We have a wide array of 20 plus attachments that can be fitted on to our SSL

Amit Bansal, Director Sales & Marketing, Building Constructions Products (BCP) Division, Caterpillar India

What are the varied range of skid steer loaders being promoted by you in India?

Cat skid steer loader, with its many work tool options is designed to deliver outstanding performance. High performance power train, advanced hydraulic system and traditional Cat reliability improve productivity in the toughest working conditions. Caterpillar made its foray into compact machines segment in India with the Cat®216B3 Skid Steer Loader 7 years back and is continuously growing its participation in this segment.

We have a wide range of skid steer loaders that we sell globally. However, in India we sell only 216B3 which is our entry level model. This is mainly because India is still in a nascent stage as far SSL is concerned, and this category (635 kg rated operating capacity) is the most popular choice and makes up for most of the SSL sold in India.

Cat 216B3 is powered by Cat C2.2 Engine generating 48.1 HP gross Power. With its radial lift design, delivers excellent digging performance with outstanding drawbar power.

It is packed with a lot of unique and advanced features. Standard Pilot operated Joystick Controls, comfortable seat, and ergonomically designed console result in reduced operator fatigue and increased productivity. Advanced load sensing anti-stall hydraulic system coupled with high efficiency cooling package provides excellent and uninterrupted performance. Hand and foot throttle allow operator to better match the engine power to requirement in work. Product Link (Telematics) a standard feature, wirelessly connects customer to their equipment giving valuable insights such as location, hours worked providing the ability to track the machines remotely. Broad range of performance matched Cat Work Tools make the Cat 216B3 Skid Steer Loader the most versatile machine on the job site.

Cat 216B3 is fitted with pilot operated joystick levers which allows for a fatigue free operation for the operator. The machine is also fitted with a load sensing Piston pump which varies the flow according to the demands. The machine is fitted with foot throttle that can be used to adjust the Engine RPM according to the demand. It has a higher load lifting capacity. All these make the machine highly productive.

Temperature is the biggest enemy for a hydraulic machine and a major reason for the downtime. The machine has a patented cooling package design that keeps the hydraulic temperature at a lower level. The Hydraulic tank also has a unique bubble shape design to allow heat dissipation and remove cavitation that prolongs life of hydraulic components. Access to daily Service points and regular maintenance area is easy which ensures the machine is maintained in better condition.

Our skid steer loaders offer ease of operation in small areas, best in class fuel efficiency, smooth operations in tough condition, faster loading cycles & supreme efficiency.

What are the varied attachments you provide with your skid steer loaders that makes them suitable to work for high rise building construction projects?

We have a wide array of 20 plus attachments that can be fitted on to our SSL. But in general buckets, sweeper/brooms and pallet fork attachments find use in a high-rise building construction. Buckets are predominantly used for shifting materials like sand, gravel, cement bags, earth and debris. They are also used for some levelling and filling jobs. Sweepers can be used in cleaning the site at each floor once the job is done. Pallet forks are very handy in moving palletised loads like bricks, scaffolding, pipes etc.

How do you look at the competitive attributes of skid steer loaders in terms of their compactness and manoeuvrability making them suitable to work at difficult job sites of high-rise buildings?

A very important feature of the machine is its compactness and manoeuvrability. This is because the machine e.g., Cat 216B3 is only about 5 ft wide and 10.5ft in length. It turns by skidding and can rotate within its own envelope. It requires only 1/8th of the space to make a turn compared to a back-hoe loader. Many of the high-rise building have a height restriction of 2.5m on especially basement, lower and upper basement used for car parking. This machine overall height is a shade less than 2 m which makes it an ideal choice. Also, this machine can handle the ramps between these basement floors very comfortably carrying material as it is a hydrostatic machine, and all the wheels get the power and hence the traction. Though forklifts are also widely used in high rise building construction they have limitations. Skid Steer Loaders scores over them in certain areas. SSL can work in both proper flat surface and uneven soil surface in the site. SSL with pallet fork attachment can also be moved at an angle on the go while moving up and down the ramp to maintain the balance.

Hits: 555