“You will make more with this machine than anything else out there.” That’s a bold statement, but one Caterpillar is ready to stand behind when it comes to the new 6015B hydraulic shovel, which made a big (in more ways than one) impression at bauma 2016 in Munich, Germany, in April.
One of the largest machines displayed in the Caterpillar exhibit, the 6015B is manufactured in Dortmund, Germany. Despite its size, it only takes about eight weeks from the day the first structures are fabricated until the finished shovel is shipped out the door, according to Caterpillar 6015B Program Manager Art Milkowski.
It doesn’t go out in one piece, though. The 6015B is shipped in sections, and, Milkowski says, can be assembled onsite by two (primary) mechanics in approximately two days.
Once it’s up and running, the 6015B is designed to do more work—delivering a 20% productivity advantage over existing 100-tonne shovels—while using less fuel.
“Fuel efficiency is most critical to our customers,” Milkowski says. “Upwards of 40% of their total cost of ownership is in fuel.”
To lower those costs, the 6015B features a closed-loop swing circuit that takes the kinetic energy of the machine and drives it into the engine. The shovel’s boom float also plays an important role in reducing fuel usage.
“Gravity lowers the boom, and when it touches the ground it transitions into a power mode,” Milkowski says, adding that the machine’s independent cooling circuit is another fuel-saver. “Now that it’s not directly tied to the engine, it goes with your heat load, and so we reduce the fuel content there.”
The 6015B also comes standard with Cat® Product Link™, which Milkowski says gives customers and their Cat dealers the information they need to make sure the machine is operating at its most productive and efficient.
“With this machine, the message is load more, make more,” he says. “That’s because we’re more productive, we’re more reliable, and we’re more fuel efficient—all the items that our customers need.”
Watch the video to hear more of Milkowski’s insights into the new Cat 6015B hydraulic shovel.
