Crawler unit components in general

Crawler units and, in particular, their moving parts, are subject to constant stresses during use.

Over time, this leads to component wear and/or component fatigue. Thanks to many years of close collaboration between our suppliers and the engineering departments at our brand headquarters, the crawler unit parts are perfectly matched to each other.

The goal: maximum utilisation rates to assure high cost-efficiency of our WIRTGEN GROUP machines.

WIRTGEN cold milling machines have the task of pushing the milling drum or, depending on the position of the crawler units (in front of or behind the milling drum), of pulling it through the asphalt during the milling process. Thanks to the relatively high weight of a cold milling machine, the traction of the polyurethane track pads is rarely compromised. At the same time, assistance systems such as anti-slip control effectively prevent track chain slip. Users can therefore choose polyurethane instead of rubber track pads due to the benefits of their longer service life. The particular hardness of polyurethane track pads considerably reduces the risk of damage when driving the machine over milled edges or kerbs.

All crawler unit components are subject to more or less severe wear. There are many different reasons for this. The effects of wear can be minimised and delayed by correct usage, but can never be completely avoided. Dirt, incorrect assembly or sub-optimal third party components can not only impair the machine productivity, but might also increase wear on other components.

Among the most common reasons for undesirable wear effects are:

• Caking and clumping of milling dust or asphalt residues (due to insufficiently thorough cleaning)
• High speeds when relocating the machine at travel speeds
• Reverse travel
• Incorrect track chain tensioning (too high or too low)
• Abrasive materials (sand, milling dust etc.) on sliding or roll-off points

Correct maintenance is always the best remedy in the battle against wear: Wear minimisation

Excessive dirt accelerates the wearing process: abrasive materials grind material away at all points of contact and drastically shorten the service life of components. Maintenance and cleaning at regular intervals is absolutely essential for maximising the service life of crawler unit components.

Extending the service life means:

• Observing a thorough daily cleaning regime,
• Regular inspection of wear parts to identify and prevent component wear or damage before it becomes a serious problem
• Carrying out regular maintenance and servicing.

You can also take advantage of our practical service packages as a part of a carefully planned maintenance programme. Our service packages bring you the additional benefit of lower costs than when you order individual parts and ensure that you have all the parts you need when you take your machine in for servicing at the workshop.