29 Bobcat T7X electric compact track loader | Dossier current spike, which is shown graphically in the control module, so we can back off and protect the machine. We can only do all that by having all this connected information.” Connected machinery This software-driven approach also brings other opportunities, including the speed at which the machine can be developed and the ability to make future improvements simply by patching in a software update. It has enabled the team to accelerate production times, send out updates and refine its operation. “To tune a traditional machine can take an appreciable amount of time,” says Pfaff. “A totally new system can take 12-14 months until we get to the point where we bring customers in. As this machine is a software platform, we can get it tuned up, and get feedback from the customer and make modifications far more quickly.” The machines are fitted with two-way telematic communication, allowing the team to monitor them in-situ and learn the types of applications for which they are being used. Based on this information, software updates can then be created and sent to the machine remotely, updating the controllers and adding or amending features. Pfaff continues: “We can look at how the customer is doing their work and then improve the operation purely from a software perspective, instead of having to add another manifold or a pressure sensor that is tied into a controller. That is extremely exciting because it means that what we have right now in production is not the end-all. “There’s a ton of opportunity now in front of us to keep adding features and capabilities to this platform because it’s smart. There is a whole list of things on our development list that we’ll be talking about more in the future related to force, position and work, and these can get pushed out as soon as we have them.” Considering the voltages involved and the rugged use of the machine, it is vital that the entire electrical system is robust and has durable connector interfaces. Any faults must be dealt with immediately, so the software has been designed to support an automated system capable of self-detecting any issues during operation. Pfaff explains: “The cables aren’t like garden hoses feeding water; they’re providing power from the motor controllers to the components and they’re smart. The software is constantly watching all those cables, as well as several very sensitive parts of the system, and making sure they are connected and there are no faults. “If the connections between the high-voltage battery, the high-voltage controllers and the high-voltage motor are in some way damaged, the machine is smart enough to detect that, understand it and deal with it in an appropriate way long before it ever becomes a problem for an operator or bystander.” Operational improvements Electric operation brings with it many operational advantages over the existing diesel hydraulic machines, two of the most significant being the near elimination of noise and vibration. Pfaff has spent a lot of time on the machine himself during testing and he feels this is arguably the most game-changing improvement of all. “You would never think that the quiet hum of the air-conditioning fan would ever be a bit of an annoyance in a machine like this,” he says, laughing. “We knew it would be quiet, but there’s very minimal sound other than the tracks turning. When you go electric, you minimise sound and vibration, which is really high on our value curve in terms of design features, and it’s just amazing. “I didn’t think it would be that significant a change, but it really is. People know how sound and vibration can affect them during all types of work, but until you get into the machine and put the hours in, you don’t realise how much it changes how you operate the machine and how you can tolerate the amount of work you do in a day.” E-Mobility Engineering | March/April 2025 Despite the number of cables involved, the assembly of the Bobcat T7X is deceptively simple
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