Case constructs a hybrid dozer/loader.
Case started the project by fitting a compact tracked loader (CTL) with steel tracks. Engineers combined the ripper attachment designs of a grader and dozer to create a new one for Project Minotaur. They also did some research on rear doors and came up with a new, improved design for Minotaur. Instead of just making a stronger CTL, Case started over with a heavy-duty dozer undercarriage and adapted the design to the Minotaur’s smaller platform. This involved using different, heavier, and more roller mountings than would be normally found on an CTL, and a more robust cross-shaft design to withstand the increased loads from the dozer application across the chassis and undercarriage.
Steel tracks had been a part of the plan from the beginning, but for Minotaur wanted the entire track system to be more dozer-like in durability and capability, even if it wouldn’t be operated in a full-time dozer duty cycle. The result is a robust combination that will give operators more traction and will let Minotaur work in more severe ground conditions. Steel might not move as fast as rubber, but it’s far more durable and more traction means increased push forces for dozing applications, plus rubber tracks may be an option for Minotaur customers who see its duty cycle primarily for lifting and loading.
Pushing dirt requires slow, steady power, while lifting & carrying needs speed and agility. Using the same hydraulics system to do both, interchangeably and seamlessly, requires practical innovation. The challenge was trying to operate two completely different functions, on opposite ends of the spectrum. One is very smooth and controlled, the other is fast and productive. Minotaur will bring dozer and CTL functionality to a variety of new job sites by uniting it in a single machine.
The solution to the hydraulics problem, still under wraps, involves proprietary software that switches from the CTL to the dozer mode, though it also has to swap functionality within the hydraulic system. It’s an integrated system, combining electrical and software programming with the hydraulic functions of the pumps and loader/control values. Source