Wheel Loaders

Integrated Toolcarriers

SAE Loader Ratings

Machine Selection
Cycle Time Factors

SAE BUCKET RATING

HEAPED
STRUCK

SAE Bucket Capacities

Struck capacity is that volume contained in a
bucket after a load is leveled by drawing a straight
edge resting on the cutting edge and the back of the
bucket.
Heaped capacity is a struck capacity plus that
additional material that would heap on the struck
load at a 2:1 angle of repose with the struck line
parallel to the ground.
SAE J742 (FEB85) specifies that the addition of any
auxiliary spill guard to protect against spillage which
might injure the operator will not be included in bucket
capacity ratings. Buckets with irregular shaped cutting edges (vee edge) the strike plane should be drawn
at one-third the distance of the protruding portion of
the cutting edge. Cat rock buckets are built with integral see-through rock guards. Cat light material
buckets come standard with bolt-on edges. These features which add to actual bucket capacity are included
in published ratings.
Dump Height
SAE J732 JUN92 specifies that dump height is
the vertical distance from the ground to the lowest
point of the cutting edge with the bucket hinge pin
at maximum height and the bucket at a 45 dump
angle. Dump angle is the angle in degrees that the
longest flat section of the inside bottom of the bucket
will rotate below horizontal.

SELECTING A MACHINE
Steps in selecting the proper size loader:
1. Determine production required or desired.
2. Determine loader cycle time and cycles per hour.
A machine size must be assumed to select a basic
cycle time.

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3. Determine required payload per cycle in loose

cubic yards and pounds (meters and kilograms).
4. Determine bucket size needed.
5. Make machine selection using bucket size and payload as criteria to meet production requirements.
6. Compare the loader cycle time used in calculations
to the cycle time of the machine selected. If there
is a difference, rework the process beginning at
step 2.
1. Production Required
The production required of a wheel or track loader
should be slightly greater than the production capability of the other critical units in the earth or material moving system. For example, if a hopper can
handle 300 tons per hour, a loader capable of slightly
more than 300 tons should be used. Required production should be carefully calculated so the proper
machine and bucket selections are made.
2. Loader Cycle Times
When hauling loose granular material on a hard
smooth operating surface, a .45-.55 minute basic
cycle time is considered reasonable for Cat articulated loaders with a competent operator. This includes
load, dump, four reversals of direction, full cycle of
hydraulics and minimum travel.
Material type, pile height, and other factors may
improve or reduce production, and should be added
to or subtracted from the basic cycle time when
applicable.
When hauls are involved, obtain the haul and return
portion of the cycle from the estimated travel chart (this
section). Add the haul and return times to the estimated basic cycle time to obtain total cycle time.
CYCLE TIME FACTORS
A basic cycle time (Load, Dump, Maneuver) of
.45-.55 minutes is average for an articulated loader
[the basic cycle for large loaders, 3 m3 (4 yd3) and
up, can be slightly longer], but variations can be
anticipated in the field. The following values for
many variable elements are based on normal operations. Adding or subtracting any of the variable
times will give the total basic cycle time.

Machine Selection
Truck Loading
Bucket Fill Factors
Minutes added (+)
or Subtracted ()
From Basic Cycle
Machine
Material handler . . . . . . . . . . . . . .05
Materials
Mixed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +.02
Up to 3 mm (1/8 in). . . . . . . . . . . . +.02
3 mm (1/8 in) to 20 mm
(3/4 in) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .02
20 mm (3/4 in) to 150 mm
(6 in) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .00
150 mm (6 in) and over . . . . . . . . +.03 and Up
Bank or broken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +.04 and Up
Pile
Conveyor or Dozer piled 3 m
(10 ft) and up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .00
Conveyor or Dozer piled 3 m
(10 ft) or less . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +.01
Dumped by truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . +.02
Miscellaneous
Common ownership of trucks
and loaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Up to .04
Independently owned
trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Up to +.04
Constant operation. . . . . . . . . . . . Up to .04
Inconsistent operation . . . . . . . . . Up to +.04
Small target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Up to +.04
Fragile target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Up to +.05
Using actual job conditions and the above factors,
total cycle time can be estimated. Convert total cycle
time to cycles per hour.
60 min
Cycles per hour at
100% Efficiency
= Total Cycle Time
in Minutes
Job efficiency is an important factor in machine
selection. Efficiency is the actual number of minutes worked during an hour. Job efficiency accounts
for bathroom breaks and other work interruptions.
Cycles per hour
at 50 minutes
Cycles per hour
50 min
per hour
= at 100%
 actual work
(83% efficiency)
efficiency
time
60 min hour

Wheel Loaders
Integrated Toolcarriers

TRUCK LOADING
Average loader cycle times
914G-962H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.45-0.50 min
966H-980H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.50-0.55 min
988H-990H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.55-0.60 min
992K-994F. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.60-0.70 min
3. Required Payload Per Cycle
Required payload per cycle is determined by dividing required hourly production by the number of
cycles per hour.
4. Bucket Selection
After required payload per cycle has been calculated, the payload should be divided by the loose cubic
yard (meter) material weight to determine number
of loose cubic yards (meters) required per cycle.
The bulk of material handled does not weigh
1800 kg/m3 (3000 lb/yd3), so a reasonable knowledge
of material weight is necessary for accurate production estimates. The Tables Section has average
weight for certain materials when actual weights
are not known.
The percentage of rated capacity a bucket carries
in various materials is estimated below. The bucket
size required to handle the required volume per cycle
is found with the aid of the percentage of rated bucket
capacity called Bucket Fill Factor.
The bucket size needed is determined by dividing
loose cubic meters (or yards) required per cycle by
the bucket fill factor.
Volume Required/Cycle
Bucket size =
Bucket Fill Factor
BUCKET FILL FACTORS
The following indicates the approximate amounts
of material as a percent of rated bucket capacity
which will actually be delivered per bucket per cycle.
This is known as Bucket Fill Factor.
Loose Material
Fill factor
Mixed moist aggregates . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95-100%
Uniform aggregates up to 3 mm
(1/8 in). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95-100%
3 mm (1/8 in) to 9 mm (3/8 in) . . . . . . . . 90-95%
12 mm (1/2 in) to 20 mm (3/4 in) . . . . . . 85-90%
24 mm (1.0 in) and over . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85-90%

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Wheel Loaders
Integrated Toolcarriers

Machine Selection
Bucket Fill Factors
Example Problem

Blasted Rock
Well blasted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80-95%
Average. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75-90
Poor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60-75
Other
Rock dirt mixtures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100-120%
Moist loam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100-110
Soil, boulders, roots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80-100
Cemented materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85-95
NOTE: Fill factors on wheel loaders are affected by
bucket penetration, breakout force, rackback
angle, bucket profile and ground engaging
tools such as bucket teeth or bolt-on replaceable cutting edges.
Example:
12 mm (1/2 in) material and 3 m3 (4 yd3) bucket.
.90  3 m3 = 2.75 Loose m3 delivered per cycle.
.90  4 yd3 = 3.6 Loose yd3 delivered per cycle.
NOTE: Check the static tipping load on the specific
machine to determine if bucket load is in
fact a safe operating load.
Bucket Selection
Tons Required/Cycle =

Tons Required/Hour
CyclesHour

Kg (Pounds)
Required/Cycle = Tons Required/Cycle
 907 kg (2000 lb)
Volume Required/Cycle = kg (Pounds) Cycle
Material Weight
kg/m3 (lb/yd3)
Always select a machine with a greater capacity
than the calculated required operating capacity.
For most applications, payload above recommended
and excessive counterweight can hinder machine
performance and reduce dynamic stability and
machine life.
For optimum performance in fast cycling situations
such as truck loading, operating loads should not
exceed the recommended capacity. To provide extra
stability, calcium chloride (CaCl2) ballast may be
desired when operating at recommended operating
load, see SAE Loader rating pages in this section. For
specific stability data and optional tire sizes, see the
Performance Data pages in this section.

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When selecting special application buckets, such as

multi-purpose and side dump the additional bucket
weight must be deducted from recommended capacity.
Specific circumstances may involve other conditions
which would also affect loader capacity. Because of
the greatly varied applications and conditions, your
Cat dealer should be contacted for guidance.
Example problem:
JOB CONDITIONS
Application
Production Required

Truck loading
450 metric ton (496 Tons)
per hour
Material
9 mm (3/8") gravel in 6 m
(20 ft) high stockpile
Density
1660 kg/m3 (2800 lb/yd3)
3
Trucks are 6-9 m (8-12 yd3) capacity and are owned
by three contractors. Loading is constant. Hard level
surface for loader maneuvering.
1. PRODUCTION REQUIRED: Given
2. CYCLE TIME: Assume loader size between 914G
and 962H for initial choice of basic cycle.
(Refer to Cycle Time Factors in this section)
Independent trucks
.04 min
Basic Cycle
.50 min
Material
.02 min
Independent trucks
+.04 min
Constant operation
.02 min
Total Cycle
.50 min
NOTE: Load and carry times not required in total
cycle.
Cycles/hr
50 min actual
at 83% = 120 cycles/hr  work time
efficiency
60 min per hr
= 100 cycles/hr
3. VOLUME REQUIRED PER CYCLE
(Density in tons)
Density in this example was given. When not
given, refer to Tables Section to obtain an estimated density for the material being handled.
Metric:

1660 kg/m3
= 1.66 ton/m3
1000 kg/ton

English:

2800 lb/yd3
= 1.4 tons/yd3
2000 lb/ton

Machine Selection
Example Problem
Alternative Method
Production Rate Required
450 tons/hr
= 271 m3/hr
Metric:
1.66 tons/m3
English:

496 tons/hr
= 354 yd3/hr
1.4 tons/yd3

Volume Required per Cycle

271 m3/hr
Metric:
= 2.71 m3/cycle
100 cycles/hr
English:

354 yd3/hr
= 3.54 yd3/cycle
100 cycles/hr

4. DETERMINE BUCKET SIZE

BUCKET FILL FACTOR
The volume of material required per cycle has
been determined. Because of varying material fill
factors, buckets do not always carry their rated
load, a larger capacity bucket may be needed to
carry the volume required. For fill factors, refer
to Bucket Fill Factor Chart in this section.
Rated Bucket Capacity Required (Heaped)
2.71 m3/cycle
= 2.85 m3
.95 fill factor
3.54 yd3/cycle
= 3.73 yd3
.95 fill factor
A 2.9 m 3 (3.75 yd 3) bucket would provide the
required capacity.
5. MACHINE SELECTION
The bucket size required and material density
lead to the choice of a 950H with a 2.9 m3 (3.75 yd3)
General Purpose Bucket (see bucket selection
guide pages which follow.)
Finally, SAE payload criteria must be satisfied as follows:
The required operating capacity must not
exceed one-half of the full turn static tipping load
of the loader as equipped with a specific bucket.
The required operating capacity of the machine
is determined by the volume the machine will
carry per load times the density.
2.9 m3  1660 kg/m3 = 4814 kg
(3.75 yd3  2800 lb/yd3 = 10,500 lb)

Wheel Loaders
Integrated Toolcarriers

One half of full turn static tipping load for the

950H with a 2.9 m3 (3.75 yd3) General Purpose
Bucket is 5410 kg (11,925 lb). SAE criteria is
satisfied.

An Alternative Method of Machine Selection

Another method of selecting the right Wheel
Loader and bucket to meet production requirements
is by use of the nomographs on the following pages.
The method is quicker and easier than the preceding example because it does not require as many
calculations, yet the accuracy is about the same
within the normal limits of input data.
Be careful when entering and reading data from
the nomographs because some scales increase from
bottom to top, while others are the reverse. Do not be
overly concerned with the precision as affected by pencil line width or reading to the hundredth of a m3 (yd3).
Remember that bucket fill factor, material density
and cycle time are at best close estimates.
Example problem:
A Wheel Loader must produce 230 m3 (300 yd3)
per hour in a truck loading application. Estimated
cycle time is .6 minutes, working 45 minutes per
hour. Bucket fill factor is 95% and material density
is 1780 kg/m3 (3000 lb/yd3).
Determine bucket size and machine model.
Solution:
At full efficiency, the Wheel Loader will cycle 100
times per hour. Since only an average of 45 minutes
are available, only 75 cycles will be completed.
Starting on Scale A at 75 cycles per hour draw a
straight line intersecting 230 m3/hr (300 yd3/hr) on
Scale B and extending it on to Scale C giving
3 m3/cycle (4 yd3/cycle) required payload. Follow
solution steps 1-10.

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Wheel Loaders
Integrated Toolcarriers

Production and Machine Selection Nomograph

To find required bucket payload and bucket size

1. Enter required hourly production on Scale B

230 m3/hr (300 yd3/hr).

4. Enter estimated bucket fill factor on Scale D

(0.95).

2. Enter cycles per hour on Scale A (60 .6 = 100

 .75 = 75 cycles/hr).

5. Connect C through Scale D to E for required bucket

size 3 m3 (4 yd3).

3. Connect A through B to C. This shows a required

payload of 3 m3 (4 yd3) per cycle.

6. Transfer cycles per hour Scale A and required

payload Scale C to the following page.

A
Cycles
per hour

B
Hourly
Production
Volume

C
Required
Payload
Volume
m /cycle
3

m3/hr

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yd3/hr

yd /cycle
3

D
Bucket
Fill
Factor

E
Required
Bucket
m3

yd3

Production and Machine Selection Nomograph

To find payload weight and tons per hour

7. Enter material density on Scale F 1780 kg/m3

(3000 lb/yd3).
8. Connect C through Scale F to Scale G to give payload weight per cycle 5300 kg (11,500 lb).
9. Compare Scale G quantity 5300 kg (11,500 lb)
with recommended machine working range
listed on the following bucket selection pages.
C
Required
Payload
Volume

F
Material
Density

G
Bucket
Payload
Weight per
cycle

Wheel Loaders
Integrated Toolcarriers

Operating capacity for the 950H with 3.1 m3

(4 yd3) bucket is dependent on material density
and bucket capacity (see bucket selection pages
that follow).
10. For hourly tonnage, draw a straight line from
Scale G through Scale A to Scale I 400 metric tons
(450 U.S. tons).
A
Cycles/hr

I
Tons per
Hour
Metric
Tons

U.S.
Short Tons

kg/cycle lb/cycle
m3/cycle

yd3/cycle

kg/m3

lb/yd3

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