Caterpillar machines meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 3 emissions standards 
(14/12/2006)
Caterpillar Inc. is offering its D8T track-type tractor powered by a Cat engine using ACERT® Technology. The D8T is the first off-road machine from Caterpillar to utilize ACERT Technology, and is the first commercially available off-road machine from Caterpillar to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 3 emissions standards.
First introduced in March 2003 as a long-term emissions solution for North American on-highway engines, ACERT will also be utilized across the Caterpillar line of construction and mining equipment, providing Caterpillar a line of sight to meeting the Tier 4 standards, which will begin to take effect in 2011.
The new D8T was purchased by Site Concrete Inc., a Grand Prairie, Texas-based heavy construction company with a fleet of more than 250 Caterpillar machines. Site Concrete purchased the new D8T from Caterpillar dealer HOLT CAT, and the machine was delivered almost 100 years to the day after Benjamin Holt, one of Caterpillar's founders, first successfully replaced wheels with tracks on a large steam-powered machine in 1904.
"My great-grandfather developed the first practical track-type tractor which he named the 'Caterpillar,' so it's very appropriate that a HOLT customer will be the first to buy the latest version of the Caterpillar track-type tractor," said Peter M. Holt, CEO of HOLT CAT. "ACERT Technology continues a long tradition of product innovation from Caterpillar, that combined with unmatched dealer support and service, makes Caterpillar equipment the best in the world."
There was a January 2005 implementation date for Tier 3 off-road standards in the 300-750 horsepower range, while the implementation date for the 175-300 horsepower range was January 2006. The D8T has 310 horsepower at 1850 rpm, and by meeting Tier 3 standards, Caterpillar has reduced emissions in off-road machines by 70 percent since 1995 and, when meeting the Tier 4 regulations, Caterpillar will reduce emissions an additional 90 percent by 2014.
The EPA has designated more than 470 counties non-attainment areas in the United States, including several counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas region. A non-attainment county is identified as a location where air pollution levels persistently have exceeded national air quality standards established by the Clean Air Act.
"This is yet another milestone for Caterpillar, as we continue to show the value ACERT Technology offers to our customers and the public at large," said Gary Stroup, Caterpillar vice president with responsibility for the Large Power Systems Division. "We have had more than 140 pre-production off-road machines in the field, and customer feedback has been very positive."
"With more than 120,000 on-road engines featuring ACERT already on the road, this is proven technology that puts us in the driver's seat when it comes to addressing emissions regulations for both on-highway and off-road applications," said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Jim Owens. "I can't think of a better example of a product that is as good for the environment as it is for business."
In addition to a C15 engine with ACERT Technology, the D8T also includes a newly designed operator workstation, putting machine controls and vital information at the operator's fingertips. The D8T also features integrated electronic control and guidance systems to improve overall machine capacity utilization, allowing operators to get more work done in less time than ever before.
"Today's new T-Series tractors were designed to improve operator comfort, enhance serviceability, and provide a tractor that can be used for future machine control and fleet management," said Don Western, Caterpillar vice president with responsibility for the Track-Type Tractors Division.
ACERT is a differentiated, breakthrough technology that reduces emissions at the point of combustion. All Caterpillar on-highway truck and bus engines now in production have ACERT Technology.
HOLT CAT sells, rents and services Caterpillar machines, engines and generator sets in a 118-county Texas territory spanning from the Red River to the Rio Grande. HOLT also offers total machine rebuild capabilities
Related categories: Construction technology Earthmoving and Hauling Mining Equipment Standards and Legislation
