Why excavators use crawlers: Depth analysis of structure and function
As an important equipment in construction machinery, excavators have always been the focus of attention of the industry and users. The track not only affects the stability of the excavator, but also directly affects its working efficiency and applicable scenarios. This article will analyze the core reasons why excavators use tracks from multiple dimensions such as structure, performance, and application scenarios, and provide data-based comparisons based on popular topics throughout the network in the past 10 days.
1. The core advantages of crawler excavators
Compared with wheeled excavators, crawler excavators have the following significant advantages:
| Contrast dimensions | Crawler excavator | Wheeled excavator |
|---|---|---|
| Grounding pressure | Low (average 0.3-0.5kg/cm²) | High (average 1.5-2.5kg/cm²) |
| Terrain adaptability | Complex terrain such as mud, mountain, desert, etc. | Flat hardened road surface |
| stability | Extremely strong (low center of gravity, not easy to overturn) | Weaker (steer easily shakes) |
| Repair cost | Higher (tracks are prone to wear) | Lower (easy to replace tires) |
2. Hot topics related: Innovation trends in crawler technology
In the past 10 days, among the hot topics in the field of engineering machinery,"Intelligent tracking system"and"Environmental Material Application"Become the focus. For example:
| Topic keywords | Discussion popularity (index) | Breakthrough in related technologies |
|---|---|---|
| Modular tracks | 82,000 | Quickly replace the design to reduce downtime |
| Rubber composite track | 65,000 | Reduce damage to hardened road surfaces |
| Hydraulic tensioning system | 47,000 | Automatically adjust the tightness of the track |
3. Physical principles of track design
The advantages of tracks are essentially derived fromPressure dispersion principle: By increasing the grounding area, the weight of the entire machine is evenly distributed on a larger contact surface. For example, a 20-ton excavator:
| Track grounding length | 3.2 meters (one side) |
| Track width | 0.6 meters |
| Total grounding area | 3.84 square meters |
| Theoretical grounding pressure | Approximately 0.52kg/cm² |
This design allows the excavator to carry only load-bearing capacity0.8kg/cm²The soft mud is working normally on the ground, while the wheeled equipment of the same weight will sink into the ground.
4. Irreversible under special working conditions
According to recent user surveys by a construction machinery forum (sample size 1,200 people), the preferred rate of crawler excavators in the following scenarios is more than 90%:
| Working condition type | Track selection rate | Typical application cases |
|---|---|---|
| Mining | 97% | Rugged stone yard handling |
| River silt | 93% | Wet silt environment |
| Post-disaster rescue | 91% | Ruins Broken and Cleaned |
5. Future development trends
Based on recent industry exhibition information, track technology is developing in three directions:Intelligent(Real-time monitoring of pressure sensors),Lightweight(Aviation aluminum skeleton) andMultifunctional(Deformable tracks cope with extreme terrain). The latest electric excavator released by a certain brand has a 17% reduction in energy consumption of its track system compared to traditional models, becoming a hot topic on social media recently.
In summary, the use of crawlers in excavators is the result of the combined action of engineering requirements and physical principles. With the advancement of technology, the track system will continue to solve existing pain points (such as slow travel speed, fast wear, etc.) while maintaining its core advantages, consolidating its dominance in heavy construction machinery.
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