LeTourneau L-2350 - the largest loader in the world

The front end loader is probably the most popular piece of equipment in the construction and quarrying industry today. It has entered the modern world to such an extent and become an everyday car that any activity in this area is practically impossible without it. It may seem at first glance that this technique was invented in ancient times, but the first mentions of it date back only to the last century.

Story

The first front-end loaders appeared in the 30s of the 20th century. By 1952, they could already lift 10 tons, but even then no one could have imagined that today they would reach such sizes. Over the entire period of use, the machines have gone through a positive path of technical evolution and acquired high ratings in various fields. They are used in agriculture, cleaning of summer cottages, as well as in the construction of highways and in huge quarries. Various modifications of the loader are designed for different processes, but now the article will talk about an incredible, amazing, mesmerizing achievement of technology in its scale.

The largest Russian-made loader

Russia has a strong tradition of producing quarry equipment, but the loader niche is filled mainly by foreign manufacturers. Among domestic developments, we can note the T-800 - a caterpillar tractor manufactured by the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. The machine weighs more than 100 tons and is equipped with an 820 hp engine. With. and develops a tractive effort of up to 140 tons. This giant worked on the construction of the South Ural Nuclear Power Plant, on the development of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works and in diamond mining in Yakutia. It copes with frozen soils and heavy rocks, which other equipment fails at. Today, ten copies are in operation in Russia, and negotiations are underway on supplies to neighboring countries. Of course, this is not the largest front-end loader in the world, but these machines are also much simpler and more economical to maintain and transport.

In addition, the EK 400SL excavator (KranEx), which unloads bulk materials to a height of up to 11 m, and the Tonar dump truck, which carries up to 40 tons of cargo, are also interesting.

Characteristics and description

The LeTourneau L-2350 is the largest front-end loader in the world, this Goliath resembles a two-story house with big teeth and enormous strength. It is being created in Texas, where people know how to enjoy their work. A huge team is working on creating these monsters. It takes 16 weeks to produce one such loader. Everything is created from scratch.

The process begins in an electric arc furnace where the steel is melted. Building the largest forklift is a very complex process, as the gigantic parts require equally huge plates of steel that need to be cut and moved using equally impressive tools. These include, for example, a vice that can move and hold a scoop for a long time, which can weigh up to 20 tons. The main difficulties in working with such equipment are related to its size. It is much easier for the welder to carry out the process if the object is underneath him, but sometimes the object is too large, so a manipulator was also invented that literally grabs the scoop and can rotate it into position. As a result, welders do not have to work with parts placed above their heads.

The world's largest mining loaders

Quarry loaders are impressive in size and weight. Today, the Top 3 largest models are divided into “American”, “Japanese” and “Swedish”:

1. LeTourneau L-2350 is an American-made wheeled front loader. Each of its four wheels is three times taller than a person, and the floor of the operator's cabin is located at a height of 6.5 m. During the day, this giant consumes up to 4000 liters of diesel fuel and lifts up to 72 tons of cargo. The load on the wheels is so great that special chains are put on them.
2. Komatsu WA1200-3 is a loader from a famous Japanese manufacturer. The size of the car is amazing - a large SUV can easily fit into a 6.5 m wide bucket, which is confirmed by numerous photos. No less impressive is the lifting capacity of 40 tons. By the way, models of slightly less modest dimensions (WA900) are successfully working in our gold-bearing mines of the Kolyma River, as well as in other regions of the country.
3. Huddig 1260 is a Swedish-made backhoe loader. It does not have such impressive dimensions as the above-mentioned models, but it is multifunctional. Quarry machines can only load ore, and the more compact Huddig can be equipped with various working equipment and used for installing electrical poles, laying cables, clearing undergrowth, like a forklift, etc. But the most interesting thing is the remote maintenance system, which allows you to maintain and eliminate errors in Software without a specialist visiting the GSM coverage area. The solution is especially relevant for remote and hard-to-reach regions, where large special equipment is most in demand.

LeTourneau L-2350

Also interesting is the XCMG LW1200K, a Chinese model of quarry equipment actively used in the mining industry. It is slightly inferior in terms of indicators to the leaders, but is more widespread.

Photos, characteristics

Model: LeTorneau L-2350 / Komatsu WA1200-3 / Huddig 1260.

Be sure to read: Hangcha forklifts, diesel, gasoline, electric

Dimensions:

• length - 20.3 / 18.2 m / no data;
• width - 6.7 / 6.55 m;
• height - 6.45 / 6.86 m;
• ground clearance - 0.5 / no data / m;
• weight - 262.176 / 21.020 / 12.850 tons.

Operating power - 2331 / 1740 / 157 hp. With. Load capacity - 72.574 / 40 kg. Bucket volume - 40.52 / 18 / from 1 to 2.5 m3.

Cummins QSK 60 / CUMMINS QSK60 / QSB 6.7 Stage III Engine:

• volume - 45 / 60.2 / 67 l;
• power - 2331 / 1740 / 157 hp. With;
• fuel consumption - 160 l/h;
• fuel tank - 4000 l / 5100 l.

Huddig 1260

Difficulties

Each forklift tire weighs 7.5 tons, that is, 30 tons of rubber are needed for one machine, and a forklift and a crane are needed to change a wheel. All equipment used in production is much larger in size than what is found on the open market.

Transporting the world's largest forklift also poses many challenges, such as how to fit a 240-ton giant into a trailer. The following technology is used here: the machine is completely disassembled, that is, the body is divided in half, all tires, a scoop and lifting elements are removed. These parts are placed on 8 separate trucks.

The largest Japanese loader Komatsu WA1200-3

The KOMATSU WA1200-3 loader is available on a wheeled base. Of all the loaders produced by KOMATSU, it has the largest bucket, the dimensions of which can be seen in the table and seen in the video of the largest loader in the world from Japanese manufacturers. This loader has the most powerful traction and breakout force of the bucket, which ensures high performance, a record among Japanese model loaders.

Table 2 - Technical characteristics of the Komatsu WA1200-3 loader

The working process

When assembled, the largest loader is a huge earthmoving machine designed for very heavy duty work. It can perform its functions almost without stopping. You drive up, scoop up 50 tons and dump them into the truck, then turn around, come back and scoop up 50 tons again, seven days a week from dawn to dusk.

These cars have more horsepower in their engines than the Kentucky Derby. An electric motor with two thousand horsepower can move, lift, dig and destroy everything in its path. There is enough electricity here for a small town. But this car is not just a mountain of iron “muscles”. The forklift is equipped with a sophisticated on-board computer, making it a combination of steel, rubber and computer chips. 17 microprocessors support all forklift operations.

Previously, control was carried out using a large steering wheel and complex hydraulic levers. And the direction of movement changed 500 times a day, so it was not easy for the person in the cabin. The new largest loader is much easier to operate. The driver has two joysticks at his disposal: one is steering, and the second is responsible for the scoop. He just sits in the cab and enjoys his work.

The fastest front loader Volvo L60G PCP

The fastest loader is distinguished by a sloping hood, increased visibility, the hydraulic system automatically adapts depending on the load, self-diagnosis elements simplify troubleshooting and facilitate work related to equipment repair.
The main difference from other models is the z-shaped bucket drive lever, which includes the advantages of radial and vertical lift levers. The speed record that was set on this car is 103 km/h. Table 4 - Technical characteristics of the Volvo L60G PCP loader

Driver reviews of the world's largest front loader

• The size of the giant really impresses them. They feel like they are managing a three-story building. Being in the cabin is, according to them, an indescribable experience. At one time, such a “baby” lifts 50 tons of earth. While driving this monster, drivers feel like giants. They think that people came up with this machine because everyone played in the sandbox as children, and this loader does the same thing, albeit on a different scale.
• Driving the biggest forklift is every man's childhood dream. The only thing this model lacks is a rocket launcher—some drivers like to joke. According to others, the forklift is a cross between a roller coaster and a go-kart. The speed is quite high, but you have to drive on uneven surfaces, so the seat belt is always on hand.

The largest Chinese loader XCMG LW1200K

As shown in the video, the world's largest loader from Chinese manufacturers demonstrates the high performance that new elements in the machine's design provide. Gearbox with several operating modes, hydraulics with two speeds. The largest Chinese loader has a record range and loading height.

Table 3 - Technical characteristics of the XCMG LW1200K loader

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