New Caterpillar water truck manages haul road dust with less water

The new 785D water truck solves overwatering and underwatering issues and features an integrated 121 133 l (32 000 gal) Cat branded water tank, complete with spray system, splash guards, fill chute, and rock ejectors. Combined with Cat MineStar Edge™ connectivity with both basic and premium plan options to fit site needs, the Cat WDS helps operations manage watering at the site more safely and productively.

Offering a maximum water flow reaching up to 3785 l/min (1200 gal/min), the truck’s AutoMode spray controls determine water coverage automatically based on the activated number of heads and truck speed. Manual mode allows the operator to set a constant waterflow rate, regardless of speed. Featuring exclusive variable active spray heads to regulate water spray and flow, the 785D delivers a waterflow rate ranging from 130 – 2270 l/min (35 – 600 gal/min) per spray head. The spray system automatically controls the head opening to achieve AutoMode coverage or manual mode flow rate.

Water-efficient Cat WDS

Exclusive to Cat water trucks, the Cat WDS is integrated into the 785D’s cab. The system continually adjusts waterflow during operation to achieve the desired coverage and flowrate, reducing the risk of accidents due to poor visibility while conserving water. Featuring soft start-ups, the system’s water pump starts and stops automatically when the truck slows or stops to prevent overwatering and poor traction at intersections. The pump automatically turns off when the tank empties to prevent system damage from the pump running dry.

WDS system components include the water cannon, oil cooler, variable displacement pump, hydraulic oil tank, electronic control boxes, and hydraulic motor/water pump. Water cannon operation is integrated into the cab’s joystick controls and can be discharged while idling to conserve fuel. It features a maximum flow rate of 4732 l/min (1250 gal/min) at high idle and sprays at a maximum distance reaching 61 m (200 ft). Complete with auto shut-off to prevent overfilling, remote tank fill control enables the operator to remain inside the cab during refilling to reduce accidental slips and falls.

Scalable to meet specific site needs, MineStar Edge integrates with the WDS to collect and communicate truck data, so the fleet can be monitored to meet production targets. Collected in real-time, the data includes truck location and utilisation, fuel and water levels, volume of distributed water, coverage area, and waterflow rate, among other metrics.

Cat dealer supported

The 785D water truck is built to deliver durable performance in some of the toughest applications around the world. Easy maintenance procedures help to ensure high reliability and long life with low operating costs. Reducing time spent on regular maintenance, easy access to all daily service points simplifies servicing.

The new Cat Water Solutions Truck is fully supported by the extensive Cat dealer network. Including tank and components, the integrated water truck is covered by the Caterpillar factory standard warranty and is eligible for Cat equipment protection plans and customer value agreements. Retrofit kits are available for existing Cat 785D truck platforms in the field.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/21092023/new-caterpillar-water-truck-manages-haul-road-dust-with-less-water/