Homemade Tiltrotator - How hard can it be ??

[V8Druid]

With the tiltrotator having been out on site recently, and my father starting to see the benefits of using one, it would be nice to be able to swap between different bucket sizes.

either going to buy or build a hitch to suit, starting with a mechanical version.

The S30-180 seems to be the most common size. Looking at the Engcon mechanical hitch, it uses a lever to release the locking mechanism, but I can't quite work out how it stays locked in position. Does it simply rely on the springs?

It'll be a bit of a challenge adapting it to bolt onto the slew ring because of the bolt pattern.
Currently weighing up either a lever and spring arrangement or a large Acme-threaded screw for the locking mechanism.

View attachment 84351

nice pic of the hitch ...
have you considered going for/creating a half hitch ... be quick an' easy to knock out, while you develop your own
I should have a lot of pix of various DIY-ers saved from maskinisten for ideas somewhere - just gotta find them

 

[doobin]

With the tiltrotator having been out on site recently, and my father starting to see the benefits of using one, it would be nice to be able to swap between different bucket sizes.

either going to buy or build a hitch to suit, starting with a mechanical version.

The S30-180 seems to be the most common size. Looking at the Engcon mechanical hitch, it uses a lever to release the locking mechanism, but I can't quite work out how it stays locked in position. Does it simply rely on the springs?

It'll be a bit of a challenge adapting it to bolt onto the slew ring because of the bolt pattern.
Currently weighing up either a lever and spring arrangement or a large Acme-threaded screw for the locking mechanism.

View attachment 84351

Just get a manual s30 hitch off @CPS And weld it on. Easy peasy. You deserve a break after building the rest!

 

[V8Druid]

Just get a manual s30 hitch off @CPS And weld it on. Easy peasy. You deserve a break after building the rest!

can't weld it to the ring gear though Doob and'd still have the same issue bolting a plate on to weld it to

 

[Will_c]

Been working on the control system for the SMP tiltrotator in the evenings recently. I decided against using a screen in the cab and instead went for a simple backlit panel to show which function is active.
I made a small aluminium housing to hold the light panel, then 3D printed an insert to hold the LEDs in position and separate the light between each function. When a function is selected, the corresponding LED lights up, with the plastic allowing the light to pass through. It should be a simple way of displaying which function is active.
Just need to finish the wiring and get it installed in the cab now.
I made the enclosure from a small block of aluminium. Unfortunately, when dialling in the chamfers, I loaded the wrong tool and it plunged into the side at rapid, ruining the first one!
Made a few tweaks to the second version, including better ports on the back for the cable gland and mounting it to the machine.