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Spotlight on Caterpillar’s latest technologies and machines

Caterpillar’s Paving and Load-and-Haul Virtual Press Event took place on March 30, highlighting the company’s latest paving, and load and haul products.

Johanna Kelly from Caterpillar’s marketing team kicked off the event that was divided into two segments. The first portion focused on paving products “live” from Caterpillar’s Minneapolis paving facility and the second featured load and haul products also “live,” but from the company’s Edwards Learning Centre.

The speakers for the event and each topic were:

• Dave Gerding, paving product consultant – Single Drum Vibratory Soil Compactors
• Brian Nagel, sales support consultant – Utility Compactors
• Jameson Smieja, sales support consultant – Cold Planers
• Travis Schwark, product application specialist – Soil and Landfill Compactors
• John Gerhold, product application specialist – Wheel Tractor-Scrapers
• Todd Cole, product application specialist – Large Dozers
• Tim Nenne, senior market professional – Undercarriage
• John Marek, product application specialist – Large Wheel Loaders

GC Series single drum vibratory soil compactors

Photo: Caterpillar

Dave Gerding, paving product consultant, gave a presentation on single drum vibratory soil compactors.

Caterpillar introduced its new 84-inch (2134 mm) Cat GC Series, built for simple operation, high reliability and low cost-per-hour performance. Offering high static linear load and more weight at the drum for superior compaction, the new series consists of the 10-tonne-class CS10 GC, 11-tonne CS11 GC and CP11 GC, and 12-tonne CS12 GC and CP12 GC.

The new GC Series is powered by the 120.7 hp (90.0 kW) Cat C3.6 diesel engine that meets stringent U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final / EU Stage V emission standards.

“The series’ standard Eco-Mode operation reduces engine speed to 2,000 RPM to deliver up to 10 per cent fuel savings over operation at high idle. The engine’s long oil and filter change interval helps to lower service time and costs,” said Gerding. 

The new GC vibratory soil compactors feature the Cat exclusive pod-style vibration system, providing a long 3-year/3,000-hour service interval for reliable operation. Providing more weight at the drum than the B Series, these new models offer high compaction performance. Dual amplitude and frequency increase compaction versatility of the new line, and a single button allows the operator to quickly change from high to low amplitude.

“Simplified controls and operation allow even the most inexperienced operator to quickly learn GC compactor operation. Digital readouts offer a quick glance of critical operating data and are customizable for operator preference,” he said. “All main controls are located on the right-side console for easy access and include propel lever with vibration control, engine throttle and Eco-Mode selection, and emergency stop and parking brake.”

Utility Compactors

Photo: Caterpillar

Brian Nagel, sales support consultant, shared what is new for Caterpillar utility compactors.

Caterpillar expands its two to five-tonne product offering by introducing 10 new tandem and combination utility compactors that deliver increased productivity, efficiency, simple operation and easy maintenance.

The new line includes weight-based model nomenclature changes with the new Cat CB2.5/CB2.5 GC replacing the CB22B, CB2.7/CB2.7 GC replacing the CB24B, CC2.7/CC2.7 GC replacing the CC24B, CB2.9 replacing the CB32B, CB4.0 replacing the CB34B, CC4.0 replacing the CC34B and the new CB4.4 replacing the CB36B. These versatile rollers take on a range of soil and asphalt applications, including parking lots, driveways, urban streets, landscaping and small construction sites.

Nagel said the new Cat CB2.5, CB2.7, CC2.7, CC 2.9, CB4.0, CC4.0 and CB4.4 models are built for power and production. The powerful Cat C1.7T engine meets U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final emission standards. Advanced hydraulics and exclusive power management software deliver exceptional performance on grades. Their new auto-idle shutdown feature helps to conserve fuel and hours.

“Designed for rental and low- to medium-duty applications, the efficient Cat GC series compactors deliver low total cost of ownership, simplified maintenance and long-term durability,” said Nagel.

The new Cat compactors now come with standard a 3-in (76.2-mm) high-visibility orange seatbelt to make jobsite safety visible. Slip resistance steps and platform help to improve operating safety. An operator presence sensor in the seat prevents unintended roller operation while not seated. Multiple optional LED lighting packages are available to help bring visibility on the jobsite.

Cold Planers

Photo: Caterpillar

Jameson Smieja, sales support consultant gave the presentation on Caterpillar’s new cold planers.

He told event attendees the new product updates to the Cat PM620, PM622, PM820, PM822 and PM825 half-lane cold planers include numerous improvements based on customer feedback to ease operation and lower owning and operating costs. Five years ago, Caterpillar brought a fresh line-up of cold planers to the market and have been continuously working on improvements to the product line ever since. The 2021 product release marks the third update to these models since they were first introduced.

The 470 kW (630 hp) PM620 and PM622 are powered by the well-known Cat C18 engine. The heavier and more powerful PM820, PM822 and PM825 are powered by the same C18 engine with a twin-turbo setup to deliver 597 kW (800.6 hp), up to 27per cent more power than the PM620 and PM622. The five models meet U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final, EU Stage V and Korea Tier 4 Final emissions standards and are optimized to reduce fuel burn with a high-capacity cooling system that keeps the engine at ideal temperatures for optimal fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

Smieja said the cold planers’ robust cutting system is designed to withstand tough applications and built to last with heavy steel construction and reinforced alloys to resist abrasion. Available in a wide variety of spacings, Cat System K rotors are durable and deliver high-performance with efficient material flow and an excellent cutting pattern. Kicker paddles are reversible for extended life, and the tapered dual retention toolholder design eliminates the need for retaining bolts, pins, or setscrews, reducing replacement time by up to 50 per cent.

Soil and Landfill Compactors

Travis Schwark, product application specialist talked about Caterpillar’s new soil and landfill compactors.

815 Soil Compactor. Photo: Caterpillar

815 Soil Compactor 

“The new Cat 815 Soil Compactor has technology upgrades that help increase productivity and efficiency, so more area is compacted in less time on large earthworks projects,” he said.

New machine designs and revised service groupings combine to cut maintenance costs up to nine per cent. With all components relocated from the cab roof to lower overall transport height, the redesigned operator’s cab upgrades the steering and climate controls to elevate comfort.

The Cat 815 is built for high-speed, high-quality soil compaction with its four 39-inch (991-mm) wide steel drums. Drum design boasts a chevron pattern to the tamping tips, delivering high ground pressure and compaction, excellent traction and smooth ride. A symmetrical tip pattern offers equal compaction effort in both forward and reverse, and the special tamper design reduces material fluffing. Adjustable cleaner bars eliminate material carryover regardless of rolling direction to maximize compaction efficiency.

With the new 815 Soil Compactor, Cat Compact GPS mapping is now offered from the factory to provide visibility to compacted areas as well as cut and fill data. These new technologies allow companies to meet compaction targets quickly, uniformly and in fewer passes with the 815, saving on fuel and the costs associated with rework.

Photo: Caterpillar

816 Landfill Compactor

The new Cat 816 Landfill Compactors features improved guarding and structure engineering to optimize uptime availability. New grouping of service points reduces time spent on maintenance, while the compactor’s updated cab design increases operator comfort and productivity.

Alleviating potential damage, new frame deflectors divert trash away from the frame and hood enclosure. A new captive hinge on the service doors prevents them from opening unintentionally to protect interior components from contamination. These new deflectors and doors ensure fewer failures resulting from the severe nature of landfill applications.

Caterpillar’s new machine features improved airflow technology to reduce cleaning and maintenance. A new radial air filter lasts four times longer than the previous filter, and operators are alerted to airflow blockages by an electronic air inlet restriction indicator.

Sight gauges for the coolant, transmission oil and hydraulic system provide quick inspection with reduced contamination risk. Grouped hydraulic oil, cooler, fuel cooler and condenser service points, along with centralized grease points, help to further minimize maintenance time. Access to the emergency shutdown, battery disconnect and jump-start are quickly and conveniently accessed from ground level.

The heavy-duty main structures of the new 816 are built to be rebuilt, offering multiple life cycles. Reusing and rebuilding machine components offers significant savings compared to the cost of buying new and helps to lower total cost of ownership.

The compactor is powered by the field-proven Cat C7.1 engine designed for maximum fuel economy and increased power density. Two engine package options are available – U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final/EU Stage V and Tier 3/Stage IIIA equivalent – for meeting local market emission standard requirements. Its Advanced Productivity Electronic Control System (APECS) transmission control delivers improved shifting performance, achieves greater momentum on grades and saves on fuel by carrying that momentum through shift points.

CAT Wheel Tractor-Scrapers

Photo: Caterpillar

John Gerhold, product application specialist, gave the presentation for the company’s new wheel tractor-scrapers.

Featuring the field-proven, twin-power design to boost cycle times, the new Cat 657 Wheel Tractor-Scraper (WTS) elevates productivity and operating efficiency to deliver low-cost earthmoving. A seven per cent increase in fuel efficiency over the 657G WTS means more material moved per unit of fuel burned, and improved onboard payload estimating accuracy helps optimize productivity.

The largest open bowl scraper in the Caterpillar line, with a rated load of 46.4 tonnes (52 tons), now has a more spacious cab to boost operator comfort and efficiency in high volume earthmoving, highway construction and mining applications.

“This new 657 is the next generation of ultra-class material moving systems,” said John Gerhold, wheel tractor-scraper application specialist for Caterpillar. “It delivers improved productivity, safety and technology, which our customers can use to strengthen their business today—and it is equipped to grow with them to meet tomorrow’s requirements.”

The 657 features on-the-go weighing through Payload Estimator, allowing the new WTS to achieve 95 per cent load accuracy, so operators more easily reach target load goals. When working in colder climates, the unique Auto-Stall feature quickly brings the transmission to operating temperature at start-up, so the 657 gets to work faster.

The new high-pressure steering system requires less steering input, which bolsters operator efficiency and productivity. Automatically engaging when the machine is in eighth gear, engine overspeed protection assists in slowing machine speed when approaching engine limits.  Sequence Assist, a new option on the 657, automates many operator inputs each cycle to simplify machine operation.

Caterpillar Large Dozers

Photo: Caterpillar

Todd Cole, product application specialist shared all the latest technology related to large dozers.

The new Cat D9 Dozer replaces the D9T model and offers customizable configurations to meet application needs around the world. The dozer lowers overall costs per unit of material moved by up to three per cent. Efficiencies gained through a new torque converter with stator clutch reduce fuel consumption by as much as five per cent, and the new dozer reduces maintenance and repair costs by as much as four per cent.

“The new dozer features the Cat C18 engine, which has a range of exhaust after treatment solutions available, including configurations to meet U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final/EU Stage V regulations and configurations equivalent to U.S. EPA Tier 2 and Tier 3,” said Cole.

The D9 also features differential steering for a tight turning radius and the ability to maintain ground speed while turning—to keep productivity high. The suspended undercarriage delivers more track contact with the ground for less slippage and greater productivity.

The versatile D9 can be equipped with any of a wide range of blades and attachments, enabling it to work efficiently in a variety of applications, including production dozing, site maintenance, fleet support and ripping. Companies engaged in heavy construction, quarry and aggregates, landfill, bulk materials handling and forestry applications have found the D9 Dozer an indispensable tool for delivering the lowest owning and operating costs while maintaining high productivity.

A new design with advanced ergonomics, the cab features intuitive controls that are easy to access and operate. Its cloth air-suspension seat provides operator comfort throughout the entire shift. The suspended undercarriage reduces shock load transfer by as much as 50 per cent to the undercarriage, resulting in a smoother and more comfortable ride. The new operator station comes fully equipped with large, high-definition touchscreen displays and new electronic architecture that is scalable to meet the customer’s technology needs. 

Caterpillar Undercarriage

Tim Nenne, senior market professional, spoke on undercarriages.

The Cat Heavy Duty Extended Life (HDXL) Undercarriage System with DuraLink is field-proven by Caterpillar to deliver 20 per cent to 40 per cent longer wear life in low to medium-abrasion, moderate- to high-impact applications such as hard rock, landfill and forestry. With its field-proven, heavy-duty design, it allows contractors to move more material, more efficiently and with low owning and operating costs. HDXL undercarriage is available for Cat medium and large dozers.

Factory-installed or available as a replacement undercarriage, the HDXL is available for both fixed roller and suspended undercarriage dozers ranging from the Cat D4-D11 models (legacy Cat D6-D11). With undercarriages accounting for up to 50 per cent of dozer owning and operating costs, Caterpillar offers a choice of undercarriage options to match the iron to the application, optimizing wear life and lowering costs. HDXL with DuraLink joins other Caterpillar offerings that include Cat General Duty and Cat Abrasion undercarriages.

Nenne said the design’s large diameter bushing provides 25 per cent more wear life to balance the bushing life to the improved link life, while increased bushing core hardness slows the wear rate.

Caterpillar Large Wheel Loaders

Photo: Caterpillar

John Marek, product application specialist, gave the final presentation on large wheel loaders. He said the new Cat 992 Wheel Loader offers up to 32 per cent greater productivity. This new large mining loader reduces maintenance costs by as much as 10 per cent and offers up to 48 per cent greater payload-per-fuel efficiency than the earlier model 992K.

Powered by the new Cat C32B engine with U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final/EU Stage V and Tier 2 equivalent emission engine options, the new 992 meets the global industry’s demand for high-production equipment with greater payloads. Powertrain design enhancements to the transmission, axles and final drive, along with the new engine, deliver a 20 per cent longer interval for planned component replacement.

“The new Cat 992 Wheel Loader features an on-demand throttle mode to optimize payload-per-fuel efficiency without slowing production,” said Marek. “New standard automatic retarding controls disable the impeller clutch, enable the lockup clutch, and use the implement and fan pumps retarding to slow the machine on grade.”

Optional new Payload Overload Prevention allows for productivity and efficiency improvements by providing a large enough bucket to be used to achieve target pass-match across a range of material densities without the risk of overload. With the overload value fully adjustable based on the target payload, this feature can be configured to automatically stop or slow the lift function when the overload value is exceeded.

Improvements to the setback and strike plane angles, a longer bucket floor, and a stronger and larger bottom section increase the bucket fill factor by 10 per cent. The taller side plate with level top surface helps to improve visibility beyond the bucket edge to the material pile.