Driving for growth: long known for its drive systems, Hagglunds is targeting growth in hydraulic motors for the mobile market

In much of the equipment industry, the trend over the last several years, particularly when it comes to hydraulics, has been toward systems. As a company that has offered complete packaged hydraulic power units almost from the beginning, Hagglunds Drives Inc. understands the appeal of the systems approach. But in the case of the Columbus, Ohio-based arm of Sweden's Hagglunds Drives AB, the systems message has overshadowed the fact that the company also offers a wide range of discrete hydraulic components.

"Over the years, we've positioned ourselves as a drives company," said John Duncan, President of Hagglunds' U.S. and Canadian operations. "We've been doing complete drive systems for all kinds of industrial applications but we've not been necessarily known as a discrete hydraulic motor supplier.

"Yet we sell many motors that do not go out as part of a complete drive system. We want customers to also know us as a motor supplier If they don't, perhaps it's because of the success Hagglunds has had pioneering its packaged drive systems that are used in a variety of market segments, including mining, marine, pulp and paper, chemical processing, etc. The company's integral and open power units have been sold in the U.S. for more than two decades. But over the same span, the company has also developed a new range of hydraulic motors that are becoming increasingly recognized for their capabilities in very rugged mobile and semi-mobile applications such as bucket wheel stacker reclaimers, marine dredges, heavy-duty shredders, C. & D. grinding, piling machines, heavy-duty augers, trenchers and drilling, boring and tunneling machinery.

"Looking at our business, we're into 10 different segments," noted Duncan. "Mining is very strong for us, and you'll see a lot of our orange drives around the world.

"One of the areas where we think we have the most potential to grow is construction. We have a lot to offer the OEMs with our Compact CA/CB line of LSHT hydraulic motors that have a very high horsepower to weight ratio. We also are expanding our North American capabilities by adding additional sales and engineering personnel to enable us to respond to our growing customer base."

Hagglunds' product line consists of an array of recent and well-proven components that span a very wide application range. It includes:

CA motors--the smallest of the company's signature line of LSHT radial piston hydraulic motors, the motors incorporate a stationary housing with a rotating hollow shaft that is connected to the shaft of the driven machine with either an integral mechanical shrink disc or via splines. Motors can be flange or torque arm mounted. Displacements range from 76.6 cu.in./rev to 805.5 cu.in./rev with rated operating speeds from fractional to 400 rpm and torques to 53,000 lb.ft. They are available in a two speed version with many bolt on valve accessories. A space saving tandem version is available in many combinations, along with integral enclosed brakes.

CB motors--a similar, but larger range of LSHT radial piston motors, the CB model covers a displacement range from 920 cu.in./rev to 3220 cu.in./rev, with operating speeds from fractional to 125 rpm. Torques range to 213,500 lb.ft.

Marathon motors--a range of LSHT radial piston units, the Marathon motors incorporate a stationary housing and a rotating hollow shaft which is connected to the shaft of the driven machine with either an integral mechanical shrink disc or via splines. The Marathon displacement range is from 542 cu.in./rev to 15,330 cu.in./ rev. with speeds up to 90 rpm and torques to 1 million lb.ft.

Viking motors--the original Hagglunds motor is a rotating housing version. These motors are used in many winch applications with displacement beginning at 203 cu.in./rev to 2319 cu.in./rev. Maximum torque is up to 110,000 lb.ft at speeds up to 200 rpm.