Caterpillar Inc.  presented the keys of the AC electric drive track-type tractor in the industry to long-time customer, TJ Lambrecht.    The electric drive system developed for track-type tractors gives the D7E combination of power, sustainability, control and maneuverability.

TJ Lambrecht, headquartered in Joliet, Illinois, is one of the most recognized heavy, civil, and earthmoving contractors in the country, with one of the largest and most current fleets of Caterpillar equipment.

The Cat C9.3 ACERT diesel engine, rated at 235 net horsepower (175 kW) in the D7E, drives a powerful electrical generator that produces AC (alternating current). Current flows through special armored cables and military-grade connectors to a solid-state inverter, then to the propulsion module. Within the propulsion module are two heavy-duty electric motors (using AC current) that drive through common gearing into the differential steering system. Power from the steering system is transferred via axles to mechanical, double-reduction final drives to provide smooth, infinitely variable driving force to the tracks.  The engine in the D7E is entirely beltless, eliminating the need for belt maintenance and replacement.

Headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois, Caterpillar Dealer, Patten Industries, was instrumental in the sale of the D7E.


http://www.forconstructionpros.com/online/Construction-Equipment-News/Caterpillar-Ships-First-D7E-Track-Type-Tractor/38FCP14627