There has been many times when the construction laborers have to work late in the night. This means that you have to ensure that the entire jobsite is lit up so that the workers do not have issues with viewing things. It has often been a challenge with most of the construction companies to convince the workers to work after sunset. The common problem is that they have trouble seeing things and if they have that trouble then there is every chance of an accident to happen at the workplace. You simply can’t work with poor visibility. It is better that you leave the work for tomorrow and then start afresh. However, for construction companies who work on strict deadlines have very little options. They have to keep the work on late at night and also ensure that the workers are able to see things and do have visibility issues. This brings the need of a generator that can provide power to keep the lights on till the workers are on the jobsite trying to complete the work.
Caterpillar’s RP series generators have been considered one of the best in the industry. It is known for its power and high durability. The name Caterpillar is enough for consumers to keep their faith on the product and buy them without having any doubt or question in mind. However, the brand also provides with a 3 year warranty so that if anything goes wrong with the generator you will have someone at your place to fix the problem. There is a small catch in this. A buyer has to register himself after buying the generator on the CAT website in order to avail 3 years warranty. The registration has to be within 30 days from the date of buying the product. Just in case, if he fails to get himself registered then the warranty will be valid for only 2 years.
Cat is calling the generator as expanded home and outdoor power equipment. This means that this machine can be used both at home as well as in the jobsite. Now if you have a jobsite that is quite big in area and you need to light up the entire place for the workers to work during the night time then you may have to go for more than one generator of the RP series. You can talk it out with the CAT authorized dealers who will guide you accordingly on the number of generators you need to buy.
Caterpillar has come up with 4 versions of the RP series. The one in North America is in the 3.6 to 7.5-KW range whereas the 2.5 to 4.4 KW range is for Europe. The wants of the consumer has been studied throughout various countries and accordingly the product has been designed. Caterpillar is now engaged with the distribution part by involving its authorized dealers both in wholesale and retail to aggressively sell the product. CAT understands that these portable generators are something that the consumer has wanted for a long time and by engaging into aggressive distribution they will be able to reach out to many in less time.
Grading has never been a simple job for the operator. It takes highly skilled men to do the job and still there are times when the skilled men find the job to be difficult and look for other ways and means to finish it. As a matter of fact, no construction related job is simpler. It all takes good deal of effort from the part of the doer to complete any work with precision. If you are a person who gives a lot of stress on quality then you need to have the best men working for you along with the best equipment. You can expect your men to deliver phenomenal results with poor equipment. So the type of heavy equipment you have to do the job plays quite a crucial role in the overall quality of the job. Grading is termed to be a difficult job as the land pattern is not the same at every place. Other than that the type of soil also plays a major role in grading a piece of land. Therefore it is a must to have the best grading heavy equipment to do the job.
Caterpillar D5K2 grader with 3D is just the type of heavy equipment that every construction company engaged into grading business will look for. Caterpillar has been known to provide the best in the industry. It does a thorough research on the needs and wants of the consumer and then come up with its product. Today, the pulse of the people is that they want things to be simple yet a lot efficient. They do not want to waste their time in understanding the complex technicalities involved in a machine. On the contrary, they would love to go with something that is easy to understand and also effective. They just do not want their business to suffer in any manner and continue using applications that are not at all complex in nature. Keeping this in view, the D5K2 CAT Grader was brought in the market.
The 3D control installed in the CAT grading machine is an integrated grade control system that makes life really simple for the operators. It enables them to improve their grading efficiency, productivity and get the work done with utter precision. The D5K2 grader can also be used for dozing application. So fine grading is just one part of it, if you want to use the machine for dozing work that can be done as well. The machine has a couple of antennas positioned on the roof top of the cab and thereby it completely eliminates any conventional blade mounted masts and cables. So no need to climb on the blade to remove the blade mounted masts and the cables.
New technologies are installed in this machine that can improve the productivity level by almost 50%. It has an in-built AccuGrade-Ready option which adds versatility by allowing the operator to use other CAT Grade technologies. So the operators will now be able to have an in-cab display of the grade plan, cut/fill information and other grade indicators thus highly impacting the productivity in a positive manner.
Construction companies that are into building roads see a good profit margin in that particular genre of work. They believe that with limited heavy equipment they can complete the work in the stipulated time frame. All they have to do is ensure that the materials used for road construction are of ace quality and the rest can be easily managed. The one heavy equipment that plays a crucial role when it comes to road construction is a compactor roller. You just can’t get a smooth road without a compactor roller and you got to make sure that you have the best rollers to get the desired results. Not any roller can be used to smoothen the road. Different rollers are used for different types of roads but the compactor roller is being largely used in construction of roads.
Talking about the Caterpillar CB10 Asphalt Compactor Roller, it is known for its versatile vibratory systems, phenomenal visibility and control and for its smooth operating powertrain. The CB10 compactor roller is fitted with Auto Adjustable Compaction, Oscillation, 5 amplitude and VERSA-Vibe systems. There are a lot of options available to match the varying paving speeds. The hand-wheel steering technology gives it an edge over all other similar types of compactor rollers. In addition, it has touch-pad functions that make things simpler for the operator. We live in the age where we are used to devices with touch-pads and therefore it becomes a must to have one inside the machine.
Paving requirements can be different and the operator has to decide the kind of drums it needs to put in place. The CB10 roller has both split and solid drum designs which will give the operator the liberty to choose the design as per the paving requirements and also ensures that it delivers superior math quality while making turns. The Cat Compaction Control is a device that updates the operator for higher efficiency and performance. It is very important for the operator to understand when the optimal temperature has been attained. The infrared temperature sensors are just meant for that purpose. It will inform the operator about the existence of the optimal temperature and at the same time when compaction has taken place. The temperature mapping helps to record vital data for future scrutiny and the Pass-Count Mapping simply informs the operator of mat coverage and the number of passes made.
Moving to the specification of the machine, the total operating weight of the split and solid drum on a standard machine is 10670kg and 9710 kg respectively. While the weight of the drum increases slightly on a maximum machine with the split drum weighing 12070kg and the solid drum weighing 10510 kg. The weight of the drums changes with ROPS/FOPS or with a canopy. The capacity of the fuel tank is 208 liters while the capacity of the cooling system, engine oil, hydraulic tank and water tank is 22L, 9L, 36L and 837L respectively. It has been installed with one of the best engines which is a CAT C4.4 with ACERT technology. The total number of cylinders it has is 4 with a rated speed of 2200 rpm. The gross power of the machine is 131 hp with a high speed of 7.5 miles per hour.
It has always been a big problem for the construction laborers to move huge pile of dirt from one place to another especially when you do not have a wheel loader to get the work done. Other than that, moving the dirt manually is also time consuming and quite stressful. Therefore one can certainly understand the importance of a wheel loader when he gets the task to clear pile of dirt. So there is no second thought of whether to possess a wheel loader or not when you are in the business where you have to deal with dirt and got to move it from the construction site to the dump yard. The real question for you is which brand and model of wheel loader to go for. Heavy equipment companies of high repute produces wheel loader however, it is CAT 982M that seems to be stealing the show.
Cat 982M wheel loader is fitted with CAT C13 ACERT engine which is considered to be one of the best in the industry. It has a maximum operating net power of 404 hp with a weight of 35563 kg. Pertaining to fuel consumption it is believed that the 982M wheel loader is 10% more fuel efficient as compared to other leading K series machines and is 25% more fuel efficient to the H series machines. This saves a lot for companies that have to use the machine almost 8-10 hours in a day. One can imagine how much fuel it can save as compared to machines of other series. With the size of bucket that can be installed on the machine, it simply increases its capacity to carry a lot of load at a given point of time.
CAT 982M Wheel Loader provides great degree of comfort to the operator who has to work staying inside the machine for hours. It just becomes tougher for the guy to be inside for hours at a stretch. Cat understands this and has therefore considered every minute details of the comfort of the operator. They also understand that if they are able to maintain the comfort level of the operator, it will automatically lead to higher productivity and will enhance the profit margin for the construction company. The hydraulic systems of the machine have gone through a lot of changes to increase its efficiency. The weight of the mono-block design has been considerably reduced and has less than 40% leak points. The auxiliary third function can be installed at the factory or at the jobsite by just adding up a second remote valve.
In order to monitor the real time health of the machine, they have an online “Visionlink” application that will enable you to check the data of the machine and will thereby help you to know its actual health. Other than that you can always have expert advice of the CAT technical team who will help you to understand the features by which you can increase the efficiency of the machine.
Heavy equipment has been the backbone of the construction industry since ages and CAT machine is the blue eyed candy of almost every major construction house. Any types of construction work and you have CAT to cater you with the best of machines. If you are looking for something to do the grading work, you will not find anything better than a Cat 14M3 Motor Grader. The features that it offers you may sound to be similar what heavy equipment of other companies have to give but when it comes to ease of operation it really steals the show. Operators have found issues with the level of comfort while operating a machine and this is where CAT has taken utmost care while manufacturing the 14M3 motor grader. Other than comfort it also stress on sustainability of the machine. The motor grader can sustain in rough weather and hostile terrain thus proving its metal time and again.
Operators also have a tough time managing the joystick of the machine which is very well taken care in this version of the grader. The joystick is not only smooth but also provides immense precision control which makes the work simpler for the operator. The visibility factor has also been well taken care of. Operators go crazy when they are not able to view things clearly. This may cause accidents which are in no way a healthy sign for any construction company. The operator has to be ultra cautious while operating the machine even if there is poor visibility. The 14M3 grader has quite brilliantly managed this menace and it offers excellent visibility to the operator.
The model of the engine is CAT C13 ACERT VHP which has a net operating power of 238 hp. This sounds to be quite phenomenal. The machine also possesses programmable Autoshift which permits the operator to program the transmission so that it can shift at optimal points and matches its application. Now in order to reduce fuel consumption the motor grader has something known as “Standard Economy Mode” which if turned on will limit the maximum engine speed and will thus help to restrict the consumption of fuel. The VHP ensures that sufficient amount of power is provided in all the gears and the Standard Automatic Differential Lock system helps in unlocking the differential during a turn and locks it back once it gets straight. This makes the operation easier and also improves the power train protection.
Moving to the safety zone, this machine should be used to have a safer working environment where machine are not bumping against each other. The 14M3 grader has optional rear vision camera which enables the operator to have a view of the rear of the machine and thus avoid any collision. It is installed with the Operator Presence System which plays an instrumental role in keeping the parking brake engaged and the hydraulic implements disabled as long as the operator is seated and he gets the machine ready for work. It has an optional seat belt indicator which will blink if the operator fails to wear them.
With all these features, it makes 14M3 motor grader the most appreciated heavy equipment as far as the grading work is concerned.
By Lonnie Fritz Heavy Construction Industry Consultant Caterpillar Inc. (Guest Post)
Most contractors agree that project success is largely determined by four factors: time, cost, quality and safety. But there isn’t a “one size fits all” approach. The same is true of technology, in that each company’s journey is unique. In this article, Caterpillar will help you take a quick look at key areas where technology can make a difference.
Get Rid of the Paper Trail, Design a Digital One
Running from the jobsite to your office or trailer to update, print and distribute information eats up time, one of your most critical resources as a project manager. Here at Caterpillar, we say stop chasing the paper trail and instead adopt cloud computing. The cloud platform simply means that users with an internet connection and approved access can get “live” information from anywhere. Do you check your email on your smartphone? You’re already using the cloud. Listed below are eight quick ways the cloud can save you time, money and headaches:
Rapid decision making as personnel can connect with each other from almost any location.
Faster response time to RFIs (Requests for Information), change orders and purchase orders.
Snap and send photos of jobsite activity.
Check manufacturers’ instructions.
Confirm calculations.
Instantly look up specifications and special provisions.
Quickly check contracts.
Track weather.
Get Your Crew on the Same Page, Even with Different Devices
Smart devices like phones and tablets let employees access and share information with the tap of a finger. 72 percent of construction contractors use smart phones, while 50 percent use tablets. One contractor found that superintendents using a voice-to-text application could save at least 30 minutes a day in preparing reports. There are a wide number of apps that can be useful for your team in the field; here are some of the most widely used:
Permit apps (for sending and receiving permits).
Resource tracking apps (tag assets and monitor their location).
Inventory apps (monitoring items that are depleted & restocked).
Safety apps (notification system to alert foremen of problems).
Resource tracking apps (for documenting and submitting employee hours, progress quantities and other day-to-day activities and metrics).
Reduce Risky Business on the Worksite
New technologies (like Cat® DETECT, a Cat Connect Technology) have become available to safeguard worksites and better manage risk. One in ten construction workers is injured on worksites every year. One of the most common accidents on a construction worksite is being struck or trapped by equipment or vehicles. Blind spots and backing up accidents account for 25–50 percent of the total. Here are some of the technologies we recommend that can help prevent such accidents from occurring:
Object Detection technologies
Complete object detection systems include back-up cameras and pulsed-radar object detection. Cameras give operators a view of what is typically their biggest blind spot, and radar identifies objects and people hidden from the operator’s view and sounds an alarm.
Fatigue Detection technologies
Fatigue detection is one of the most recent advancements. A camera installed in the cab monitors pupil size, blinking, and how long eyes stay shut. If the system senses the operator is falling asleep, an alarm sounds and the seat vibrates
“Smart” wearables
Safety gear with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), sensors and bio-monitors have all hit the market within the last several years. The most common are RFID systems that alert workers and equipment operators when they are both moving through a work zone. Wearable devices are now reading heart rates and body temperature to fend off potential medical incidents.
Stay on Track with Telematics
Most people can use basic telematics information — machine operating hours, location, fuel consumption — to produce measurable improvements in operating costs. 80 percent of new equipment has telematics built-in, so all that’s required is activation. However, only 17 percent of contractors are using telematics within their projects. Telematics provide multiple cost saving benefits:
Location features help keep equipment and people safe by alerting operators and sounding proximity warnings.
Telematics can help optimize utilization—because equipment doesn’t get rented when it’s not needed or isn’t parked and forgotten.
Most OEMs provide apps that allow you to access information via smartphone or tablet, so you can check on equipment condition, fuel burn, idle time or service hours.
Condition monitoring alerts help control maintenance and repair costs by reducing downtime.
Machine Control & Automation Adds to Your Bottom Line
The introduction of control technologies for grading, compacting and measuring payload has given construction companies more ways to increase production and enhance operator performance. Productivity and cost saving advantages come primarily from:
Improved accuracy of machine–guided buckets and blades.
Increased accuracy of automated “assist” features that make the operator faster and more consistent.
Reduced man hours because fewer workers are needed to check progress/complete jobs.
Elimination of rework, tasks are completed right the first time.
Fewest passes achieve proposed grade efficiently.
Optimal number of passes reach compaction target(s) without over or under compacting.
Reduced cycle times and machine wear due to payload technologies eliminating over and under loading of hauling units.
Increased safe operation because operators are more aware of activities and individuals around them.
Data-driven estimating and planning that accelerates payback periods on technology investments.
Caterpillar is constantly developing and refining advanced technologies to help you make your equipment more productive and efficient. The faster you recognize technology as an essential part of your operation, the faster you will begin to see a difference on your worksites and your bottom-line.
Clearing huge stocks of debris can be a big pain for a construction company who has taken the project to build something in a place. First you got to invest good deal of time to break down the existing stuff that is standing and then once it is fallen, you got to invest another good number of days to clear the land and just in case if you do not have a state of the art heavy equipment, you find yourself into deeper problem. In this age where we seek all our work to be done in the click of a button, we can’t expect to give days to clear a stock of pile. We definitely need something that is quick and can get the work done in a day or two and should not take long. Therefore, one should always depend on the heavy equipment that can get optimum results when it comes to clearing debris from the land.
There are many heavy equipment manufacturing companies that are coming up with machines that can play wonders when put to use. But such machines are quite expensive and can cause a big hole in your pocket. Right from Caterpillar to Tigercat, they all are into producing equipment that can clear land in a day or two which would otherwise have taken a week if not less than that. Tigercat is a company that specializes in producing equipment used to clear lands in the forest areas. Land in the forest areas is very rigid and it is very arduous to clear them off. Tigercat has earned the goodwill to complete this kind of work in comparatively lesser days than any other equipment had taken. The sad part of the story is that you won’t find Tigercat throughout US. They have kept themselves small but have plans to expand and are probably on their way to enlarge their business. But for the time being if anyone wants to buy their machines, they can’t get it from a showroom in their city and have to book the stuff on the net.
Tigercat may not have all the parts of the machine indigenously built in their workshops but they rather assemble the parts from other companies and make the best equipment. The M760 mulcher is a 425 hp machine and has a CAT C-12 engine in it. While they have used CAT’s engine, they also installed their own cooling system. Thus they gave the land clearing equipment the most desirable thing that it always wants: tons of horsepower and in order to cool off the engine, a dependable cooling system. Other than that, it has all the features that are required in any land clearing equipment thus making the work of the operator simpler. The operator will not feel that the machine is new functions and finds hard to understand them. On the contrary, he will feel like he is working on a machine that’s quite familiar to him and that will make him work in comfort.
Scrapers (wheel tractor pulled machines) are type of heavy duty equipment mainly used during construction work. They are useful when hauling distances ranging between 500 to 3000 feet. They are earthmoving machines performing three tasks of excavating, hauling and placing the soil independently. Hence they are the most used heavy machines on any construction site. Caterpillar Inc.’s Wheel Tractor Scrapers are preferred by any commercial user. Since they are easy to operate, possess good mobility, have safety features and are easy to maintain.
Caterpillar manufactures wheel tractor scrapers of 3 main types as Coal Bowl, Elevating and Open bowl scrapers. Further each of them is available in form of different models. They differ from each other in terms of scraper capacity and top speed. In addition to manufacturing of new scraper machines, Caterpillar also sells used scrapers which are in good running conditions. Thus, it’s a challenge for a commercial user to choose the suitable type of model from the wide variety of Caterpillar scrapers. In addition, any heavy equipment including scraper is a heavy investment. Hence, the buyer needs to be diligent while buying a scraper.
The following guidelines will be helpful to the buyer during the process of buying Caterpillar scrapper:
Buyer should learn about the applications of scrapers. They should set their own needs and expectations. They should know their job size, volume of material to move, job conditions, rolling resistance and material type.
They should gain knowledge of the parts of scrapers and understand their functions. Further, they should learn the application of different types of models by referring to the available options and product specifications. Also check for reliability and ease of use.
Buyers should keep in mind the conditions at the construction site and whether a scrapper can function well in these conditions. Scraper works well in sandy soil where they can easily load the material and spread it. They are not good on the wet, sticky clay and on the rocky soil. Buyers should also consider weather conditions and scraper storage and transport
To decide on the type of scraper required according to one’s nature of work.
To decide on the model type and size of the scrapper. Wheel tractor scrapers excel in materials that require a high horsepower-to-weight ratio and the models vary in these factors.
Buyers should be aware of additional attachments other than the standard attachments used for the scrapers. Using multiple attachments allows scraper to perform different tasks, simply by switching the attachment.
Buying used scraper: Since these machines last long and can operate for long hours, user can try this option of buying a used scrapper. The user should ascertain the working condition of scrapper and the cost of repairs.
While buying a scraper the buyer should consider most important guidelines such as the soil properties, haul road conditions and performance specifications of a scraper. In addition, according to the nature of construction project they should choose the model that can work the best for a long time with reduce costs of maintenance.
Heavy equipment are bound to breakdown given the fact that they are compelled to work beyond their limits. This at many times take a huge toll on the heavy equipment and it suffer major breakdown which is rectified only with the intervention of a mechanic or an expert who know how to fix earth moving machines. This gives rise to the importance of a genre of men without whom the industry will have a hard time moving ahead. We require mechanics for all sorts of gadgets. Right from the Television fitted in our drawing room to the air-condition/heater in our bedroom, all has the tendency to breakdown at some point of time and to fix that we need a mechanic. Similarly, the construction industry depends heavily on the mechanics who charge a good sum of money for their services. But not all mechanics are paid handsomely. It is only those who have the required level of experience and the knowledge to resolve issues are sitting at the top and rightfully minting money.
Excavator is kind of a blue eyed candy when it comes to heavy equipment for construction houses. The reason is it is meant to do all kinds of work barring few. One only needs to change it attachments and get the desired things done from this machine. Therefore an excavator becomes prone to often breakdowns. Irrespective of the company that produces excavators, during the passage of time you will find it giving up slowly and steadily and this is where you see the need of a mechanic the most. The moment it starts giving issues, you got to call the mechanic to fix it. Knowing the importance of the excavator in your business, you just can’t afford to neglect the issue or else it will crop up to something magnanimous and will then become a pain for you.
Cat excavators though are renowned all over the world for its efficiency, caliber, high performance and reliability it may still fail to work if proper care is not taken from the beginning. Simultaneously, any part of the CAT excavator can catch up with a problem at any juncture. It might give you some signals with the snarling sound. The operator has to understand it then and there or else the problem may aggravate and may result in replacing the part completely.
Alternatively, every part of the machine comes with an expiry date which may or may not be printed on the part. Being a CAT excavator, it may be possible that a particular part of the machine loses it vitality few months after its expiration date but it will expire some day or the other. Post which you need to get in touch with a mechanic to get the stuff replaced. You doing it on your own can lead to more complications and is also certainly not advisable. CAT company also has mechanics of their own who services the machine but construction companies has their own preference when it comes to mechanics and therefore it is important that one must be sure that they are dealing with an experienced one who knows his work well.
Excavators are type of heavy duty equipment used mainly during construction work. They can dig through the concrete, transfer loads of bricks and break down entire huge structures. Due to their wide applications, they are very much required in any construction project. Caterpillar Inc. ranks foremost in selling the best quality of ~300 different types of construction related equipment. Generally, Caterpillar Inc.’s excavators are preferred by any commercial user. They manufacture excavators which are easy to operate, possess good mobility, speed and have safety features. In addition, these are upgraded with latest technology and are easy to maintain.
Caterpillar provides two types as, crawler and wheel excavators. There are 54 and 17 different models of crawler and wheel excavators, respectively. These models differ from each other in their maximum speed and operating horsepower. In addition to the brand new models, Caterpillar also sells used excavators which are in good working conditions. Due to the wide variety of Caterpillar excavators, it’s a challenge for a commercial user to choose the suitable type of model.
Any heavy equipment including excavator is highly expensive, the buyer needs to be careful while selecting the right type of excavator. The following guidelines will be helpful for the buyer during the process of buying an excavator:
Buyer should learn about the applications of excavators. They should be set their own needs and expectations.
They should gain knowledge of the parts of excavator and understand their functions. Further, they should learn the application of different types of models by referring to the available options and product specifications. Also check for reliability and ease of use.
Buyers should keep in mind the conditions at the construction site and whether an excavator can function well in these conditions. Also they are required to consider weather conditions and excavator storage and transport.
To decide on the type of excavator required. The crawler excavators are most commonly used. They move on steel tracks and provide stability on the uneven spaces. The wheel excavators are less commonly used, which move on wheels instead of tracks. This gives them more mobility than crawler to move from one job to another.
To decide on the excavator model type and size. Mini excavators are small sized and used for work in small construction spaces and cause minimal damage to the landscape. While large excavators are huge machines used for heavy construction work.
Generally excavators are provided with standard buckets. However, buyers should be aware of other attachments such as specialized buckets (heavy duty, severe duty tilt, sorting buckets), augers used for drilling, thumbs to grasp objects, hydraulic hammers, rakes, mulches and rippers. Possessing multiple attachments allows excavator to perform a variety of tasks, simply by switching the attachment.
Buying used excavator: Since these machines last long and can operate for long hours, user can try this option of buying a used excavator. The user should ascertain the working condition of excavator and the cost of repairs.
The most important guideline during process of buying an excavator is the nature of construction project and which model can best perform that type of work.
