How Does electric wheel loaders Work?

Manufacturer of construction equipment

Wacker Neuson SE (formerly: Wacker Construction Equipment AG) with headquarters in Munich, Germany, is a manufacturer of construction equipment and compact machines for concrete and construction site technology listed on the stock market. The group includes the product brands Wacker Neuson, Kramer and Weidemann. The family business, founded in 1848, employs around 6,000 people worldwide (2021).[1]

History

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edit

]

The company was founded in 1848 by Johann Christian Wacker as a blacksmith’s shop in Dresden (Germany), trading as Wacker. It started industrial production in 1875. In 1930, the company’s engineers developed a high-frequency technology for internal vibrators.[2] At the same time, the first electrically powered rammer – an innovation in concrete and soil compaction – was developed and produced. Before the start of World War II, the company had already expanded its product portfolio and created a domestic and international sales and retail organisation. Progress was halted by the destruction of the production facility in Dresden just before the end of the war.

Business operations were resumed in Kulmbach in 1945, and the company moved its headquarters to Munich in 1951. The first foreign affiliate was established in 1957, in Hartford (Wisconsin, United States). In 1986, Hartford operations relocated to Menomonee Falls, now home to a production facility and logistics centre. Subsequently, the company stepped up its international presence.

The group changed structure from a limited company (GmbH) to a public limited company, Wacker Construction Equipment AG, in 2002. Until 2005, Wacker only developed, produced, and distributed light construction equipment up to approximately three tonnes in the concrete technology, soil & asphalt compaction, demolition and utility segments. Following the acquisition of Weidemann GmbH in 2005,[3] the company branched out into compact construction equipment and the agricultural sector. Drillfix AG (Switzerland) and Ground Heaters, Inc. (United States) were purchased in 2006.

The company was floated on 15 May 2007, and is listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. It was admitted to the SDAX in autumn 2007.[4]

On October 31, 2007, the company merged with Neuson Kramer Baumaschinen AG (Linz, Austria), a manufacturer of compact construction equipment including compact excavators, wheel loaders, dumpers and skid steer loaders. Neuson Kramer Baumaschinen AG itself was the product of a merger between Neuson Baumaschinen GmbH and the long-established company Kramer-Werke GmbH. Neuson was established in 1981 as Neuson Hydraulik GmbH. Based in Linz, the company initially developed hydraulic mini-excavators. Neuson Baumaschinen GmbH was established in 1990. Dumper manufacturer Lifton Ltd. (GB) was acquired in 1998, and skid-steer loaders were added to the product range in 2004. Neuson and Kramer merged in 2001.

In February 2009, Wacker Construction Equipment AG underwent a change of legal form and assumed its current name of Wacker Neuson SE.

Between 2011 and 2017, Wacker Neuson produced, in its plant in Hörsching, mini-excavators for Caterpillar. This resulted in the Austrian subsidiary being awarded distinction in Austria’s Leading Companies in 2015. In 2017, the strategic alliance for the sale of telehandlers and wheel loaders started between Kramer and John Deere. Via John Deere’s independent dealer network, Kramer machines for agriculture are marketed under Kramer’s brand name and design.

In 2022, the Wacker Neuson Group acquired the Spanish company Enarco S.A. Enar is a manufacturer of light construction equipment, specialised in concrete compaction. Alongside a wide range of internal vibrators for concrete, the company’s product portfolio also covers vibratory plates, rammers and walk-behind rollers for soil and asphalt compaction.  Enar produces its equipment in Zaragoza, Spain.[5]

Group overview

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edit

]

Headquarters Munich Wacker Neuson electric machines in application Wheel loader 8155 by Kramer with typical all-wheel drive

Wacker Neuson SE organises its activities by region (Europe, America, and Asia-Pacific). The group is divided into three business fields: Light Equipment, Compact Equipment (weighing up to approximately 14 tons), and Services (spare parts, maintenance and repair). The Compact Equipment segment supplies excavators, wheel loaders, telescopic handlers, skid-steer loaders and dumpers. These machines are used in application areas including structural and civil engineering, road construction, agriculture, gardening, landscaping, municipal works, recycling and industrial projects. The group comprises the three brands Wacker Neuson, Weidemann and Kramer as well as affiliates and production plants.

Weidemann eHoftrac

Brands

[

edit

]

Under the Wacker Neuson brand, the group sells walk-behind and hand-held construction equipment worldwide. Products here include rammers, vibratory plates, hammers, cutting tools, internal & external vibrators and construction site equipment, as well as compact construction equipment such as compact excavators, wheel loaders, dumpers and Skid-steer loaders. All-wheel-drive wheel loaders, telescopic handlers and telescopic wheel loaders are sold under the Kramer brand. The Weidemann brand mainly produces machines such as articulated wheel loaders, telescopic wheel loaders and telehandlers for the agricultural sector.

Management

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edit

]

Since June 2021, Dr. Karl Tragl has been leading the company. The head of the Supervisory Board is Neuson founder Hans Neunteufel.

Shareholder structure

[

edit

]

Status as of December 31, 2019.[6]

• 58.0% share pool (families Wacker and Neunteufel)
• 42.0% free float

Innovations

[

edit

]

Hermann Wacker invented the first vibratory rammer in 1930, and the Hoftrac by Weidemann was created in 1972. The Group is working on further innovations and technologies, for example in the area of alternative drives, driver assistance systems, and the intelligent digital networking of products and services.

Zero emission

[

edit

]

The Wacker Neuson Group has been working for several years on emission-free construction machines and equipment. In 2015, the company introduced the first battery-powered vibratory rammer. Meanwhile, entire construction sites can be operated emission-free with the zero emission solutions. The performance is equal to the conventional machines of the same class and the running time is sufficient for an average workday.

Autonomous vibratory plate

[

edit

]

At the 2019 Bauma fair, the autonomously controlled vibratory plate DPU110r equipped with compaction control was first introduced as a study. The vibratory plate is controlled by a tablet. The area to be compacted is drawn in on the touchscreen using your finger. Compaction work is seamlessly documented, as the vibratory plate digitally records all steps taken and thus automatically provides a daily report sheet for contractors.

Smart Factory

[

edit

]

The Wacker Neuson Group develops “Smart Factory” solutions that contribute to optimising production. This includes, for example, the application of assistance systems in assembly, production and intralogistics, as well as digital malfunction and quality management. Additionally, digital objects and models are being worked on that, as a first step to a “digital twin”, will illustrate reality and should bring about improvements in machine monitoring and time management. The company is now using 3D-printing technology in prototype construction.

Smart processes

[

edit

]

In the area of digitalisation, the Wacker Neuson Group is testing the application of Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality in the area of “Smart Processes” for an even faster and more efficient working principle. Here, these technologies come into application, for example, in positioning attachments, comparing old and new versions, and testing the 360° visibility of the operator and the movement of objects.[7]

Locations

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]

Group headquarters

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]

• Wacker Neuson SE Munich, Germany.

Training center Europe

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]

• Wacker Neuson Academy Reichertshofen, Germany.

Production Europe

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edit

]

• Wacker Neuson SE Reichertshofen, Germany.
• Wacker Neuson Linz GmbH Hörsching, Austria.
• Weidemann GmbH, Diemelsee-Flechtdorf, Germany.
• Kramer-Werke GmbH, Pfullendorf, Germany.
• Wacker Neuson Kragujevac d.o.o. Kragujevac, Serbia.

Production America

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]

• Wacker Neuson Corporation Menomonee Falls (WI), USA.

Production Asia

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• Wacker Neuson Machinery (China) Co., Ltd. Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, China.

References

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edit

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Media related to Wacker Neuson at Wikimedia Commons

The Kramer 5055e is capable of working up to 8 hours on a single charge, depending on the application.

As electrification technology continues to advance, so does the range of machine types to which it’s applied. Electrically-powered wheel loaders are among some of the more recent machine introductions.

During this year’s INTERMAT, Wacker Neuson exhibited two electric wheel loaderselectric wheel loaders, the Kramer 5055e and the Wacker Neuson WL20e. Both machines are part of the company’s range of emissions-free equipment and are capable of working up to 8 hours on a single charge, depending on the application. The company had the machines operating within an indoor demo area, demonstrating one of their many benefits—the machines’ ability to be used inside buildings as they produce no emissions. This not only helps increase the applications and environments in which the machines can be used, but also ensures health and safety of those working around the machines. Wacker Neuson SE

The lack of emissions will be an increasingly more important aspect as more cities begin implementing stricter emissions regulations and designating Low Emission Zones (LEZ). Read about Volvo Construction Equipment’s take on the impact of LEZ on the construction industry.

Stefanie Wieland, Head of Group Brand, Marketing & Communication at Wacker Neuson SE, says there are some areas, especially in Europe, in which vehicles with a combustion engine are completely prohibited. Because of this, the availability of electrically powered equipment is important.

In addition, the noise levels of electrically-powered wheel loaders and other equipment is greatly reduced, enabling their use in residential areas or near livestock, further increasing the applications in which they can be used.

Reducing noise and emissions were major factors for Wacker Neuson’s development of its electric wheel loaders—which Wieland says will soon be available in the U.S.—as well as its entire range of zero-emission electric machinery.

Electric wheel loader designs

Wieland says the concept for the WL20e and 5055e electric wheel loaders is based on time-tested large-scale technology used in material handling equipment. The company has chosen to use absorbent glass mat (AGM) battery technology, common in forklifts. It is a closed and maintenance-free lead-acid battery system especially developed for high-demand applications. In addition, Wieland says the weight of the battery provides the benefit of also being used as counterweight.

An integrated onboard charging unit for the battery means customers are not required to have fixed charging stations on site. Instead, users can plug the machine into an outlet and recharge the battery whenever necessary. “This offers maximum flexibility at every site of [use],” says Wieland.

The battery drives two electric motors on the wheel loaders—one for the drive system and one for the working hydraulics. According to Wacker Neuson, power is automatically provided by the respective motor which helps to minimize energy consumption. Wieland says designing the wheel loaders in this manner ensures low operating costs and excellent battery run times.

With an electric motor built into the drive system, high performance and tractive force can be achieved. Meanwhile, the motor for the hydraulics system delivers only the amount of power required for the application at hand, reducing unnecessary power draw. “These motors are particularly energy efficient with degrees of efficiency from 94-97%,” says Wieland.  

Efficiency is an important aspect of electric equipment so as not to deter customers from purchasing such machines. Last year Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) presented field test results for its LX1 prototype electric hybrid wheel loader which showed an average fuel efficiency improvement of 50%.

The LX1 is a series hybrid machine featuring electric drive motors mounted on the wheels, electric driven hydraulics, a smaller diesel engine, and battery energy storage system. According to Volvo CE, using this combination of technologies enables the significant fuel efficiency increase.  

While still just a prototype, and no concrete plans to bring the machine to market, the LX1 provides a demonstration of potential capabilities for the future. “Volvo CE has long-term plans to develop products and services for electromobility, including electric hybrids and electric sites,” said Scott Young, Electromobility Director at Volvo CE in the press release announcing the field test results. “Although we believe that there will be a major shift towards electric hybrid technology in the future, our customers, quite rightly, want improved efficiency now. This requires a balance in our development activities. Therefore, we are also optimizing more conventional technologies and soft offers which will compete with hybrid technology for some years. Before we launch a machine like the LX1, you can expect to see elements of this design incorporated into our products. This supports short and mid-term developments and requirements while the market continues to accept hybrid technology, technology improves and the cost of new technologies decreases.”

Read more about Volvo CE’s electric work site.

Volvo Construction Equipment

During GIE+EXPO 2017, Avant Tecno introduced its e5 fully-electric battery powered articulated loader. The e5 features a 240Ah (11.5 kWh) lead acid battery and two electric motors—a 6 kW motor for driving the machine and a 2 kW motor for loader boom operation as well as auxiliary hydraulics.

Similar to the Wacker Neuson wheel loaders, the e5 features an integrated battery charger to recharge the battery anywhere a 230V/10A power outlet is available. Operators can also continue using the machine while it’s plugged in and charging. The battery is fully charged in approximately 5 hours, but is capable of reaching 80% capacity in 3 hours, says the company.

Also like the Wacker Neuson machines, the e5 does not produce any emissions, and can be used indoors or outdoors. It offers reduced noise and lower operating costs, as well, as fuel is no longer needed to operate the machine and the electronic componentry used has less wear.

Avant Tecno also offers the e6 battery powered loader as part of its eSeries line of fully-electric loaders which uses a 288 Ah (14.5 kWh) lithium-ion battery. For the e6, customers have the option of a 400V/16A or 400V/32A rapid battery charger. The company says the rapid charger considerably reduces charging time of the battery compared to the built-in charger on the e5; a 100% charge can be achieved within 1 hour.

Avant Tecno USA Inc.Both eSeries wheel loaders include the Avant Tecno Optidrive drive circuit which improves the performance of the machines by as much as 10%. The typical drive system in the company’s loaders consists of a variable displacement hydraulic pump, four hydraulic drive motors—one on each wheel of the loader—and a combination of hydraulic valves, hoses and fittings. Hydraulic oil is used to provide drive power from the machine’s 6 kW electric motor to the four hydraulic drive motors. According to the company, this system offers a lot of pushing power, and a compact design while maintaining a low center of gravity.

Optidrive is the updated version of this drive system, featuring fewer hydraulic hoses and fittings to reduce the amount of heat generated when hydraulic oil flows through it, and thus reduce fuel consumption and power draw from other componentry. Avant Tecno says there are 20% fewer hoses and 60% fewer fittings.

Reducing the number of hydraulic components enables Optidrive to reduce power loss by up to 1.5 kW, roughly 10% of the total power used in the drive circuit. It also helps improve maintenance as there are fewer components that may need fixing or which could prohibit accessibility to other parts of the machine.

Emissions reduction and improved efficiency will continue to be key drivers for equipment design for years to come. With more manufacturers applying electrification technologies to more types of equipment, there will be more options available for end users to get their work done while complying with evolving environmental requirements. 

Wacker Neuson SE (formerly: Wacker Construction Equipment AG) with headquarters in Munich, Germany, is a manufacturer of construction equipment and compact machines for concrete and construction site technology listed on the stock market. The group includes the product brands Wacker Neuson, Kramer and Weidemann. The family business, founded in 1848, employs around 6,000 people worldwide (2021).[1]

History

[

edit

]

The company was founded in 1848 by Johann Christian Wacker as a blacksmith’s shop in Dresden (Germany), trading as Wacker. It started industrial production in 1875. In 1930, the company’s engineers developed a high-frequency technology for internal vibrators.[2] At the same time, the first electrically powered rammer – an innovation in concrete and soil compaction – was developed and produced. Before the start of World War II, the company had already expanded its product portfolio and created a domestic and international sales and retail organisation. Progress was halted by the destruction of the production facility in Dresden just before the end of the war.

Business operations were resumed in Kulmbach in 1945, and the company moved its headquarters to Munich in 1951. The first foreign affiliate was established in 1957, in Hartford (Wisconsin, United States). In 1986, Hartford operations relocated to Menomonee Falls, now home to a production facility and logistics centre. Subsequently, the company stepped up its international presence.

The group changed structure from a limited company (GmbH) to a public limited company, Wacker Construction Equipment AG, in 2002. Until 2005, Wacker only developed, produced, and distributed light construction equipment up to approximately three tonnes in the concrete technology, soil & asphalt compaction, demolition and utility segments. Following the acquisition of Weidemann GmbH in 2005,[3] the company branched out into compact construction equipment and the agricultural sector. Drillfix AG (Switzerland) and Ground Heaters, Inc. (United States) were purchased in 2006.

The company was floated on 15 May 2007, and is listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. It was admitted to the SDAX in autumn 2007.[4]

On October 31, 2007, the company merged with Neuson Kramer Baumaschinen AG (Linz, Austria), a manufacturer of compact construction equipment including compact excavators, wheel loaders, dumpers and skid steer loaders. Neuson Kramer Baumaschinen AG itself was the product of a merger between Neuson Baumaschinen GmbH and the long-established company Kramer-Werke GmbH. Neuson was established in 1981 as Neuson Hydraulik GmbH. Based in Linz, the company initially developed hydraulic mini-excavators. Neuson Baumaschinen GmbH was established in 1990. Dumper manufacturer Lifton Ltd. (GB) was acquired in 1998, and skid-steer loaders were added to the product range in 2004. Neuson and Kramer merged in 2001.

In February 2009, Wacker Construction Equipment AG underwent a change of legal form and assumed its current name of Wacker Neuson SE.

Between 2011 and 2017, Wacker Neuson produced, in its plant in Hörsching, mini-excavators for Caterpillar. This resulted in the Austrian subsidiary being awarded distinction in Austria’s Leading Companies in 2015. In 2017, the strategic alliance for the sale of telehandlers and wheel loaders started between Kramer and John Deere. Via John Deere’s independent dealer network, Kramer machines for agriculture are marketed under Kramer’s brand name and design.

In 2022, the Wacker Neuson Group acquired the Spanish company Enarco S.A. Enar is a manufacturer of light construction equipment, specialised in concrete compaction. Alongside a wide range of internal vibrators for concrete, the company’s product portfolio also covers vibratory plates, rammers and walk-behind rollers for soil and asphalt compaction.  Enar produces its equipment in Zaragoza, Spain.[5]

Group overview

[

edit

]

Headquarters Munich Wacker Neuson electric machines in application Wheel loader 8155 by Kramer with typical all-wheel drive

Wacker Neuson SE organises its activities by region (Europe, America, and Asia-Pacific). The group is divided into three business fields: Light Equipment, Compact Equipment (weighing up to approximately 14 tons), and Services (spare parts, maintenance and repair). The Compact Equipment segment supplies excavators, wheel loaders, telescopic handlers, skid-steer loaders and dumpers. These machines are used in application areas including structural and civil engineering, road construction, agriculture, gardening, landscaping, municipal works, recycling and industrial projects. The group comprises the three brands Wacker Neuson, Weidemann and Kramer as well as affiliates and production plants.

Weidemann eHoftrac

Brands

[

edit

]

Under the Wacker Neuson brand, the group sells walk-behind and hand-held construction equipment worldwide. Products here include rammers, vibratory plates, hammers, cutting tools, internal & external vibrators and construction site equipment, as well as compact construction equipment such as compact excavators, wheel loaders, dumpers and Skid-steer loaders. All-wheel-drive wheel loaders, telescopic handlers and telescopic wheel loaders are sold under the Kramer brand. The Weidemann brand mainly produces machines such as articulated wheel loaders, telescopic wheel loaders and telehandlers for the agricultural sector.

Management

[

edit

]

Since June 2021, Dr. Karl Tragl has been leading the company. The head of the Supervisory Board is Neuson founder Hans Neunteufel.

Shareholder structure

[

edit

]

Status as of December 31, 2019.[6]

• 58.0% share pool (families Wacker and Neunteufel)
• 42.0% free float

Innovations

[

edit

]

Hermann Wacker invented the first vibratory rammer in 1930, and the Hoftrac by Weidemann was created in 1972. The Group is working on further innovations and technologies, for example in the area of alternative drives, driver assistance systems, and the intelligent digital networking of products and services.

Zero emission

[

edit

]

The Wacker Neuson Group has been working for several years on emission-free construction machines and equipment. In 2015, the company introduced the first battery-powered vibratory rammer. Meanwhile, entire construction sites can be operated emission-free with the zero emission solutions. The performance is equal to the conventional machines of the same class and the running time is sufficient for an average workday.

Autonomous vibratory plate

[

edit

]

At the 2019 Bauma fair, the autonomously controlled vibratory plate DPU110r equipped with compaction control was first introduced as a study. The vibratory plate is controlled by a tablet. The area to be compacted is drawn in on the touchscreen using your finger. Compaction work is seamlessly documented, as the vibratory plate digitally records all steps taken and thus automatically provides a daily report sheet for contractors.

Smart Factory

[

edit

]

The Wacker Neuson Group develops “Smart Factory” solutions that contribute to optimising production. This includes, for example, the application of assistance systems in assembly, production and intralogistics, as well as digital malfunction and quality management. Additionally, digital objects and models are being worked on that, as a first step to a “digital twin”, will illustrate reality and should bring about improvements in machine monitoring and time management. The company is now using 3D-printing technology in prototype construction.

Smart processes

[

edit

]

In the area of digitalisation, the Wacker Neuson Group is testing the application of Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality in the area of “Smart Processes” for an even faster and more efficient working principle. Here, these technologies come into application, for example, in positioning attachments, comparing old and new versions, and testing the 360° visibility of the operator and the movement of objects.[7]

Locations

[

Contact us to discuss your requirements of tri axle trucks. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

edit

]

Group headquarters

[

edit

]

• Wacker Neuson SE Munich, Germany.

Training center Europe

[

edit

]

• Wacker Neuson Academy Reichertshofen, Germany.

Production Europe

[

edit

]

• Wacker Neuson SE Reichertshofen, Germany.
• Wacker Neuson Linz GmbH Hörsching, Austria.
• Weidemann GmbH, Diemelsee-Flechtdorf, Germany.
• Kramer-Werke GmbH, Pfullendorf, Germany.
• Wacker Neuson Kragujevac d.o.o. Kragujevac, Serbia.

Production America

[

edit

]

• Wacker Neuson Corporation Menomonee Falls (WI), USA.

Production Asia

[

edit

]

• Wacker Neuson Machinery (China) Co., Ltd. Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, China.

References

[

edit

]

Media related to Wacker Neuson at Wikimedia Commons

The Kramer 5055e is capable of working up to 8 hours on a single charge, depending on the application.

As electrification technology continues to advance, so does the range of machine types to which it’s applied. Electrically-powered wheel loaders are among some of the more recent machine introductions.

During this year’s INTERMAT, Wacker Neuson exhibited two electric wheel loaders, the Kramer 5055e and the Wacker Neuson WL20e. Both machines are part of the company’s range of emissions-free equipment and are capable of working up to 8 hours on a single charge, depending on the application. The company had the machines operating within an indoor demo area, demonstrating one of their many benefits—the machines’ ability to be used inside buildings as they produce no emissions. This not only helps increase the applications and environments in which the machines can be used, but also ensures health and safety of those working around the machines. Wacker Neuson SE

The lack of emissions will be an increasingly more important aspect as more cities begin implementing stricter emissions regulations and designating Low Emission Zones (LEZ). Read about Volvo Construction Equipment’s take on the impact of LEZ on the construction industry.

Stefanie Wieland, Head of Group Brand, Marketing & Communication at Wacker Neuson SE, says there are some areas, especially in Europe, in which vehicles with a combustion engine are completely prohibited. Because of this, the availability of electrically powered equipment is important.

In addition, the noise levels of electrically-powered wheel loaders and other equipment is greatly reduced, enabling their use in residential areas or near livestock, further increasing the applications in which they can be used.

Reducing noise and emissions were major factors for Wacker Neuson’s development of its electric wheel loaders—which Wieland says will soon be available in the U.S.—as well as its entire range of zero-emission electric machinery.

Electric wheel loader designs

Wieland says the concept for the WL20e and 5055e electric wheel loaders is based on time-tested large-scale technology used in material handling equipment. The company has chosen to use absorbent glass mat (AGM) battery technology, common in forklifts. It is a closed and maintenance-free lead-acid battery system especially developed for high-demand applications. In addition, Wieland says the weight of the battery provides the benefit of also being used as counterweight.

An integrated onboard charging unit for the battery means customers are not required to have fixed charging stations on site. Instead, users can plug the machine into an outlet and recharge the battery whenever necessary. “This offers maximum flexibility at every site of [use],” says Wieland.

The battery drives two electric motors on the wheel loaders—one for the drive system and one for the working hydraulics. According to Wacker Neuson, power is automatically provided by the respective motor which helps to minimize energy consumption. Wieland says designing the wheel loaders in this manner ensures low operating costs and excellent battery run times.

With an electric motor built into the drive system, high performance and tractive force can be achieved. Meanwhile, the motor for the hydraulics system delivers only the amount of power required for the application at hand, reducing unnecessary power draw. “These motors are particularly energy efficient with degrees of efficiency from 94-97%,” says Wieland.  

Efficiency is an important aspect of electric equipment so as not to deter customers from purchasing such machines. Last year Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) presented field test results for its LX1 prototype electric hybrid wheel loader which showed an average fuel efficiency improvement of 50%.

The LX1 is a series hybrid machine featuring electric drive motors mounted on the wheels, electric driven hydraulics, a smaller diesel engine, and battery energy storage system. According to Volvo CE, using this combination of technologies enables the significant fuel efficiency increase.  

While still just a prototype, and no concrete plans to bring the machine to market, the LX1 provides a demonstration of potential capabilities for the future. “Volvo CE has long-term plans to develop products and services for electromobility, including electric hybrids and electric sites,” said Scott Young, Electromobility Director at Volvo CE in the press release announcing the field test results. “Although we believe that there will be a major shift towards electric hybrid technology in the future, our customers, quite rightly, want improved efficiency now. This requires a balance in our development activities. Therefore, we are also optimizing more conventional technologies and soft offers which will compete with hybrid technology for some years. Before we launch a machine like the LX1, you can expect to see elements of this design incorporated into our products. This supports short and mid-term developments and requirements while the market continues to accept hybrid technology, technology improves and the cost of new technologies decreases.”

Read more about Volvo CE’s electric work site.

Volvo Construction Equipment

During GIE+EXPO 2017, Avant Tecno introduced its e5 fully-electric battery powered articulated loader. The e5 features a 240Ah (11.5 kWh) lead acid battery and two electric motors—a 6 kW motor for driving the machine and a 2 kW motor for loader boom operation as well as auxiliary hydraulics.

Similar to the Wacker Neuson wheel loaders, the e5 features an integrated battery charger to recharge the battery anywhere a 230V/10A power outlet is available. Operators can also continue using the machine while it’s plugged in and charging. The battery is fully charged in approximately 5 hours, but is capable of reaching 80% capacity in 3 hours, says the company.

Also like the Wacker Neuson machines, the e5 does not produce any emissions, and can be used indoors or outdoors. It offers reduced noise and lower operating costs, as well, as fuel is no longer needed to operate the machine and the electronic componentry used has less wear.

Avant Tecno also offers the e6 battery powered loader as part of its eSeries line of fully-electric loaders which uses a 288 Ah (14.5 kWh) lithium-ion battery. For the e6, customers have the option of a 400V/16A or 400V/32A rapid battery charger. The company says the rapid charger considerably reduces charging time of the battery compared to the built-in charger on the e5; a 100% charge can be achieved within 1 hour.

Avant Tecno USA Inc.Both eSeries wheel loaders include the Avant Tecno Optidrive drive circuit which improves the performance of the machines by as much as 10%. The typical drive system in the company’s loaders consists of a variable displacement hydraulic pump, four hydraulic drive motors—one on each wheel of the loader—and a combination of hydraulic valves, hoses and fittings. Hydraulic oil is used to provide drive power from the machine’s 6 kW electric motor to the four hydraulic drive motors. According to the company, this system offers a lot of pushing power, and a compact design while maintaining a low center of gravity.

Optidrive is the updated version of this drive system, featuring fewer hydraulic hoses and fittings to reduce the amount of heat generated when hydraulic oil flows through it, and thus reduce fuel consumption and power draw from other componentry. Avant Tecno says there are 20% fewer hoses and 60% fewer fittings.

Reducing the number of hydraulic components enables Optidrive to reduce power loss by up to 1.5 kW, roughly 10% of the total power used in the drive circuit. It also helps improve maintenance as there are fewer components that may need fixing or which could prohibit accessibility to other parts of the machine.

Emissions reduction and improved efficiency will continue to be key drivers for equipment design for years to come. With more manufacturers applying electrification technologies to more types of equipment, there will be more options available for end users to get their work done while complying with evolving environmental requirements. 

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