How Important Traction Control System is in a Heavy Equipment

As many heavy equipment owners know, traction system is one of the vital parts of the machine which is basically practical to have.

Traction controls keep the equipment from skidding on slippery roads and limit tire slip by maximizing the friction produced on the impact of tire and road. In the past, drivers would need to focus his controls on the break to keep the vehicle from spinning wildly. Unfortunate fates may sometimes lead to accidents or worse, cause deaths and ample amount of liability expenses and mountain of complaints.

Operators and equipment owners nowadays use the assistance of traction system to sustain the controls. Standards on articulated dump trucks state that the automated traction control (ATC) monitors wheel spin and axle speeds per second and responds quickly when a possible slip is detected. With ATC the truck is always in the correct drive combination for conditions. And ATC is flexible; it can be applied to a single wheel, one or more axles, all wheels on one side, etc.

The importance of traction control reaches out even to distributors in developing nations.

Axis Capital Group, a Singaporean company which sells and rents high-standard machineries also servicing to Jakarta, Indonesia, admits to only distributing equipment with traction controls systems as customers are highly cautious on security and risk reduction on their equipment.

Axis also pointed out that traction system is more than its capabilities to provide security; it also comes inexpensive for both distributors and end-clients. For Volvo, for example, the traction system under this brand reduces fuel consumption and improves productivity by 6%. It can also be easily operated since it is compatible to telematics devices, thus, cutting operator’s training and saving more. Most importantly, since these trucks are made to withstand rough terrains, slippery roads and steep pavements, maintenance can be cut off. It can moreover last for a long time since it is built in sturdy components.

More reviews show advanced attributes of electronic traction system. Take for example Komatsu Traction Control System. Monitoring the relative speeds of the front and center axles, when slip is detected, the system automatically engages an inter-axle lock. If a wheel is still slipping, the system applies the service brake to that wheel and continues to monitor wheel speed and modulate braking. In the cab, the operator uses a rocker switch to choose between automatic and manual operation of the inter-axle lockup clutch.