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Milestone: Mobile excavator production at Caterpillar® on course for record – 50,000.
By caterpillar | Posted: November 13, 2023
For many construction companies, they are the “bread and butter machines”: mobile excavators are real all-rounders. They are used on construction sites in earthworks, civil engineering and road construction. Due to their great mobility, they can be moved to construction sites more quickly than tracked excavators. But these advantages are not the only explanation for why this type of Cat® construction machinery, has enjoyed such a popularity, which has now resulted in the 50,000th Cat mobile excavator.
In 1983, Caterpillar announced that it would manufacture a new, smaller line of wheeled excavators in Germany. To this end, the company entered a contract with Eder, which included the production of four wheeled excavator models. They were primarily intended for the European market and were offered by selected Cat dealers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Production of the 12-to-19-ton mobile excavator types 206, 212, 214 and 224 began in 1984 - these were the first Cat construction machines from Germany, which is therefore considered the country of origin for mobile excavators. But the market in this country was demanding more and more machines because they offered many advantages. A mobile excavator can be moved quickly from one construction site to the next. It was a turning point for building contractors when they wanted to use it to carry out work in inner cities where little space was available. The advanced hydraulic design makes it possible to carry out a variety of other operations in addition to excavation because the devices can operate a range of hydraulic tools, increasing operational flexibility.
In order to consider, the growing demand caused by German reunification and the resulting construction boom in this country, Caterpillar and Zeppelin founded the European Excavator Design Center, the EDC, as a joint venture with Eder and Sennebogen in Wackersdorf to develop mobile excavators in accordance with customer wishes and market requirements. That was the beginning of a unique partnership. The concept from back then worked: This is - as the saying goes - the beginning of a success story. In 2012, Caterpillar celebrated the production of its 25,000th mobile excavator – a first milestone.
Wheeled excavators were initially particularly in demand in Europe and South Korea. Users were impressed by the combination of speed, performance, versatility and the ability to operate a wide range of attachments. Other countries soon became aware of the possibilities offered by this type of construction machinery.
In Germany, specifically from Wackersdorf, Cat mobile excavators are still being developed for worldwide use and prototypes are being built and put through their paces. The EDC, which has been part of the Caterpillar Group since 2006, is responsible for the entire design.
Thanks to the competent engineers who have their finger on the pulse of customers and dealers like Zeppelin, we know which functions are in demand. In order to incorporate new developments into series production as quickly as possible, there are annual production updates, called APU (Annual Product Update). This ensures the constant introduction of new technologies and features into all excavator products, including wheeled excavators. There is close and intensive cooperation between the factory in Grenoble, which means that each mobile excavator consists of 1,400 different part numbers among the 6,500 parts from which it is built. Production steps are continually improved to make production more and more efficient. For example, assembly employees receive assembly instructions visualized in 3D using a tablet. An endless number of steps are necessary before a mobile excavator leaves the factory. Likewise, many steps are automated. For example, the lower frame is mounted upside down to provide better access to the drive train, which also makes working ergonomic. When this is complete, the lower frame is brought back into position using a large, automated rotator. More than 200 employees are involved in final assembly - not counting those involved at other Caterpillar locations from which components such as engines are supplied, or the services in the area of logistics.
The next milestone this June: A Cat M318, the 50,000th mobile excavator, set the next production record and became the anniversary machine. It was received by a loyal and long-standing mobile excavator customer of Zeppelin and its branch in Böblingen: the construction company Wolff & Müller from Stuttgart. Torsten Schuckert, head of the logistics service unit, and Siegfried Cammerer, deputy head of the logistics service unit, personally received the anniversary machine at the Caterpillar plant in Grenoble, France. The Cat M318 strengthens the machine park, which consists of over a hundred Cat devices and serves segments such as building and industrial construction, civil engineering, road construction, steel construction and building renovation.
At the handover, Torsten Schuckert said: “We are very pleased about the almost 70-year-old and constantly growing partnership with Zeppelin and Caterpillar. In addition to the innovative machine technology, the reasons for the good cooperation are also the excellent nationwide service and, above all, the appreciative, personal interaction with each other.
If you would like to know more about mobile excavators than contact your local Caterpillar dealer who is the best partner for advice on applications and equipment.
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