Caterpillar update M-Series wheel loader range
New loading shovels now offer increased productivity and enhanced uptime reliability
ACCORDING to Caterpillar, their newly upgraded Stage IV M-Series compact wheel loaders – the 926M, 930M and 938M – now offer increased productivity, improved operating ease and greater uptime reliability, thanks to recent engineering enhancements. The performance-enhancing upgrades have also been applied to the Cat 924K, 930K and 938K models.
A new secondary display option is now available for all machines, improving the operator interface and navigation, and making available a range of special payload management and service options.
The new touchscreen display features a QWERTY keyboard, making it easier for the owner/operator to navigate through the menu and input text, such as coded start operator profiles, application profiles, service-mode and preventative maintenance alerts.
Another first for the updated wheel loaders – adding to the touchscreen display and Product Link Elite feature – is the availability of Caterpillar Payload Management. The management system’s tip-off capability confirms to the operator that there is sufficient weight in the bucket before leaving the stockpile, thereby increasing machine productivity.
Caterpillar Payload Management allows the machine operator to set the target loading weight and monitor the cumulative amount of material loaded into a truck or hopper, which helps to prevent overloading. In addition, a system printer gives the operator the ability to print up to three copies of a recorded weight ticket.
With Cat Payload Management fully integrated into the wheel loader, the site manager can track important statistical information including the amount of material moved and the number of trucks loaded, through the use of Cat VisionLink.
Recent enhancements to Caterpillar Auto-Lube include the replacement of rubber hoses and swivel joints with steel lines running to the bucket pins, thereby improving system durability. New secondary zerks (grease nipples) added to the system also allow the operator to manually grease circuits, should the need arise.
Auto-Lube is fully integrated into the new secondary display and Cat VisionLink, which automatically sends diagnostic codes to the operator and designated key personnel (eg fleet managers) to help with troubleshooting.
To increase tyre longevity, tyre pressure monitoring (TPM) is now a fully integrated option in the compact M-Series wheel loaders. With a quick glance at the secondary display, the operator can see the current pressures for each tyre, ensuring they are properly inflated to reduce uneven wear and maximize service life.
TPM can also be configured to provide warnings to operators via the secondary display if tyre pressures drop too low or increase significantly. Since TPM is a fully integrated system, fleet managers can use VisionLink to track air pressuring and temperature in each machine from a remote location for optimal machine performance and efficiency.
The M-Series loaders are powered by Caterpillar’s C7.1 ACERT engine and the operator has the option of selecting standard mode, which reduces maximum engine speed to 1,600 rev/min without compromising peak ground performance, but results in 10–15% fuel savings. For increased productivity, full performance mode operation boosts engine speed to 1,800 rev/min, delivering increased hydraulic speed and power.
