Japan Motor Grader: A grader, commonly referred as motor or road grader is a self-propelled construction machine with an adjustable blade used to create a flat surface during the grading process. Position of blade is between the front and rear axle, that blade is most commonly used for cutting, spreading and leveling of material.
History:
Early graders were drawn by people and draft animals. The era of motorization by traction engines, steam tractors, motor trucks, and tractors saw such towed graders grow in size and productivity. The first self-propelled grader was made in 1920 by the Russell Grader Manufacturing Company, which called it the Russell Motor Hi-Way Patrol. These early graders were created by adding the grader blade as an attachment to a generalist tractor unit. After purchasing the company in 1928, Caterpillar went on to truly integrate the tractor and grader into one design—at the same time replacing crawler tracks with wheels to yield the first rubber-tire self-propelled grader, the Caterpillar Auto Patrol, released in 1931.
What is the working principle of Grader?
As mentioned, above the blade of graders is the most important part, it is specifically designed to create a flat and firm surface for construction of new roads and to level uneven grounds. Although the design of the road grader is a little weird. The height of the blade of graders is adjustable and it is lowered to the height at which the grade needs to be set. When the height of the blade is higher than the ground level, it means that the grader is used to give a smooth finish to the ground. So, the angle of the grader’s blade allows excess materials to fall away from the blade and leaves only a small ridge of dirt beside the grader during operation. With a several passes made, the grader will efficiently level any kind of surface and will improve its grade with each pass over the surface.
Frame of Structure:
Typical models have three axles, with the engine and cab situated above the rear axles at the end of the vehicle end the vehicle, with the blade between. In certain countries, like finland, almost every grader is equipped with a second blade that is placed in front of the front axle. Certain graders can operate multiple attachments, or be used for separate tasks like underground mining. Motor graders are classified on the basis of frame structure. Depending on frame arrangement motor grader is classified as:
- Rigid frame motor grader
- Articulated frame motor grader
Rigid frame motor grader has only one axle. Axle is unable to turn left or right about a point. Articulated frame motor grader has a hinge in between the front and the rare axle. That type of grader is most commonly used where small space is available during turning. Motor grader is one of the pieces of construction machinery that is used to create a well smooth, wide-ranging, and level surface. Most commonly motor graders are used for the maintenance of road. It spread the soil and then flattens that soil. Before the pavement of asphalt layer motor graders are used for uniformly flat surface so that asphalt distribute uniformly throughout the surface.
In civil engineering, the grader’s purpose is to “finish grade”. The rough grading is performed by heavy equipment or engineering vehicles such as scrapers and bulldozers. In the construction of paved roads they are used to prepare the base course to create a wide flat surface upon which to place the road surface.
Functions of Motor grader:
- Graders are commonly used in the construction and maintenance of dirt roads and gravel roads.
- They are also used to set native soil foundation pads to finish grade prior to the construction of large buildings. Graders can produce inclined surfaces, to give cant (camber) to roads. In some countries they are used to produce drainage ditches with shallow V-shaped cross-sections on either side of highways.
- Moving of earth from one location to another. Leveling of soil so that next bitumen layer spread uniformly throughout the surface.
- Scarifying is the removal of complete layer of soil and then spreading of a new layer at that particular location.
- Mixing of two materials.
- Spreading of soil, aggregates etc.
- Trenching.
- Land grading. It is the process in which a certain slope is achieved with the help of motor grader.
- Ditching And for cutting of bank canals.
- Motor grader is also used as snow removing machine. Because of speed and normal wheel instead of crawler wheel. This makes motor grader as most suitable machine for this type of operations in areas where snow rate is above the normal conditions.
Regional Uses:
In some locales such as Northern Europe, Canada, and places in the United States. Graders are often used in municipal and residential snow removal. In scrub land and grassland areas of Australia and Africa, graders are often an essential piece of equipment on ranches, large farms, and plantations to make dirt tracks where the absence of rocks and trees means bulldozers are not required.
Motor Grader Manufacturers:
- Case Corporation
- Caterpillar Inc.
- Deere & Company
- Galion Iron Works
- Komatsu Limited
- LiuGong Construction Machinery, LLC
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
- New Holland Machine Company
- Sany
- Sinomach
