Machinery Glossary

Articulated Steering

A steering method in which the machine's frame is hinged in the middle, with the front and rear sections pivoting relative to each other to turn.

Auxiliary Hydraulics

A secondary hydraulic circuit, separate from a machine's primary drive and lift functions, used to power attachments.

Breakout Force

The maximum force a bucket or attachment can generate when curling or closing against a fixed object.

Bucket Capacity

The volume a bucket can hold, typically expressed in cubic yards or liters.

Digging Depth

The maximum vertical depth an excavator or backhoe can dig below its own standing surface.

Dump Clearance

The vertical clearance between the ground and the bottom edge of an attachment when fully raised and tilted to maximum dump angle.

Emissions Standard

A regulatory framework setting maximum allowable limits for pollutants in engine exhaust.

Gradeability

The maximum slope a machine can climb or operate on under its own power, usually expressed as a percentage or in degrees.

Gross Power

The power output of an engine measured without power-consuming accessories such as the fan and alternator installed.

Ground Pressure

The force a machine exerts on the ground per unit area of track or tire contact, usually expressed in kPa or psi.

High Flow

An auxiliary hydraulic option that supplies a significantly higher flow rate than standard auxiliary hydraulics.

Hinge-Pin Height

The maximum height of the pivot pin connecting the attachment to the lift arms, when the arms are fully raised.

Hydraulic Flow

The rate at which hydraulic fluid moves through a machine's system, typically measured in liters per minute or gallons per minute.

Hydrostatic Transmission

A transmission that uses hydraulic pumps and motors, rather than mechanical gears, to transmit engine power to the wheels or tracks.

Lift Path

The trajectory a loader's boom and attachment follow as they raise from ground level to full height.

Load Center

The horizontal distance from the vertical face of a forklift's forks to the center of gravity of the load being carried.

Mast Type

The classification of a forklift's vertical lifting structure, such as single-stage, duplex, or triplex.

Net Power

The power output of an engine measured with all standard accessories installed and running, reflecting power actually available to the machine.

Operating Weight

The total weight of a machine in typical working configuration, including standard equipment and full fluids, but generally excluding attachments and payload.

Prime Power

The power rating of a generator intended for use as a primary power source with variable loads for an unlimited number of hours.

Quick Coupler

A mounting device that allows attachments to be connected and disconnected quickly, without manually inserting or removing pivot pins.

Rated Operating Capacity(ROC)

The maximum load a machine can safely lift or carry, as rated by the manufacturer under a defined stability test with a safety margin.

Reduced Tail Swing(RTS)

An excavator design where the rear counterweight extends only slightly beyond the tracks during rotation.

Standby Power

The power rating of a generator intended for emergency or backup use during utility outages, for limited hours per year.

Tiltrotator

An attachment mounted between an excavator's arm and its bucket that allows full rotation and side-to-side tilting.

Tipping Load

The load at which a machine's weight distribution reaches the point of tipping forward, used as the basis for calculating rated operating capacity.

Working Height

The maximum vertical reach of an aerial platform or crane, usually measured from the ground to the highest reachable point.

Zero Tail Swing(ZTS)

An excavator design in which the rear counterweight does not extend beyond the width of the tracks during rotation.