High rotation seat now in Cat D-series skidders
GOUGH CAT HAS INTRODUCED THE HIGH ROTATION SEAT TO THE newest Caterpillar D-series skidders in New Zealand, with M J Fraser Logging’s latest 545D being the first in the country.
The High Rotation Seat offers 100 degrees of seat rotation, instead of 30-degrees in the previous seat, and also features the new Cat Advanced Ride Management (Cat ARM) seat suspension for improved operator comfort.
Wayne Baker, Industry Sales Manager, Forestry, Waste & Industrial for Gough Cat, says the ability to rotate the seat 100 degrees when picking up bunches, working and backing the skidder around the deck or out to the cut-over will make a big difference for the operator.
Combined with the integrated Cat ARM seat suspension, a fourpoint seat belt and joystick steering, the High Rotation Seat reduces operator fatigue and lifts the quality of the ride, he says.
“Operators should see productivity rise though faster cycle times, too,” adds Wayne.
The Cat High Rotation Seat incorporates an electronic seat rotation release-lock, Cat comfort seat and seat-mounted joystick steering controls with integrated transmission controls.
A key safety advantage of the High Rotation Seat is the utilisation of the park brake to hold the machine in place when the operator is rotating the seat. The park brake is automatically applied when the seat is released, securing the machine, even on slopes. Once the seat locks into position and the operator gets set to move, the park brake is released automatically, further improving safety.
Numerous safety interlocks ensure the operator doesn’t accidentally release the seat at high speed, and the throttle pedal in the opposite position is disabled to ensure there is no accidental throttle command.
The powershift and lock-up torque converter distinguishes Cat skidders since they do not utilise a hydrostatic drive system nor hydrostatic braking to hold the machine in place when the seat is rotated.
“Because it has a park brake to hold the machine in place when the operator rotates the seat, the skidder will not ‘creep’ even if it is on a slope,” says Wayne.
The semi-active Cat ARM seat suspension is a revolutionary development in seat suspension technology that Caterpillar has used in other products since 2013 and was introduced to skidders last year. The suspension adjusts the rate of damping in real time in response to changing ground conditions. Along with the four-point seat belt, the Cat ARM seat suspension ‘stabilises’ the operator and virtually eliminates end stop events for a smooth ride, reducing strain and fatigue.
NZL