How Cat builds D5 dozers: from bare steel to finished product

Updated Jul 6, 2020

Caterpillar D5 K2 Manufacturing

Today’s heavy equipment is a marvel of sophisticated engineering and technology. And the factories that build these machines are no less so.

We got a rare chance to peek inside Caterpillar’s state of the art Athens, Georgia, facility to see a D5K2 dozer come together from cold, bare steel to finished product. (The factory also makes mini-hydraulic excavators, and D3K2 and D4K2 dozers as well).

The process uses a combination of hand-tack and robot welding, CNC machining, robotic powder coat painting, a lot of logistics and the deft touch of 1,400 skilled workers. Check out our video below to see in depth details on how the magic comes together.