A motor grader, also called a grader or a road grader, is a type of heavy equipment designed to level surfaces and spread materials. It is widely used in construction, mining, snow plowing, and other industries. A motor grader features a long adjustable blade. Today, we will explain the definition, applications, and blades of a motor grader.
- What is a motor grader?
As mentioned above, a motor grader is a type of heavy equipment mainly applied in construction or mining sites to create flat surfaces. It is also known as a grader or a road grader. A typical motor grader comprises axles, steering wheels, a long adjustable blade or moldboard, a cab, and rear axles. For certain purposes, motor graders can be equipped with multiple attachments.
- Applications
A motor grader has several applications, including:
Construction
Motor graders are essential in the construction and maintenance of roads, streets, and highways. They are used to grade road surfaces before laying asphalt or building other structures.
Land grading
When it comes to developing construction sites, residential areas, and parking lots, motor graders are employed for land grading operations. To ensure proper contours, they shape the land by filling, cutting, and redistributing soil.
Earthmoving
Motor graders also play a vital role in earthmoving tasks, including cutting and spreading soil or other construction materials. Because they can efficiently move large volumes of materials from one location to another, graders are perfect for excavations, leveling fields, and preparing foundations for buildings.
Snow removal
Snow plowing is required in countries and areas with heavy snowfall in winter. Motor graders can push snow to the sides of the road with a front-mounted cutting blade, resulting in clear surfaces.
Mining
Graders are quite useful in the construction and maintenance of haul roads within mines. They can grade and compact surfaces to ensure efficient and safe transportation of extracted materials.
Landscaping
Motor graders can also be used in landscaping tasks, including leveling the ground, creating drainage ditches, and forming slopes.
Soil erosion control
Motor graders can create terraces and berms to manage water runoff and prevent soil erosion.
- Types of motor graders
There are several types of motor graders available, including small motor graders, medium motor graders, large motor graders, rigid frame motor graders, and articulated frame motor graders. As the name suggests, small graders are ideal for small projects, and medium graders are designed for highways and large construction sites. As for large graders, they are required for large commercial or residential land areas. The rigid frame grader is the most conventional type mainly designed for construction. It features a rectangular rigid frame with four wheels attached to it. For larger projects, articulated frame motor graders are used. They are equipped with two larger wheels and an articulated frame is attached to them. An articulated frame grader can go to any type of construction site at a higher speed.
- Motor grader blades
The grader cutting blade is of vital importance for a motor grader machine. It is attached to the underside of the grader and is designed to level and refine soil surfaces. Since a grader blade is adjustable, it can be raised or lowered to meet the requirements of various surfaces. In addition, this feature is also helpful in penetrating tough surfaces like rocks or removing soft materials such as sand. Motor grader cutting edges are available in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some blades are designed for cutting, while others are ideal for blending materials. What’s more, certain types of blades are perfect for evenly distributing gravel across a surface.
- Innovative grader-cutting systems
Nowadays, more and more manufacturers are exploring innovative grader-cutting systems that perform much better than traditional steel blades. For example, Caterpillar’s GraderBit system is comprised of a blade and several individual carbide-tipped bits, which are mounted on the blade, greatly improving efficiency and performance. Kennametal’s Scarifier Blade System provides outstanding performance in cutting tough surfaces, including hard-packed gravel roads and frozen ground. Sandvik System 2000® is perfect for maintaining surfaces in rural areas. It significantly improves productivity and reduces downtime.
KoneCarbide has years of experience in the supply of tungsten carbide wear parts in the mining and construction industry. We can provide both carbide-tipped picks for motor graders and grading blades. If you are looking for a reliable supplier, contact us today! Our salespeople are ready to provide tailor-made solutions for you.
