The Real Score On Excavator Thumbs
Excavator thumbs, also called rigid thumbs are type of attachment on excavator buckets that allow for the more precise handling of material. They take their name from the human digit and analogous are analogous to the human thumb as the bucket or shovel is analogous to the other fingers of a human hand. Excavator thumbs can either be mechanical, that is they are controlled by a series of mechanical joints, or hydraulic, which means the excavator thumb is controlled by fluid under pressure to drive the mechanical load.
Excavator thumbs are available for a wide variety of excavator models. Some may be integral to an excavator bucket or some other attachment, while other thumbs are detachable.
Thumbs are a comparatively recent innovation that was invented well after excavators had found widespread use in all manner of engineering projects. Before excavator thumbs were introduced, keeping some kinds of material inside an excavator bucket was quite a difficult process. Even experienced excavator operators would find it difficult on some occasions to keep material securely in place in an excavator bucket.
There was a remedy for this however, which involved men on the ground manually securing material in the bucket with chains and hooks. However, this process had its drawbacks, namely that it took quite a bit of time even for experienced crewmen working in sync with the excavator operator to hook and chain material in the buckets and for them to unhook and unfasten the material from the buckets when the load needed to be dumped or transferred. If the project had more funds, perhaps a loader would be used instead of ground crew. Then the excavator would sit idle while the loader crew moved material into place. The drawbacks to this old system were obvious. Not only was it time consuming, it required workers to put themselves at risk of injury, or worse. Also, the loss of productivity due to time spent and the need for additional workers on the ground or a loader made the process very expensive. Excavator thumbs changed the whole state of things by allowing the excavator operator to secure and let loose material in an excavator bucket quite easily. The need for a ground crew, chains and hooks, and a loader is eliminated, cutting costs and making engineering projects move along at a faster pace for less associated costs. Excavator thumbs are one of those simple ideas that proved to be a quantum leap in construction technology. This simple idea has improved worksite safety, cut costs, and made faster progress and many engineering projects possible. Thumbs come in several designs for specific situations. Whatever the purpose, the weight and material density of thumbs are crucial. Light thumbs tend to wear out easily and have to be replaced often, while thumbs that are too heavy can put a strain on an excavator and shorten the lifespan of a machine. If one is in the market for thumbs, one must make sure to consider manufacturers that have had a good track record for quality and not focus on price, as the productivity of an engineering project can very well hinge (no pun intended) on the quality of excavator thumb you purchase.
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