Patten Tractor & Equipment Co., hosted an exhibition on the new Caterpillar 320CL hydraulic excavator in Elmhurst, IL, on Sept. 27. The exhibition was a joint venture between Caterpillar Inc. and Patten Tractor & Equipment Co. The introduction was done by Crane Patten, owner. Mike Pospischil, heavy equipment sales manager, followed with the introduction of the day’s events. On hand from Caterpillar Inc. was Kurt Wegner from North America Commercial Division (NACD). Wegner discussed the future of Caterpillar with regards to upcoming innovations in the Cat product families. There were more than 100 customers, representing 75 companies, from all over Northern Illinois in attendance for the 320CL. Invitations were sent primarily to non-Caterpillar users, in an effort to challenge the performance of the 320CL exhibition. In the morning portion of the program, guests were entertained and informed by John Walker of Caterpillar NADC large excavator marketing group. One feature that Walker pointed out about the 320CL was the dramatic increase of hours between service intervals and the ability of this machine to provide full pump output to whatever task the excavator is performing, without the operator having to select a particular work mode. According to Walker, most hydraulic excavators have work modes that delegate pump priority to specific functions. Customers at the presentation admitted a general lack of complete understanding of which work modes to use for what application. Walker stressed that with the Caterpillar 320CL automatic modes, the joystick position determines priority and leaves the technology of selecting work modes in the past. He then spoke of the Cat 320CL’s structural design. Caterpillar heats the booms and sticks after welding to relieve stress caused by the welding process. In tests, this has increased the life expectancy by as much as double over previous models. Built into the boom and stick are baffles to strengthen areas that are potentially vulnerable to hard digging applications, Walker said. He added that one thing that is critical to long boom-stick life is a four-piece plate design. By over-lapping the plates and running a weld the length of the boom and stick. Caterpillar has made the corner almost twice as thick, adding superior strength. This also will help keep the stick from flexing and cracking. Next, Walker talked about the Caterpillar 320CL’s increased swing torque of 45,600 ft. lbs. (202,829 N). According to Walker, this torque and speed is surprisingly smooth and drawbar pull has been increased to more than 44,000 lbs. (19,958 kgs.). Helping to free up available hydraulic power, Caterpillar has built regeneration into the boom and stick circuit. This diverts part of the hydraulic oil from one end of the cylinder back through an orifice to the opposite end of the cylinder, he said. Caterpillar has added an attachment controller which allows operators to pre-select five hydraulic settings. The 320CL excavator can easily be changed from one work tool to another by the push of a button. Walker then spoke about the style change of the excavator. The machine has a more streamlined appearance. The commonly referred to “dog house” or engine compartment that sticks up past the rest of the machine has been eliminated, which allows for better rear visibility, he explained. The Caterpillar 320CL cab is practically like sitting in a car, Walker said. With automatic climate control and a deluxe suspended seat, the operator is going to be comfortable and more productive. Serviceability is a very important topic to more and more customers, Walker said. Customers have trouble keeping up with service interval changes. It is very easy to get behind, he added, and it can take away from the machine components’ life expectancy. Caterpillar has addressed this issue, Walker noted, by taking the engine change interval to 500 hours and the hydraulic interval to 1,000 hours. The boom and stick now have oil-less bearings with greasing extended to 1,000 hours. The bucket pin has gone to a mesh bearing allowing greasing intervals to 100 hours. Caterpillar has done something different to the undercarriage of the 320CL, by greasing the pins and bushing in the assembly process, allowing up to 20 percent longer life. The next portion of the program was on the serviceability and maintenance of the 320CL excavator. Rockford’s Store Manager Matt Pehler and Elmhurst’s Dennis Kelly, gave an informative talk on the practice of good service. Patten Tractor offers many programs for helping the customer to cut down on costs. Full-service contracts, where Patten Tractor is responsible for all repairs and maintenance, helps the customer fix his costs. Contracts can be tailored to the customer’s needs. The afternoon portion of the program gave participants the opportunity to witness the power, speed and handling of the 320CL. Another portion of the demonstration was to show the change in boom and stick speed. With the boom and stick stretched to maximum reach at ground level, the show would begin. Speed was measured by raising the boom to full height and quickly returning to ground level. This function was performed twice to compensate for any possible operator error. The main event was trenching a 6 ft. (1.8 m) deep flat bottom cut the width of the bucket. The machines were started at the same time and dug for a period of five minutes. The soil had been compacted by large dozers the day before, preparing the demonstration area. This made the test even tougher than normal soil digging applications. Customer attention was captured by the clear speed and power of the Caterpillar in a combined-function application. Customers noticed and commented on the remarkable difference in swing speed from previous models. Customers then were able to walk out and visually inspect the trench to see the difference in the depth and length of the trench, not to mention the larger payload sitting next to the cut. Following the trench demonstration, Caterpillar’s new “pin grabber” hydraulic quick coupler was introduced. The versatility of the “pin grabber” is that it matches up to different bucket pin spreads. The design of the “pin grabber” incorporates the safety feature of a dedicated valve with its own relief setting. Customers finally were able to operate the 320CL excavator. Other Caterpillar machines from other Patten Tractor product lines were also on hand for customers to demonstrate. Overall, the customer reaction to the 320CL exhibition was outstanding, proving that this is an excellent way to introduce new machine innovations to the marketplace. Patten Tractor & Equipment Co. was pleased with the customer enthusiasm and is already planning its next exhibition for the introduction of the new Caterpillar “D” Series backhoe loaders to be held in the spring. This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.
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