Heavy Duty Construction Tools & Equipment – An Overview

Construction is the difference between barren lands and a metropolitan city and also the difference between a dream and a put-up reality. Like a child, even grownups are surprised to see high-rises and the most probable word which pops out is – how?

Apartments, houses, offices, colleges and a spate of buildings are a combination of planning, construction and architecture. Talking about construction, the role of heavy duty equipments and machinery is as important as bricks and cement. Any construction activity involves a lot of earthwork operations for which these heavy duty equipments are utilized. Like many other machines, even heavy duty construction tools and equipment work via the basic principle, scientifically called as the – mechanical advantage.

Mechanical advantage in any machine is a situation where the ratio between input force applied and force exerted gets multiplied. It works on the lines of the lever principle. The simplest of formulae describing a mechanical advantage is “Input Force Applied upon Force Exerted equals to Force Multiplied”. (Note: This force multiplied is known as the mechanical advantage wherein you put a small amount of force which results in a greater force at the other end.)

On a general note, there are 5 equipment systems which complete the functioning part of any heavy equipment. These include:

• Implement
• Traction (tires and tracks)
• Structure
• Power train
• Control and information

The implement part covers many implements and hydro-mechanical work tools like forks, grapples, grinders, rippers, rakes, blowers etc. Likewise, the structure forms the path (mostly for connection and travelling).

To put things in one place, heavy duty construction tools include equipment like loaders, trenchers, tractors, diggers, excavators, conveyors, impact drivers, bulldozers etc. The world of heavy duty tools and related equipment is in fact a very broad concept and even if only those tools which are used in and around the construction arena are taken into consideration, the amount of force or power required and utilized is enormous. Hence, hydraulics is one of the most important sources of transferring power and motion. If hydraulics is the primary source of power, then secondary source is mostly electricity via direct lines or battery operations.

As computer related automation is aiding many fields, even the field of heavy duty construction tools has been influenced by it. Bigger the scope of construction more is the possibility of automation being a part of it (for the purpose of lifting, moving and proper placing of loads). Apart from the general convenience, the most important advantage of automation entering heavy duty equipment related sectors is: the ease of handling which has actually increased the possibilities.

Lastly, there are many manufacturers which provide a series of heavy duty construction tools and equipment apart from the scope of customization of machinery.