Hydraulic Shovel Vs.

Wheel Loader
Why both are such great machines
Cedric Otzenberger, LFR September, 2006

The Hydraulic Shovel

The Wheel Loader

All pics courtesy of "Le Tourneau"

The Wheel Loader 1950's (Liebherr "Elephant")

21st century
(Le Tourneau)

41 m3

The Wheel Loader

1. Generalities

2. Wheel Loader Advantages

3. Hydraulic Shovel Advantages 4. Conclusion

 The Hydraulic Shovel is the best machine to load material

The Wheel Loader is the best machine to load material

Hydraulic Shovel & Wheel Loader

Hard Rock High Penetration Force Tight Quarters NO travel High Dumping Height Abrasive Material Rough Floor
Super -

Strictly Rehandling Easy Digging Open Space MUST travel (Lower Dumping Height) Nonabrasive Material Smooth Floor
- Super

Hydraulic Shovel

Wheel Loader

Lousy -

- Lousy

Wheel Loader
Strictly Rehandling Easy Digging Open Space MUST travel (Lower Dumping Height) Nonabrasive Material Smooth Floor

This is what the Wheel Loader originally was designed to This is still today where it excels.

The Wheel Loader's basic design has not changed in 55 years

Wheel Loader

Strictly Rehandling Easy Digging Open Space MUST travel (Lower Dumping Height) Smooth Material etc. Smooth Floor

This leads to:

Large Bucket Capacity High Ratio of Bucket capacity to operating weight Easy travel and steering (highly maneuverable) Fast travel speed Rubber tires

Wheel Loader

Large Bucket Capacity High Ratio of Bucket capacity to Operating weight This, by the way, was in 180 contrast to the only loading machine known then - the cable shovel. Easy travel and steering (highly maneuverable) Fast travel speed Rubber tires etc.

These facts made it new, interesting, promising and lent it immediate success.

1. Generalities

2. Wheel Loader Advantages

3. Hydraulic Shovel Advantages 4. Conclusion

Wheel Loader "Typical" features of the wheel loader idea:

1- To move the bucket into the material the whole machine has to move

To move the bucket into the material the whole machine has to move

Total weight of machine has to be accelerated from zero to maximum speed FOUR times each cycle Total weight of machine has to be braked down from maximum speed to a dead stop THREE times each cycle The fourth time the whole machine weight runs into the material trying to help filling the bucket

The Hydraulic Shovel moves just its Attachment

Wheel Loader "Typical" features of the wheel loader idea:

1- To move the bucket into the material the whole machine has to move 2- The bucket has to stay at floor level to clear the way for the tires

The bucket has to stay at floor level to clear the way for tires

The bucket has to stay at floor level to clear the way for tires

?
What, if it's harder material?

The bucket can penetrate anywhere within the attachment digging envelope

Wheel Loader "Typical" features of the wheel loader idea:

1- To move the bucket into the material the whole machine has to move 2- The bucket has to stay at floor level to clear the way for the tires 3- The bucket HAS to be as wide as the whole machine

The bucket HAS to be as wide as the whole machine

The bucket MUST clear a wide enough path for the tires to avoid damaging them This makes buckets relatively wide and spreads penetrating forces thin If the bucket is not wide enough.

The bucket HAS to be as wide as the whole machine

(no comment)

The bucket HAS to be as wide as the whole machine The wheel loader bucket MUST be as wide as the machine.

The bucket could be as narrow as the attachment The hydraulic shovel can choose the width of its bucket.

The bucket could be as narrow as the attachment plus

The hydraulic shovel can penetrate the material from a stand still at any angle. The wheel loader can not !

Wheel Loader "Typical" features of the wheel loader idea:

1- To move the bucket into the material the whole machine has to move 2- The bucket has to stay at floor level to clear the way for the tires 3- The bucket HAS to be as wide as the whole machine 4- Penetration force depends on the friction value of the rubber tires

Max. penetration force = friction value of the rubber tires

Weight of total machine x Tire friction coefficient 0.4 to 0.85 0.4 to 0.8 0.55 to 0.75 0.55 to 0.75 0.05 to 0.1 0.1 to 0.55

Friction coefficient for rubber on dry gravel wet gravel dry rock wet rock wet ice dry snow

(This is why data sheets may show "tractive effort" but not crowd force)

Max. penetration force = friction value of the rubber tires

When the going gets tough (abrasive), the wheel loader can/will use chains to protect its tires

Weight of total machine x Tire friction coefficient

Note: The friction coefficient of steel on rock is considerably less than the one of rubber on rock, resulting in greatly reduced penetrating force

Wheel Loader "Typical" features of the wheel loader idea:

1- To move the bucket into the material the whole machine has to move 2- The bucket has to stay at floor level to clear the way for the tires 3- The bucket HAS to be as wide as the whole machine 4- Penetration force depends on the friction value of the rubber tires 5- Any type shock the bucket lip gets is passed on to the whole machine

Any type shock the bucket lip gets is passed on to the whole machine

Any type shock the bucket lip gets is passed on to the whole machine

This is certainly not the case with the hydraulic shovel

1. Generalities

2. Wheel Loader Advantages

3. Hydraulic Shovel Advantages 4. Conclusion

The hydraulic shovel Hard Rock .. Strictly Rehandling High Penetration Force .. Easy Digging The hydraulic shovel was designed Tight Quarters .. Open Space to excel where thetravel wheel loader NO travel .. MUST is weak by design. High Dumping Height .. (Lower Dumping Height) Abrasive Material .. Nonabrasive Material Rough Floor .. Smooth Floor

The hydraulic shovel is a loading machine of its own It avoids many of the short comings of the Cable Shovel and . . .

. . . and it does not want to be a replacement for the Wheel Loader

Advantages of the hydraulic shovel over the wheel loader

1 Hard Rock .. 2 High Penetration Force .. 3 Tight Quarters .. 4 NO travel .. 5 High Dumping Height .. 6 Abrasive Material .. Rough Floor .. 7

Strictly Rehandling Easy Digging Open Space MUST travel (Lower Dumping Height) Nonabrasive Material Smooth Floor

Hard Rock

Hard Rock

Loading hard rock requires:

High Penetrating or Digging Force

REAL*
High Break-out force

* "real" meaning - in the material, not just in the data sheet

2 High Penetration Force .. 3 Tight Quarters .. 4 NO travel .. 5 High Dumping Height .. 6 Abrasive Material .. Rough Floor .. 7

Easy Digging Open Space MUST travel (Lower Dumping Height) Nonabrasive Material Smooth Floor

2 High Penetration or Crowd Force

Wheel loader: The machine's total penetrating force is as high as its tractive effort, which is limited by the available friction between tires and ground.

= Weight x Tire friction coefficient

Hydraulic shovel: Its total Crowd force force is determined by its hydraulic cylinders and the attachment geometry. Ground friction is normally not a limiting factor. Non-moving double grouser shoes will dig in.

2 High Penetration or Crowd Force

This actually available digging force has to be divided by the width of the bucket to get the real or "specific" force per meter of cutting edge

5,7m
Cat 994F 17 m3 R 9350 18 m3

4,1 m

The wheel loader will always have (to have) a wider bucket than the hydraulic shovel

So even with the identical data sheet crowd force/tractive effort, the shovel has a higher specific force = more kN per meter of cutting edge

2 High Breakout Force

Breakout force is the available force at the bucket teeth to break the material and fill the bucket once the crowd motion stops.

Cat 994F 17 m3

R 9350 18 m3

Wheel Loader - Breakout Leverage

Cat 994F 17 m3

100

Approx. 0,4 0,5m

Per SAE regulation the breakout force for a wheel loader bucket is calculated 100mm (4) behind its cutting edge.

Wheel Loader - Breakout Leverage

Cat 994F 17,5 m3

Wheel Loader - Breakout Leverage

Cat 994F 17 m3

Calculated Breakout Force per Data sheet REAL Breakout Force in the Material

100

Much smaller

Wheel Loader - Breakout Leverage

Cylinder force

Theoretical or Datasheet Breakout force

Cylinder force lever

Breakout force lever length used for calculation

Wheel Loader - Breakout Leverage

Cylinder force

REAL Breakout force in the material

NEW Cylinder force lever

Real "In the material" breakout force lever length

Hydraulic Shovel - Breakout Leverage Theoretical breakout force lever length = Bucket radius Cylinder force Cylinder force lever

Theoretical or Datasheet Breakout force

In contrast to the wheel loader, per SAE regulation the breakout force for a Hydraulic Shovel bucket is calculated at the tip of the teeth

Hydraulic Shovel - Breakout Leverage Down pressure of machine and attachment

REAL Breakout force in the material plus additional Breakout force from the machine's down pressure

Real "In the material" breakout force lever length

3 Tight Quarters .. 4 NO travel .. 5 High Dumping Height .. 6 Abrasive Material .. Rough Floor .. 7

Open Space MUST travel (Lower Dumping Height) Nonabrasive Material Smooth Floor

3 Wheel Loader - Tight Quarters

Loading of trucks with wheel loader requires a lot of room in the loading area

3 Hydraulic Shovel - Tight Quarters

Minimum required space: only for truck positioning / loading and for the shovel itself

4 NO travel .. 5 High Dumping Height .. 6 Abrasive Material .. Rough Floor .. 7

MUST travel (Lower Dumping Height) Nonabrasive Material Smooth Floor

4 Wheel Loader - NO travel

Muck pile
A lot of movement at the face and loading area is required in order to properly position the wheel loader This will also lead to effectively and efficiently load haul trucks

4 Hydraulic Shovel - NO travel

Muck pile
The hydraulic shovel can penetrate the material from a stand still at any angle

Truck

The hydraulic shovel can also load trucks from the same stand still

5 High Dumping Height .. (Lower Dumping Height) 6 Abrasive Material .. Nonabrasive Material Rough Floor .. Smooth Floor 7

5 Wheel Loader - High Dumping Height

The wheel loader lifting capacity is always lower than the comparable hydraulic shovel model Wheel loaders are often equipped with an optional high lift arrangement in order to match the existing mine truck fleet

Bad view
177 tonnes 190 tons

Very short distance to truck

Danger of truck side damage Impossible to pile up the truck

Cat 994F 17 m3

5 Hydraulic Shovel - High Dumping Height

Compared to wheel loaders, hydraulic shovel have several advantages in terms of truck loading situations

Better view into the truck dump body

177 tonnes 190 tons

Enough space between the excavator and the truck Can easily pile up the truck R 9350 18 m3

5 Hydraulic Shovel - High Dumping Height

Compared to wheel loaders, hydraulic shovel have several advantages in terms of truck loading situations

177 tonnes 190 tons

Cat 994F 17 m3
Max dump height = 7,60m

R 9350 18 m3
Max dump height = 11,20m

6 Abrasive Material .. Nonabrasive Material Rough Floor .. Smooth Floor 7

6 Wheel Loader - Abrasive Material

The wheel loader is the ideal loading machine for:

Free flowing material Unconsolidated material Stock piles materials

Free Flowing
Very well blasted materials

Well Fragmented

6 Hydraulic Shovel - Abrasive Material

The hydraulic shovel is the ideal loading machine for:

Tightly blasted material Material at the toe of the blast

Tightly Shot

Consolidated Material Unblasted Material

Consolidated

6 Hydraulic Shovel - Abrasive Material

In poorly fragmented or abrasive materials, the hydraulic excavator performs better than any other loading tool

Crowd and breakout forces increase loading efficiency by increasing bucket fill factors

Rough Floor .. Smooth Floor 7

7 Wheel Loader - Rough Floor

Wheel Loaders used in severe loading applications have shown poor tire life cycles

The use of protective chains increases the tire lifetime but decreases the wheel loader adhesion i.e. penetrating force

7 Hydraulic Shovel - Rough Floor

Hydraulic shovel can work, without restrictions, on varying ground conditions within the pit

1. Generalities

2. Wheel Loader Advantages

3. Hydraulic Shovel Advantages 4. Conclusion

Summary - Disadvantages of Wheel Loaders

Wheel Loader disadvantages = Hydraulic shovel advantages

Application

Bad operators comfort Digging only possible on ground level Good cleaning of floor not feasible Requires firm ground conditions Not suitable for direct digging applications Not suitable for drop-ball application

Productivity

Longer cycles (due to higher number of movements per pass) Lower breakout and crowd forces Less productive in bad shots

Summary - Disadvantages of Wheel Loaders

Wheel Loader disadvantages = Hydraulic shovel advantages

Capital cost

Lower life expectancy combined with higher investment at comparable

productivity

Operating cost

Significant cost for tires and protection chains Higher power-demand and thus higher fuel consumption for comparable
productivity

Thank you

for your attention