Capital Equipment News December 2015

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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS DECEMBER 2015 16
CAT BACKHOE LOADER
A 30 year evolution
Who 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.
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
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
The year 2015 marks the 30th 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.