Capital Equipment News March 2019

Advanced powertrain choice Jean-François Villard, product application specialist for dozers at Caterpillar, explains that the next-generation dozer offers a choice of advanced powertrain: the D6 XE with electric drive or the D6 with a fully automatic 4-speed powershift transmission. However, Dr. Samantha Swanepoel, executive head: Marketing and Communications at Barloworld Equipment, the exclusive Caterpillar dealer for southern Africa, explains that the D6 model will be readily available at Barloworld, but the high-spec D6 XE will only be brought in on demand. “The D6 XE is the world’s first high drive electric drive dozer, offering up to 35% better fuel efficiency and increased agility compared with the previous 3-speed model D6T. Constant power to the ground, continuous push and greater manoeuvrability translate into faster cycle times, making the electric drive a top choice to achieve high levels of productivity and fuel efficiency. Added D6 XE productivity and reduced fuel cost mean customers can expect to see payback of the added investment over a D6 in less than two years,” explains Villard. The D6 is powered by a 4-speed fully automatic transmission that provides increased productivity and up to 20% better fuel efficiency versus its 3-speed predecessor. The fully automatic D6 reduces momentary hesitation when the traditional machine shifts, so more momentum and drawbar power are maintained through the entire push. Caterpillar engineers designed the auto shift to work up and down the entire working range, so power to the ground and fuel consumption are optimised for a greater percentage of the time. An added gear between first and second ensures more seamless shifting. Both powertrains offer unprecedented ease of operation. The operator simply sets the ground speed and the dozer continuously optimises for maximum power and efficiency based on load. With electric drive, there are no gears to shift. The fully automatic 4-speed power train optimises the transmission without the operator having to worry about shifting. Better, faster grading With the new purpose-built VPAT dozer, customers can now finish jobs faster by grading at higher speeds. The newly designed structure is stronger, so machine balance is optimised for grading

The D6 is designed to reduce service and maintenance costs by up to 12%.

QUICK TAKE

W E I G H T R A N G E O F 2 1 7 4 9 T O 2 4 0 9 7 K G

At 161 kW and an operating weight range of 21 749 to 24 097 kg, the new D6 replaces the D6T bulldozer

T H E W O R L D ’ S F I R S T H I G H D R I V E E L E C T R I C D R I V E D O Z E R

The D6 XE is the world’s first high drive electric drive dozer, offering up to 35% better fuel efficiency and increased agility compared with the previous 3-speed model D6T

P O W E R E D B Y A 4 - S P E E D F U L LY A U T O M A T I C T R A N S M I S S I O N

The D6 is powered by a 4-speed fully automatic transmission that provides increased productivity and up to 20% better fuel efficiency versus its 3-speed predecessor

9 0 % F E W E R M O V I N G P A R T S

The D6 XE’s electric drive powertrain has 90% fewer moving parts than the conventional powershift transmission

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS MARCH 2019 13