COVER STORY: OPERATOR CAB oemoffhighway.com/21139250
WACKER NEUSON
A more simplified cab design helps to ease operation and improve visibility.
COMFORT AND EASE OF USE ARE KEY FACTORS
for Compact Equipment Cab Designs As equipment becomes more complex, multifunctional control and more simplified cab designs are improving comfort and machine operation. by Curt Bennink and Sara Jensen
T
o experienced equipment operators, compact machines may drum up images of cramped operator environments, minimal comfort features and rudimentary controls. However, manufacturers have been rapidly evolving the operator environment to maximize every inch of available space, while providing features found in much larger machines, such as climate control, pressurized cabs and sophisticated touchpad controls. Compact equipment in particular offers very little space for designers to utilize. “As we design cabs for our compact machines, it’s vital that we utilize every inch of space for maximum
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operator comfort and configure operator controls in a way that maximizes functionality in an ergonomic way,” says John Dotto, Wacker Neuson Product Application and Training Specialist. “Wacker Neuson employs engineers with specialties in ergonomic design and it leads us to do things like maximize floor space in our skid steers and compact track loaders (CTL) in order to keep an operator’s feet and legs in an optimal position throughout the work day. Operator comfort has a direct impact on productivity, and the more we utilize the basic principles of ergonomics specific to the type of equipment we build, the greater productivity we can provide our customers.”
As costs have come down for certain HMI products, they are now finding their way into compact equipment. The new generation of equipment operators is also driving operator cab and human machine interface (HMI) designs. Many of them have grown up with video games and smart phones, so they are used to operating multifunctional devices and having everything available at their fingertips. “They are looking for the bells and whistles, the comfort, the ability to be able to easily operate a vehicle,” explains Peter D’Addario, VP of Sales at Carling Technologies. “And they do that based on the types of products they’ve grown up with. So that’s a very important con-
OEM Off-Highway | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
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The CA camer machin
