Caterpillar has released its new 22 tonne 6020B hydraulic shovel for mining.
The shovel features a 22 tonne payload, and weighs in at 224 tonnes itself.
The 6020B features a new cab and operator station with increased visibility provided by a large floor window and expansive windshield and side windows, Caterpillar said.
“Unrestricted lines of sight to the crawler trucks and pit floor aid the operator when repositioning the shovel and when loading trucks,” it said.
The cab also includes two additional seats for a trainer and observer, making this three seat cab design the first in this size class of shovels.
“All the mining company operators working with our three test machines—in three different countries—adapted to the 6020B very quickly, regardless of their previous experience on other equipment,” Steve Maloney, a Caterpillar operator trainer, said.
“The three-seat cab design allowed me to train two operators at the same time, making operator training more efficient; and the elevated trainer’s seat provides an unobstructed view of the digging area, which is crucial when training operators on new equipment.”
The hydraulic mining shovel features a modular construction, with a walk through power module that enables easy access to components and increased serviceability.
This modular design also aids shipping and field assembly of the machine.
A single engine configuration also simplifies maintenance.
The 6020B is powered by a 778kW Cat C32 ACERT engine.
Pump-flow allocation technology drives hydraulic pump utilisation to reduce operating energy losses and increase fuel savings, while pumps also move hydraulic oil through a cooling circuit to maintain optimum oil temperature in the harsh Australian mining environment.
It also features an automatic lubricant system to reduce service times and ensure durability.
Cat’s 6020B is configured as a backhoe and handles a standard bucket size of 12 cubic meters.
It has both a coal bucket and a MultiPlus rock bucket for use in dense rock and aggressive digging conditions.
The buckets feature hammerless teeth, which have been designed specifically for the 6020B, and have simple 180 degree turns to lock and unlock each tooth for faster and safer removal.
Caterpillar has designed the hydraulic shovel to use four of the Cat MineStar System’s capability sets – Detect, with more cameras and sensing technology; Terrain, for loading guidance; Fleet, for tracking and production reporting; and Health, for machine condition reporting.
Pre-production versions of the 6020B have been field tested at the Rosebel gold mine in Suriname.