Caterpillar unveils the new MH3050 material handler - Waste Management Review

Incorporating feedback from its global customers, Caterpillar’s MH3050 material handler takes innovations from earlier models, and adds a few of its own.

“The MH3050 is our largest wheeled material handler,” says Bassem Ibrahim, Waste and Recycling Specialist, Caterpillar General Construction and Infrastructure Division.

“It completes our line-up and bridges the gap we had with our series of tracked material handlers – the MH3250 and MH3260.

“I regard it as best-in-class as it benefits from all the innovations of earlier models. We have leveraged the engineering development, optimised common parts, and used the same general service procedures.”

At 18 metres, the MH3050 has the longest reach of the wheeled material handler line-up. It can be fitted with the Cat® 1.5 metre orange-peel grapple in typical scrap material applications, as well as the Cat clamshell grapples up to 1.7 cubic metres, depending on the material handled.

The electro-hydraulic system is at the heart of the next generation of Cat hydraulic excavators – and now also the material handlers. It takes centre stage within the MH3050.

The pilot system with hydraulic lines and filters going from the elevated cab to the main valve has been removed. In its place, the joystick signal is sent via an electrical connection to the ECM (electronic control module) that controls the main control valves.

Bassem says the update simplifies the whole system with the removal of the pilot lines and allows endless tuning possibilities. The machine can be finetuned to individual operator preferences and those can be saved under the operator ID.

Heat and noise generation in the cab is reduced with the removal of the pilot system. Operator feedback suggests it provides a smoother operation and controllability while using combined functions – boom, stick, grapple open and close, and swing.

The hydraulic cab riser with new dampening system provides additional cushioning from external vibrations.

Operator safety

The MH3050s operator space is based on the new ergonomic cab found on Caterpillar’s earthmoving excavators.

It has been validated by many operators and is adapted to the operations of the wheeled material handlers – and specifically the MH 3050 – with operator safety in mind.

“Steering is by joystick command only,” says Bassem. “The elimination of the steering column improves forward visibility as well as enhancing legroom and ease of cab entry.

“Navigation of the touchscreen monitor is as easy and intuitive as using a smartphone.”

A large, 10-inch high-resolution touchscreen monitor with jog-dial offers easy navigation of the intuitive operator controls. The machine automatically recalls joystick settings based on the operator ID.

Large tempered glass windows with smaller pillars on the cab enhance all-around visibility and operating safety. Front and roof windows are made of high impact glass –10-millimetre thick P5A or the 25-millimetre P8B certified laminated glass.

Cabs are also optionally fitted with the FOPS (falling object protective structure) guard level II and feature a wide seat that is heated, ventilated, and offers a variety of settings and adjustments.

The MH3050 is also equipped with 1800-lumen LED lights on the chassis, boom and stick, offering greater safety and full visibility while operating in the dark.

Standard right-side and rear-view cameras, with the option to upgrade to 360-degree vision, display a video feed on the large in-cab touchscreen monitor to further enhance work area visibility.

E-fence, which comes as standard – allows the operator to pre-set the working envelope from the monitor. They can also activate the Cab Avoidance to ensure the grapple doesn’t meet the cab.

A ground level shut-off switch stops all fuel to the engine and shuts down the machine. Standard boom and stick lowering check valves prevent reverse oil flow in the event of unexpected loss of hydraulic pressure, always keeping the front linkages securely in place.

Optimal engine

The MH3050 is powered by the Cat C9.3B engine, which can operate on up to B20 biodiesel and meets EU Stage V and US EPA Tier 4 Final emissions standards.

Bassem says the engine’s maintenance-free after treatment system lowers operating costs and maximises machine uptime.

“This six-cylinder engine is the same one found in other mass production excavator models such as the 336 and other Cat product lines (D6, D7 dozers, 966 and 972 medium wheel loaders),” he says.

“The exact power requirements are fine-tuned to the task at hand with the choice between Power, Smart and Economy modes, lowering fuel consumption without sacrificing machine performance.”

Boom and stick offerings combine to provide up to 18-metres of reach, allowing operators to move more material without repositioning the machine. The MH3050 also offers high swing torque to quickly move material.

Allowing the boom to freely travel up and down without using pump flow, standard Smart Boom allows the operator to focus on stick and grapple control from a more fuel-efficient cycle.

A range of attachments are available, increasing operating flexibility. An optional 25kW generator is available ex-factory for magnet applications.

Best in class

Bassem says it’s the long stretch in the Cat line-up, large grapple size all around, controllability and smooth hydraulic response that combine for the MH3050s superior performance.

“The electro-hydraulic system allows further development,” he says. “The MH3050 also offers reliability that customers can count on and low operating costs thanks to extended service intervals, a choice of power modes and parts commonality with the rest of Cat excavators.

“The operator is in a safe and comfortable work environment and can set up the machine for optimum production and efficiency with the latest onboard technology.”

Various cab access options provide easy, safe and quick access to the upper service area.

The Standard Product Link captures critical operating data such as location, hours, fuel usage, productivity, idle time, maintenance alerts and fault codes, which can be remotely accessed and tracked to boost fleet management efficiency.

Lasting 50 per cent longer than previous designs, the new hydraulic oil filter improves filtration and increases change intervals to 3000 operating hours, while new anti-drain valves keep the hydraulic oil clean during filter replacement.

Operators can track filter life and maintenance intervals on the in-cab high-resolution monitor. Eliminating the need for operator interaction, the high-efficiency cooling fan features a standard automatic reverse function to keep the cores clean, maximising machine uptime.

For more information, visit: www.caterpillar.com

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