Loaders
Compared with crawler loaders, the most prominent features of wheeled loaders are "speed" and "agility". It moves on the ground relying on tires, with a road driving speed of up to 30 - 40 km/h. This makes it very convenient to transfer between different work sites. Without the need for additional transportation tools, it can quickly reach the construction site, greatly saving time costs. In scenarios with high requirements for work efficiency and mobility, such as urban road construction and municipal engineering, wheeled loaders can quickly shuttle between various work points and complete tasks efficiently.
At the same time, the rolling friction between the tires of wheeled loaders and the ground is relatively small, resulting in low driving resistance. When operating on flat roads, it is not only fast but also more fuel - efficient. According to statistics, for the same amount of work, the fuel consumption of wheeled loaders is 15% - 20% lower than that of crawler loaders. This can effectively reduce operating costs for enterprises that use loaders on a long - term and large - scale basis. In addition, wheeled loaders have flexible steering and a small turning radius. Some models are also equipped with special functions such as crab steering, enabling them to turn freely in narrow spaces and adapt to a variety of complex working environments.
II. Precise Structure: Exploring the Working Mysteries of Wheeled Loaders
(I) Power System: The Powerful Heart
Wheeled loaders are generally equipped with diesel engines as the power source. Diesel engines are characterized by high torque and strong power, which can meet the power requirements of loaders during heavy - duty operations. For example, some large - scale wheeled loaders are equipped with high - power diesel engines with a maximum power of over 300 kW. They can easily handle tasks such as shoveling hard ores and transporting heavy building materials, providing a continuous power supply for the efficient operation of the loader.
(II) Transmission System: The Hub of Power Transmission
The transmission system is like the "neural network" of the loader, responsible for transmitting the power of the engine to each component. Common transmission methods for wheeled loaders include hydro - mechanical transmission and full - hydraulic transmission. In the hydro - mechanical transmission system, the torque converter is a key component. It can automatically change the torque and speed according to the working load of the loader, acting like an intelligent "power regulator". This makes the loader more stable and efficient when shoveling materials, effectively reducing the impact and wear on the engine. The full - hydraulic transmission system has the advantages of smooth transmission and precise control, enabling stepless speed regulation of the loader, with more flexible operation, and is widely used in some high - end wheeled loaders.
(III) Working Device: The Core of Operations
The working device of a wheeled loader mainly consists of a boom, a rocker arm, connecting rods, a bucket, and hydraulic cylinders. The boom is the main component for supporting and lifting the bucket. The lifting of the bucket is achieved through the extension and retraction of the boom cylinder; the tilting of the bucket is completed by the four - bar linkage mechanism composed of the bucket - tilting cylinder, the rocker arm, and the connecting rods. These components work together to enable the bucket to complete a series of actions such as inserting into materials, lifting, and tilting for unloading. Moreover, the bucket design of modern wheeled loaders is becoming more and more scientific. Special curved shapes and wear - resistant materials are used, which not only improve the loading capacity and efficiency of the bucket but also enhance its wear resistance and service life.
(IV) Traveling System: Steady Strides
The traveling system is composed of axles, tires, and suspension devices. The axles are divided into the front axle and the rear axle. The front axle is generally a steering axle, and the rear axle is a drive axle (some models are four - wheel drive). They transmit the weight of the loader to the ground and bear various forces from the ground. Tires are the components that come into contact with the ground of the wheeled loader, and their specifications and tread patterns are selected according to different working environments. For example, in harsh environments such as mines, large - sized off - road tires with high tread patterns are used to enhance the tire's grip and wear resistance; when working on flat roads such as urban roads, ordinary tires can be selected to reduce driving noise and rolling resistance. The suspension device plays a role in buffering and shock absorption, ensuring the stability of the loader during driving and reducing the fatigue of the driver.
