Cat 785D water truck uses less water for dust management

Understanding that proper haul road dust management at mine sites is paramount for the health and safety of workers, Caterpillar has designed its new Cat 785D water truck that infuses technology with the Cat Water Delivery System (WDS) to offer a smarter way to maintain haul roads using less water.

The 785D features an integrated 121,133-litre Cat branded water tank, complete with spray system, splash guards, fill chute and rock ejectors. It comes with Cat MineStar Edge connectivity with both basic and premium plan options to fit site needs, as well as Cat WDS to help operations manage watering at the site more safely and productively.

Offering a maximum water flow reaching up to 3785 l/min, the truck’s AutoMode spray controls determine water coverage automatically based on the activated number of heads and truck speed. Manual mode allows the operator to set a constant waterflow rate, regardless of speed.

Featuring exclusive variable active spray heads to regulate water spray and flow, the 785D delivers a waterflow rate ranging from 130 to 2270 l/min per spray head. The spray system automatically controls the head opening to achieve AutoMode coverage or manual mode flow rate.

Exclusive to Cat water trucks, the Cat WDS is integrated into the 785D’s cab. The system continually adjusts waterflow during operation to achieve the desired coverage and flow rate for effective dust management.

Featuring soft start-ups, the system’s water pump starts and stops automatically when the truck slows or stops to prevent overwatering and poor traction at intersections. The pump automatically turns off when the tank empties to prevent system damage from the pump running dry.

WDS system components include the water cannon, oil cooler, variable displacement pump, hydraulic oil tank, electronic control boxes and hydraulic motor/water pump.

Water cannon operation is integrated into the cab’s joystick controls and can be discharged while idling to conserve fuel. It features a maximum flow rate of 4732 l/min at high idle and sprays at a maximum distance reaching 61m, Caterpillar said.

Complete with auto shut-off to prevent overfilling, the remote tank fill control function enables the operator to remain inside the cab during refilling to reduce accidental slips and falls.

MineStar Edge integrates with the WDS to collect and communicate truck data and is scalable to meet specific site needs, so the fleet can be monitored to meet production targets.

The data it collects include truck location and utilisation; fuel and water levels; volume of distributed water; coverage area and water flow rate.

Caterpillar said the 785D water truck is built to withstand some of the toughest conditions in the world.

Easy access to all daily service points simplifies servicing and reduces downtime for operators.

The new Cat 785D water truck is fully supported by Caterpillar’s dealer network. Including tank and components, the integrated water truck is covered by the Caterpillar factory standard warranty and is eligible for Cat equipment protection plans and customer value agreements. Retrofit kits are available for existing Cat 785D truck platforms in the field.

For more information on the new Cat 785D water truck, visit Caterpillar’s website.