New Track System Minimizes Undercarriage Maintenance
Berco, a supplier of components for
tracked vehicles, recently unveiled
ROBUSTUS—the ROtating BUShing
Track Undercarriage System. The core
feature of the new system is a rotating
bushing. On a machine fitted with a traditional
undercarriage, the sprocket
slides on the external surface of the
bushing during normal operation, causing
bushing and sprocket wear. With
ROBUSTUS, the bushing rotates when
in contact with the sprocket, reducing
bushing/sprocket friction and wear,
enabling longer life and eliminating the
need to turn bushings and pins or to
replace sprocket segments during the
entire life of the undercarriage. In addition,
a wider track link rail provides an
extended running surface area, balancing
the wear of all components and
eliminating scalloping wear between
chain and roller and between chain and
idler. Reinforced hardware improves
joint stability, according to the company,
which also notes the system is compatible
with existing frames and standard
components. Older machines can
be upgraded to increase productivity
and extend undercarriage life, and
ROBUSTUS also is forward-compatible with new-generation undercarriages
equipped with parallel or twin links.
Berco says field tests have proved the
new system increases track life by 35%
with a maximum of 6,000 hours of
operation, cutting operating costs by
15%–25%.
www.berco.com
As featured in Womp 2010 Vol 07 - www.womp-int.com