Caterpillar talks Tier 4

Caterpillar held a ConExpo-Con/Agg press conference hosted by company chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman. He said Tier 4 is the most significant product development in Caterpillar history. Oberhelman emphasized sustainability, saying remanufactured equipment is big business for Cat, and is economically friendly. He also touted the company’s hybrid and electric-powered offerings.

Oberhelman says he is “very guardedly optimistic” about the economy, and extremely encouraged to hear the president proposing a new highway bill.

Oberhelman noted that the industry (including Caterpillar and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers) is supporting a standard for equipment-generated data, which will help operations with mixed-brand fleets.

Also at the press event, Caterpillar discussed Cat Connect, a new framework for construction technologies and services. It is designed to help customers monitor, manage and enhance operations and gain more control of jobsites. Using data from technology-equipped machines, customers get more information and insight into equipment and performance than ever before.

Caterpillar is introducing some new equipment at the show, as well.¬†The new Cat 390F and 374F excavators use fuel-efficient Cat ACERT engines‚Äîthe C15 in the 374F and C18 in the 390F‚Äîto meet U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final emissions regulations. The new models build on the durability, reliability and performance of the D Series, and they reflect Cat’s F Series design criteria, which include low fluid consumption for minimal operating costs, optimum operator comfort and easy serviceability.