New Features on Large Doosan Wheel Loaders
Doosan Construction Equipment has announced a wide range of new safety and ergonomic features that are now available as standard on all five large Doosan wheel loaders including the DL300-5, DL350-5, DL420-5, DL450-5 and DL550-5 models. The new features have been added as part of Doosan’s continuous improvement and innovation programme for the company’s range of wheel loaders, crawler and wheeled excavators and articulated dump trucks.
A number of the new features are aimed at increased safety and visibility in and around the operator’s cab. For example, a new handrail has been installed around the cab roof with three holding points, allowing operators to move very safely all around the cab to clean windows and to perform other tasks.
A new large step and access platform has also been added on the front of the cab and a change in the wiring routing has allowed the horn to be repositioned below the road light. Together these changes ensure maximum safety and confidence, with very safe and faster movements around the cab (without any obstacles) during daily maintenance.
New Joystick Control
Inside the cab, there is a new ergonomic joystick control with a progressive thumb wheel added for the auxiliary hydraulic line (3rd valve). The progressive thumb wheel ensures that no additional lever is needed, providing the easiest combination of movements to manage the 3rd valve operations. FNR control has been relocated on the back of the joystick, via a three-position rocker switch, which is much more convenient and intuitive to use.
To make life more comfortable and easier for operators, Doosan has added a rolling sunshield on the rear window to avoid any disturbance from sunlight during operations. The cup holder has also been relocated to the front right of the cab and a new double hanger hook allows both a helmet and a jacket to be hung inside the cab.
The operator has the benefit of additional convex mirrors installed on the lateral mirror frames. The wider angle and additional visibility provided by the convex mirrors along the side of the machine ensure safer manoeuvring of the wheel loader on site and in the quarry.
A new external, steel tool box installed below the ladder on the left hand side of the wheel loaders is a convenient location for gathering and storing tools. The tools are now accessible from ground level, with no need to climb up the side of the cab to reach them, so the cab stays cleaner and there is no obstruction of the cab entrance for safer access.
The wheel loaders feature a new lockable steel cap on the transmission oil filler, the shape of which has been changed to allow it to be locked with a padlock. When the transmission oil filler tube is locked, the transmission oil cannot be polluted with other types of oil or liquid, dust and other substances. It is also an additional guarantee of security for the customer.
These new features complement the outstanding productivity and fuel economy offered by the Doosan wheel loaders, where existing features include the high comfort cab, powerful Doosan and Scania Stage IV engines, smooth and responsive hydraulics, a ZF powertrain, axle cooling and auxiliary hydraulic connections. As in the previous DL-3 range, most of these features are standard on the DL-5 wheel loaders unlike other machines on the market where they are options and many have been developed to optimise fuel efficiency.
The DL300-5 and DL350-5 wheel loaders are powered by the Doosan DL08 6-cylinder diesel engine, with an output of 202 kW (271 HP) of power at 1800 rpm. The DL420-5 is powered by the Scania DC13 6-cylinder engine producing 254 kW (345 HP) of power at 1800 rpm. The DL450-5 and DL550-5 are also powered by the DC13 engine producing 257 kW (354 HP) and 283 kW (380 HP) of power, respectively, at 1800 rpm.
Providing generous torque at low rpm, up to a 10% reduction in fuel consumption and excellent response, the Doosan and Scania engines meet Stage IV emission regulations without the need of a diesel particulate filter (DPF), through the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and selective catalyst reduction (SCR) after-treatment technologies.
Along with the new features in the large wheel loaders, Doosan has implemented a restyling for all 12 of the models in the company’s wheel loader range. The new styling scheme involves a change of colour (from orange to dark grey) for the front lift arm, front frame and front and rear axle components on the machines. The more dynamic curved lines of the new styling are designed to reinforce the robustness and power of the Doosan wheel loader range.