A better way to replace underbody plow edges
(From left) John Tarnowski, DeWayne Jones, Craig Shankwitz, and Michael Etheridge
The need for a way to change underbody plow edges more easily began at the Thief River Falls truck station. The idea is becoming a reality and is nearing completion in a basement lab at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
The journey from concept to reality began when Steve Huffnagle, maintenance supervisor at Thief River Falls, and his crew decided to bring up the idea at a Mn/DOT Operations Research/University of Minnesota partnership meeting with district staff. Installing new underbody cutting edges is time-consuming and can be a potentially dangerous to workers. Changing the blade edges often requires two people because of the blades' weight and the need to position them correctly on the plow blade. (Only about 20 of Mn/DOT 150 truck stations have truck lifts.)
After the proposal to design a prototype was accepted during a research brainstorming session, Michael Etheridge, a mechanical engineering student at the University, decided to accept the challenge for a project for an honor's class.
Funding was approved through Mn/DOT's Maintenance Operations Research/New Technology Research and Equipment Committee (MOR/NTREC).
Etheridge spent a year researching, designing, and building a hydraulic changing system. His work was supported by Craig Shankwitz of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute at the University of Minnesota and John Tarnowski of MOR.
Etheridge recently displayed the prototype, known as the Quick Edge Underbody System, to staff from Mn/DOT, the University, and the Center for Transportation Studies.
The prototype uses four bolts to attach the ends of the blade; pins also support the blade. To attach or remove the blade, the pins are removed by hydraulic pressure and the bolts are easily reached for removal in a few minutes. By using a remote-controlled hydraulic device to perform most of the work, operators will be required to spend only a minimal amount of time under the truck.
"One of the great impacts this system would have includes the financial aspect," Etheridge said. "This new design will not only shorten the time needed to do the job, most of all it can reduce the potential for injuries."
The project's next step involves field testing this fall and winter to determine how well the system works and how the new pin connections withstand the heavy stresses the underbody plow bears in operation, Tarnowski said.
Reprinted with permission from the May 11, 2005, Mn/DOT Newsline.