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Coupling and adapting

Tiltrotator

End of an excavator's dipper arm with a tiltrotator, the tilted bucket resting on the ground, in front of white site barriers.
The tiltrotator, between the dipper arm and the bucket:
the bucket tilts and turns without moving the excavator.
Limit:
it adds its own height and takes away as much useful reach.
Photo:
Strubbl, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, resized, cast plate removed.

It is inserted between the coupler and the tool and gives it two freedoms the machine does not have:
sideways tilt, and continuous rotation through 360°.

Other names for this tool: tiltrotator, tilting rotator, rotating head.

The essentials
Family
Coupling and adapting
Classes (t)
Depending on the size of the system
Coupler
Inserted — an interface on both sides
Power source
Hydraulic, several circuits — flow and pressure: we calculate it with you for your machine

Identify your coupler →

01 Use

What it is for

On the left, the bucket comes in at the angle wanted without moving the tracks. On the right, without a tiltrotator, the machine makes manoeuvre after manoeuvre to get close to the wall. Computer-generated image.
the bucket comes in at the angle wanted without moving the tracks without a tiltrotator, the machine makes manoeuvre after manoeuvre to get close to the wall
Left: the bucket comes in at the angle wanted without moving the tracks.
Right: without a tiltrotator, the machine makes manoeuvre after manoeuvre to get close to the wall.
What sets it apart:
it does not replace the coupler, it is added between it and the tool.
Computer-generated image.
The complete stack seen from the side: the dipper arm and its link at the top, the coupler, the block of the tiltrotator with its tilt rams and its hoses, and the bucket hanging below.
Four levels, and each one adds its height:
what the tool loses in reach it gains in orientation.
Synthetic image.

It does not replace the coupler:
it is added between it and the tool.
The tool is presented at the angle wanted without moving the tracks, which changes the work in a confined space, along a wall or above a service.

The systems most often met in France are those of Engcon, Steelwrist, Rototilt and SMP Parts.
These names are quoted to help you identify existing equipment:
none is imposed, and the choice is made on your machine.

It is reasoned about on the number of hours where its functions really serve, not on the data sheet. It moves the tool away from the dipper arm, adds mass at the end of the arm, calls for extra lines and a trained driver.
On a small machine, that is paid for in reach. See what it demands of the machine.

02 Key technical data

On which machine?

They exist for machines from 2 to 38 t.
For example, on a 10 to 20 t excavator, the weight is generally from 209 to 750 kg.
The lower coupler is your choice, for example CW, S, Martin, Klac, Morin, MBI, Lehnhoff or OilQuick.
It can also be mounted directly on the excavator pins, to be checked with you.

What the tool does

It tilts by 2 × 55°, that is 110° in total, or 140° on request.
For example, on a 10 to 20 t excavator: width from 440 to 640 mm, length from 839 to 890 mm.

What is needed on the hydraulic side

It needs two hydraulic lines, controlled by joystick.
It generally needs from 28 to 80 l/min, at a pressure from 175 to 250 bar, depending on the size of the machine.

Figures taken from 12 models on the market.
Your study sets the exact value for your machine.

All the measurements found for this equipment →

How to read these values →

03 Your study

Have your machine checked.

Describe the jobs of an ordinary week and tell us how many hydraulic lines your machine has.
We will tell you frankly whether the investment is justified.

What we need to answer you
  • Your machine Its make and its tonnage.
  • The auxiliary circuit Its flow in l/min, its pressure in bar, single- or double-acting.
  • The coupler in place Its system and its class.
  • The work The use, and the material.

Without these details, the study still begins: we will ask you for them.

Send my photos

or describe your need

Book an appointment with the specialist

Or call 01 84 16 55 49 · our lines are open 7 days a week, from 7h to 22h.

Written study within 3 working days, once the file is complete.

Without a tiltrotator Without a tiltrotator The bucket stays in line with the dipper arm. To follow the slope, the machine has to reposition. With a tiltrotator With a tiltrotator Rotation through 360° Tilt to each side Tiltrotator, between the coupler and the bucket The bucket tilts and turns: it follows the slope without moving the machine.
Without a tiltrotator, the bucket stays in line; with one, it tilts and turns on the spot. The tiltrotator does not replace the coupler — it is added between the coupler and the tool.
Diagram.
04 Choice

What determines the choice

  • 01 — The hours where the function really serves It is the only calculation that counts.
    A tiltrotator used two days a month does not pay for itself.
  • 02 — The machine's hydraulic lines The tilt and the rotation are controlled separately from the tools.
    It is the first point that rules a carrier out.
  • 03 — The weight and height added It is inserted:
    reach and digging depth suffer.
  • 04 — The driver The tool gives its output only in hands that know it.
    The training is part of the costing.
05 Check

What is checked before ordering

  • The number of lines available at the end of the dipper arm Counted on the machine.
  • The controls in the cab There has to be something to work two more functions with.
  • The load chart With the tiltrotator and the tool, arm extended.
  • The mounting plates of your tools They must match the lower interface of the tiltrotator, not that of the machine.
The half function
On a small machine
What it demands
To go further
A question about an attachment? 01 84 16 55 49 Send my photos