Mining Magazine > Panorama > Cat expands remanufacturing facility

Caterpillar has announced plans to significantly expand its manufacturing facility in West Fargo, North Dakota, US. The increased capacity will help to meet the demand for remanufactured drive train components for large off-highway trucks and other mining equipment, including final drives, transmissions, torque convertors and steering clutches.
The US$50 million investment will include an addition of over 20,900m2 that will house increased production capacity for high-tech lab machining and metal additive processes, along with a state-of-the-art metallurgical lab. The expansion will also increase the facility’s production of new and remanufactured parts and advanced wear coatings.
Construction is expected to start in August 2011, with operations beginning in June 2012. When the expansion is complete and fully operational, it is expected that Caterpillar will add roughly 250 additional workers over a three-year period, bringing the total workforce to approximately 550 in West Fargo.
Greg Folley, vice president with responsibility for the Remanufacturing & Components Division at Caterpillar, said: “This expansion will increase our capability to provide unmatched customer support to the mining industry. Remanufacturing is an attractive, growing and sustainable industry. Together with our remanufacturing facilities in Singapore and Shrewsbury, UK, we can now provide our mining customers with an unprecedented combination of availability, cost savings and support.”
The Caterpillar Remanufacturing Operation returns end-of-life components to ‘same-as-when-new’ condition in terms of reliability, durability and performance. Remanufacturing reduces waste, minimises the need for raw materials to produce new parts, and supports the Caterpillar value proposition of providing customers with the lowest life cycle cost over the life of a product.
Dan Walerius, facility manager at Caterpillar West Fargo, said: “Our facility in West Fargo has been producing remanufactured components for the past 40 years, and now we’re looking forward to the next chapter in our history. We appreciate the support we’ve received from the state of North Dakota, the city of West Fargo and the Greater Fargo/Moorhead Economic Development Corporation in making this vision a reality.”