Caterpillar will set out to immerse visitors in ‘the mine of the future' at MINExpo 2024.

The September Las Vegas event will include Caterpillar's blend of equipment, technology, collaboration, and aftermarket services.

Caterpillar will showcase customised solutions for its customers designed to increase efficiency, safety and profitability.

"Caterpillar's legacy is to deliver an exceptional experience at every job site through customer focused solutions and services," said Denise Johnson, Caterpillar Resource Industries' group president.

"As our exhibit shows, together with our customers, we are mining better, smarter and safer.  And this is just the beginning of our closer-than-ever before collaborations with customers."

Powering the energy transition

There will also be a focus on the energy transition, with innovations to include the towering, 372-tonne (410-ton) Cat 798 AC mining truck, which has the highest standard payload in its class. The 798 AC is configured for autonomous haulage with Cat MineStar Command for hauling.

"We believe systems, such as Command for hauling, are essential to optimise mine site performance, both with our current product line and as we introduce new offerings like our battery electric solutions," said Marc Cameron, senior vice president of Caterpillar Resource Industries.

"Autonomous technology will help monitor and orchestrate the complex balance of onboard energy, available charging assets and production targets to achieve the lowest operating costs."

Caterpillar's underground Cat R1700 XE load-haul-dump (LHD) loader features battery-electric propulsion that produces zero exhaust emissions and generates less heat than a reciprocating engine-powered model. The Cat R2900 XE LHD provides a high efficiency switch reluctance electric drive system that meets the mining industry's needs for bigger payloads, faster loading and lower emissions. The 12.2-m-long (40-ft-long) PGS 1260 HD Energy Storage System (ESS) module offers energy storage for charging battery electric machines, and the MEC500 provides mobile equipment charging for the underground mining industry.

"Since MINExpo 2021, our teams have made incredible progress with the development of our electric technology and supporting solutions," comments Brian Weller, vice president of electrification, Caterpillar Resource Industries. "We have been working side-by-side with select customers to accelerate the deployment of Caterpillar's first battery-electric haul trucks. These machines will soon be operating at our customers' sites where they will be tested and validated across a variety of applications."

Optimising through technology

Caterpillar provides building block technology packages that are scalable to meet the mining operation's needs as it moves along the technology integration journey.

At the exhibit's conversation stations, visitors will be able to interact with MineStar fleet management solutions for both surface and underground operations. A third station allows attendees to explore precision mining solutions dedicated to site optimisation.

In addition to the ultra-class 798 AC featuring Command for hauling, the R2900 XE LHD will be equipped with Cat MineStar Command for underground that enables remote machine operation.

The diesel-electric LHD will also feature MineStar Detect for underground to safeguard against unintended interactions between personnel and assets and enhance operator alertness, both enhancing operating safety. Optional technologies available for the Cat 995 wheel loader include Payload Overload Prevention, Operator Assist, Operator Coaching and Terrain for loading to boost operator efficiency and productivity further.

Caterpillar is set to launch two new technology offerings to the MineStar ecosystem at the show – a Collision Awareness System (CAS) and a new office application for Terrain Payload Management that expands the payload tracking technology to Cat Electric Rope Shovels and Draglines.

Virtual reality

Virtual reality experiences will allow attendees to "get into the cab" of the Cat 7495 Electric Rope Shovel and 6060 Hydraulic Mining Shovel. Showcasing the capabilities of Cat Command technology, two remote operating stations will give visitors the chance to operate a dozer or rotary blasthole drill located hundreds of miles away from the Caterpillar exhibit. A third station will offer simulations of Cat Command for underground, demonstrating the technology's versatility and ease of use.

"Customers will experience our latest technology innovations and autonomous developments throughout the Caterpillar show floor at MINExpo," said Sean McGinnis, vice president and general manager of technology and global sales support for Caterpillar.

"Mine site automation makes significant impacts in operations and not just with autonomous haulage. Today, we have customers around the world [using] our autonomous solutions for drilling, loading, dozing, hauling and underground, and we are working with many customers to develop the autonomous sites of tomorrow."

Support beyond the sale

The in-booth Caterpillar service bay and nearby displays will highlight options available to mining customers for maintaining the machinery and meeting production targets. Trackpad displays for rope and hydraulic shovels and dozers will show the latest offerings designed to maximise undercarriage life.

Attendees can step inside a service van, which makes customised hoses and couplings right on site. The van can quickly return a machine to service by making the necessary size and length of the hose for repair, demonstrating how Cat dealers keep machines operating with minimum downtime. 

Conversation stations allow team members to engage with customers on a range of topics including, but not limited to repair options, parts and component remanufacturing, machine rebuilds, various truck body options, and bucket choices. Also, a range of 3D printed parts will be on display along with multiple engine exhibits, including the Cat C32 Reman, C32 core, upgraded 3512 E and C175 cutaway.

Spanning machines to technology to services, Cat Job Site Solutions ties everything together with customised, scalable solutions. Team members will meet with attendees to demonstrate how, working with the dealer, Cat Job Site Solutions provides a strategy with intended outcomes and an action plan designed for the unique challenges of the mine site. Team members will also cover Cat Customer Value Agreements (CVA), a custom services package for hassle-free equipment ownership.

Financial experts at the financing conversation station will be there to explain how Cat Financial is built to deliver customised solutions for the equipment's lifecycle needs.

The iron

The 798 AC features a refreshed cab for operating at high altitudes plus a three-piece window design to improve visibility. Truck messaging will convey the number of ways mines can lower GHG emissions today through alternative fuel options and electric drive systems. Video stories will show how customer rebuild efforts are driving sustainability at mines, while scale truck bodies will cover the range of options Cat trucks offer for maximising payload and hauling program efficiency.

The latest next generation loader, the recently introduced Cat 995 will anchor the "loading better" display, equipped with a 27.5 m3 (36 yd3) and Cat Advansys 230 GET system to move more material with less downtime. Built to the same size as the 994K, the 995 features a higher-rated payload and demonstrates 21% higher efficiency and 24% more production than the 994K in equal operating mode. In Enhance Eco Mode, it demonstrates up to a 30% increase in efficiency and 11% reduction in hourly fuel consumption versus the 944K in throttle lock mode.

For the underground space, the displayed diesel electric R2900 XE LHD features an optimised lift arm and component geometry plus load-sensing hydraulics to improve breakout force. Compared to its predecessor, the R2900 XE LHD also delivers:

• 52% quicker acceleration 
• 7% higher speed on grade  
• Up to a 20% increase in productivity

Beyond zero-exhaust emissions and fast charging, the battery electric R1700 XE LHD boasts a 15-tonne (33,069-lb) payload, 18 kph (11.2 mph) fully loaded top speed and up to 2.5 hours of aggressive run time between charges. Five bucket size options offer capacities ranging from 5.7 to 7.5 m3 (7.5 to 9.8 yd3).

The Cat 24 motor grader will represent the range of haul road maintenance machines that includes the 14, 16 and 18 models. The C24's High-Performance Circle (HPC) provides a 16,000-hour service life and eliminates frequent inspection, wear strip replacement and circle shoe adjustments. It will be displayed with Caterpillar's 8.5-m (28-ft) moldboard option – 16% longer than the standard blade – to enhance safety at larger mines by reducing the amount of time spent in the middle lane to clear the windrow.

The largest of the Cat drill rig offering, the exhibited MD6310 rotary drill shares a common platform, parts, components and technologies across the product line. Ideal for high-production drilling on 12m and 15m (39.4- and 49.2ft) bench heights, it is capable of drilling up to 311-mm (12.25-in) hole diameters and offers up to 30˚ angle hole drilling for cast blasting.

With building-block technologies through semi-autonomous operation, the MD6310 was one key contributing factor to global mining services provider, Thiess, surpassing the one million meter autonomously drilled milestone using Cat drills.

MINExpo 2024 attendees can visit the Caterpillar Central Hall exhibit, #6333, at the Las Vegas Convention Center from September 24-26.