Caterpillar’s first production MT5300D AC has rolled off the line in Decatur. Employees from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Decatur, Illinois gathered around the newest addition to the mining truck product line to celebrate the historic event.
After two years of development and testing, the MT5300D AC is the second of the MT large mining trucks being built in Decatur. The first MT truck, the MT4400D AC, came down the line just one year ago.
Facility Manager Rick Moore said the new truck proves how well the engineering teams in Milwaukee worked with the manufacturing teams in Decatur and Acuna to get the new truck built.
Like all products, the quality of the trucks is a major focus. Moore said that the Integrated Manufacturing Operations Division (IMOD) is focused on quality during every phase of manufacturing for the MT5300D AC.
Product Manager Sudhanshu Singh is confident that this truck will do well in its size class. He said customers using the pilot trucks are already very happy with the availability and quality they are experiencing. In fact, the first pilot MT5300 celebrated its one year birthday in May. It already has more than 7,000 hours of service, with more than 90 percent availability.
“That’s something that everyone on the mining truck team should be proud of,” said Singh.
The truck is designed for low owning and operating costs while also being easy to service. Four corner wet disc brakes mean operators can feel safe no matter what the conditions are at the mine.
After a ribbon cutting ceremony, manufacturing, engineering and marketing teams all walked around the new truck. Employees said it was good to see all the hard work that they had put into the product becoming a reality.
The MT5300D AC is powered by the Cat© C175-16 engine with gross power of 3,500 hp (2610 kW) and a payload capacity of a true 320 tons (291 tonnes). The truck leverages the same drive train as the 795F AC and has four corner wet disc blended brakes and traction control.
|
