Certainly you also have an ambivalent relationship with the snowplow. If you have difficulties on snowy roads, you are looking forward to it. But if it clears the highway for you in front of your car with moderate speed, then you would like to pass it. But you are not the first and the people in front of you don't like.

Do not do it, even if you could. Snow plows are much better equipped for the situation. They are e.g. heavy, the pictured above weighs nearly 10 tons. They have much more slip-proofed tires, sometimes rolling on snow chains (bottom images), not to mention the all-wheel drive. And the driver inside have more experience.

The blade is rigidly connected to the vehicle only in the rarest cases, because it is usually so expensive that it must be also used for many other applications. It needs no power take-off shaft contrary to some other attachments, but has to hydraulically lift or lower the blade and can also be adjusted so that the snow leaves the slightly curved plowshares either to the left or right.

It is important to prevent damage because the surfaces are not smooth or flat and obstacles are usually difficult to detect under the to-clearing snow. There is a cutting edge at the lower part of the blade which is pressed downwards by springs. In contact with curbs for example it folds backwards in whole or partly.

The bottom scraper is of particular importance, because it must have a certain wear resistance in addition to a certain elasticity. Therefore here in rubber bedded materials are used, similar to tools with special hardness, tungsten carbide as a ceramic material and corundum is the second hardest material ever.

The snowplow is also available with two blades pivotable to each other. Since 1925 that can be more than 180° in wedge-shaped position, but also accept smaller angle. Down on the third videoamong others you can see the evacuation of a complete motorway with two vehicles traveling displaced, also equipped with additional side blades (since 1938). 03/16