Caterpillar’s Approach to Electrification

For decades, Caterpillar has been a leader in the design and production of heavy equipment used in mining, construction, and other applications. As the customer demand for environmental sustainability grows, Caterpillar is looking at ways to reduce emissions from their machines, and their solution is what they call “electrification.”

Caterpillar defines electrification as “making a machine, product or system operate using electricity when it did not before.” Further, the company believes that electrified equipment, used correctly, will help provide customers with:

• Fuel savings
• Increased environmental sustainability
• Greater durability
• Higher productivity

However, Caterpillar is also aware that there is a trade-off with electrification. Customers will not be satisfied if performance is compromised, so Caterpillar has a flexible approach that includes:

• Fully electric machines
• Diesel-electric machines
• Hybrid machines

Caterpillar’s fully electric machines will feature single or non-engine electric power sources. These machines will work best in applications where the need to reduce emissions is vital, such as underground mining.

The diesel-electric machines connect an engine to an electric generator, an AC drive motor, or another source of electric power. These machines are designed for applications where using less fuel is important. Caterpillar machines in this group include electric drive trucks and Electro-Motive locomotives.

Caterpillar’s hybrid products work with additional power sources, like batteries and hydraulic accumulators. These machines offer electric power to stationary locations found in remote work areas. Power is usually transferred through a combination of solutions, including solar energy and energy storage building blocks.

Caterpillar 309.9D VPS Mini Excavator, courtesy of Caterpillar.

No matter how your Caterpillar machine is powered, it still relies on hydraulics to perform the job you need to have done — whether that’s drilling, hauling, loading, or mining. We specialize in hydraulic repair for hydraulic units — pumps, motors, final drives, cylinders — you find on any Caterpillar machine. When you need help with your Caterpillar hydraulics, all you need to do is give our sales team a call at 800-800-6971 or reach out via email. Either way, they will get back to you as soon as they can and help you with whatever you need.

Genuine Replacement Pumps & Motors for Caterpillar Machines

We are a distributor of genuine Bosch Rexroth products as replacements for pumps and motors used on heavy machinery and equipment manufactured by Caterpillar, including the M-Series Loaders. If you are looking for a new pump or more (or a replacement), just use the search box below to get a quote for your unit.