O&K TRIPOWER LEADS THE WAY

For many years, designers have looked for ways to simplify the digging and loading cycle on big hydraulic face shovels. At the 1983 Bauma, O&K showed an RH 120 with a mechanical linkage system.

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Tripower is now available on machines ranging from the 45t RH20 through to the 465t RH200, and is claimed as a major advance on existing technology.

The system is centred around the mechanical linkage which forms a triangular connector between boom and bucket cylinders, linked back to the superstructure at the boom foot.

The improvements to performance include increased lifting and crowd forces, better machine stability during the whole loading cycle, and reduced wear on the bucket underside.

The linkage maintains the bucket at a constant angle anywhere throughout the entire working envelope of the front end, without the need for the operator to adjust it.

Tripower Plus, the latest addition, is only available on the RH30E.

It is said to offer even more lift and crowding force, combined with increased stability. In addition, says O&K, the latest system reduces friction at the lower edge of the bucket and increases the actual load on the ground. The result is higher crowd forces and significantly improved stability.

The automatic parallel bucket action in the float position coupled with the constant bucket angles over the entire lifting range and the unpressurised quick drop circuits remain standard features.

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