Capital Equipment News December 2015

CAT BACKHOE LOADER A 30 year evolution

The year 2015 marks the 30 th anniversary of Caterpillar’s first backhoe loader and coincides with the worldwide release of the latest generation F2 series – the next advance in on-site performance, where lowest cost of ownership is the deciding key factor.

W ho would have guessed that back in the 1980s Caterpillar had yet to field its first backhoe loader, when today these Cat ® units are an integral part of the earthmoving landscape, with more than 300 000 units sold worldwide? It all began with the roll-out of the A-Series in 1985. The B Series followed in 1989; built on the solid foundation established by the first generation models, it has firm- ly entrenched the Cat backhoe as a class leader. The year 1996 saw the launch of the C Series, followed subsequently by the D, E, F and now F2, in 2001, 2006, 2012 and 2015 respectively. Historically, the first exploratory engineering drawings for the A Series were put to paper in 1982, and in 1983 Caterpillar’s Desford manufacturing plant, situated near Leices- ter, England (at the time responsible for the assembly of forklifts trucks), was chosen as the fabrication centre for the first Cat back- hoe. History has shown that their pioneering

efforts have been a major success.

industry leading hydraulic and electrical components, plus heavy duty linkages and structures. Key focus areas for Caterpillar’s research and development engineers include safety, ergonomics, operator functionality, fuel effi- ciency and enhanced power delivery, all of which feature prominently on the F2 model line-up, comprising the Cat 416F2 centre pivot model, and the Cat 422F2, 428F2, 432F2, 434F2 and 444F2 side-shift units. All are powered by fuel efficient Tier II Cat 3054C mechanically turbo charged en- gines. Machines sold into Southern Africa come equipped with a new generation four speed manual transmission (forward and reverse). Top speed remains at around 40 km/h. The F2’s upgraded hydraulics system pro- vides improvements in oil flow for opti- mum delivery: the 422F2 from 125 l/min to 132 l/min; the 428F2 and 434F2 from

Caterpillar’s introductory unit, the Cat 416A (in centre pivot configuration) was immedi- ately recognisable by its distinctive boom tilt cylinder design, narrow loader tow- er and divergent loader arms. Launched with an operating weigh of approximately 6 087 kg and a lift capacity (at full height) of 2 381 kg, the engine delivered a net fly- wheel power of 46 kW at 2 400 rpm. Technological advancements over time have included the development of the industry’s first true excavator style boom (enabling excellent clearance over objects), which remains a signature trademark of the Cat backhoe. Coupled with this, production ca- pabilities have been further enhanced by the development of a 205 degree rotation bucket linkage: the high degree of rotation enables deeper vertical wall excavation, which simplifies trenching tasks and in turn increases productivity. Meanwhile, overall durability has been further enhanced by

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