Komatsu’s new WA900-8 wheel loader is designed for loading heavy dump trucks in quarries, with a bucket engineered for increased productivity, and for making life easier for the operator, the company says.
The WA900, which weighs 256,618 pounds, is geared toward loading haul trucks that are 70 to 150 tons. The company calls it the perfect machine for loading in limestone pits, “because the all new Komatsu bucket design, with modified profile, maximizes bucket fill to increase productivity.”
Komatsu boosted power on the loader by 5 percent over the WA900-3E0, for 899 net horsepower. The Tier 4 Final engine does not require diesel exhaust fluid or use a selective catalytic reduction system, instead using Dual Komatsu Diesel Particulate Filters. The engine features Variable Geometry Turbochargers for engine control and quick response, the company says.
Komatsu added SmartLoader Logic, designed to improve fuel economy without sacrificing production. Efficiency is further gained by the Closed Center Load Sensing Hydraulic System, which matches hydraulic flow to the task. The loader is also equipped with a throttle lock with auto-deceleration, which the company says maintains high performance to improve cycle times.
The operator can engage the automatic digging, semiautomatic approach and dump systems to reduce fatigue; they also help less experienced operators be more productive, the company says. Other advancements for the operator include a large pillarless cab for improved visibility, a higher capacity air-suspension seat, and the Electronically Controlled Suspension System for a smoother ride. The loader also matches the tractive effort to the ground conditions through its Variable Traction Control System and Modulation Clutch System.
The loader is controlled by Komatsu’s Advanced Joystick Steering System and Electronic Pilot Control levers. The rearview camera displays images on a high-resolution, 7-inch monitor. Komatsu also made the cab easier to enter and exit with left and right 45-degree stairways, as well as walkways in front of the cab and on the rear counterweight.
Customers have the option to upgrade to Komatsu’s KomVision, which gives a bird’s eye view around the loader via six cameras and a monitor and which sounds an alarm when an obstacle is detected in the work area.
Komatsu says the WA900-8 has the most durable chassis in the model’s history with a redesigned front and rear frame and loader linkages. Brakes are designed to last longer with a brake cooling system, and a prelubrication system automatically raises engine oil pressure before startup to lubricate all of the engine components. The operator also receives real-time recommendations on how to operate the loader more efficiently through the ECO guidance system.
Operators no longer need a laptop for machine troubleshooting, thanks to a new machine monitoring system that displays diagnostics on a 7-inch LCD monitor. The company’s Komtrax Plus telematics system provides remote diagnostics on machine data and performance and can be integrated with third-party telematics systems.