Why Heavy-Duty Vehicles Choose Expander System Pivot Pins
Pivot pins are essential to the rotational movement of industrial machinery. However, as with any mechanical component, traditional pivot pins are subject to wear and tear over time, which can lead to decreased performance, prolonged downtime and even failure.
Heavy-duty vehicles, such as mining trucks, forestry harvesters, and construction equipment, are particularly dependent upon durable components given the heavy loads and rough terrains in which they operate.
More than two million Expander Systems have been installed worldwide, so let’s discuss why machine owners, operators, manufacturers and workshops in these industries choose it as the optimum alternative to traditional pins.
Enhanced Performance and Stability
When installed, Expander System’s expanding sleeves conform to the shape of the machine’s lug bores and lock the pin in place. Even under heavy loads, they maintain a tight fit which helps to prevent any movement or shifting of the connected parts. Eliminating this play between the bores and the pin improves the stability of the machinery and reduces the risk of wear and damage to components, the bearing or to the Expander System pin itself.
Durability and Reliability: Redistributing Stress
A conventional pivot pin system distributes the load onto a very small area, due to the small play needed to mount the pin into the lug. As the pin moves during operation, oval-shaped wear occurs in the lug bores over time as the stress is concentrated onto a single point. As Expander System’s sleeves create the tighter fit, pressure is distributed more evenly over the whole contact area in the direction of the force. Double-sided axial locking also minimizes the risk of bending or axle breakage. This ensures that the vehicle remains stable, even when carrying heavy loads or operating in rough terrain.
Ease of Installation and Maintenance
“With the simplest tools, Expander System can be completely mounted or disassembled if necessary”
The pins are designed to be installed and removed with basic hand tools, making it easy to perform maintenance and repairs on your vehicle. By having a solution that conforms to the pattern of lug wear, you can also eliminate the need for time-consuming and specialist line boring. In many cases, this makes it possible to replace worn pivot joints directly in the field – as many service technicians choose to do.
Cost Savings and Competitive Advantage: The Financial Benefits of Expander System Pivot Pins
Using Expander System can significantly increase the lifespan of your machine’s pivots, with the obvious benefit of reduced repairs, replacements and general maintenance. For a mining customer, lug wear and stuck pins can take days to repair, so the payoff of switching to Expander System there is huge.
For manufacturers, you decrease the lifetime cost of your machinery by supplying differentiated models with greater durability, sustained performance and ease of maintenance. For your end users, the gains in productivity by keeping a machine operational is a significant source of competitive advantage.
In the long-term, more robust pivot pin performance can mean hundreds of thousands in additional revenue.
Case Study: Offroad Leichtbau Manufaktur - Travel the World Secured by Expander System
Nils Trettin is from Offroad Leichtbau Manufaktur, a company based in Berlin who specialize in the manufacturing of highly customized expedition vehicles for extreme offroad use. They’re using Expander System to secure the cabin connection, which must withstand extreme conditions – from the Arctic Circle to the desert.
“Expander System is very easy to assemble, and the play free connection is extremely important as there shouldn’t be any movement between the vehicle and the cabin” says Nils.
In conclusion, Expander System pivot pins are durable, easy to install, and provide a stable connection between different vehicle components, helping to keep your machinery in top condition and performing to the fullest - even when operating in rough terrain.
Contact your local Expander System sales engineer to find out more, arrange a visit to your site, or to discuss your machine’s pivot pin installation and maintenance.