DRESSTA’S NEW COMPACT HYDROSTATIC DOZER

At a March international press event in Stalowa Wola, Poland, Dressta laid out its plans for a robust expansion into the North American market. Since being acquired by China-based LiuGong just over three years ago, Dressta has been making moves to consolidate its global positioning in the crawler dozer market as well as layout plans for its growth based on leveraging LiuGong’s investment in Dressta’s research and development.

One of the clearest examples of this approach is the new range of small dozers which have been made with the unique needs of the North American contractor top of mind.

Heavy Equipment Guide – the only Canadian magazine to attend this event – got a first-hand look at the hydrostatically powered TD-9, due to be launched in the third quarter of 2015. It has been designed for owner-operators and for rental to handle a diverse range of applications, such as power dozing, site preparation, landscaping, final grading and fine-finishing around houses.

This is the first model of Dressta’s new series and features components from global suppliers such as Cummins and Rexroth, while the structural design is a natural evolution of Dressta’s decades of experience building dozers and other construction equipment. Dressta plans on introducing two additional models later this year, which will position the company to be competitive with other manufacturers’ offerings in the small dozer segment.

N.A. operators help fine tune the TD-9

As part of the development of the TD-9, Dressta had equipment owners and dozer operators from North America take the dozers through a series of challenging trials, pushing the performance of the new hydrostatic dozer to its limit, and providing their feedback to help fine-tune the machine’s performance.

For Global Vice President of Sales at Dressta, Howard Dale, customer feedback was essential: “The operators’ input in regards to ergonomics and command of control played a key role in refining the design. As a result, the low-effort controls for the blade and dual path hydrostatic drivetrain deliver the required response in all applications of machine performance.”

All three models of dozers will be powered by Cummins Tier 4 Final engines, ranging from 74 to 101 net horsepower.

Hydrostatic drive

Dressta’s variable, bi-directional, dual-path hydrostatic drive is controlled by a programmable electronic control module. This provides the perfect match between load and ground speed, regardless of the ground condition or specific dozing application. The result ensures that operators have full command during the most challenging of tasks, such as when dozing with a full load or performing precise final grade operations.

The operators have the ability to adjust the presets of the dozer to meet the requirements of the task at hand. They can choose to program variables such as forward to reverse speed ratio, or enable ‘Power’, ‘Normal’ and ‘Economy’ modes depending on the job conditions. The versatility to choose between different modes and the flexible speed control provide both greater productivity and excellent grade accuracy.

Independent track control delivers the required speed changes to each side and allows for smooth, full-power turns. On-site maneuverability and job performance are further improved by the stable counter-rotation feature, while the low centre of gravity delivers stable and safe operation when working on slopes or in rugged terrain.

Attention to detail in cab design

An intuitive, highly-responsive control system makes operating the new TD-9 a delight for the operator. Dressta understands that the ease of command and control creates a better working environment and thus increases productivity.

The newly designed ISO-mounted operator cab has a comfortable, ergonomic interior space protected by a robust external ROPS for optimal safety. A fully adjustable operator seat provides the operator with ample leg room and ease of access to all controls.

Control grips have been designed so that the user can comfortably operate the machine for hours, and are designed for the ease of operation whether wearing heavy gloves or not. The hand wrap controls are designed to reduce the risk of the operator’s hands slipping from the levers, particularly when working in hazardous environments such as on steep slopes.

Dressta developed this dozer to be highly responsive, making sure that it performs as a mechanical extension of the operator’s skill. Hydraulic controls have been fine tuned, making long hours of work easier.

The cab’s large glass windows provide excellent foreand- aft visibility to the outside environment, blade corners and rear of the tracks.

The new heating and air conditioning system features multiple vents to provide fresh air quietly and efficiently, maintaining the operator’s desired working temperature, while positive pressure inside the cab keeps dust out.

The dozers are GPS- and Trimble-ready. Look for Dressta to continue its commitment to innovation. At the conclusion of the event, Howard Dale promised that starting in 2016 there will be a significant game changer offered in an entirely new crawler dozer concept.