Hydraulic Shovel Vs.

Wheel
Loader
Why both are such great machines

Cedric Otzenberger, LFR September, 2006

The Hydraulic Shovel
The Wheel Loader

All pics courtesy of "Le Tourneau"

The Wheel Loader

1950's (Liebherr "Elephant")

21st century 41 m3
(Le Tourneau)
The Wheel Loader
1. Generalities
2. Wheel Loader Advantages
3. Hydraulic Shovel Advantages
4. Conclusion
 The Hydraulic Shovel
is the best machine to load material

The Wheel Loader

is the best machine to load material
Hydraulic Shovel & Wheel Loader

Hard Rock Strictly Rehandling

High Penetration Force Easy Digging
Tight Quarters Open Space
NO travel MUST travel
High Dumping Height (Lower Dumping Height)
Abrasive Material Nonabrasive Material
Rough Floor Smooth Floor

Super - - Super

Hydraulic Wheel
Shovel Loader

Lousy - - Lousy
Wheel Loader

Strictly Rehandling
Easy Digging
This is what the Wheel Loader Open Space
originally was designed to MUST travel
(Lower Dumping Height)
This is still today where it excels. Nonabrasive Material
Smooth Floor

The Wheel Loader's basic design has not changed in 55 years

Wheel Loader

Strictly Rehandling This leads to:

Easy Digging Large Bucket Capacity

High Ratio of Bucket capacity
Open Space to operating weight

Easy travel and steering (highly

MUST travel maneuverable)

(Lower Dumping Height) Fast travel speed

Rubber tires
Smooth Material
etc.
Smooth Floor
Wheel Loader

Large Bucket Capacity

High Ratio of Bucket capacity
to Operating weight
This, by the way, was in
180 contrast to the only Easy travel and steering (highly
loading machine known maneuverable)
then - the cable shovel.
Fast travel speed

Rubber tires

etc.

These facts made it new, interesting, promising and lent it immediate success.
1. Generalities
2. Wheel Loader Advantages
3. Hydraulic Shovel Advantages
4. Conclusion
Wheel Loader

"Typical" features of the wheel loader idea:

1- To move the bucket into the material

the whole machine has to move
To move the bucket into the material the whole machine has to move

Total weight of machine has to be

accelerated from zero to maximum
speed FOUR times each cycle

Total weight of machine has to be

braked down from maximum speed to
a dead stop THREE times each cycle

The fourth time the whole machine

weight runs into the material trying
to help filling the bucket
The Hydraulic Shovel moves just its Attachment
Wheel Loader

"Typical" features of the wheel loader idea:

1- To move the bucket into the material

the whole machine has to move

2- The bucket has to stay at floor level

to clear the way for the tires
The bucket has to stay at floor level to clear the way for tires
The bucket has to stay at floor level to clear the way for tires

?
What, if it's
harder material?
The bucket can penetrate anywhere within the attachment
digging envelope
Wheel Loader

"Typical" features of the wheel loader idea:

1- To move the bucket into the material

the whole machine has to move

2- The bucket has to stay at floor level

to clear the way for the tires

3- The bucket HAS to be as wide as the

whole machine
The bucket HAS to be as wide as the whole machine

The bucket MUST clear a wide enough

path for the tires to avoid damaging them

This makes buckets relatively wide and

spreads penetrating forces thin

If the bucket is not wide enough.

The bucket HAS to be as wide as the whole machine

(no comment)
The bucket HAS to be as wide as the whole machine

The wheel loader bucket MUST be as

wide as the machine.
The bucket could be as narrow as the attachment

The hydraulic shovel can choose the width

of its bucket.
The bucket could be as narrow as the attachment

plus
The hydraulic shovel can penetrate the
material from a stand still at any angle.

The wheel loader can not !

Wheel Loader

"Typical" features of the wheel loader idea:

1- To move the bucket into the material

the whole machine has to move

2- The bucket has to stay at floor level

to clear the way for the tires

3- The bucket HAS to be as wide as the

whole machine

4- Penetration force depends on the

friction value of the rubber tires
Max. penetration force = friction value of the rubber tires

= Weight of total machine x Tire friction coefficient

Friction coefficient for rubber on dry gravel 0.4 to 0.85

wet gravel 0.4 to 0.8
dry rock 0.55 to 0.75
wet rock 0.55 to 0.75
wet ice 0.05 to 0.1
dry snow 0.1 to 0.55
(This is why data sheets may show "tractive effort" but not crowd force)
Max. penetration force = friction value of the rubber tires

When the going gets tough (abrasive),

the wheel loader can/will use chains to protect its tires

= Weight of total machine x Tire friction coefficient

Note: The friction coefficient of steel on rock is considerably less

than the one of rubber on rock, resulting in greatly reduced
penetrating force
Wheel Loader

"Typical" features of the wheel loader idea:

1- To move the bucket into the material

the whole machine has to move

2- The bucket has to stay at floor level

to clear the way for the tires

3- The bucket HAS to be as wide as the

whole machine

4- Penetration force depends on the

friction value of the rubber tires

5- Any type shock the bucket lip gets

is passed on to the whole machine
Any type shock the bucket lip gets is passed on to the whole machine
Any type shock the bucket lip gets is passed on to the whole machine

This is certainly not the case with the hydraulic shovel

1. Generalities
2. Wheel Loader Advantages
3. Hydraulic Shovel Advantages
4. Conclusion
The hydraulic shovel

Hard Rock .. Strictly Rehandling

High Penetration Force .. Easy Digging
Tight Quarters ..
The hydraulic shovel
Open Spacewas designed
NO travel ..
to excel where
MUSTthetravel
wheel loader
High Dumping Height ..
is weak by design.
(Lower Dumping Height)
Abrasive Material .. Nonabrasive Material
Rough Floor .. Smooth Floor
The hydraulic shovel is a loading machine of its own

It avoids many of the short comings

of the Cable Shovel and . . .

. . . and it does not want to be

a replacement for the
Wheel Loader
Advantages of the hydraulic shovel over the wheel loader

Hard Rock ..
1 Strictly Rehandling
High Penetration Force ..
2 Easy Digging
Tight Quarters ..
3 Open Space
NO travel ..
4 MUST travel
High Dumping Height ..
5 (Lower Dumping Height)
Abrasive Material ..
6 Nonabrasive Material
Rough Floor ..
7 Smooth Floor
1 Hard Rock
1 Hard Rock

Loading hard rock requires:

High Penetrating or Digging Force

REAL*
High Break-out force

* "real" meaning - in the material, not just in the data sheet

High Penetration Force ..
2 Easy Digging
Tight Quarters ..
3 Open Space
NO travel ..
4 MUST travel
High Dumping Height ..
5 (Lower Dumping Height)
Abrasive Material ..
6 Nonabrasive Material
Rough Floor ..
7 Smooth Floor
2 High Penetration or Crowd Force

Wheel loader: The machine's total penetrating force is as high as its

tractive effort, which is limited by the available friction
between tires and ground.

= Weight x Tire friction coefficient

Hydraulic shovel: Its total Crowd force force is determined by its
hydraulic cylinders and the attachment geometry.
Ground friction is normally not a limiting factor.
Non-moving double grouser shoes
will dig in.
2 High Penetration or Crowd Force

This actually available digging force has to be divided by the width

of the bucket to get the real or "specific" force per meter of cutting edge

5,7m 4,1 m

Cat 994F R 9350

17 m3 18 m3

The wheel loader will always have (to have) a wider bucket than
the hydraulic shovel
So even with the identical data sheet crowd force/tractive effort, the
shovel has a higher specific force = more kN per meter of cutting edge
2 High Breakout Force

Breakout force is the available force at the bucket teeth to break

the material and fill the bucket once the crowd motion stops.

Cat 994F R 9350

17 m3 18 m3
2 Wheel Loader - Breakout Leverage

Cat 994F
17 m3

100
Approx. 0,4 0,5m

Per SAE regulation the breakout force for a wheel loader bucket
is calculated 100mm (4) behind its cutting edge.
2 Wheel Loader - Breakout Leverage

Cat 994F
17,5 m3
2 Wheel Loader - Breakout Leverage

Cat 994F
17 m3

100
Calculated Breakout Force
per Data sheet
REAL Breakout Force
in the Material Much smaller
2 Wheel Loader - Breakout Leverage

Theoretical or
Cylinder force Datasheet
Breakout force

Cylinder force
lever

Breakout force lever length

used for calculation
2 Wheel Loader - Breakout Leverage

REAL
Cylinder force Breakout force
in the material

NEW Cylinder
force lever

Real "In the material" breakout force lever length

2 Hydraulic Shovel - Breakout Leverage

Theoretical Cylinder force

breakout force
lever length
= Bucket radius Cylinder force
lever

Theoretical or
Datasheet
Breakout force

In contrast to the wheel loader, per SAE regulation the breakout

force for a Hydraulic Shovel bucket is calculated at the tip of the teeth
2 Hydraulic Shovel - Breakout Leverage

Down pressure of
machine and
REAL attachment
Breakout force
in the material
plus
additional
Breakout force
from the machine's
down pressure

Real "In the material"

breakout force lever length
 Tight Quarters ..
3 Open Space
NO travel ..
4 MUST travel
High Dumping Height ..
5 (Lower Dumping Height)
Abrasive Material ..
6 Nonabrasive Material
Rough Floor ..
7 Smooth Floor
3 Wheel Loader - Tight Quarters

Loading of trucks with wheel loader

requires a lot of room in the loading
area
3 Hydraulic Shovel - Tight Quarters

Minimum required space: only for

truck positioning / loading and for the
shovel itself
 NO travel ..
4 MUST travel
High Dumping Height ..
5 (Lower Dumping Height)
Abrasive Material ..
6 Nonabrasive Material
Rough Floor ..
7 Smooth Floor
4 Wheel Loader - NO travel

Muck pile

A lot of movement at the face and

loading area is required in order to
properly position the wheel loader

This will also lead to effectively and

efficiently load haul trucks
4 Hydraulic Shovel - NO travel

Muck pile

The hydraulic shovel can penetrate

the material from a stand still at any
angle
Truck

The hydraulic shovel can also load

trucks from the same stand still
High Dumping Height ..
5 (Lower Dumping Height)
Abrasive Material ..
6 Nonabrasive Material
Rough Floor ..
7 Smooth Floor
5 Wheel Loader - High Dumping Height

The wheel loader lifting capacity is always lower than the comparable
hydraulic shovel model

Wheel loaders are often equipped with an optional high lift

arrangement in order to match the existing mine truck fleet

Bad view

177 tonnes Very short distance to truck

190 tons
Danger of truck side damage

Impossible to pile up the truck

Cat 994F
17 m3
5 Hydraulic Shovel - High Dumping Height

Compared to wheel loaders, hydraulic shovel have several advantages

in terms of truck loading situations

Better view into the truck

dump body
177 tonnes
190 tons Enough space between the
excavator and the truck
Can easily pile up the truck
R 9350
18 m3
5 Hydraulic Shovel - High Dumping Height

Compared to wheel loaders, hydraulic shovel have several advantages

in terms of truck loading situations

177 tonnes
190 tons

Cat 994F R 9350

17 m3 18 m3

Max dump height = 7,60m Max dump height = 11,20m

Abrasive Material ..
6 Nonabrasive Material
Rough Floor ..
7 Smooth Floor
6 Wheel Loader - Abrasive Material

The wheel loader is the ideal loading machine for:

Free flowing material

Unconsolidated material
Stock piles materials

Free Flowing

Very well blasted materials

Well Fragmented
6 Hydraulic Shovel - Abrasive Material

The hydraulic shovel is the ideal loading machine for:

Tightly blasted material

Material at the toe of the blast

Tightly Shot

Consolidated Material

Unblasted Material

Consolidated
6 Hydraulic Shovel - Abrasive Material

In poorly fragmented or abrasive

materials, the hydraulic excavator
performs better than any other
loading tool

Crowd and breakout forces

increase loading efficiency by
increasing bucket fill factors
Rough Floor ..
7 Smooth Floor
7 Wheel Loader - Rough Floor

Wheel Loaders used in severe loading

applications have shown poor tire life
cycles

The use of protective chains increases

the tire lifetime but decreases the
wheel loader adhesion i.e. penetrating
force
7 Hydraulic Shovel - Rough Floor

Hydraulic shovel can work, without restrictions, on varying

ground conditions within the pit
1. Generalities
2. Wheel Loader Advantages
3. Hydraulic Shovel Advantages
4. Conclusion
Summary - Disadvantages of Wheel Loaders

Wheel Loader disadvantages = Hydraulic shovel advantages

Application
Bad operators comfort
Digging only possible on ground level
Good cleaning of floor not feasible
Requires firm ground conditions
Not suitable for direct digging applications
Not suitable for drop-ball application

Productivity
Longer cycles (due to higher number of movements per pass)
Lower breakout and crowd forces
Less productive in bad shots
Summary - Disadvantages of Wheel Loaders

Wheel Loader disadvantages = Hydraulic shovel advantages

Capital cost
Lower life expectancy combined with higher investment at comparable
productivity

Operating cost
Significant cost for tires and protection chains
Higher power-demand and thus higher fuel consumption for comparable
productivity
 Thank you

for your attention