Cat has launched its new 340 UHD Ultra High Demolition excavator for the European, Turkish and Israeli markets. Capable of working on eight storey high structures, the 58 t model is fitted with a Stage V Cat C9.3B engine and has a 13% higher pin height than the 340F UHD predecessor model.
Cat said the UHD and Retrofit boom/stick configurations help to “deliver increased machine flexibility to meet contractors’ jobsite needs to maximize machine utilization”. The 340 UHD has a unique coupling system that lets users switch between two UHD fronts, Retrofit booms and sticks with no special tools in just 15 minutes.
According to Cat, contractors can choose either a one or two-piece boom option for truck loading or low level demolition work. The redesigned cradle of the one-piece boom was said to give the machine a transport height of less than 3 m (10 ft).
The 340 UHD’s hydraulic undercarriage can be extended to 4 (13 ft) m wide for improved stability and retracted to just 3 m for easier transport.
Inside the cab, Cat has provided operators with a larger premium heated – and cooled – seat, and a 254 mm (10 in) high-resolution touchscreen monitor. Through the new monitor operators can view the manufacturer’s active stability monitoring system, which gives audible and visual alerts when the work tool position is approaching its stability limit.
The touchscreen also includes technology such as Cat Payload, Cat E-Fence and Cat Grade with 2D, which automatically guides depth, slope and horizontal distance to maximise machine productivity.
While a new tilt-up console means operators can programme and save machine settings for individual drivers, the machine’s GPS and Glonass systems automatically compensate for excavator pitch and roll when working on sloping ground.
According to Cat, the machine’s 30-degree tilt-up cab design and its comfortable sight line means operators can work on eight storey buildings without neck strain. Equipped with a Falling Object Guard Structure (FOGS) and P54 laminated glass for safety, the demolition cab also provides operators with a better view of the tool when working at height. The 340 USD also includes standard rearview and sideview cameras for added visibility and an optional 360-degree bird’s eye view camera system is also available.