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Blader innovation saves project and personnel time

A recent innovation from the District 5 shop allows greater flexibility in the use of the motor grader in removing materials that were previously out of reach and required crew members to gather manually.

By placing an attachment on the end of the moldboard of the motor grader that lowers the cutting edge to extend lower, users have more depth control while keeping the motor grader on a stable flat surface.

This is especially helpful when crews are removing shoulder material in steep areas, removing material from small asphalt inlay patches, or removing excess that was left over from use of the Zipper machine, which mills asphalt from the roadway surface.

“The attachment also cuts down project time, because it just requires one pass and you’re done with the motor grader,” explained Wayne Gunter, (pictured below), a Soda Springs maintenance worker in District 5.

The innovation also reduces the time that the crew is out in the roadway, minimizing the chance of an accident involving the traveling public.

Times 7 Focus: Ideally, these innovations will not live in a silo — they will be catalysts for ITD's other district offices and work areas, and inspire duplication statewide. These innovations represent time and money-saving measures, process improvements, and customer-service efficiencies that are transferrable to other districts. In that spirit, if this innovation is something you'd like to adapt to your own district or work space, and you have any questions, please contact District 5 Innovation Steward Greydon Wright at 5-3611.