PRODUCTS & SERVICES
CURTISS-WRIGHT
65
Multifunctional ergonomics
iVTInternational.com June 2019
COMPONENTS AND SUBSYSTEMS USED IN OFF-HIGHWAY
VEHICLES MUST BE ROBUST, USER-FRIENDLY AND VERSATILE
Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial division has
relationships with many industry-leading
OEMs. The company is highly experienced in working
with designers to provide components and subsystems
that can withstand environmental challenges –
such as exposure to water, dust, shock, vibration and
extreme temperatures – and that are ergonomically
optimized for efficient operator control to reduce
fatigue and increase productivity.
With OEMs continuously developing highly efficient,
flexible and safety-critical vehicles that increase
productivity, there is a trend towards replacing multiple
hydraulic levers and discrete components with
electronic human-machine interfaces (HMIs). These
HMIs integrate fully into custom control boxes and
armrest assemblies, providing operators a wide range
of new capabilities.
For many on- and off-highway applications,
Curtiss-Wright has a long association of developing
HMIs that incorporate multiple functions and can be
operated with the use of just one hand, or via finger
or thumb activation. These interfaces typically
incorporate push-button switches, rotary thumbwheels
and joystick paddles and levers, which variously
offer switched and proportional control of a vehicle’s
numerous features.
Recent products
Curtiss-Wright’s HI grip is a heavy-duty, multifunction
grip that offers a wide range and combination of
proportional roller and discrete push-button switch
functions, and is suitable for use in arduous
construction, material handling and agricultural
in-cab applications. It is available fitted to Curtiss-
Wright’s JC6000 and JC8000 series joysticks, or as
a standalone grip with a range of adaptors to suit
standard industrial fittings.
Thanks to its novel roller design – and unlike many
available grips – the HI grip sets the standard for joystick
controller grip design by incorporating up to four
ergonomically placed, easy-to-reach proportional rollers.
Up to three rollers can be placed across the front plate of
the grip and positioned in easy reach of a sweep of the
operator’s thumb, with the rear roller operated by the
first finger. The HI is Curtiss-Wright’s first grip designed
from the ground up to offer left- and right-handed
versions that lean inward and forward, feature a
scalloped shaft and a hand rest for optimal operator
comfort and operation.
The HI grip is available with optional colors for the
front and rear switch plates and nine standard colors for
each of the buttons and rollers, meaning the HI grip is
available in a vast array of configurations. Additionally,
the HI can also be supplied with switch icons to industry-
specific ISO standards or customer-specific designs. This
use of colors and icons facilitates ease of operation by
associating a grip button with a machine function.
Future innovations
Fully electronic operator controls offer improvements in
vehicle reliability and maximize comfort for the operator,
helping to increase the productivity of industrial
vehicles, reduce operator fatigue and improve safety.
Curtiss-Wright is currently developing a pedal system
that is designed to replace hydraulic pedal/lever systems
for smaller tracked excavators and skid-steer vehicles.
The Dampened Rocker Pedal is a heavy-duty,
floor-mounted electronic rocker pedal that features
a damping mechanism that has been integrated into the
pedal module to prevent unintended oscillation
throughout the pedal travel. A common pedal module
allows for application-specific treadles, handles and
pedal rotations; and configuring the pedal module with
treadles and handles enables a drop-in replacement to
hydraulic excavator travel pedals without extending
below the cab floor.
So, whether Curtiss-Wright is creating concepts to
address an OEM specification, or customizing existing
products to better suit an application, its global team of
engineers is ready for the challenge and will partner
with design teams to ensure the most reliable and
cost-effective equipment is developed.
Curtiss-Wright engineers are focused on developing
innovative solutions and next-generation technologies.
This intelligent engineering, from initial concept to
finished product, demonstrates its commitment to
providing the advanced components and subsystems
demanded by industrial vehicle manufacturers. iVT
Author: Christian Howe, marketing manager,
Curtiss-Wright
There are left-
and right-hand
versions of the HI
grip to maximize
user comfort
FREE READER INQUIRY SERVICE
To learn more about this advertiser, visit
www.magupdate.co.uk/pivt
/iVTInternational.com
/pivt