When stringent national and global emissions regulations began sweeping across the industry, significant changes had to be made to most mining products. When it came time to update its Large Wheel Loader products, Caterpillar leaders turned to the use of simulation in the product development process to help make the transformation happen.

As experts from five Caterpillar divisions collaborated on improving various components on wheel loaders, simulation acted as the undercurrent that propelled the product development process forward. One of the first models to be updated was the 990K. By applying simulation tools in multiple design stages, the development team avoided building costly prototypes, resulting in a New Product Introduction (NPI) program that came in under budget and took just 2 ½ years.

 

This complex project included the use of Caterpillar proprietary tools combined with commercial simulation tools. Simulation was used to enable:

• Development of a new high-performance bucket
• Optimization of machine structures, developed using virtual machine model and virtual shake table simulation to investigate the impact of increased payload
• Management of increased heat due to a larger engine
• The design for assembly, which used Virtual Manufacturing tools to evaluate the manufacturing tools, capabilities to assemble the product and other elements to ensure seamless production ramp-up

The team leader for this project, Ashok Palaniswamy, explained that the use of simulation enabled 10 percent greater productivity than the 990K’s predecessor, the 990H. The development team also improved the machine’s fuel efficiency (tons moved/gallon) up to 20 percent by implementing simulation-enhanced features, including fuel economy mode, engine idle shutdown and a faster and more capable implement system. The machine boasts approximately 25 percent greater fuel efficiency than its closest competitor.

Wheel Loader Product Manager Kurt Norris was impressed by simulation tools’ impact on efficiency and cost in the 990K’s product development process. “Simulation contributed to a substantial reduction in the 990K’s time to market,” he says. “With the combined efforts of development teams from across the enterprise, we created an outstanding product that offers considerable value to our customers.”

Darrel Meffert, Caterpillar’s simulation strategy manager, echoed these sentiments. “The 990K is an excellent example of how simulation can reduce time to market, improve machine performance, ensure component quality, minimize R&D and validation cost and optimize the manufacturing process—while providing clear and sustained benefits for our customers. Imagine what we could achieve if simulation were applied to development processes across all product lines.”

For more information about the full line of Cat equipment for mining, visit www.cat.com/mining.