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Cat® Command Used to Recover Explosives in Europe
Cat® Command Used in Europe for the First Time
From frozen ice caps to blisteringly hot deserts, Cat® Command has made working in some of the world’s most extreme and dangerous places safer, and easier. So it might be surprising to discover that the same technology is now being used in Europe. Until you discover who’s using it, and why.
The German company, Eggers Kampfmittelbergung, are ‘hunters of the lost bombs’: Experts in detecting, identifying and removing explosives left over from World War II.
Since 2020, they have been working in Eggebek in northern Germany, clearing 300 hectares of a former airfield that was heavily bombed during the Second World War. Leif Nebel, partner and managing director of Eggers Kampfmittelbergung, says Cat® Command has made a significant difference in their work. “We started searching for unexploded bombs and buried ordnance the conventional way, using surface magnetics. Which means having to stop every time you detect metal. A process that would have taken years,” he explained. “Using a Cat D5 dozer with Cat Command, we could replace this labor-intensive step by removing 27cm of topsoil in weeks.”
Leif Nebel
Partner and managing director
Eggers Kampfmittelbergung
Embracing the Future with Remote Operators
With the Cat Command Station, the operator works from afar, using video imagery, data and applications like Cat Grade, to operate the machine remotely.
Like any change, the transition from traditional machine operation to remote operation can bring challenges. Christian Berling, Cat Command Sales Representative EAME, helped train Egger Kampfmittelbergung operators to control machines remotely at the Cat Training Center in Malaga. “While operating the machine is exactly the same, moving from a 3D environment, where you’re used to interpreting the noises, vibrations and movement, to a 2D one that relies on looking at applications to give you this information can be tricky,” he explains. “But if they’re open and familiar with technology, they will (likely) have no trouble adjusting.”
Leif couldn’t agree more. “We recognized that being comfortable with technology and operating in a digitalized world has its comparisons in video games. So, we tested this by letting someone who couldn’t drive an excavator but was good at video games operate a Cat Command machine. They performed almost as well as an experienced driver.”
Christian expects the right operator to take only a few days to become proficient. “We get them familiar with the station, the PCs, the TV. Then we start on the applications, the video application, the machine application, Cat Grade 3D Control system—all the tips and tricks to get it working. Then we let them practice. It’s surprising how quickly they can pick it up.”
Remote Operation: Improving Safety & Efficiency
While safety is an obvious benefit, Christian Berling emphasizes that remote access is very much about efficiency. “With Cat Command, an operator can control several machines from their station, going back and forth between them, freeing another operator to work elsewhere,” he says. “It also means fewer safety preparations on site, which saves time and money and makes projects quicker. Plus, there’s no traveling to and from the site. And working in a comfortable environment can help operators get less tired and remain more productive for longer.”
With all the opportunities to improve safety and efficiency, you can expect Cat Command to be a feature on sites across Europe from now on.
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