In support of specific industry applications, Caterpillar has been tailoring its new range of wheeled material handlers, the MH3022, MH3024 and MH3026 and introducing new attachments. With the new machines now arriving in the UK, we spoke to Finning product specialist, Iain Laidler to find out more.
Iain: “The new range really gives end-users the opportunity to look at their specific applications and the environments in which they are working. This is really important, as these machines can often be used in high productivity applications, like waste management, where customers want to see a rapid return-on-investment. With performance and owning costs going hand in hand, getting the machine configuration right is critical.
“When we look more closely at the UK market, the Cat MH3022, is set to be the most popular machine when it comes to applications like indoor sorting and waste-handling. With these applications, the choice of two material handling booms, three straight sticks with linkage, and two drop–nose sticks, make the machine very configurable.
“A good example of other configurations for the UK market relates to customers handling low density materials in confined spaces. Here, the user wouldn’t need to buy a machine with a wide undercarriage and to tackle the confined spaces, they could also now be able to opt for shorter front linkages, improving overall maneoverability.
“With the addition of front push blades and the new Cat orange-peel grapples, productivity benefits and fuel savings of up to 15 percent are achievable. The grapple attachments have lower operating weights and have been designed to be an exact match with the machine with castings in place of welded structures in high stress areas.
“Finally, for operators, the Advanced Cab Filtration system, available as an integrated option from the factory, almost completely eliminates dust and contaminants, helping them to grab productivity benefits in a better working environment.”