Skid steer loaders have become essential equipment for most heavy industrial function and they were conventionally popular heavy equipment among American contractors, farmers and industrialist; however, their popularity has grown in other countries over the last two decades main attributed to the advances in skid steer technology according to market observers who have cited that global sales of skid steers is hovering at 100,000 units.
The exponential growth of sales and popularity of skid steer loader rentals is directly attributed to the technological advances of the skid steer which is currently seen as a machine that is able to be used as a substitute for tractors, bulldozers and even excavators.
Skid steers are currently manufactured with varied configurations including rubber tracks, steel tracks, wheeled, telematics, cameras and sensors, autonomous systems, grade assist and hydraulic coupling components that allow these machines to be used as sledgehammers, dedicated augers, demolishers and more.
Among the most significant tech elements that have made these machine popular according to the solutions marketing manager of John Deere, Luke Gribble is the use of telematics, enhanced operator comfort, grade assist/ control systems and smart attachments which is similar to the Windows concept of ‘Plug n Play’ when it was first introduced in the 90’s.
Bob Shoop from Caterpillar similarly indicated that the recent digital makeovers enhance the productivity curve of machines such as the skid steer significantly. According to him, this mighty mini machine is getting not just bigger, better and more powerful as time passes based on the fact that the largest skid steers in the market these days are touching the 4000 KG benchmark and own up to a rated operating capacity of more than 110 HP, but they are also getting much smarter.
Elements such as grade-control technology, autonomous digging and hydraulic attachments that have sensors that help operators work more effectively and accurately has a positive impact on margins which is reason enough for manufacturers to look more keenly at technology as a business driver in the form of automated control refinements and computerized attachments.
Telematics
Among the manufacturers that are leading the technological advances of skid steers is John Deere. John Deere’s business units have realised that in order to remain competitive and relevant to the current market it was necessary for skid steers not just to be agile, but also more productive than previous machines indicated Luke Gribble.
The migration currently witnessed towards telematics was the reason behind the development of the JD-Link telematics system which comes as an option for the manufacturer’s skid steer loaders. The system basically keeps operators on top of everything related to the machine and operators would be able to prevent breakdowns and unnecessary downtime easily which the system. In essence the system flags potential problems before they transpire giving operators ample time to prepare what is needed to overcome the situation quickly.
Autonomous Systems
The newest skid steer models are manufactured with autonomous systems which mean that these machines are able to perform tasks without operators. For example, Caterpillar’s automation that come in the form of digital creep control allows compact track loaders to move at very slow speeds when utilizing ground attachments such as trenchers and snow blowers.
In essence the system is based on adaptive cruise control systems that were used for passenger vehicles where the drive command is modulated by the machine automatically based on the load assigned to an attachment. The control units are able to process the level of speed based on information extracted from load sensors on the attachment.
