Aussie innovation keeps Komatsu loaders cool

Managing a feedlot in the scorching Australian heat often presents a series of challenges. Machines such as wheel loaders tend to overheat easily with all the debris collected in these conditions, which means producers will have to clean their radiators and coolers every so often to ensure their machines don’t shut down.

This results in plenty of down time for producers which they simply cannot afford.

Understanding this, a team of engineers from Komatsu Australia put their heads together to devise a way to maintain radiator efficiency in extreme conditions.

"Operators in the feedlot industry are sometimes working in heat up to 50 degrees, and in conditions where a 'hay-buster' can split open a core of feed in a matter of seconds and create an almost impenetrabe dust storm," said Komatsu's National Technical Manager for Wheel Loaders, Steve Hollins.

"For years, the need to stop and clean radiators has been an annoying, and as it turns out unnecessary drain on productivity.

"Our brief from customers was to be able to provide them with a full shift of operation without having to stop to clean radiators and coolers of high-density fibers which gather on the ground in feedlots.”

Hollins said the engineers’ solution to the problem exceeded that target while later improvements by the Komatsu factory have provided even greater efficiency.

"Our work was done on the PZ-6 series which is still in wide demand.”

Solutions that were developed include wider-spaced radiator vanes that allow debris to find its way past and through the radiator without the same propensity to clog.

It was also determined that the hydraulic fans which distribute air over the machine's radiator could be run in reverse to pick up clean air from behind the radiator and force it forward in the PZ-6 models.

Therefore, the engineers devised an interval system whereby the hydraulic fans run in reverse every 20 minutes for three minutes. The system can also be programmed to work for five minutes in every 12 minutes in severe conditions.

The feature is now standard on the new Dash 8 loader models.

The same technique was applied to the engine and transmission oil cooler which sits alongside the radiator.

Another modification by the engineering team provided an additional boost for operator comfort.

They relocated the air conditioning condenser from nearby the radiator to the top of the cabin to not only clear an additional airway for engine cooling but to also provide cooler, cleaner air to the operator.

The condenser, like the radiators, has an automatically activated self-cleaning function which reduces the possibility of clogging.

It is provided as a retro-fit to Komatsu’s PZ-6 machines which are widely used in the feedlot industry and is an installation modification on the company’s Dash Seven and Dash Eight machines which have incorporated some of the innovation as original equipment.

Operators who needed to stop three or four times a shift to clean radiators with compressed air are now reporting up to 100 hours between major cleans, Komatsu said.