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The Equipment Armor Shield is a composite shield consisting of various layers
of High Optic Polycarbonate with a hard coating that extends shield life and
allows for easy cleaning . The shield provides a UL752 - Level 2 (.357) ballistic
rating.
Why does YOUR company need equipment armor? Just take a look at this. We're sure you'll agree that the Equipment Armor Shield is right for your company and your operators.
To maintain ROPS certification Equipment Armor developed custom brackets designed to work with individual manufacturers cabs. The brackets bolt directly to the cab bosses and to predrilled holes in the sub-frame allowing for simple installation. For Non-ROPS machines that are lacking cab bosses, Equipment Armor has developed a universal bracket that can be welded directly on to the machine chassis that allows for easy installation of the sub-frame to the cab. Additional support for the top of the cab is achieved through the use of tie rod arms that adjust to the curvature of the individual machine.
We tried welding brackets to the cab but it was a total disaster. The welder was blowing holes through the shell of the cab. And, inherently, we were violating the ROPS conguration of the cab…
“We tried welding brackets to the cab but it was a total disaster. The welder was blowing holes through the shell of the cab. And, inherently, we were violating the ROPS conguration of the cab…”The Package consists of the patented Equipment Armor Shield, both Sub -Frame and the Shield Frame as well as Custom Mounting Brackets designed to maintain Roll Over Protection (ROPS) certication. The Equipment Armor Frame and Bracket Package are made with A36 structural steel, laser cut and formed to engineered manufacturing specications and then powder coated. Designed to offer versatility, the frame is universally sized at approximately 36” (W) x 60” (L) allowing for transfer among different manufacturers machines simply by changing out the custom bracket system.
The Sub-Frame is gusseted on all four corners with oversized welds in each of the interior corners for added strength. In addition to the reinforcement gussets the bottom of the sub-frame is reinforced with a doubler-plate that is designed to withstand the stress and eliminate the fatigue being transferred to the bottom of the frame.
To reduce engineering costs, we tried to develop a universal bracket system. It was a failure. However, it highlighted the design and manufacturing weaknesses of the shield frame and sub frame…
To maintain ROPS certication Equipment Armor developed custom brackets designed to work with individual manufacturers cabs. The brackets bolt directly to the cab bosses and to predrilled holes in the sub-frame allowing for simple installation. For FOPS and ROPS machines that are lacking cab bosses, Equipment Armor has developed a universal bracket that can be welded directly to the excavator chassis that allows for easy installation of the sub-frame to the cab. Additional support for the top of the cab is achieved through the use of tie rod arms that adjust to the curvature of the individual machine.
As with the Sub Frame all four corners of the Shield Frame have welded gussets for additional strength. The top of the frame is enclosed by a hinged door allowing for simple shield installation/ replacement. The shield frame is mounted to the sub-frame by way of 3-barrel hinges that allow for easy removal of the shield frame. The shield frame, once mounted on the barrel hinges, locks into place against the sub-frame utilizing a locking pin and T-handles. The shield frame opens and closes like a door allowing for easy access to the front of the cab.
THE SUB FRAME WRAP
Because the Equipment Armor shield frame sits at 90 degrees to open and close like a door, the windshield was exposed to greater potential damage. The sub frame wrap eliminated windshield breakage. One of our customers estimated the sub-frame wrap alone saved him from $1,200 to $1,800 a year in broken windshields, not to mention down time…
The sub frame wrap consists of three pieces of ½” clear polycarbonate that mount on the top, bottom, and boom sides of the Equipment Armor Sub Frame. These pieces provide additional protection to the cab so that airborne projectiles do not enter the area between the cab and the frame and impact the glass windshields. The sub frame wrap bolts directly to the sub-frame through pre-drill holes.
THE SACRIFICIAL LAYER
High volume quarries were going through shields way too fast. I expected shield life to be at least one year. A trap rock quarry went through a shield in three months. I tried NASCAR windshield lm but it failed miserably. All four layers pulled away from the shield upon impact, then they would bubble and blister. The sacricial layer solved the problem. The layer is replaced on average every six months. With the sacricial layer, a two-year shield life in high volume quarries is achievable…
The Equipment Armor Shield sacrificial layer is a high optic sheet of polycarbonate with an abrasion resistant coating. The sacrificial layer slides into the shield frame in front of the shield. The sacrificial layer is capable of doubling the life of a shield in high volume/high impact environments. However, the use of the Sacrificial Layer can lead to accelerated deterioration of the Shield if dirt or moisture is introduced between the shield and the sacrificial layer and is not addressed. The sacrificial layer should only be used where the environment requires additional life of the shield (experiencing shield life less than one year) and there is a dedicated operator on the machine who can recognize when contamination is present.
3331 Heritage Trade Dr., Suite 108
Wake Forest, NC 27587
919-554-6571