10 minute read
FIRST DRIVE
Above and below: Polish-based Dressta is launching a revolutionary 20-tonne dozer on to the European market.
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DOZER ACCESSIBILITY
Nick Drew reports from the UK fi eld trial of a prototype of Dressta’s new 20-tonne dozer
he industry fi rst caught sight of a prototype of Dressta’s revolutionary TD-16N dozer at the ConExpo 2020 show in Las Vegas. A radically different design for a 20-tonne dozer, particularly in terms of access and visibility, it justly received praise from visitors, together with a prestigious product design award. We can now reveal that a surprising amount of the design work for this brand-new dozer was undertaken in the UK. The project started in 2013, when early concept
sketches were produced as a result of the T combined visions of the American engineer Edward Wagner and the British industrial designer Gary Major. This world-class team then secured the services of a world-class dozer operator, golf course developer Jacob Cope, as a consultant during the design phase of the project. Gary said, “We set out to create the very best dozer for operators, and to do this we put the operator at the centre of the machine. We literally started with the blade, the tracks and the operator, and then built everything round them, without compromise.” What caught everybody’s attention at ConExpo was the astoundingly good access to the TD-16N’s cab. For as long as I can
Right, inset and below right: The new Dressta TD-16N 20-tonne dozer sets new industry benchmarks for safe access and operator visibility.
remember, mounting a dozer has been a hazardous operation, especially during the winter when tracks are inevitably clogged in mud. In such conditions, fi rst stepping on to the blade arms, before climbing up on to the tracks, is an accident waiting to happen.
Dressta’s new rear access system eliminates that risk, and involves just four steps while maintaining three points of contact. This takes you up to the cab platform level and straight through the door into the cab. Its simplicity is incredible and begs the question why nobody ever thought of it before.
SECRET FIELD TRIALS
It was just over a year ago that Earthmovers was invited to visit Rory Holbrook’s recycling facility, located just a stone’s throw away from RAF Lakenheath. His son Ryan was putting a pre-production Dressta TD-16N through its paces in near secrecy – a story that can now be told. Ryan had plenty to go at, as RJ Holbrook was constructing a 30m-high noise protection bund, which involved moving and shaping an estimated 2.5m cubic metres of material.
The prototype dozer was fi tted with a host of diagnostic equipment to enable the team in Poland to monitor its performance during various customer applications and fi eld trials. This prototype went on to amass over 10,000 hours, providing a huge volume of data and making new friends with the few people that have spent time in its cab.
As you would expect nowadays, this long-term test dozer was also fi tted with a modern GPS machine control system. In this case it was a Leica MC13D, together with their ConX cloud-based data handling facility for machine control operations.
IN THE CAB
The Dressta R&D team have fl ipped traditional dozer design on its head (see walk-round panel). However, the only way to fully appreciate the signifi cant improvement in all-round operator visibility is from the seat.
Just as I experienced in an exhibition hall in Las Vegas, being able to climb safely up to the cab of a dozer on site is just mind blowing. To be honest, the fi rst step was a bit on the high side for me, but it needs to be, to keep it up and clear of the ground. The subsequent steps and handrails offer a great sense of security, as I easily progressed up and then into the cab.
As the exhaust stack and air intake are located nicely out of the way to the sides of the cab, once in the seat is when the view on offer really hits home. There is no need to peer round the bonnet; from this seat you get a totally unobstructed view of the blade and the ground ahead of you. In my opinion, the two-piece bonded front screen provides the best visibility on offer from any dozer on the market today.
I got comfortably ensconced in the air-suspension seat, my feet resting on a couple of angled supports able to accommodate the largest of work boots. Immediately above these footrests is the control monitor for the Leica GPS machine guidance system. And that is it; the rest of my view was equally split between the
“BEING ABLE TO SAFELY CLIMB UP TO THE CAB OF A DOZER ON SITE IS JUST MIND BLOWING” DRESSTA TD-16N WALK-ROUND
Adam Pitman, LiuGong-Dressta’s global R&D director for dozers, was on hand at the RJ Holbrook site to give me a guided tour round the machine. Starting at the business end, this example features a six-way VPAT blade, which is 3981mm wide and has a material capacity of 4.3cu.m. To meet the most practical option under UK legislation, the blade has fold-in corners to ensure that it’s under 3m wide when sitting on a low-loader. At the rear is a three-shank ripper, capable of a drawbar pull and ripping power of some 330kN.
This is a low ground pressure variant of the TD-16N, fitted with 760mm single-grouser track shoes. With the fold-in blade, it tips the scales at 20.8 tonnes. Power is derived from a Stage 5 ultra-low emissions Cummins six-cylinder engine rated at 170hp (127kW) and providing its maximum torque of 881Nm (650lb.ft) at just 1300rpm.
In terms of the powertrain, the machine is fitted with an automatic infinitely variable, dual-path, hydrostatic transmission; driveline motor and final drives are all supplied by blue chip component producer Rexroth, as are the hydraulic sub-systems for the blade, ripper and even the joystick controls.
All the routine maintenance checks can be completed from ground level, without the need to clamber up on to the tracks, a great improvement in operator safety. The powerpack is mounted low down in the chassis, which allows the designers far more scope to sharply slope the bodywork for much-improved operator visibility. It also lowers the dozer’s centre of gravity, resulting in better stability.
The mid-section opening front bonnet provides access to the top of the engine and its ancillary components. For more in-depth maintenance and repair work, the entire cab can easily be raised. This provides great access to the drive pumps, working pumps, hydraulic valve blocks, batteries and exhaust after-treatment system.
The nose cone of the steeply sloping front bonnet is home to both the diesel and AdBlue tanks, both being extremely easy to reach from ground level. With the cooling pack and hydraulic oil tank located at the rear of the machine, this forward location also improves the machine’s overall balance.
The extremely sloping cooling pack at the rear is over-sized, which has enabled Dressta to run the fan at a lower speed, helping with fuel economy, while the reduction in noise is particularly beneficial to the operator. Locating the cooling pack at the rear of the dozer makes it less vulnerable to a build-up of dust, although a reversible fan blows out any debris that may build up.
The radical design includes easy groundlevel access to routine service items, together with a quickly-tiltable cab for access for more intensive works.
ground ahead, the blade and the front of the tracks.
Instead of taking up critical space in the operator’s immediate fi eld of vision, the machine’s high-resolution, touch-screen control monitor is mounted on the front right pillar of the cab. In addition to sharing the location of the monitor with modern excavators, it appears to be just as easy to navigate through the various menus and sub-systems.
Above and inset: This is the sort of working environment that will help to attract the next generation of well-paid dozer operators.
The interior of the cab is clean cut and workmanlike, and the controls kept to a minimum for ease of use. On the righthand console is a 12v socket, a USB port for connecting a mobile device, the horn button and a rotary throttle dial. Towards the rear there is that absolute essential for any self-respecting operator, a cup holder.
The Bluetooth radio is located in the right-hand side of the roof, with the control pad for the air-conditioning system situated below. For those who prefer fresh air, the side windows are hinged and open outwards.
The multi-function joysticks are typical of what you would fi nd in any modern dozer and fi t nicely into the palms of my hands. The left stick controls direction and steering, while the one on the right-hand controls all the blade functions.
CONCLUSION
It’s very rare for me to operate a dozer, but I was keen to take the Dressta TD-16N for a quick spin. Cranking up the throttle, I was surprised by how quiet the machine is. It’s something that Ryan had mentioned, along with praising the visibility from the seat.
Taking it really steady to start with, I found the controls to be responsive and user friendly. It was a joy to use, even for a novice like me. The spacious cab is unlike any other dozer I have sat in, it certainly didn’t give that claustrophobic feel of some machines.
Obviously, I was only tickling a bit of soil around free-hand, but it was quite clear that this dozer could pack a real punch. As I had witnessed earlier in the day, when it was being used in anger by Ryan, who is clearly a highly-skilled operator.
Of course, the old school of dozer operators will tell you that you don’t need to see the blade, it’s all done by feel in the seat. That’s a valid statement, but with all due respect to such stalwarts of the industry, with no blind spots, this is a design with the next generation of tech-savvy dozer operators in mind, working on risk-averse sites.
I had offi cially gate crashed this manufacturer’s fi eld trial to get an early look at, and take photographs of the prototype at work. Over the years, I have had many off-the-record chats with Edward Wagner and Gary Major about this project. As the Dressta TD-16N dozer enters production, I am delighted to see the work of the design team come to fruition.
EDITOR’S COMMENTS
A factory to produce heavy tracked machinery was established in the new Polish industrial city of Stalowa Wola in 1937, initially to produce military equipment. After WW2, thanks to licence agreements with the likes of Coles Cranes and International Harvester, the site diversifi ed into producing construction equipment. The business, known as Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW), developed into a major manufacturer of construction equipment in Eastern Europe.
Post-Cold War, with the factory now in central Europe, their range of Dressta dozers began to fi nd favour in more countries around the world, typically with those looking for a simple and sturdy machine. Critics sometimes referred to Dressta dozers as nothing more than upgraded International Harvester designs, exactly the same words that were used by their most ardent fans!
In 2012, Dressta was acquired by the Chinese machinery company LiuGong. This major global manufacturer then made substantial investments in their new base in central Europe, including in the factory, its technical staff and the products themselves. In addition, they opened up the vast Chinese market for Dressta products, then went on to develop an expanding world-wide dealer network.
The Chinese-funded, Anglo-American designed, Polish-built Dressta TD-16N dozer is a triumph of modern industrial design, setting a new benchmark in the global market.
