VIDEO: Can you stack it?

Caterpillar has launched a new series of short films, aimed at showcasing the versatility of their heavy equipment and mining machines, including excavators and loaders used in coal mining operations. The films feature Caterpillar’s Built For It trials.

The first film released is ‘Stack’, in which five pieces of heavy equipment and mining machinery are pitted against a massive of mountain wood JANGA blocks – weighing over 8 t in total.

The object of the game for the operators: remove and then reposition a stack of nearly 30 JENGA blocks one at a time – using only their Cat^® machines and work tools. Each block ways 600 pounds, and what ensues as the cameras roll is a show of operator skill, and machine power, strength and agility.

In the film, the operators, who boast 121 years of combined experience, operate five Cat machines, including a 320E excavator, TH514C telehandler, 277D loader, M316D rubber tire excavator and 349E hydraulic excavator. All of the machines are known for their control and precision when lifting robust objects.

The game, which Caterpillar claim is the largest JENGA game ever played, took approximately 28 hours to play and was edited down to the 2.5 minute video. The arena used as the stage for the challenge was larger than two regulation-size NFL football fields.

The operators take turns skillfully making their manoeuvres. They work machine controls. Buckets move. Booms raise and lower. Tires roll. Treads turn. Their equipment rolls forward and backwards—all while tapping, hammering, pulling, lifting and placing the large wooden pieces.

The excitement ends when the blocks topple. How many maneuvers did these expert operators make before that happened? We don’t want to spoil the outcome of this Built For It Trial for you, so if you really want to know, watch the video.

Star performer

Keep an eye on the powerful 349E large excavator, often used at coal mining operations. The 349E delivers emissions-compliant power and reduced cycle times. Like all E Series models, the 349E includes an enhanced operator station.

Did you know?

To capture all of the action, the crew positioned 2 of the 12 Go Pro cameras on the ground, where they fully expected both of them to sustain substantial damage. Remarkably, both cameras missed having any of the 600 pound JENGA^® blocks fall directly on them—one was missed by less than an inch.

Written by Sam Dodson

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/mining/14052014/video_can_you_stack_it_video3/