Kramer-Werke GmbH has introduced the "Torque-Bias" intelligent traction system as a feature upgrade across its 5055e series wheel loaders, targeting confined agricultural and municipal applications where operators perform hundreds of repetitive bucket-loading cycles per shift in tight livestock barns, feed lots, and grain-handling facilities. Kramer's signature all-wheel steering system-where the front and rear axles steer in opposite directions, producing an exceptionally tight turning radius-is well-suited to confined spaces, but its hydrostatic drive has historically presented a challenge in repetitive loading: when the loader enters a pile with the bucket, the front wheels dig in under the high traction demand, while the rear wheels can lose traction and spin, wasting energy and scuffing the ground surface.
The Torque-Bias system addresses this by continuously monitoring the traction demand across all four wheels. Wheel-speed sensors on each hub measure individual wheel rotation; a chassis-mounted radar measures the machine's actual ground speed. When the system detects a front-wheel slippage event (rapid front-wheel speed rise without corresponding ground-speed increase), it commands the hydrostatic pump's displacement to momentarily reduce flow to the front drive motors while maintaining full flow to the rear motors, effectively "shifting" the machine's torque bias rearward for the duration of the slip event.
The system also integrates a "Bucket Auto-Return" feature. In a repetitive loading cycle, the operator's hand path is: lower the bucket, crowd into the pile, curl the bucket, reverse, raise, and swing to the dump point. The "crowd-and-curl" portion of this cycle is repeated hundreds of times per shift and is the primary contributor to repetitive-strain fatigue. Kramer's Bucket Auto-Return feature integrates a "Bucket Angle Sensor" on the bucket linkage. Once the operator has set a reference bucket-fill angle with a single button press, the system autonomously rotates the bucket to that exact angle on every subsequent entry into the pile-without requiring the operator to manually adjust the bucket lever. The operator simply drives forward into the pile; the system handles the bucket angle automatically. This repetitive-cycle automation reduces operator wrist and forearm fatigue by 40 percent across a full shift and maintains consistent bucket fill factor across all operators, regardless of skill level.
