Komatsu WA480-8 Yard Loader Is A 3-Pass Machine For Loading & Moving Aggregate & Processed Materials

    Posted On: October 15, 2021

    Komatsu’s new WA480-8 yard loader has more than 1,400 pounds of added counterweight for increased bucket capacity and stability. (Photo courtesy of Komatsu.)

    Compared to Komatsu’s standard WA480-8, the yard loader variant has more than 1,400 pounds (635 kilograms) of added counterweight to increase bucket capacity and stability. And when combined with Komatsu’s 7.2-cubic-yard (5.5-cubic-meter) bucket with a curved side edge to minimize spillage and an integrated load meter, the WA480-8 yard loader provides new features to increase productivity when loading aggregate and processed materials. Komatsu says the WA480-8 can also be adapted for infrastructure, forestry, and non-residential construction applications.

    Fewer Passes & Cycles

    The WA480-8 yard loader is designed to be a three-pass match for most highway trucks. The 7.2-cu-y bucket features a long bucket jaw, allowing for a decreased strike plane angle to more easily fill transport trucks, and this design is also said to reduce resistance during pile penetration. Operators can also use the integrated load meter system to optimize bucket capacity. The WA480-8 powertrain is equipped with a 299-horsepower (223-kilowatt) engine and Komatsu’s Smart Loader logic engine control system to optimize torque for each work phase. Operators can see information on the engine condition, load, and other details on the in-cab monitor, and control of the loader is easy thanks to Komatsu’s Advanced Joystick Steering System (AJSS).

    Longer Brake Life

    With expectations to work under a high-duty load-and-carry cycle, Komatsu equips the WA480-8 yard loader with a new air-cooled braking system. In severe test conditions, Komatsu says the higher cooling efficiency of the system reduced temperatures by 56 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooling performance is enhanced by a sensor on the brakes’ electric drive pump, which measures the axle temperature and activates the cooling only when necessary.

    Source: Komatsu

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