TECHNICAL READING FOR AOCC VIRTUAL

THE ROLE OF BULLDOZERS IN THE HEAVY INDUSTRY

History of bulldozers

Prior to the invention of the crawler tractor, for which Benjamin Holt is often given
credit, a metal blade was attached to and pulled by livestock to perform dozing
operations. Holt’s invention came not long after the turn of the 20th century. An English
company, R. Hornsby and Sons, sold its patents for a bulldozing machine to Holt in the
1910s. In the 1920s the use of bulldozers took off as they became more widely
available. Since that time, improvements have been made and will continue to be made
into the future. Now that we’ve covered some of the history, let’s delve into the
features, uses and classifications of contemporary dozers.
The bulldozer is an iconic fixture in the class of machines known as heavy equipment.
Also known as dozers, track type tractors or crawler tractors, they are synonymous with
power and reliability. They are equipped with a hydraulically operated horizontal blade
for moving large quantities of earth, rock and other material. The dozer is mounted on
tracks and uses its broad blade for land clearing, grading, excavating, placing and
transporting materials. Dozers are used in construction projects, mines, agriculture and
forestry.

Finish grade dozers

Finish grade dozers are smaller and used for finish grading, light dozing
and excavation. A finished grade means that the final elevation and contour of the
ground conforms to the desired ground leveling specifications. These dozers are
equipped with variable power angle tilt blades (VPAT or PAT blades). The blade can be
moved up or down, angled to the left or right, and tilted up or down on either side. The
pitch, or vertical angle to the ground, can also be adjusted.

Production dozers
Production dozers are used for rough grading and large-scale production operations
where large amounts of material need to be moved or excavated. These dozers have
heavy-duty blades to work in tougher environments such as heavy construction, mining
and land reclamation.

Dozers are also classified according to operating weight and power:

Small – less than 20,000 pounds, 75 – 125 hp.

Medium – 20,000 – 60,000 pounds, 125 – 250 hp.

Large – 60,000 – 150,000 pounds, more than 250 hp

Some dozers, such as the Komatsu 575, exceed the weight and horsepower
specifications of a large dozer. They are usually used for surface mining and land
reclamation projects. The Komatsu 575 A2 weighs 284,337 pounds. It has a 12-
cylinder engine producing 1,065 horsepower.

Some dozers, such as the Komatsu 575, exceed the weight and horsepower
specifications of a large dozer. They are usually used for surface mining and
land reclamation projects. The Komatsu 575 A2 weighs 284,337 pounds. It has
a 12-cylinder engine producing 1,065 horsepower.

Now that you have a better grasp on the role bulldozers fulfill within the realm of
heavy equipment, it’s time to consider a career operating one. Maybe you’ve
been dreaming of being at the helm of a bulldozer since you were a little kid. In
that case, all you need to make your childhood dream a reality is to enroll in a
heavy equipment program at a heavy equipment school. That school is HEC.

SOURCE : Heavy equipment of America

TEACHER ; Victor Matienzo B.