Tactile control

Consolidated for a long time in handling of attachments, joysticks also get space as a steering mean and are slowly becoming popular among Brazilian operators

Every new feature of the construction equipment industry has a maturation time to get its complete technical adjustment and to be accepted by the targeted public. This is the case of the joystick technology, which replaced levers and even steering wheels. An old acquaintance of the generations whose childhood (or, why not, also their adult age) was permeated by videogames, the joystick is a reliable device that improves ergonomics and comfort to the operator, as well as precision, essential in some types of heavy machine operations.

Used extensively in agriculture and forestry equipment, as well as in some machines of the Yellow Line such as motor graders, they became a technology that is at the same time new and well-established. Following a stepped path, the joystick technology is being introduced little by little in the construction industry since the eighties, in machines of medium and large size. The first machines to use it—according to Paulo Jauhar, sales manager of Komatsu construction division— were the hydraulic excavators, followed by the crawler tractors in the next decade. And joystick was limited to these machines for a long time. “In addition to several technical improvements, we sought to made operation more efficient through a more comfortable and ergonomic environment for the operator”, comments the expert. “The introduction of the joystick in mining equipment and in motor graders, for example, was a natural evolution that follows this premise.”

ATTRIBUTE

Nothing is more logic. A satisfied and well-accommodated worker in a healthy work environment results directly in more productivity. In practical terms, this capacity of reducing the fatigue occurred in repetitive actions is the best attribute of the joystick, as explained by Rodrigo Cera, product application expert from Caterpillar, pioneer of introducing in the country motor graders totally operated by that device. “The comfort in operation is a very strong point when joysticks are used. Together with the cab and the possible adjustments, it results in a more harmonic design, allowing the operator to spend the minimum effort possible when he is using the equipment”, says Cera. “The result is a significant increase in the production, with faster working cycles and lower fatigue, added to higher accuracy and lower operating costs of the equipment.”

The health of the workers is currently a constant concern of the companies, not only by the obvious human aspect, but also by the necessity of complying with law. In this area, the Normas Regulamentadoras (Regulating Standards) 17 and 31—this one specific for agriculture—represent an important advancement to ensure the operator’s welfare. They take into account aspects such as ergonomics, comfort and prevention of damages to the operators’ health, mainly those caused by repetitive efforts and physiologic fatigue in general. At the same time, these standards encourage the use of components such as joysticks, which ensure all benefits needed to the operator.

In this sense, the use of joysticks—replacing the steering wheel or the operating levers of the attachments—reduces the fatigue of the professional and increases the productivity along the shift. And since they are installed at the sides of the cockpit, they enlarge the viewing angle of the operator, increasing safety and consequently reducing possibilities of error. According to studies carried out by Caterpillar, the use of this technology reduces arm, hand and wrist movement up to 78 percent. This reduces the wear of the articulations and consequently prevents possible injuries due to repetitive work. In addition to the increase in volume and effectiveness of the production, the professional has a quicker reaction in the equipment operation.