Clever solution for dumpers exposed to heavy loads

If any construction site vehicle deserves to be called a multi-talent, then it is without doubt the DR601AHG from AUSA. This dump truck - also known as a dumper - can carry a load of up to 6 tonnes. Whether sand or gravel, salt or general cargo such as wood and stone - the dumper is designed for rough terrain and has one thing above all else: it has to run. The Spanish company currently delivers to Europe, the UK, China and the USA, among other countries.

AUSA dumper on a construction site with driver.

Profile

What was needed: control cable, bus cable, three-dimensionally movable energy chain
Requirements: three-dimensionally movable energy chain with twistable cable
Industry: Automotive industry / construction site vehicles
Success for the customer: to design a 180° swivelling seat from a fixed driver's seat

AUSA dumper with cable guide mounted at the driver’s seat.

Problem

AUSA approached us because the engineers were looking for a technical solution to technically modify the fixed driver's seat to a 180° swivelling model.

Solution

The idea: to make manoeuvring the agile devices even safer for man and material. Even in rough and very demanding terrain. As a company specialising in the development and construction of all-terrain industrial vehicles such as dumpers, forklifts and telescopic handlers, AUSA is focused on work like this - so it was only logical to develop technology to improve safety with a view to innovative new technologies.
Together with AUSA, we developed a solution for the electrical system that made it possible to turn and control the driver's seat even during continuous operation. The most important aspect: reliable operation over a long service life. Our clear recommendation: the use of cables that allow 180° rotation and are also technically designed for a long service life.

The Triflex-R energy chain guides cables and hoses in the engine compartment of an AUSA dumper.

The three-dimensionally movable energy chain triflex® R was tested in combination with the bus cable CFROBOT8 and the control cable CF77.UL.D.
The triflex® R proved to be the best option, as it is specifically designed for 3D applications such as rotating and swivelling movements. Originally developed for demanding multi-axis robots, it is characterised by high tensile force absorption and high flexibility and does exactly what AUSA needed over a very long period of time, including a firmly defined bend radius.
By using the bus cable, all problems relating to torsional movements could be overcome. The mix of soft and sliding construction elements in combination with the contained filling elements enables absorption of the forces occurring at the driver's seat of the AUSA dumper. This is made possible by PTFE elements and rayon threads. The chainflex® robot cable contains PTFE sliding foils so that the torsion-optimised shield structures can perform the necessary compensating movements. In addition, bus cables such as the one used here have been specially developed and tested for permanent use in e-chain® applications.

Cable and hose routing inside an AUSA dumper with Triflex R energy chain.

This makes them ideal for AUSA and its idea of using them to make the driver's seat rotatable, not least because the mechanical requirements for the bus cable can be defined specifically for the application via the outer sheath material and design principle: The electrical design is selected in such a way that the electrical specifications of the respective bus specification can be guaranteed. All in all, it is the precise coordination of electronics, connection mechanics and cable with the system to be supplied and the required data transmission rates that make these cables the optimum solution for AUSA. With the installation of the robot cable, AUSA now equips its dumpers optimally for 3-dimensional movements. Torsion-optimised insulating materials and mechanical damping elements ensure the best transmission properties over the entire service life. AUSA also opted for the cable from igus® because the company can guarantee a number of 5 million movement cycles with a torsion of ±180° per metre.

An AUSA dumper climbs a gravel ramp and unloads material beside the pile.

The chainflex® control cable type CF77.UL.D installed in the dumper is designed for extremely high loads - both linear and torsional. The company igus® guarantees a remarkable 10 million cycles for the operation of the CF77.UL.D. The cable is fully oil-resistant. This is not relevant for this type of AUSA dumper, but once again proves the resilience of this type of cable. The same applies to solar radiation. Although it is irrelevant for the driver's seat application, it emphasises the long service life. What AUSA benefits from in any case: a cable sheath made of a halogen-free PUR-based compound, which is also low-adhesion and highly abrasion-resistant. This means that the driver's seat in the dumper can now be moved continuously over a reliably long period of time. Even in industries with adverse environmental parameters such as civil engineering, road construction or transport, and in view of the different climatic conditions in all 90 countries in which AUSA operates.