CAT Hydraulic Shovels 6018 FS

Drive Systems

Meeting Your Site Specific Needs with a Choice of Robust Drive System Options

Giving you the option to choose the drive system best suited for your operation, the Cat 6018/6018 FS can be equipped with either two Cat C18 diesel engines for greater mobility, or an electric drive for better efficiency.

• Reliable Cat C18 ACERT Engine
  Delivering durable, reliable power that will keep your primary loading tool producing, the C18 has proven its ability to stand-up to the harshest mining conditions, providing the mobility and flexibility you need. In addition, they’re backed by our world-class dealer network, ready to provide service and support when needed.
• Efficient Electric Drive System on 6018 AC/6018 AC FS
  Providing a lower cost-per-ton alternative to diesel powered hydraulic shovels, our electric drive option maintains the ruggedness you need and offers superior availability since no refueling and less service is required.
  
  This solution is ideal for operations that do not require a great deal of mobility and value a low cost-per-ton model.

Twin-engine Concept

Keep Producing and Ensure the Safety of Your Operators, Even During Single Engine Loss

You will realize enhanced safety, greater uptime, more productivity, and better serviceability as a result of our twin-engine concept.

• Enhanced Safety
  The ability to move your shovel to a safe area for repair, away from high walls, blast zones, or other safety hazards, is still possible with the use of a single engine.
• Greater Uptime and More Productivity
  Up to 65% of full production can still be achieved with the use of a single engine. This is due to the shovel’s continued ability to exert maximum digging forces, to lower the front attachment without requiring engine power (i.e., pressure-free), and to recuperate energy via its closed-loop swing circuit.
• Better Serviceability
  Troubleshooting is greatly simplified and expedited with the ability to compare one engine versus the other.

TriPower System (Front Shovel Machines)

Dig More Effectively with Our Unique TriPower Front Shovel Design

You will experience enhanced, easier and faster front shovel operation with TriPower, a system proven on over a thousand Cat hydraulic shovels worldwide. Generating superior mechanical leverage and control, our FS configured hydraulic shovels utilize a unique boom design that employs rotatable triangular rockers. This design facilitates quicker cycle times, increased effective lifting force, constant boom momentum, automatic constant bucket angle, and automatic roll-back limiter.

• Quicker Cycle Times
  Faster lifting speeds are achieved, because the design enables the use of smaller-diameter boom cylinders.
• Increased Effective Lifting Force
  Design transfers digging forces into the superstructure, creating supporting boom momentum in addition to momentum that is generated hydraulically.
• Constant Boom Momentum
  - Allows smaller boom cylinders for higher lifting speed.
  - Keeps lifting speed constant. –Enables the shovel to lift a single load along the entire digging distance.
  - No retracting of stick cylinders is required, ensuring that all hydraulic pumps are supplying the boom-up function.
• Automatic Constant Bucket Angle
  - Material spillage is avoided during boom lifting, because the filled bucket automatically maintains a constant bucket angle.
  - On conventional kinematics the operator has to control manually the bucket position during lifting which cut in half the available oil flow for the boom cylinders.
• Automatic Roll-back Limiter
  - Preventing material spillage back on to the operator’s cab and machine superstructure, our system ensures that the bucket is always in a safe position, without operator control/manipulation, when it is at maximum height.
  - The boom cylinder continues to receive maximum oil flow, because the operator does not need to activate the bucket cylinder.

Hydraulic System

Straightforward, Safe System Maintenance

Ensuring neat organization for safe operation, easy inspection, and fast service, and reducing the number of hoses needed, the main valve block is located on top of the boom.

Faster Cycle Times

Faster cycle times are realized, because float valves are used to lower the boom instead of engaging pumps. This facilitates faster boom movements and allows other operating functions to occur simultaneously, such as bucket curl and stick in/out.

Independent Oil Cooling System

Protect and Extend the Life of Your Hydraulic Components and Seals

Providing a more efficient means of cooling, particularly in demanding applications, our unique independent oil cooling system will extend the life of your hydraulic shovel’s components.

More Efficient Oil Cooling

Our system is independent of return oil, achieving efficiency through the utilization of dedicated pumps that provide cooling capacity as needed, whether the engine is idling or under load. That means optimum oil temperature is being maintained, even while your operator waits for the next truck to load. Competitive hydraulic shovels only provide cooling when the machine is working and the engine is under load.

Additional efficiency is achieved via our electronically controlled radiator fan speed. The fans do not run until oil temperature exceeds a temperature of 50° C (122° F), saving energy.

Optimal Oil Temperature Maintained

The high-efficient oil cooling system ensures that the oil temperature is only 25° to 30° C (45° to 54° F) higher than the ambient temperature. Thus the hydraulic oil working temperature ranges within the optimal operating viscosity range of 50° to 70° C (122° to 158° F).

Pump Managing System

Experience Improved Machine Control and Component Life, while Reducing Fuel Consumption and Noise Emission, with Our Intelligent Pump Managing System

Delivering optimal performance, our pump managing system continuously evaluates actual engine and hydraulic operating values against set values, and adjusts pump output accordingly. This results in efficient use of the engine for greater productivity.

Pump managing system advantages include:

• Best possible utilization of engine output and engine overload avoidance via electronic load limit regulation.
• Less energy consumption and less thermal load on hydraulic oil with zero oil flow regulation for main pumps.
• Less fuel consumption and lower noise emission via automatic RPM reduction.
• Reduced component wear and lower noise emission with automatic oil flow reduction for closing/opening of bucket clam.
• Protection of components with automatic oil flow reduction if hydraulic and/or engine coolant temperature exceed set maximum.
• Improved operator control response via on-demand pump flow.

Closed-loop Swing Circuit

Load More Material, at Lower Cost, with the Energy Recovery Capability of Our Closed-loop Swing System

Delivering faster cycle times and improved energy efficiency, while also generating less heat, our closed-loop swing circuit provides distinct advantages over competitive machines utilizing open-circuit swing systems.

Greater Efficiency via Energy Recovery

Kinetic energy captured during the swing motion is fed back into the system during deceleration, providing more power to drive the main and auxiliary pumps. Energy is saved during deceleration, because braking occurs via counteracting controls, as opposed to throttles used in open circuit swing systems.

Energy Savings During Acceleration

Energy is saved during acceleration via torque control, providing a pressure balance valve that controls the swing pump against pressure in the closed-loop swing circuit, ensuring that only the minimum necessary oil flow is utilized at any given time.

Faster Cycle Times

Faster boom lift motion during swing is achieved with our closed-loop swing system, increasing overall productivity.

Operator's Cab

Get Peak Operator Performance with Our Safe and Comfortable Operator’s Cab

We understand that the most important factor in your hydraulic shovel’s effectiveness is the performance of its operator. To help make their workday as productive as possible, we’ve incorporated safety and comfort features into the 6018/6018 FS operator’s cab.

Protection for Your Operator; Every Day, Every Shift

• Safety glass is used for all cab windows, and armored glass for the windshield.
• Operator’s seat is equipped with integrated safety switch that automatically neutralizes the hydraulic controls when the operator leaves the seat.
• The height of the cab module ensures an eye level of approximately 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in), providing excellent visibility of the digging and loading areas.
• Cab meets Falling Object Protection System (FOPS) and DIN ISO 3449 standards.

Supporting Peak Operator Performance with Comfort Features

• Pneumatically cushioned, multi-adjustable operator’s seat.
• Large, transflective color touch-screen display provides vital machine monitoring and diagnostic data for convenient troubleshooting and service assistance.
• Enhanced control response and servo adjustment capability via electro-hydraulic servo control.

Electronic Control System

Enhanced Control Response and Optimized Hydraulic Engine Load Management

Help your team meet productivity and performance standards with our intuitive, informative on-board electronics.

Electro-Hydraulic Servo Control

• Enhanced Control Response
  The system relays actuating signals from the joysticks, delivering fast and precise machine reactions facilitate a reduction in operator fatigue.
• Increased Uptime
  Uptime is increased as a result of simplified troubleshooting and advanced diagnostic capabilities.
• Clean and Quiet Cab Environment
  No hydraulic lines are present in the cab or the cab module, ensuring a clean arrangement with less noise emission.

Cat MineStar System and Technology Solutions

Helping You Enhance Safety and Productivity Through Technology

Aimed at enhancing the productivity and profitability of your hydraulic shovel, we currently offer a combination of Cat MineStar System offerings and Cat hydraulic shovel technology solutions.

Cat MineStar System

Helping you achieve your goals for enhanced mine site safety, improved efficiency, reduced operating costs, and greater profitability, the Cat MineStar System provides the most comprehensive suite of mining technology products in the industry. It consists of a number of configurable capability sets – Fleet, Terrain, Detect, Health, and Command – that allow you to scale the system to your mine site needs. Cat MineStar System helps you manage everything from material tracking to sophisticated real-time fleet management, machine health systems, autonomous equipment, and more.

The Cat 6018/6018 FS is currently able to utilize two of the Cat MineStar System capability sets:

• Fleet
  Fleet provides real-time machine tracking, assignment and productivity management, providing a comprehensive overview of all your asset operations from anywhere in the world.
• Terrain
  Terrain enables high-precision management of drilling, dragline, grading and loading operations through the use of guidance technology. It increases machine productivity and provides you real-time feedback for improved efficiency.

The remaining Cat MineStar System capability sets are currently under development for the Cat hydraulic shovel product line.

Hydraulic Shovel Technology Solutions

• Monitoring and Diagnostic System
  Enhancing diagnostic capabilities and providing detailed troubleshooting functions, our Board Control System uses sensors throughout the machine to monitor operating data, record faults, and notify the operator audibly and visually. This promotes the earliest possible detection of faults and allows for timely maintenance planning and assistance for speedy repair.

Front Attachment Options and Structures

Rugged Front Attachment Options Designed and Fabricated to Withstand Your Extreme Mining Conditions

To extend service life and ensure that your shovel keeps producing, our front attachment structures are designed for durability and dependability. Whether you equip your hydraulic shovel in backhoe or front shovel configuration, extended performance in the harsh mining conditions you face daily is accomplished through selection of high-strength steels and rugged castings, joined and thermally stress-relieved, to help you achieve your productivity targets.

Front Attachment Structures Include:

• Heavy castings at all pivot points.
• Better flow of forces and less welding seams, as top chords are made of one bend plate.
• Entire boom and stick are stress relieved after welding.
• Welding procedures allow for internal welding (double prep weld).

Swing System

More Reliable Swing Component Life

Extending component life and ultimately improving machine uptime, our swing system includes a triple-race swing roller bearing with internal gearing connected to an automatic lubrication system.

For added reliability, all lube lines are located inside the roller bearing for maximum protection.

Service Friendly

Easier maintenance is afforded by the free accessibility of swing gears and rotary distributor.

Undercarriage

Less Wear and Tear on Crawler Components

Extending track life and improving overall machine reliability, our undercarriages are engineered with extensive use of finite element analysis, steel structures are optimized, travel motors are well-protected, and a unique robust track chain incorporates a combined pad/link design. Further extending track life, a state-of-the-art track tensioning system with membrane accumulator automatically adapts the tensioning of the tracks, depending upon operating conditions.

Safety

Sharing your commitment to safety, and driven by our commitment to Zero Harm, we work tirelessly to design safe machines to protect your most important asset; your employees.

Some examples of the safety-enhancing features of Cat hydraulic shovels include the following:

Machine Access

• Hydraulically operated boarding ladder with emergency lowering via nitrogen accumulator ensures that ladder remains operational even when engines shut off.
• Machine swing and propel capability is switched-off when ladder is in down position.

Precise Bucket Control

• Minimizing the potential for material spill on to the attachment or cab, the TriPower automatic roll-back limiter prevents the bucket from being curled back too far.

Operator Environment

• Switch in seat cushion to automatically neutralize the hydraulic controls when operator leaves the seat.
• FOPS and DIN ISO 3449 safety standards integrated into cab structure.
• Safety glass windows, armored windshield and sliding side window.

Emergency Shut-offs

• An easily accessible, standard shut-off switch located in the cab shuts down the electrical system in case of emergencies.
• Additional shut-off switches are located on the machine, in the machine house or accessible from the ground with pull ropes.

Serviceability

Lowering your operating costs and maximizing your hydraulic shovel’s uptime and productivity is of supreme importance to us. To that end, we’ve made vital components more accessible and designed simpler systems to make maintenance activities quicker and easier.

Open, Spacious Access to Components

• Facilitating easier maintenance, exceptional accessibility is provided to systems like the swing motor, swing gearbox and rotary distributor in the well organized superstructure. The drive train is accessible from both the outside and inside of the superstructure.
• Easily accessed by walkways on both sides, the boom-mounted main valve block, a feature unique to Cat Hydraulic Shovels, provides a clean layout and reduces the number of hoses leading from the superstructure to the attachment.

Simple Hydraulic System

• Ensuring neat organization for safe operation, easy inspection and fast service, the design of our hydraulic shovel reduces the total number of required hoses. Only four high-pressure hydraulic lines are connected between the superstructure and boom on the 6018/6018 FS.

Easy Ground-level Fuel and Fluid Replenishment

• Quick fuel and fluid replenishment is made easy with a retractable service station underneath the engine module, accessible at ground-level.

Customer Support

Commitment Makes the Difference

Cat dealers offer a wide range of solutions, services and products that help you lower costs, enhance productivity and manage your operation more efficiently. From the time you select a piece of Cat equipment until the day you trade or sell it, the support you get from your Cat dealer makes the difference.

Dealer Capability

Cat dealers provide the level of support you need, on a global scale. Dealer expert technicians have the knowledge, experience, training and tooling necessary to handle your repair and maintenance needs, when and where you need them.

Product Support

When Cat products reach the field, they are supported by a worldwide network of parts distribution facilities, dealer service centers and technical training facilities to keep your equipment up and running. Cat customers rely on prompt, dependable parts availability through our global dealer network, ready to meet your needs 24/7.

Service Support

Every piece of Cat equipment is designed and built to provide maximum productivity and operating economy throughout its working life. Cat dealers offer a wide range of service plans that will maximize uptime and return on your investment, including:

• Preventive Maintenance Programs.
• Diagnostic Programs, such as Scheduled Oil Sampling and Technical Analysis.
• Rebuild and Reman Option.
• Customer Support Agreements.

Application Awareness

Operating and maintenance costs are influenced by many application and site-specific factors, such as: material density and fragmentation, payload, bench height, truck positioning, ground conditions, amount of travelling and maintenance. Your Cat dealer can provide you with an understanding of the effects application characteristics and operating techniques have on maintenance and operating costs.

Operation

Your Cat dealer can arrange training programs to help operator’s improve productivity, decrease downtime, reduce operating costs and enhance safety.