A First for France

New K-Series Wheeled Loader Range Launched

The scale of Marseilles landfill site is impressive - even more so considering it's high up in the hills above the city. Light grey area denotes the extent of the membrane and if you look really closely, there are several rather large Cat compactors and a D7E tracked dozer in operation

What do you think of when someone mentions 'The South of France'? Fine weather maybe? Fine food? The ideal location for an important meeting? Why not? After all, Cannes, home of the famous Film Festival is just down the coast.

Personally, I'm not one to mix business with pleasure, but it has to be said, as suitable locations go, the Marseilles area in October is pretty suitable. But I'm not here to look at the view - nice as it is. I'm here to judge how well Caterpillar Corporation Europe has done in hosting the first 'Waste Days' event to be held in Europe. It is the first of what is expected to be a series of events over the next few years. And it's an ideal way in which to highlight new products aimed at our industry in my view.

The basic idea is not a new one - 'live' vehicle and machinery demonstrations have been a common aspect of manufacturers' marketing programmes for many years and indeed, Cat has traditionally held a major 'live' event for the construction and rental sectors at Malaga in Spain for many years now.

But construction is construction. And the demands of the waste and recycling sectors are different. Each sector has its own product specialists. And increasingly Cat is keen to show that 'Waste Handler' machines are different from their counterparts, built for mainstream construction, mining or agriculture. It seems Cat designers have been quietly working away producing 'waste industry specific' modifications for something like forty years now. It's just that they seem to have forgotten to tell the rest of the world about it!

(Upright) Latest Grenoble-built Cat materials handlers feature elevated cabs giving up to 2.6metres elevation. Action is smooth with no lateral movement

In fact, only in the last eighteen months or so have 'Waste Handler' logos started appearing on the flanks of Caterpillar waste sector models. They're almost understated. But things are now moving fast. A few months ago it was decided that a new Waste Handler loading shovel should pre-empt the launch of any related construction industry, rental or port handling version. The tough part - 'tough' for normally conservative Cat that is - was how to launch it outside the U.S..

With the Cat Europe HQ based in Geneva, Switzerland, selecting a venue located in a major potential market for loading shovels was clearly a smart move. France is certainly a major market that is hotly contested by just about all the major brands of equipment. France has a strong record of waste recycling excellence. And French standards of hospitality are right up there. And as a rule, the weather in the south of France tends to be fine. That's the location sorted out then.

Matching machines to conditions

What about the key reasons behind the event? It would have been reason enough to travel to Marseilles to meet with some of the top product and industry specialists from various Cat departments from around the world. And it would have been interesting to note that there are now more non-Americans working for this global corporation, than those of American nationality. The appointment of Scotsman Eddie Donald to a specialist role at Cat Europe - he was previously the waste and recycling industry specialist at Cat distributor Finning in the UK - testifies to that. On behalf of Cat Europe, Donald now helps local dealers match the right machines to the job.

It would also have been worth the trip just to meet up with the attachment and specialist equipment experts from North America. People like Sam Buckley of Cat 'Flexport' puncture-proof tyre distributor for Canada, CTM of Ontario. Another display booth looked at the subject of dust filtration - 'Cyclone' self-cleaning filters are specified on Cat machines working in dusty conditions, but a cab pressurisation system (designed to help improve both the health and working environment of the operators of materials handlers and wheeled loaders working in covered materials recycling facilities) is the next big advance.

In the Iron

But what about the actual hardware? The Caterpillar buzzword is 'Enabling customers to see the machines in the iron'. And while Europe follows America in being overly-cautious as a result of Health & Safety legislation - the Waste Days format did allow the opportunity to see and touch the hardware - if not actually operate it in a real working environment.

Showing your mettle: 'In the Iron' means getting up close and sampling the latest CAT machines

In addition to a largely static display of new demonstration units, delegates were taken to two 'live' demonstration events - one at a landfill site operated by Sita, the other a MRF located in an urban area and managed by Veolia.

On the landfill, a combination of Cat waste compactors, the recently introduced D7E crawler tractor/dozer with electric drive and more familiar compact crawler machines were put through their paces at the tipping face.

Closer to the Marseilles downtown area, a combination of a new Cat M-300 series materials handler, together with 400-Series telehandlers and 200-Series compact skid steer loaders from the Cat range worked with a combination of Cat-branded attachments to feed crushers, shredders and balers - and load refuse bulkers for dispatch to processors.

The highlights

A highlight for me was the ability to try out the latest spec of hydraulically raised-cab M322D-MH materials handler - one of a four model range, first-hand. The M322D-MH has a machine weight of up to 22,700kg. Some raised cab systems can cause the operator to feel insecure - indeed, high winds and exposed recycling yards with rough or poor surfaces could be a legitimate cause for concern. Some Cat materials handlers previously featured cab risers designed and produced by a third party. However, the latest models are a vast improvement.

Caterpillar is one of very few manufacturers able to offer power packs and generator sets capable of running on biogas, within the same range as wheeled loaders, compactors and other waste handling machines

I'm amazed the wheeled 360 materials handler range hasn't been marketed more actively - even more so when I discovered that in a few months time, Cat will be the first manufacturer (at least that I'm aware of) to fit solid cushion tyres to raised-cab materials handlers as a factory option. Why would you need them? "In scrap and recycling picking operations, we think the added stability and flexibility of Flexport tyres will aid site safety, improve tyre life and eliminate downtime caused by punctures," Buckley explains.

But it's in the area of wheeled loaders that the big news is to be found. Has Cat finally introduced a hybrid transmission wheeled loader? Not yet, but a new 'next generation' of Cat wheeled loaders will reach the dealer network over the next few months. The new 'K-series' Waste Handler machine made its International debut at the Waste Days event - beating the equivalent construction industry version launch date in the process. Yes, Caterpillar really is taking the waste sector that seriously.

Sadly, I wasn't able to take the only available 966K-WH demonstration machine down to the tipping face to test - that will hopefully come later - but I was able to check-out some of the new features. One of which is an impressive new four post ROPS cab and high specification cooling system with engine/radiator bulkhead sealing, together with wide core radiator and reversing fan, are the headline acts.

The initial model, the 24,189kg operating weight 966K-MH, is powered by the 296hp Cat Tier-4 Interim/Stage IIIB C9.3 Acert diesel coupled to a Powershift transmission, but it will shortly be joined by two other models, the 21,000kg operating weight 950K-MH and an even smaller model, the 930K-MH, during the next six months depending on specific global markets.

The future for Waste Days

It could be that the 'Waste Days' programme could be adopted in other strategic global markets. Or, it might be easier to fly operators in to a large central event like the construction sector event at Malaga, Spain. The people at Cat are still working out the logistics. But one thing is for sure, the event was a great success and it looks like we'll be seeing more 'In the Iron' demonstrations from Cat in the future.

Malcolm Bates is collection and transport correspondent for Waste Management World magazine.
email: malcolm@automotivespecialists.co.uk