The economy in Texas is booming, and some of the Lone Star State’s most important industries rely on heavy machinery like excavators, bulldozers, and track loaders. These heavy machines need an enormous amount of power to drive their tracks, and they get this power by using final drive motors with planetary gears. These innovative devices give machine operators more control and extend the life of transmissions and axles, and they greatly increase torque even at low speeds. Let’s take a look at three important Texas industries that rely on final drive motors and why final drive motors matter to each specific industry.
1- Construction
It’s hard to travel far in Texas without seeing a construction site. Construction companies in Texas are working on vast infrastructure projects and building soaring office towers, and they contributed $106 billion to the Lone Star State’s economy in 2023 alone. Virtually all major construction projects begin with earth-moving tasks, and that work is almost always completed by heavy machines with durable and reliable final drive motors.
Bulldozers are often brought in first to clear the site and remove debris. Once the site has been cleared, excavators are used to dig trenches for utility cables and drainage systems. Excavators also remove soil to make way for building foundations. Tracked vehicles with final drive motors are also used for demolition work and to transport and unload dirt, rocks, and gravel.
2- Industry
The two largest industries in Texas are energy extraction and manufacturing. Manufacturing output in Texas accounts for 13% of the state’s GDP, but that is dwarfed by the contribution made by the state’s oil and gas sector. The United States is one of the world’s largest energy producers, and 40% of its crude oil comes from Texas. Without heavy machinery, both the manufacturing and energy sectors in Texas would grind to a halt.
Manufacturers use heavy-tracked machines to clear sites, transport raw materials, and remove waste, and oil and gas companies use them to dig trenches, pothole utilities, and conduct drilling digs. This is delicate and dangerous work, and one false move could lead to a fire or explosion. Final drive motors make oil and gas excavation work a lot safer because they allow heavy machine operators to work slowly and with great precision.
3- Mining
Texas is one of the nation’s leading suppliers of silver, crushed stone, titanium, and rare earth elements. Mining efforts in Texas contributed $111.5 billion to the state’s GDP in 2016, and that figure is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Digging and removing dirt and rock at mining sites used to be done by workers with picks and shovels, but now heavy-tracked machines handle these tasks.
Digging tasks that would have taken workers with hand tools weeks or months to complete can be accomplished in hours by excavators, and that improves both efficiency and safety. New mines are opened more quickly thanks to machines with final drive motors, and fewer workers are injured in workplace accidents. Other tracked machines used by mine operators include bucket-wheel excavators and electric rope shovels.
