Cat fills 5.5 tonne gap in range with new truck

Briggs Equipment has brought a new range of Cat counterbalance trucks to the UK, as well as adding to its asset management offering by promising managers direct control of truck fleets

Cat has launched its N-series of 4.0-5.5 tonne lift trucks to replace the K-series, which has reached the end of its lifecycle. The counterbalance trucks will be distributed in the UK by Briggs Equipment.

The range includes a 5.5 tonne capacity truck, a niche that was missing from the K-series. A more compact design has also been achieved across much of the new range, which comprises five trucks in all.

Cat product manager for IC trucks Han Van De Wal explains: "We wanted to make the trucks as short as possible. In confined places you don't want a big truck.We have reduced the length of the lighter models in the range by up to 6%." This was achieved by redesigning the transmission.

"You can't change the engine or the counterweight without a huge amount of effort, so we've taken out some of the reduction which is accomplished in the transmission and brought it forward to the front axle," continues Van De Wal.

By taking out reduction, Cat says it has reduced wear and tear on the transmission as well as allowing the trucks to be shortened. The front axle has been adapted to cope with this change in transmission design.

While some models in the N-Series are shorter, the new trucks have been given more torso clearance with a new overhead guard which forms part of the new panel cabin.

"Half an inch has been added," says Van De Wal. "This is significant as it can be the difference between wearing a safety helmet on the truck or not." Cat has also added an electronic parking brake built in to the transmission, which it claims is an industry first.

In addition, the air intake has been re-positioned with the new range as well as featuring a reduced-noise design.

Both the LPG and diesel models now feature a 12 volt electric system, compared to 24 volts on previous models, helping to bring down the cost as parts are cheaper, says Cat.

More parts commonality The new trucks also have fewer parts and more parts commonality, which should aid fast repair and maintenance. For example, the same vehicle control module can now also be used across the full range of Cat trucks.

LED lights have been introduced on the new trucks. These are brighter,more environmentally friendly and long life. The longevity was seen as key by Cat, which is keen to minimise downtime on the trucks.

Van De Wal says: "LED lights live the lifetime of the truck, electrically speaking they don't fail. That's where the advantage is, its not about saving on light bulbs - it's about saving time. If you need a lorry unloaded urgently, you don't want to be delayed by a broken light." The trucks feature 'power' and 'soft' modes, with soft mode reducing fuel consumption by 12%.

Ergonomic features include armrest and hydraulic manual control, suspension seat (with swivel option) and handgrip in the back with a horn button (for jobs where the operator needs to drive backwards). These contribute to reducing back, arm and leg strain on the driver while making safe operation easier.

"Product reliability and durability come as standard with Cat Lift Trucks which is even more critical for trucks in this key capacity range," says Tony Rooney, sales and marketing director at Briggs Equipment. "The 4.0-5.5 tonne trucks take productivity to maximum levels with industrial strength diesel and LPG engines.

Using proven technology combined with innovative compact design increases truck performance, operator comfort and manoeuvrability in space restricted areas." "Unscheduled maintenance time can be kept to a minimum with the standard long life LED lights on the whole range, the can-bus system and a new digital display. The display not only warns truck drivers if an unexpected fault occurs but also provides error codes to ensure an engineer brings the right parts with him, minimising downtime," says Rooney.

Briggs Equipment promises a 3-hour emergency call-out service with over 350 local engineers on call.

Rooney concludes: "It is good to see Cat Lift Trucks innovating and introducing major new products into the market. It shows the strength of the brand and the great confidence we all have for the rest of this year and beyond."