Introducing Cat General Duty undercarriage: a new lower cost per hour option for Cat 320 Series B, C and D hydraulic excavators

Designed for use in low to moderate impact applications, Caterpillar’s new General Duty product line – a form of Grease Lubricated Track (GLT) – provides a cost-effective alternative for medium size machine owners and was specifically developed following extensive global research. Essentially, General Duty is built as a ‘run to destruction’ undercarriage, although in some circumstances a turn can be completed. 

Customers now have the option of specifying either General Duty or Heavy Duty undercarriage, depending on job site demands and the requirement for extended wear life, and both products are covered by Caterpillar’s Undercarriage Assurance Programme (three years or 3 000 hours for General Duty, and 4 000 hours or four years for Heavy Duty).

“While General Duty undercarriage is a new product, it is not a new design,” explains Barloworld Equipment group product specialist, Deon Delport. “In fact, General Duty undercarriage is built on the same principle as the Sealed and Lubricated
Track (SALT) system developed in 1974.” (Barloworld Equipment is Caterpillar’s southern African dealer.)

Essentially, General Duty offers another alternative to help customers balance product performance and cost, where the extra rugged durability of Cat Heavy Duty undercarriage is not always required. However, for extreme conditions such as forestry or waste handling or where high abrasion, impact and packing occur, Heavy Duty remains the best option. Other factors to consider include high machine usage, shoe width and grading.

“General Duty and Heavy Duty are not built to the same performance specifications,” Delport expands. “However, the quality and reliability are the same in the intended applications.”

Another advantage is that General Duty and Heavy Duty components are interchangeable. This eliminates the need for retrofitting and keeps downtime to a minimum. Cat Heavy Duty shoes can also be installed on General Duty link assemblies to meet more demanding job site requirements.

“To help customers achieve maximum track life, Barloworld Equipment’s after-sales team provides a Custom Track Service (CTS) where we inspect, measure and report undercarriage wear. This enables customers to make informed decisions about service and maintenance,” adds Delport. “CTS will also help determine which undercarriage system delivers the best value.”