In order to create a machine engineered for the wear, tear and torsion of bulk material handling and scrap recycling applications, Caterpillar engineers married the design facets of two excavators.
The new MH3295 combines the cab of the 390F with the boom, stick and most of the undercarriage of the 385C to create a package Cat says is more stable, better performing and more fuel efficient than using a conventional excavator for material handling applications.
“A big part of a material handler is the undercarriage and it’s important for a material handler to have a square footprint and the reason for that is you want to be able to pick as much over the side as you are in the front because you’re always swinging,” explained Cat product manager Rich Knudson.
The undercarriage on the MH3295, the majority of which was carried over from the 385C, is nearly square at 20 feet long by 18 feet wide, and gives 360-degrees of stable handling.
For the new machine however, Caterpillar improved on the 385C’s frame by dropping the idler and raising the final drives up about 5 millimeters each. Knudson says the change gives the MH3295 more track engagement.
The carbody, which joins the undercarriage to the machine’s upper body, is wider and fabricated with thicker plates than similarly-sized conventional excavators, and therefore allows for higher load capacity. Plus, the machine’s upper frame uses thicker sections and higher-strength material while the boom tower features double-plate construction to handle increased side loading.
