Komatsu Australia has added Roll Over Protection Structures (ROPS) to the cabs of its entire range of Dash 8 excavators.
According to the company, the ROPS are fully compliant with the most recent international standard ISO 12117-2:2008.
The ROPS cabs are the latest part of the factory-fitted safety package offered in the Dash 8 vehicles, which range from the eight tonne PC78UU-8 to the 45 tonne PC450LC-8.
The safety package also emergency stop buttons, hose-burst protection and a rear-view camera.
According to the manufacturer, this package, aside from offering superior operator safety, also translates to greater resale value and improved site acceptance and contract compliance.
“A number of major contractors and clients are insisting that all excavators on major sites are compatible with the new standard,” the company said.
The cabs also offer “class-leading visibility” around the machine as well as large interior working space.
It features the sound-proofing to as low as 68 dBA, the lowest in the industry.
The emergency stop buttons are externally-mounted, so that anyone standing or working close by can quickly and easily shut down the machine in the event of an emergency.
The hose-burst protection is designed to prevent the boom or arm dropping rapidly in the event of a hydraulic hose failure.
The rear view camera gives the operator a view of people and objects at the rear of the machine.
The cabins can also come with factory-installed vandal guards that can be used without compromising the ROPS certification.
The use of locally-installed vandal guards can void the certification, because the structural integrity of the ROPS can be affected when the mounting points are drilled into the frame.
According to the company, all the components and elements on the excavator, from engine, hydraulics and electronics, through to the boom, track gear and cab are designed to work together for optimum efficiency, safety and reliability.
Why it took so long for ROPS excavator standards
Unlike most earthmoving and construction equipment, excavators were not required to have a ROPS in place for many years.
According to Komatsu’s Chris Moroz, there are number of reasons why the vehicles were not fitted with ROPS cabs.
“For a start, the structural design of an excavator has made it quite challenging to develop a strong enough ‘platform’ on which to mount a ROPS,” he said.
“It must be able to withstand the forces on a cab and its supporting platform in the event of a rollover.
“It is not like a dozer or truck, where the cabin sits on the main body of the machine and simply has to be robust enough to withstand the weight of the machine if it rolls over.
“We have carried out a lot of research and development to come up with a platform and cabin structure that can meet the high safety requirements of a ROPS standard.”
There has also been a long-standing school of thought within the industry that excavators simply did not need these structures, according to Moroz.
“For many years, it was felt that due to the nature of their work and their limited load-and-carry duties, excavators had a fairly limited risk of roll over,” he said.
“However, excavators are increasingly being used on steep sites and rough terrain, so the risks of roll over have been increasing.
The ISO 12117-2: 2008 standard sets out laboratory tests and performance requirements for ROPS on excavators weighing between six tonnes and 50 tonnes.