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Caterpillar hybrid excavator powers into Australia

The 336E H is Caterpillar’s first hybrid excavator and was officially launched on a global scale at the Bauma trade show in Munich, Germany in April this year.

 Now available in Australia, the 336E H uses a new hydraulic hybrid technology developed by Caterpillar.

Caterpillar Global Product Manager for large hydraulic excavators Ken Gray says a hybrid is independent of any particular technology and doesn’t have to be electric.

“There are many ways to store and reuse energy, including our patented hydraulic hybrid system featured on the Cat 336E H,” he says.

“Caterpillar has developed, built, and tested electric hybrid excavators, but—until now—we had not found a hybrid approach that would actually lower our customers’ owning and operating costs,” he adds.

“Large excavators operate in high-production applications in which fuel is a very significant operating cost for our customers. So, the 336E H, the hybrid version of our workhorse 336E, is ideal for introducing our new hydraulic hybrid technology, with its more than 300 filed patents.”

According to Caterpillar, the 336E H has all the same powerful advantages of the 336E with the biggest difference being greater fuel efficiency on the hybrid model.

Caterpillar adds the 336E H uses three key technologies to conserve fuel, optimise performance and reuse energy.

  • The Cat Electronic Standardised Programmable (ESP) pump smoothly transitions between the hydraulic hybrid power sources, engine and accumulator to improve fuel efficiency.
  • Restriction Management via the Cat Adaptive Control System (ACS) valve offers optimised performance. The system manages restrictions and flows to control machine motion with no loss of power, and to ensure operators experience no difference in control, hydraulic power or lift capability.
  • The hydraulic hybrid swing system allows energy to be reused by capturing the excavator’s upper structure swing brake energy in accumulators, and then releasing the energy during swing acceleration.

With its patented technologies, Caterpillar says the 336E H offers up to 50 per cent greater fuel efficiency compared to the 336D.

Caterpillar designed the 336E H to deliver the same durability and reliability customers expect of the brand’s extensive range.

“The 336E H also meets stringent Tier 4 Interim/Stage IIIB emission standard and is extraordinarily quiet, too,” Gray adds.

“So it’s a socially responsible machine for our customers to own, and they will sacrifice nothing in terms of performance, power, force, speed or production.”

Caterpillar says the new model’s components, like any standard machine’s, can be replaced or rebuilt to maximise the hybrid’s service life.

Customer support for the 336E H is provided via the Australia-wide Cat dealer network.

Find out more about the Caterpillar 336E H hybrid excavator on Caterpillar Australia’s website or through your nearest Cat dealer.

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