Caterpillar has a new battle cry

For now, Caterpillar remains in the lead as a progressive machine builder. With the clear battle cry "Rewrite the rules of operation," Caterpillar wants to make it clear to existing and new customers that there is still a lot to gain in the yard: more choice at lower cost.

A totally unexpected three-way split of the larger machines, its own budget brand for original parts and also some eight new, substantially modernized mini excavators. At the invitation of Bergerat Monnoyeur, Bouwmat was also able to participate in the trade press days at Caterpillar's Demonstration & Learning Center near Malaga (Spain). There it became clear that rewriting the rules has two main directions: on the one hand, that of more efficient and, for operators, more comfortable operation of machines, and on the other, lower operating costs for the owner through easier maintenance, smarter working methods and, just as important, the sometimes substantial savings on fuel. Take the Cat Next Generation excavators. These are specifically designed to use less fuel than the models they replace, and that can be as much as 25 % - thanks in part to the new Smart mode. Count your winnings.

Well visible is the damage-control restyling of the rear of this 308CR...

Outright first

It was a downright first in the run-up to the equipment trade fair bauma held in Munich in early April: the announcement that from now on there will be not one, but three categories of Caterpillars on sale. These are the XE designation for the Premium machines, the "normal" performance series and the Standard series, marked with the letters GC, a kind of budget machines. This last category is the most inexpensive to buy because it is the least comprehensive. These basic machines, under full CAT warranty, are intended for the rental market and for companies that want to own a certain type of excavator but do not need to use it continuously. Thus, this CG series is a limited selection from Caterpillar's wide range of products. Thus, only excavator 330 GC will be available in Europe this year, after the 320 GC was already presented in 2017. It is clear what rewriting the rules of the game will look like for the yard: more choice at lower cost.

The new models consume much less fuel, which brings down yard costs significantly.

Eight new mini excavators

Big news was also in the mini excavators. There are five newcomers in the increasingly popular weight class of 1 to 2 tons: the 301.5, 301.6, 301.7 CR, 301.8 and 302 CR. What makes them special is the possibility of joystick steering, called Stick steer, and the addition of cruise control (slow autonomous driving). Stick steer basically eliminates the view-restricting foot pedals and control levers. In the cabin version, by the way, we see this happening sooner than the canopy version. Other interesting news is the folding canopy/cab, which makes the hydraulic system and parts of the engine much easier to access for maintenance.

Caterpillar's new battle cry: 'rewrite the rules of execution'.

Among the larger mini excavators in the 7- to 10-ton weight class, there are three newcomers: the 308 CR VAB, 309 CR and 310. The trio gets a multitude of basic configurations. Of particular note is the redesigned hood with its pronounced ballast butt. This has been made more robust to reduce damage. At the same time, the maintenance doors have been made lighter and simpler, thus cheaper and faster to replace.

Fun news: machinist competitions will be held again, with national preliminary competitions and a final in Malaga.

Remote services

Being able to remotely diagnose and update software should reduce downtime. The new Cat Remote Services are going to provide that. They use telematics data from the machine itself. "A customer is not making money from a machine or engine that is down, reducing the profitability of operations. Remote Services are a solution for a more effective and efficient maintenance of equipment," said Herwig Peschl, global Marketing Manager of Caterpillar.

Yellowmark is Caterpillar's new budget brand for original parts.

Budget parts

Other news of interest to many is Yellowmark, Caterpillar's new budget brand. It offers Cat equipment owners a "cheaper" alternative to original Cat parts and remanufactured Cat parts for the first time ever. Yellowmark is intended to offer a balance of reliability, convenience and lower cost. The lineup already includes more than 6,000 repair and replacement parts for the drivelines, engines, hydraulics, excavators and undercarriages of more than 500 Cat models, among others.   

Parade of small and large mini excavators at Caterpillar's Demonstration & Learning Center near Malaga (Spain).