Warner Linear cuts downtime for off-highway vehicle maintenance

The manufacturer approached Warner Linear to see if it could offer an alternative for the traditional hydraulic cylinders that are used for locking pins when replacing excavator buckets on site. The vehicles were often operating in extremely low temperatures which led to the cylinders freezing in place – creating excessive downtime. Warner Linear was asked to find a solution which could operate in these conditions and deliver fast and reliable operation at all times.

S-Track actuators from Warner Linear, part of Altra Industrial Motion, were specified because of their easy-to-use, remote operation which allows the operator to quickly activate them from inside the cab. The actuators are approved for operation in temperatures up to -40°C, making them more reliable in cold weather applications. Even in less extreme temperatures they offer greater reliability than their hydraulic counterparts thanks to a position feedback interface which alerts the operator if a pin is not locked correctly.

Jared Zammuto, Actuator Product and Engineering Leader for Warner Linear, comments: “This was a fantastic project to work on as we were being asked to engineer a solution that would work more efficiently and more reliably than what would often be considered an industry standard solution; it’s what engineers love to do. As the project progressed it became apparent that actuators hold many benefits in this application over hydraulic cylinders.

“Firstly, we were able to deliver a far wider operating window in extreme weather, which reduced downtime when the vehicles were in the field. Secondly, we were able to reduce the overall downtime even in average weather thanks to their position feedback. Thirdly, we were able to reduce the component costs as only the actuators and harnesses are required – no valving or plumbing.”

The S-Track actuators feature a 180kg maximum dynamic and static load rating, 0.6cm/sec speed rating and a 40cm maximum stroke length with end-of-stroke limits. Enhanced control allows for 12 or 24 VDC switched power operation of the actuators by turning power off to the motor automatically when the internal end limits are reached. An integral MP150 Metri-Pack 8-pin moulded connector allows several standard input and output features to monitor the operation of the actuator – including motor thermal and current overload protection.