​New Cat material handler cuts fuel and maintenance costs for recyclers

In a virtual machine walk-around and press conference with industry media in attendance, Caterpillar has introduced the MH3040 material handler for scrap and millyard applications. 

According to Caterpillar, the new MH3040 builds on the successful legacy of the M325D L MH model. These machines are the largest in the lineup and feature boom, sticks and other high-stress areas with thick, multi-plate fabrications, castings and forgings to withstand wear and deliver years of durable operation, as well as specially designed mountings on the upper frame to support a new heavy-duty cab.

"This machine will start shipping in July of this year to the North American market," commented Brent Uitermarkt, Worldwide product manager for small track excavator, wheeled excavator and material handling products. "We will have both scrap and mill yard configurations of the machine and will follow that with introductions for other markets in 2021.

"It is built off of our trusted next generation excavator platform and comes with all of the features and benefits that we have been introducing with those new excavation products."

The MH3040's new 151-kW (202-hp) Cat C7.1 engine meets stringent U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final emission standards with an aftertreatment system that requires no maintenance or downtime. In addition, new Smart Mode operation automatically matches engine and hydraulic power to working conditions to reduce fuel consumption, while Power Mode constantly provides maximum power to optimize productivity, and a fuel-efficient engine can run up to B20 biodiesel, and offers up to 25 percent lower fuel consumption than the M325D L MH.  

Caterpillar says these machines also offer a 12 percent faster swing speed, reducing cycle times and allowing operators to move more material in the same amount of time. An advanced hydraulic system features valve priority to direct pressure and flow to where it's needed and delivers the optimum balance of power, efficiency and load control, and the handler's new heavy lift mode boosts lifting capacities and improves controllability. Plus, its auto warm-up features reduce the time it takes for hydraulic oil warming in cold temperatures to prolong component life.  

According to Matt Santee, Caterpillar NA material handler product application specialist, in developing this machine there has been a lot of focus on utilizing proven Caterpillar components and structures. "We're leveraging these components and structures from a variety of machines at Caterpillar that have been in the field for quite some time and have been improved upon to match up with the MH 3040."

He said while the MH 3040 leverages the undercarriage from the M325 DL MH, which has been used in the field for over 15 years, for the upper portion of the machine, components are leveraged from Caterpillar's next generation excavator platform. "On this machine we're utilizing a C 7.1 tier four final engine, 204 horsepower, and we're going to marry that up with our EHR hydraulic system," said Santee. "What this does is provide increased efficiency."

He continued, "When you think about hydraulic flow and fuel consumption, we're going to utilize our cooling packages developed with our next generation excavator platform. For customers that operate in mill yard applications where it may be a bit more dusty, or indoor waste environments, they're going to have an auto reversing fan standard. These will be able to be toggled on and toggled off. Depending on the application, they'll be able to manually push them on or set them on a timer for the application as well."

Comfort and flexibility
The MH3040's larger premium cab design includes sound suppression to reduce operating noise levels inside the cab. Smaller cab pillars combined with large tempered windows deliver excellent all-around visibility. Rearview and right-side cameras are standard, keeping operators aware of their surroundings. New joystick machine control removes the center steering wheel column to further improve forward visibility. A tip-up left console allows operators to enter and exit the cab much easier.

"For the cab, we're taking some of those core designs that were put into the next generation excavator cab and we're improving and building upon that specifically for material handler applications," explained Santee. "There's no steering wheel. This machine will be solely joystick steering, which is great for operators. It provides improved visibility, and gives more leg room for many operators that are going to spend 10 to 12 hours in this cabin every day."

The MH 3040 cab includes a larger, 254-mm (10-in) high-resolution touchscreen monitor with jog-dial offers easy navigation of the intuitive operator controls. Joystick controls are ergonomically located within easy reach to reduce operator fatigue, while joystick settings and preferred power mode are quickly set to a specific user ID via the monitor. The premium air suspension seat with headrest, heater and ventilator is designed to comfortably adjust to operators of all sizes. 

Offering a maximum 15.5-m (50.8-ft) reach, multiple configurations are available for the MH3040 material handler to meet customer needs. Customers can choose from a range of work tool attachments in different sizes to meet the site's material handling and production needs. Units enable work in low-light conditions with the standard, 1,800 lumen, LED lights on the boom, stick, and cab, and an optional 20 kW generator with wiring to stick nose helps to efficiently power magnet attachments for handling fine ferrous material.  

Simplified serviceability
MH3040 material handler service design changes reduce maintenance costs by up to 20 percent. All fuel filters feature a synchronized 1,000-operating-hour change interval, and the new air intake filter with precleaner lasts up to 1,000 hours to reduce maintenance requirements. Its new hydraulic oil filter improves filtration and increases change intervals to 3,000 operating hours, a 50 percent longer service life over the M325D L MH. New anti-drain valves keep the hydraulic oil clean during filter replacement to improve system longevity. 

Filter life and maintenance intervals are quickly tracked through the in-cab high-resolution monitor. Featuring electric drive to operate only when necessary, the high-efficiency cooling fans can be programmed to automatically reverse at set intervals to keep the cores clean without work interruptions. The new right-hand-side service access provides easy access for refueling and engine oil checks.  

Standard Cat Product Link, new to the MH3040 material handler, captures critical operating data such as location, hours, fuel usage, productivity, idle time, maintenance alerts and fault codes, which can be remotely accessed and tracked to boost fleet management efficiency. New Remote Flash works around the production schedule to conveniently assure the machine is operating with the most current version of on-board software, so it delivers high performance, maximum efficiency and minimum downtime. 

Get a first look at the MH 3040 in action in the video below.

MH3040 specifications 

-Engine Cat C7.1 Net power, kw (hp) 152 (202) 

-Max. operating weight, kg (lb) 38 529 (84,940) 

- Max. reach, mm (ft/in) 15 490 (50' 10") 

- Max. height, mm (ft/in) 17 510 (57' 5").