Mini-Skid rubber track design

[brent300]

Hello,

I'm looking for any engineering information/references/good links on track design for a mini-skid loader.

Thanks,

Brent

 

[brent300]

Just a follow up to clarify-- I am interested in undercarriage design.

Thanks

 

[dhengr]

Call BobCat? Otherwise, that’s a pretty broad question probably not covered in a book or simple reference materials; but probably an interesting career if you have the proper training.

 

[hydtools]

Do you mean like the Toro Dingo?

Ted

 

[brent300]

Yes, similar to the Toros, Boxer, Ramrod, ect. I can't find any info on design--I don't think Bobcat will give it up

Tx

 

[hydtools]

Those folks have developed their own designs. The designs are not cookbook designs. The drives are integrated into the whole machine design and structure. Buy one you like and develop your own. Or make a deal with a manufacturer to buy and use components. Be prepared for competition unless you can offer something really unique and sought after.

Ted

 

[brent300]

Tx,

I was hoping to find material on different undercariage arraments, pros/cons, reason for design etc. Maybe academic journals?

Brent

 

[KENAT]

Well, there may be more information for military tracked vehicles, I've certainly seen articles comparing torsion to pneumatic to horstmann...

However, since most of them use articulated steel tracks I'm not sure it's directly applicable.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[MikeHalloran]

There have been occasional articles about the challenges involved in designing suspension for battle tanks and for snowmobiles, in the ASME house rag and the commercial design mags. Most of the articles carried too little actual technical information to be of any real use. Most comprised puffery about how some borderline magical CAD package made it possible to use, uh, low cost labor, to produce a design that sort of worked by some measure.

I remember reading a paper that I recall as decent, concerning development of a 'jumping tank' during WW2. It was superseded by tank plows before production, but it did work. It was actually wheeled, not tracked, but the challenges involved were relevant. Not the Baker jumping tank that Google will find, that only made it to the model stage. This thing had the wheels mounted on large rotary arms.








Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[brent300]

Well, it looks like good old reverse engineering in addition to trial and error might be the ticket....

 

[KENAT]

There should be quite a bit of info on military tracked vehicles. I'd do a search, take a look, and see what may be applicable for your situation, before blindly copying what other folks have done.

A quick google of tank track suspension got me

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/7936/5/bad1843.0001.001.pdf

http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA282723

https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/bitstream/1826/1106/1/Paul Allen thesis.pdf

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[hydtools]

Hinowa SPa makes very nice undercarriages. We looked at them for a mini dump undercarriage.

http://pdf.directindustry.com/pdf/hinowa-spa/serie-pt-tracked-undercarriages-gb/40843-38270.html

Ted

 

[brent300]

Reverse engineering is not "blindly" copying. It is a way to learn and has been done for thousands of years otherwise we would not have advanced as far as we have. Than you for the links.