Caterpillar has designed the 988 GC Wheel Loader to deliver production targets at a lower cost per hour through lower fuel and maintenance costs.
When the Caterpillar team was designing the Cat® 988 GC Wheel Loader, they knew it needed to achieve two main factors for quarry operators. It needed to move more material at a lower cost per hour.
The two factors, in combination, would enable quarries to achieve a faster return on investment and help quarries meet increased material demand.
The 988 GC Wheel Loader entered the market with features to reduce maintenance and fuel consumption and increase operator comfort to meet the needs of modern quarries.
According to its internal data, the 988 GC Wheel Loader can deliver five per cent less fuel consumption and up to 15 per cent lower maintenance costs than the Cat 988K while remaining within six per cent of the 988K in truck loading applications.
RELIABLE AND EFFICIENT
The 988 GC Wheel Loader is designed as an optimised 45-tonne (50-ton) truck match loader with reliability and efficiency at its foundations. The 988 GC’s cooling package offers higher heat rejection with an on-demand fan strategy and two available fan speed settings for standard and high-ambient-temperature configurations.
Caterpillar has powered the 988 GC Wheel Loader with a Cat C15 engine. The engine offers configurations to emit equivalent to EU Stage IIIA / U.S. EPA Tier 3 or meet EU Stage V / U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final emissions standards. The engine is a vital part of the wheel loader, achieving more production at lower fuel costs, which is around five per cent better than other comparable Cat machines.
The 988 GC wheel loader’s features help reduce maintenance. Image: Caterpillar
OPERATOR COMFORT
A comfortable operator is a productive operator, and Caterpillar knows operator comfort, which can withstand the rigours of a quarry site, is critical.
The heart of operator comfort on the 988 GC Wheel Loader is the Steering and Integrated Control (STIC) steering. The feature, partnered with a Cat Comfort Series III seat and its seat-mounted implement pod, has been shown to achieve 47 per cent quieter operation, according to Caterpillar’s internal data. Further to that, machine vibration feedback to the operator is reduced using cab isolation mounts and seat air suspension, and an optional air-cooled and heated seat is available for increased operator comfort.
Product Link offers wireless access to essential operating data for valuable insight into how the machine is operating. Standard rear Cat vision enables visibility behind the 988 GC, allowing the operator to work safely and confidently.
The 988 GC can be equipped with Cat Detect technology that enhances awareness of the environment around operating equipment, which, according to
the company, improves the safety of workers and assets.
Cat also offers optional technology platforms to help make an operator’s life easier. These include real-time data displays like the optional Cat Payload, which provides on-the-go weighing for materials hauled and loaded. The optional Advanced Productivity subscription provides comprehensive, actionable information to help manage and improve operational productivity and profitability.
REDUCED MAINTENANCE
The reduced maintenance was at the forefront of the 988 GC Wheel Loader’s design, which features durable structures to handle harsh conditions.
The wheel loader uses the large wheel loader platform, a common Caterpillar feature.
Its full box-section rear frame can resist torsional shock and twisting forces. Its forefront has been redesigned to withstand larger loads and features a new lift arm design.
Ground-level or platform access to grouped service points delivers convenient servicing. Access doors are on both sides of the engine compartment and provide easy access to necessary daily service checks. Centralised ground-level grease points and sight gauges simplify daily greasing and oil-level checks for major machine systems.
According to the company, its onboard diagnostics alerts the operator of machine issues so that problems can be resolved before failure.
The features have been proven by Caterpillar’s internal tests to increase machine uptime and reduce maintenance costs by up to 15 per cent compared to the previous 988K model.
For more information, visit cat.com.au
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