Caterpillar 797B

The Caterpillar 797B is an ultra class mining truck manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. The 797B is the largest mechanical dump truck in the world.

This truck is so large that it can not be driven on the highway to location, so it must be taken there in pieces and constructed at the job site. A single tyre of the Caterpillar 797B (the Michelin 59/80R63), costs $40,000, and is 13 feet (4 metres) high.Fact|date=July 2008

Background

Caterpillar developed the 797 for the growing tar sands industry. When then former Cat CEO Glen Barton was asked what was the development for the 797 he gave this answer: "tar sands". In the tar sands area companies like Syncrude, Klemke and North American Construction have bought many Caterpillar 797s since its introduction. Today the 798/797B is operating in places like Chile, Australia, Indonesia, Canadian Tar Sands and the Powder River Basin area of north-eastern Wyoming and south-eastern Montana.

The engine in the 797/797B is a 3524B which costs $600,000 and is made at Caterpillar's LEC (Large Engine Center) in Lafayette, Indiana. This particular engine is basically a pair of 3512 diesel engines hooked up to form the 24 cylinder 3524B. The 3512 has powered the 150 ton 785, 785B and the 785C since its introduction in late 1984. It is 3,158 cubic inches (51,750 cubic centimeters) and is a V-12 diesel.Fact|date=July 2008

Caterpillar is testing an electric drive 797B off-highway hauler.Caterpillar displayed a new 797F in the 380-400ton range at Minexpo 2008 during 9/22-24 in Las Vegas,Nevada.Cat also showed the new 345 ton 795F AC electric drive off-highway hauler at the same mining show.Fact|date=July 2008 Caterpillar announced in 2006-2007 that they will be producing a electric drive system in some of their larger off-highway haulers. This new electric hauler will be known as the 795 and can carry between 320-350 tons. The first of the 795s are being built in Decatur, Illinois, and were first produced in late April early May 2008.Fact|date=July 2008

Manufacture

In late June 2008 The National Geographic Channel did a series on ultimate factories where fire trucks, John Deere combines, were featured. An hour of this series was dedicated to the Caterpillar 797B with Kevin Moore as host.

The viewers were taken through 6 different factories: Lafayette, Indiana; Decatur and Joliet, Illinois; Lexington, South Carolina; Amite, Louisiana; and Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. The huge 3524B engine is made in Lafayette. The largest frame component is cast in Amite, Louisiana. The cab is made in Joliet, Illinois. The frame is welded together and the engine is installed in Decatur, Illinois. The huge Michelin tires are made in Lexington, South Carolina. And finally the dump body and final assembly takes place at the mine site.

tats

List of statistics for the 797B: [ [http://www.oilsandsdiscovery.com/oil_sands_story/pdfs/mightymachines.pdf "Mighty Machines"] . - Oil Sands Discovery. - (Adobe Acrobat *.PDF document)]
* Gross machine operating weight: 1,375,000 lb (623,700 kg)
* Payload weight: 380 short tons (345 t)
* Drive: 3524B Series, 24-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine
* Max speed: 42 mph (67 km/h)
* Power: 3,550 hp (2,650 kW)
* Suspension: independent, self-contained, oil-pneumatic suspension cylinder on each wheel
* Height empty: 24 ft 11 in (7.6 m)
* Length: 47 ft 5 in (14.5 m)
* Body width: 32 ft (9.8 m)
* Dumping height: 50 ft 2 in (15.3 m)
* Fuel capacity: 1,800 US gallons (6,800 L)
* Cost: $4.7 million to $5.6 million U.S. dollars

Competition

The nearest competitors to the Caterpillar 797B is the Liebherr T-282 dump truck which can hold 400 short tons or 360 metric tons, the Terex Unit Rig MT5500 and MT6300, the Hitachi EH5000 and the Komatsu 960E.

The Liebherr T 282 B has more engine power at 3,650 horsepower and has proven to be more reliable, faster when loaded, and has a lower cost per ton then the Caterpillar, at least in the giant copper mines in Chile.who

The MT5500 is 2700/2478hp and can carry 360 tons. The 400 ton MT6300 is 3,750 hp making it the most powerful off-highway hauler on the market. The MT5500 is 2,700/2,478hp and can carry 360 tons. The Hitachi EH5000 is 2700/2600hp and can carry 351 tons.

The Komatsu 960E is 3,500hp and can carry 360 tons. [ [http://autos.canada.com/news/story.html?id=7e6f37e4-f621-4be7-8658-cb68d6b0bb45 "Monster Trucks do Battle] . - Canada.com]

References

External links

* [http://www.cat.com/cda/layout?m=169215&x=7&f=151756 797B Mining Truck] - Caterpillar Inc.