Extensive testing and field-validation trials of the Cat 793F mining truck equipped with a Tier 4-F engine have proved to Caterpillar that, compared with its Tier-2 predecessor, the Tier 4-F model equals its predecessor’s performance and burns less fuel.
Two of the pilot trucks involved in the testing, says Caterpillar’s Sudhanshu Singh, global product manager, have accumulated more than 7,600 operating hours in their first year in the field. The trucks were subjected to a variety of applications, he says, including cold ambient temperatures, high ambient temperatures, uphill hauls, and flat hauls—and all trucks integrated seamlessly into the various mining-company fleets.
At an iron-mine test site, according to collected data, one of the trucks on evaluation demonstrated as much as a 5.3-percent reduction in fuel burn over the haul cycle. Fuel savings result in significant reductions in operating costs, says Singh.
The Cat C175-16 engine in Tier 4 configuration is equipped with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR). Caterpillar reports that it selected the SCR solution, “because it provides the most robust and reliable means to meet Tier 4-Final emission standards, while delivering equivalent engine performance.” The modular SCR design, which was adopted from other Cat production products, minimized new content and design changes to the truck, says Singh.
As of September 1, 2017, the Tier 4-Final 793F pilot machines have accumulated a combined 30,500 hours of field-validation operation.
