What is a motor grader?
A motor grader is a self-propelled construction machine with a long metal blade located on its front wheel assembly for leveling grounds, as the name implies. On its front axle, it has scarifiers, whose teeth resemble a rake, that help break hard ground.
A motor grader is usually used for road construction, leveling agricultural land, building channels and earth slopes and, in general, clearing land and soils.
What parts make up a motor grader?
- Chassis: serves as a support and anchor for all its other parts.
- Front axle: these are the front wheels of the machine, which are attached to the chassis through a pivot.
- Engine: located at the rear of the motor grader; works through a hydraulic transmission system.
- Cab: central space where the machine operator is located.
- Blade: a metal piece used to move the ground.
- Foot and heel of the loader bucket: the ends closest to the front and rear wheels of the machine.
- Drawbar: a beam that supports the traction force exerted by the machine’s chassis towards the blade system.
- Circle turn: a piece that lets the machine rotate 360 degrees to adjust the blade angle.
What is the main function of a motor grader?
The main purpose of a motor grader is to flatten soil and sharpen slopes; that means leveling any inclined surface with respect to the horizontal terrain used as reference. Thus, this machine is quite versatile in the field of construction: it can flatten and refine land to different angles and inclinations.
When using this machine in civil engineering works, it is possible to remove any traces of grooves, gaps, or imperfections in the terrain that may affect the stability of a structure.
What are the characteristics of a motor grader?
Depending on its leveling function, a motor grader has the following characteristics:
- The blade can lean up to 90º to the right or left and rotate horizontally.
- The blade can measure 3.8 meters wide, approximately.
- Its engine has 120 to 200 horsepower of strength.
- The scarifiers can reach a depth of more than 20 cm in the ground.
- It reaches a speed of 3 to 7 kilometers per hour.
- There are two types of motor graders: rigid and articulated.
Safety requirements for operating a motor grader
Motor graders, like all heavy machinery, must be operated by trained personnel, always in compliance with certain safety parameters, such as:
- Having essential equipment and accessories to regulate, use, and maintain the machine safely.
- Keeping hydraulic and battery systems in optimal condition. In addition, the engine fluid tanks must have components that facilitate their channeling and a stopper with a locking option with a key or some other device.
- Having lights and front and rear headlights.
- Having automatic acceleration locking systems.
- Having a proper shock system to keep the operator’s seat from vibrating.
- The cab must be soundproofed, and the glass must always be in optimal condition.
