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Cat® Smart Attachments for Your Snow Removal Equipment
When you’re facing a winter storm and need to clear as much snow as possible, you need the tools that can help you get the job done efficiently. That’s where Cat® Smart Attachments come in. I caught up with Tharen Peterson, Caterpillar Product Application Specialist, to learn more.
Dani Watson | Construction Marketing Consultant
Attachments – you could call them a machine’s best friend. When it comes to snow and ice removal, attachments are important to have in your arsenal to help you clear snow as quickly as possible. I sat down with Tharen Peterson, Caterpillar Product Application Specialist, to learn more about Cat Smart Attachments and the advanced technological features that make them an efficient and easy-to-operate tool on the job.
What Makes These Snow and Ice Attachments Smart?
There are a few things that make Cat Smart Attachments different from standard attachments:
- Attachment recognition – The machine recognizes and knows what attachment is being used as soon as the attachment is plugged in.
- Display selection – Once the attachment has been plugged in, it unlocks additional screen displays that allow you to see how the attachment is being controlled.
- Mode selection – You’ll also see the option to select your operating mode and can choose either standard Machine Control mode or Attachment Control mode. Attachment Control mode allows you to use the joysticks in the cab to operate the machine and the attachment at the same time.
Improving Cat Smart Attachment Efficiency with ASSIST
Another feature that can make Cat Smart Attachments easier to operate is ASSIST. ASSIST enables more options to set the Small Dozer Blade slope. When you select a blade slope, a press of the Memory button will recall that slope and another press will apply that same slope to the other side of the blade. To set the blade slope back to zero when you’re on a level surface, you just press a button on the left joystick.
This can make Cat Smart Attachment operation much simpler, especially when working on one job site over multiple days.
“The machine and attachment essentially talk to each other, making adjustments faster and easier than you could do manually and creating less mental and physical fatigue throughout the day,” says Tharen.
Ease of Operation
One of the biggest benefits of Cat Smart Attachments is the fact that they are fairly easy to operate, especially for newer operators. Thanks to their intuitive controls, they can be a great way for a less experienced operator to be able to take on some job site tasks that are a bit more complex and still do them well.
So how do you know if a Cat Smart Attachment is right for your business?
“Smart Attachments make a lot of sense, especially for snow and ice operators who also provide landscaping or construction services in the warmer months,” Tharen notes.
Whether you’re using a Smart Dozer Blade to clear snow from a parking lot or to move dirt in a backyard, you can get a lot of use out of a Cat Smart Attachment on both snow and ice and landscaping job sites.
Dani Watson
Construction Marketing Consultant
Certified in 6 Sigma Black Belt and Change Management, Dani Watson not only helps manage projects efficiently within Caterpillar, but is an expert communications strategist for Caterpillar’s marketing communications needs.
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