Caterpillar will introduce a new product update for its large asphalt range in April.
CATERPILLAR: KEEPING MACHINES UP TO DATE
CATERPILLAR IN AUSTRALIA IS SET TO LAUNCH AN ANNUAL PRODUCT UPDATE FOR ITS LARGE ASPHALT PAVER RANGE. ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SPEAKS TO INDUSTRY TERRITORY MANAGER CHRIS POWELL REVEALS SOME OF THE NEW FEATURES AND CHANGES.
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aterpillar has had an impactful presence within Australia. The company’s product line, consisting of more than 300 machines, is constantly being modernised to fit the current needs of the industry. As part of this modernisation, Caterpillar will soon release its annual product update (APU) for its large asphalt paver machinery range. As Caterpillar’s Industry Territory Manager Chris Powell explains, the APU supports timely release of the feature updates. “The APU allows us to make product updates and improvements, incorporating 68
ROADS APRIL 2022
customer and industry feedback to sustain the quality of Cat products,” he says. The APU process, provides a “bundled” approach to updates, which can include improvements to the technical capabilities of the machine, or other functionality changes, Powell explains. He says that direct feedback from customers has led to changes within the large asphalt paver range, including to the configuration of the machines themselves. “A good example would be the changes made to the screed pendant control, which enhanced the user friendliness by adding additional one-touch functionality
requested by customers,” Powell says. “In the past, we would have had to wait until the next large-scale release of the paver to make that change. Now, we can incorporate that customer feedback in our design a lot quicker.” THE NEW FEATURES A major product update for the large asphalt paver fleet, Powell explains, are changes made to the front-mount screed. Caterpillar is transitioning from using the support of manufacturers, which supplied front mount screeds on our Cat paver range. Instead, Caterpillar
