CP & E  
Contractors Plant & Equipment  
is the online digital publication for  
construction, demolition, mining and quarrying industries.  

   PAGE 17   

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   The Latest Evolution in Mining Trucks
   from Caterpillar

Mining trucks have to meet certain criteria for them to be acceptable to the industry. The requirement of every mine manager is to haul as much material from source to processor at the lowest possible cost.

Over the years, various concepts have been developed but the main haulers are still mechanical drive rigid dump trucks. Electric drive trucks, including some powered by a trolley system, have been developed and, for some applications, are the better solution.

The world's leading suppliers are Caterpillar, Komatsu, Liebherr, Terex (Unit Rig) and Euclid Hitachi in the 140 t. to 400 t. class.

The latest development is from Caterpillar who, at the last MinExpo announced new trucks under evaluation. Two models in the new 'F-Series' has been announced together with an update on the development of an electric drive model.

The Cat 793F and the Cat 797F mining trucks are the latest in a generation of development spanning almost half a century. Since Caterpillar introduced its first mining truck in 1963 - the iconic Cat 769, the company has delivered over 50,000 units from a range of 12 off-highways truck models (construction and mining).

Ever conscious of the high demands of the mining industry, Caterpillar has pioneered new technology, many patented, and other innovations to deliver lower operating costs. This has been done by providing more efficient engines, higher productivity, greater reliability, improved operator comfort and advances that facilitate faster service time for reduced down-time.

The Cat range of mining trucks has moved ahead in significant steps. First was the introduction of Tier 1 engine emission technology, which enables several product enhancements simultaneously.

The latest generation introduces engines which are Tier 2 engine compliant and bring further enhancements, which are driven more than ever by customer demands.

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