Category Archives: Caterpillar

Resale of CAT heavy equipment can fetch higher price

Heavy equipment after a certain period of time needs to be upgraded and while you are in the mode of upgrading it, you either do away with your existing one or you install more features in it. Sadly, not all heavy equipment are compatible with upgrading feature and one has to eventually do away with it. But the question here is that once expensive heavy equipment which is now no longer in use for you, does it fetch any resale price for you and do you have a market where there are buyers who are ready to buy your heavy equipment which has perhaps now become almost redundant. Well, as we say there is a market for everything in this world. You only have to find the right channel to put it across. The next important question is at what price you should be selling your used and possibly redundant heavy equipment.

Heavy equipment of different companies have different rates. You sell a machine of a reputed brand and you are sure of the fact that you will get god money out of the transaction. However, if you have heavy equipment which is not of a famous brand then getting a decent price could be a problem. It is quite logical for anybody to not pay you more for a machine that does not have a good brand name attached to it. Therefore, the crux is to buy heavy equipment of famous brands so that when you have to sell them, you can expect a good price. Heavy equipment of CAT are famous for its quality, durability, high performance and low maintenance cost. So owners of CAT equipment ideally do not experience hardships in selling their machines at a price they want to. They normally get the amount they quote and also owners of heavy equipment of other top notch brands have an easy time selling their used ones in the second hand heavy equipment market.

So eventually, it is the brand name that plays a major role in getting a good resale value and CAT heavy equipment are undoubtedly the best. So there are more takers for that than machines of any other brands. The avenues where you can sell your used CAT heavy equipment are online, word of mouth and to companies who deals with second hand machines. When you sell it via word of mouth, you end up paying nothing to anybody for selling the machine but using any other mode apart from this will cost you an amount. If you try to sell the heavy equipment online, the website will charge you a nominal fee for listing the item and also an additional fee if it turns out to be a successful sale.

If you approach a company who buys your used machine and sell it after making some modifications, you only get the sales price and do not pay any sort of fees to anybody. In this scenario you got to wise enough as you are dealing with professionals who will try hard to negotiate with you and bring down the price of the machine. Stick to your price and you may see them paying you the amount you have quoted.

What’s Possible by using Cat Link Technologies

By Craig E. Cutting which is a Construction Technology Application Consultant for Caterpillar Inc.  (Guest Post)

The amount of data that construction machines produce due to advances in technology can be overwhelming for fleet managers who don’t have the tools in place to analyze it. Hundreds of onboard sensors and processors spit out massive amounts of data, and if you don’t have your operation streamlined, critical data points can get lost or simply overlooked. Data is wirelessly transmitted from your machines communicating information such as the location, status, fuel consumption and idle time of your equipment. Viewing this real-time data, project managers can make timely, fact-based decisions to boost productivity and reduce costs.

 

Cat LINK, a part of Cat Connect Technology, includes two key components— Cat® Product LinkTM and VisionLink®. Product Link is the hardware component of the technology and VisionLink is the software. Product Link grabs data from machine sensors and control systems and transmits it to VisionLink, which lets you view the data on any web-enabled device and use it to make quick, informed business decisions.

 

The benefits of using technology like Cat LINK stretch across all your business operations, but some of the quick highlights include:

 

  1. Controlling your fuel costs

Fuel consumption information is some of the most valuable information you can collect and use. Some industry experts say it’s not unusual for idle time to represent as much as 50 percent of total running time. Tracking and reducing idle time can have an immediate payback in reduced fuel costs.

If fuel consumption goes up suddenly—and your operator’s task hasn’t changed—it’s a signal that something else needs attention. Here are just some of the problems fuel data can help you uncover before they result in unwanted maintenance or repairs and increased operating costs:

 

  • Excessive idle time
  • Dirty fuel injectors
  • Plugged air filters
  • Contaminated fuel filters
  • Defective sensors
  • Faulty Engine Control Module
  • Worn piston rings or leaky valves
  • Slipping clutch or transmission
  • Improper lube oil viscosity
  • Undersized machine, bucket or work tool
  • Low tire pressure or worn tires
  • Aggressive or untrained operator

 

  1. Increasing utilization by studying when equipment is not being used

It’s hard to see patterns when you have multiple worksites or equipment working in different locations. With the data in front of you, you can look for alternative uses of equipment—any other function it could serve to generate revenue. Your information may reveal that trucks sit idling too long, burning fuel just to be loaded. By analyzing the data you may find enough idle time exists that you can park one of the trucks. This eliminates the fuel cost of that truck and makes cycle times more efficient for the remaining trucks. Another quick win idea would be using your trucks to contract haul during non-working periods.

 

  1. Using data to manage maintenance intervals

Analyzing your data can help you increase the efficiency and cost effectiveness of your maintenance schedules. It may surprise you how long you can effectively stretch maintenance intervals, saving time and money.

 

  1. Creating a fast start team

The information you gather from your machines has the ability to positively impact many areas of your worksites from utilization and uptime to operating costs and billing. Using a cross-functional team to review this information clarifies analyses and recommendations, which can’t help but result in better decisions. It also means that any hurdles can be overcome by the team and not sit completely with a single person.

 

Virtual Site Solutions, a joint venture between Caterpillar and Trimble, is also in the midst of updating VisionLink throughout 2016, making it faster and easier to use, especially with a smartphone or tablet. Some of the improvements users can expect to see soon include:

 

An even better mobile experience. Get ready for quick load times, uncluttered screens, easy-to-read content, good-sized buttons and simple navigation. You’ll have a great user experience whether you’re logging in with a phone, tablet, notebook or desktop.

 

Task-based apps. We’re breaking VisionLink down into smaller applications to better align with your everyday tasks. This will make the software easier to use and faster to update.

 

Turn down the fire hose. Drowning in data? You’ll have the option to reduce the amount of information you see. So if you only need fuel burn and machine location data to do your job, that’s what you’ll get. Someone else may need idle time and run time info, or hours to the next PM. The point is, we’re making it easy to access the data you actually need to do your job; nothing more, nothing less.

 

You’re in control, but we can help. Lots of people want to configure this software themselves, so we’re making it easy to do that. But if you’re not comfortable monkeying with VisionLink, start with the default settings. If they’re not right for you, your dealer can help with changes.

 

Simple dashboard. Everybody loves a dashboard – one convenient place to get a quick look at the key performance indicators you want to monitor. You’ll appreciate the new dashboard in VisionLink. And as you might expect, it will be easy for you to set things up exactly the way you want them.

 

At the end of the day, asset technologies are beneficial because they are designed to help operators solve issues and work more efficiently to minimize service costs and increase uptime. Having the data is important, but utilizing it correctly is what really makes the difference. Technologies like Cat LINK help you do more work at a lower total cost so you can build an even stronger business.

Guest Post

By Craig E. Cutting

Construction Technology Applications Consultant

Caterpillar Inc.

Five Ways Construction Technologies Can Improve Profitability

By: Jason Hurdis–Sr. Market Proffessional for Caterpillar Inc.

How many times have you heard the saying, time is money? That old adage has never been truer in the construction industry than it is right now. But today we can update that passage to say, “tech is money.”

Every construction company owner faces pressure to control costs and operate at lower profit margins. As you evaluate your own business operations, technology is something you should consider. By identifying areas where you can become more efficient, you can determine the types of technologies that will bring the biggest benefit to your organization’s bottom line.

Based on customer experiences and data, Caterpillar is constantly developing and refining advanced technologies to help make your equipment more cost-effective and efficient. CAT Connect technologies and services such as, LINK, GRADE, PAYLOAD and EMSolutions all help increase profit margins and worksite productivity. Here are several ways the right technology can help make your company more profitable:

  1. Control fuel costs

Fuel consumption information is some of the most valuable information you can collect and use as a construction company. Idle time can represent 40-50 percent of a machine’s total running time. Tracking and reducing idle time in your machines with CAT technologies can reduce fuel costs by as much as 50 percent.

Such technologies enable insights that wouldn’t otherwise be available to you. If fuel consumption goes up suddenly during a job, it could signal a bigger issue. Here are just a few problems CAT technologies can flag and help you uncover before it becomes a real problem.

  • Dirty fuel injectors
  • Plugged/Contaminated air filters
  • Defective sensors
  • Faulty Engine Control Modules
  • Worn piston rings or leaky valves
  • Slipping clutch or transmission
  • Improper lube oil viscosity
  • Undersized machine, bucket or work tool
  • Low tire pressure or worn tires
  • Aggressive or untrained operators
  1. Manage maintenance intervals

Analyzing the data our technologies provide can help business owners increase the efficiency and cost effectiveness of your maintenance schedules. The longer you can effectively stretch maintenance intervals, the more time and money you can save. The importance of planned maintenance – and the profitability it enables – cannot be overstated. CAT technologies can help you interpret your data, provide monitoring services and help you develop the most profitable maintenance schedules for your fleet.

  1. Increase machine utilization

It’s hard to see patterns or trends when you have multiple machines working at multiple worksites. With data produced from CAT technologies, business owners can make decisions on machine activation and optimization from one central point. If a truck is sitting at idle too long waiting to be loaded, you may find there is so much idle time between trucks in your fleet that you can park one of them.

The data produced by CAT technologies can identify underutilized assets in your fleet, and can help managers eliminate the need for rental machines while also providing them with the information they need to forecast future equipment needs.

  1. Increased uptime

CAT technologies can provide companies with fault code alerts, which are messages delivered when a machine is working outside a predetermined set of parameters. These alerts cover machine-specific situations including engine over-speeding, high-speed directional shifts and changes in temperature and pressure. The benefits of receiving alerts like these are that they notify managers when maintenance and repairs are needed, which reduces unscheduled machine downtime and equipment repair costs.

  1. Improved bidding accuracy and competitiveness

CAT on-board systems allow companies to submit tighter, more competitive bids because of the data they provide. Companies today don’t need to pad their fuel numbers when bidding for a project; they can calculate exactly how many gallons per hour they need to get the job done.

Such technologies also are proven to increase materials savings by up to 10 percent, and decrease rework by as much as 50 percent. Using fewer materials and spending less time on rework allows companies to lower their bid prices, therefore, giving them a leg up on their competition.

CAT technologies are reshaping the process of using, managing and owning construction equipment. Construction companies that want to stay ahead of their competitors for projects both now and in the future must adapt and implement the proper technologies. It’s the best way to become more efficient while maintaining margins, quality and safety. Why give the competition the edge when the technologies present profitable opportunities? Because tech is money, and a more efficient fleet equals a better bottom line.

GUEST POST

By Jason Hurdis

Sr. Market Professional

Caterpillar Inc.

 

Rent a Cat heavy construction equipment from me

Renting heavy construction equipment has never been as simple as it is in today’s time. Earlier when there was no internet and when people had to hunt for machines on rent, they were largely dependent on newspaper advertisements or classifieds that gets published in some magazines that is based on construction equipment or equipment salesman. Another mean to know if someone is renting a machine is through a person from their circle. Other than this, they were hardly any means to know if anybody is renting heavy construction equipment. Things have however changed for better now and with the advent of internet we are get what we want at a faster rate and we can also expect to get something better through internet. Nowadays, brand matters a lot and someone who is letting out branded items are invariably everyone’s choice.

We have Equipment Company that is in the business of renting branded heavy equipment and one can indeed vouch for what they have to offer to the construction companies. They are in the business of heavy equipment for the last 20 years which makes them one of the most experienced in the lot. Experience does matter and when it matters it matters a lot. So a company with over 20 years of experience will suggest you machines based on your needs. If needed they will do an overview study of your project and try to understand what kind of heavy equipment will best suit your project. This will help them to give you better suggestions and this is what they have been doing since long.

You can vouch on them on any kind of heavy construction equipment. Right from a dozer to an excavator to scraper or a grader, all you have to do is name the equipment you are looking for to take on rent and you will get that at a better price; a price that you will not get at many places. So here you can get some real good branded machine at an affordable price. All you have to do is check their website and see the machines. In case, you need to speak to someone to get a better picture about the services you get from them, then you can get the number of the person and call them up to get all your questions answered.  817-733-3799

New Caterpillar Scrapers

Scrapers are one of the most important heavy equipment in the construction business and it plays a significant role a far as the business is concerned. Many construction companies who are indulging in big projects want to use new scrapers that are technologically advanced and have the potential of doing the work at a lesser duration than the conventional ones. It is one of the finest machinery when it comes to earth moving equipment as it can carry huge volume of dirt at a time and move it from one place to other. Articulated trucks can also be used to carry dirt but they are not accessible in every terrain and therefore the need of scrapers arises. They can carry the dirt from one point and load it on the truck that is located in another point from where it can be transported to the dumping ground.

Scrapers are of different variety and it is important to understand which variety of scraper is used for what work. Heavy equipment manufacturing companies do understand the different needs and want of the end user and they accordingly manufacture products keeping into consideration these needs. They first do a thorough study of the market and try to read the pulse of it. Once they are done with the study and an elaborated report they work that out with their engineers and bring out something that is meeting the consumer’s expectation. One such company that supersedes consumer’s expectation is Caterpillar. They are into the tradition of surpassing consumer’s expectation and come up with machines that has distinct features from the rest of the products available in the market.

When we talk about surpassing consumer’s expectation, it is not about the consumers of US but they do it consumers throughout the globe and this is why they are considered to be the market leader when it comes to manufacturing A-class machines. It has recently introduced 631G scraper and we will be speaking a bit about its specifications.

Starting straight away with the power of this machine, the gross power of 631G scraper is 515 hp and net power is 490 hp with a displacement of 1099 cu in. Looking into the operational side of the machine, the total fuel capacity of the machine is 215 gallons. The cooling system fluid capacity, engine oil fluid capacity, transmission fluid capacity, differential fluid capacity and hydraulic system fluid capacity is 32 gallons, 11.7 gallons, 33 gallons, 36 gallons and 50.2 gallons respectively. The operating voltage of the machine is same like all other scraper which is 24 V and the alternator supplied amperage is 75 amps.

It is installed with 8 speed automatic Power shift with electronic control device. The total number of forward and reverse gears is 8 and 1 respectively and the maximum forward and reverse speed is 33.2 mph and 6.2 mph respectively. The total operating weight of the machine while being empty is 46475 kg and when it is loaded, it is around 80495 kg.

The 631G scraper falls slightly into the expensive side but certainly within the reach of most construction companies. One can also get loan on this machine. So it should be within the budget.

Caterpillar D8 Dozer

It has been witnessed that construction companies have found Dozers as a very good alternative of excavators to do low grade excavating. By grade excavating, it suggests digging not too deep inside the ground. It can’t just fully replace an excavator which has the potential to go deep inside the ground and pull all the dirt out. However, when one has his excavator occupied on some other project and is left with just a dozer, he can make full use of it. Other than that, a dozer is widely used for flattening the surface of the land which is its primary function.

A flat surface is very important before you take your work any further. You can’t ask your men to begin their work on rugged uneven piece of land. You first have to ensure that the land is flattened and brought to a level where others can find it convenient to walk with their tools or else there will be an alarming rate of accidents happening which will lead to working not read to work any further. In a situation like this, it is pretty imperative that you first make use of a dozer and roll it all over the ground to make it ready to walk. This also reminds of the fact about how intensively dozers are used to construct roads. You perhaps do not make use of any other heavy equipment other than dozers. Its heavy roll has the capability to flatten the hardest rock lying on the ground. CAT D8 is one such dozer that has made its reputation as the most incredible piece of machine made by Caterpillar.

It has been fitted with an unbelievable strong engine and has a net power of 120 hp with a displacement of 644.8 cu in. The total number of gears installed in this machine is 3 and the maximum forward and reverse speed that it can take is 8.4 mph and 9.6 mph respectively. The operating weight of the machine including the driver and the fuel tank is around 26,256 lbs. The total fuel capacity of the D8 dozer is 72 gallons. This is many times better than the several dozers made by CAT’s competitors. Moreover, the engineers while making this model have taken immense care to make the cabin as comfortable as it can be. They understand how important it is to make the operator feel comfortable and therefore have ensured that all the levers are set in a zone from where he can easily reach out to them.

CAT claims that it consumes less fuel and is highly productive. People who use CAT machines have also agreed to this claim and they say that they have been able to save good deal of money on fuel. They also expect CAT to manufacture more machines that work on these lines. The D8 dozer is easily available and can be bought directly from the manufacturer or by contact the dealer of your state. Other option is to buy them online. All seems to be quite convenient options.

New Caterpillar Excavators

New advanced excavators are the need of the hour as the construction industry needs is in dire need of such machines that has the capability of excavating earth in just few hours. The existing ones which most of the companies have are also competent enough to do the same work but the only difference is that they consume lot of fuel and the productivity is not that high as compared to the fuel consumption. This clearly indicates that the construction companies are not making enough profits which they could make if they have excavators that consumes less fuel and is more productive.

Keeping the needs of the construction companies into consideration, Caterpillar has come up with various models of new machines that are known to be highly productive and more reliable that all its previous models. They are also more technologically sound and gives more comfort to the person operating the machine. Simultaneously, the newer models of excavators can sustain rough weather conditions like working for hours in the hot summer or in the monsoon where the land is muddy and have high chances of dirt making its way into the interiors of the machine and during the chilled winters where the excavators is used to plough the snow out of the roads.

Caterpillar has produced many new excavators, some big in size and some are the smaller ones. The small excavators also popularly known as mini excavators are widely used by big construction companies. They find these machines to be very economical, user friendly and more reliable. At the same time, it can be used in sites where big excavators find it difficult to enter. These small machines due to its small size can easily enter small sites and does the work with equal effect as compared to the bigger ones. Caterpillar is concentrating to develop more of these mini excavators as it found this machine to be the blue eyed candy boy amongst construction companies and therefore they are focusing on making it more technologically advanced.

Though these mini excavators can’t completely replace the bigger ones as they have their own importance in the construction industry, it is just that they are easy to maneuver and can access sites which are not possible for the larger version of excavators. If we speak about the maintenance of these machines, they are not at all complex and can be done in a day. Servicing is however equally important in lengthening the life of the equipment. One has to ensure that he needs to service the machine at regular intervals as and when it is advised to him by the mechanic or mentioned in the service manual. Delays are understandable but it should not be a prolonged one.

The mini excavators are also quite affordable as it is normally within the budget of every owner of a construction company. They ideally do not have to take a loan to procure that machine and even if they do go for a loan, it can be cleared off in no time.

Caterpillar D5 Dozer

Removing of debris, moving of dirt from one place to another and things like these are better done by few set of machines and a dozer falls completely in this zone. This means that a dozer is a far more beneficial machine when it comes to doing stuffs that not many machines are capable of doing. More to it, the price of a dozer is also pretty less. This makes it a machine that all can afford to buy and make complete use of it in almost all of their projects. It also works as a very good alternative for excavators which are used to dig just few feet and not deep inside the ground. A dozer can’t completely become an alternative of an excavator as it is meant for a different purpose but can be used at times when an excavator is not immediately available. This also makes it a multipurpose machine.

One company that takes pride in making top quality dozers is Caterpillar. It seems that they are one of the pioneers in manufacturing dozers as it all happened in the year 1925 that they produced their first dozer. Since then they are into manufacturing several types of heavy equipment. However, they still specialize in producing dozers. Talking a bit about the D5 dozer, it has been installed with a 105 hp engine and has a displacement of 640.7 cu in. The total number of forward and reverse gears that is available with the machine is 3 and the maximum forward and backward speed it can travel is 6.3 mph and 7.6 mph respectively. The total height of the machine that also includes its blade is 15”1’ long. Going by the standard blade, the width of it is 10 feet and 3 inches.

It has 6 tracks rollers on each its side and it looks like little wheels that help the track shoe to move. Moving into the operating weight of the D5 dozer, the weight of the machine including the tank full of gas and the average weight of the driver is around 25,794 lb. The total fuel capacity in the dozer is up to 65 gallons.

Once can certainly go through the specification mentioned here to decide if the D5 model of dozer is the one he is looking for in his upcoming project or if he needs something else. However, this is perhaps one of the most inexpensive models available with CAT. Though CAT has been given an impression of selling high priced heavy equipment which to a certain extent is untrue. However, this piece of metal is nowhere falling close to the expensive stuffs that CAT deals with. Having said this, the ones that people find as expensive are machines that are quite technologically advanced and therefore are slightly over priced than the conventional ones. The CAT D5 dozers can be easily purchased from the manufacturer or from their authorized dealers. You also have the option to buy them online as they are available on all the major online stores that deals with heavy equipment.

Caterpillar 740 Articulated Truck

Do you know who carries the debris after the demolition is done? Any heavy equipment that is mostly used on a construction site is not able to carry huge pile of debris from the jobsite to the dump yard and for this you need a truck to get the job done. Trucks are not only used by the construction companies to haul debris but are also used by many mining companies as well. Mining companies can’t spend a day without using trucks. This indeed shows the relevance of trucks to the overall industry. Not only hauling of debris but when it comes to hauling other heavy equipment from the source to the destination, trucks are widely used. An articulated truck plays a very crucial role when it comes to transporting big heavy machines as they can’t make it all by themselves even if they can move on the roads. Heavy equipment can move at a shorter distance. They are not made to get transported on their own. It will take days for a machine to reach one place if it has to move all by itself and therefore the need of trucks becomes so imperative.

Almost all the heavy equipment manufacturing companies are into producing trucks but there are few who are simply exceptional when it comes to trucks. To name a few, Volvo, CAT, Hitachi are some that has an incredible reputation in the market and has also managed to maintain its position over the years. They just changes position in terms of ranking but never has it happened that they have taken a sharp fall in terms of sales figure.

We will be discussing in brief about the specification of CAT 740 articulated truck. The gross and net power of the truck is 464 hp and 445 hp respectively. The power is measured at 1700 rpm and has a displacement of 927.6 cu in. The total number of cylinders installed in this truck is 6. Moving to the fuel capacity of the truck, the total fuel capacity of the vehicle is 61.6 gallons. The hydraulic system fluid capacity, cooling system fluid capacity, engine oil capacity and transmission fluid capacity is 61.6 gallons, 21.1 gallons, 10 gallons and 19 gallons respectively. Talking about the gears fitted in this truck, the total number of forward gears is 7 and is limited with just 2 reverse gears and has a maximum speed of 34 mph.

The total weight of the truck when it is empty is 32840 kg and when it’s loaded the weight is goes to 70840 kg. The overall length of the truck is 35.7 ft in and the overall width is 11.3 ft in. The overall height along with the wheelbase is 12.3 ft in and 17.1 ft in respectively. The height of the dump is 23.2 ft in and its ground clearance is 2.3 ft in.

The CAT 740 is perhaps the truck that every owner of a construction or a mining company would like to possess and it is also pretty much within their capability.

New Caterpillar Bulldozers

Construction business owners invest a lot on heavy equipment and they are always in the look of technologically advanced machines that has the capacity of working for hours at length, consumes less fuel, emit less carbon and provide enough comfort to the operator so that at the end of the day they do not feel dead tired. Reliability is something that they are not ready to compromise a bit and if they find that the machine is not up to the mark, then very soon the demand diminishes for that machine incurring huge loss to the manufacturer. Keeping everything into due deliberation, Cat always comes up with products that matches consumer’s needs, wants and demands and in this process they turn out to be the undisputed leader in the heavy equipment manufacturing industry leaving every other company far behind.

Caterpillar is renowned for producing different types of equipment and is best known for producing dozers. We will be speaking in length about one of its new arrival and that is CAT D11T dozer.

Starting with the dimension of the machine, the total length of the machine with blade is 34.9 ft in and without blade it is 19.8 ft in, the width over the tracks is 11.8 ft in, the height to the top of the cab is 13.4 ft in and the length of the track on the ground is 12.7 ft in. Paying little attention on the specs, CAT D11T has a gross power of 935 hp and net power of 850 hp. The power measure is at 1800 rpm and the displacement is 1958.9 cu in. The total number of cylinders installed in the dozer is 12.

The total operating weight of the machine is 104590 kg with a fuel capacity of 425 gallon. The cooling system fluid capacity, the engine oil capacity, hydraulic fluid capacity and power-train fluid capacity is 63 gallon, 28 gallon, 64.2 gallon and 91 gallon respectively. The operating voltage is 24 V with alternator supplied amperage of 100amps.

Moving to the transmission of the machine, the total number of forward and reverse gears is 3 with a maximum forward speed of 7.3 mph and maximum reverse speed of 8.7 mph. The standard shoe size of the machine is 28 in. The total number of shoes on each side is 41 and the total number of track rollers on each side is 8. Moving the focus to the blade of the dozer, the width and height of the blade is 18.3 ft in and 109 in respectively. The capacity of the blade is 35.5 yd3 and the cutting depth is around 30.2 in.

It is fitted with hydraulic pump that is ideally gear driven and has a relief valve pressure of 3500 psi and the pump flow capacity is 66 gallon per minute. People who are intending to buy this machine should first go through its specifications and decide to buy it only if they find it suitable for their projects which it ideally is.