Hydraulic excavator Caterpillar 320DL: purpose, description, characteristics

Excavators

Today, it’s hard to imagine any major construction process without a crawler excavator. This is an indispensable “hard worker” for digging pits, large trenches and barrier embankments. Also, crawler excavators are widely used in the mining industry, in quarries and coal mining.

The history of the creation of excavators goes back to the beginning of the 19th century, when the first steam excavators were born, not on tracks, but on railway tracks. The first inventor, the person who put the machine on the conveyor belt, was the American inventor William Otis; since then, for almost 100 years, excavators have been called only “Otis’ shovel.”

After the invention of the crawler by Benjamin Holt, many companies began producing crawler excavators, both electric and diesel, in the 1920s. The real industrial production of excavators began in the early 50s, with two of them and the English Hymac leading the way.

Application area

The purpose of the excavator is earthmoving work. It is used when digging holes, ditches, trenches, and laying utility lines. Together with a bulldozer blade, the device can be used when planning territories, moving bulk cargo, forming embankments and dumps.

In addition to standard equipment, the CAT 320DL can be equipped with engineering tools. Together with a hydraulic hammer, shears and other mechanisms, the machine is used in construction when dismantling building structures or destroying concrete structures.

Purpose

The Caterpillar 320 excavator belongs to construction equipment. Designed to do almost all necessary types of work, namely loading bulk materials and crushed rocks; leveling or cleaning the working area (if the excavator is equipped with a front blade); digging trenches, ditches and pits, as well as filling them up (most often using a bucket, a frontal blade can also be used); leveling type work (a special bucket designed for this type is used); creation of embankments; drilling of various soils and rocks.

Often this excavator is used in the dismantling of various objects such as concrete or reinforced concrete buildings; road sections (used to destroy the asphalt layer); dismantling railway tracks (cutting rails using hydraulic shears).

It is worth noting that, in addition to construction, Cat 320 can be used in other areas of work, and to be more precise, in industry, agriculture, forestry, and, well, in deposits. Unless, of course, the machine is required to perform excavation, loading or loosening of soil and various rocks.

Operating Parameters

The excavator received the traditional Caterpillar brand safety margin. During assembly, parts are subject to checks and controls to ensure that the machine fully demonstrates its potential and fulfills its stated service life without serious failures.

Table No. 1. Technical characteristics

Power unit

The car is equipped with an in-line six-cylinder diesel engine of its own design. It is equipped with a liquid cooling system, turbocharging and an intermediate heat exchanger. Fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber.

Table No. 2. Engine characteristics

Additional Information! The developed geometry of the combustion chamber and the compression ratio of 16.5:1 allow the use of lower quality fuel, and the complete combustion of the combustible mixture ensures high torque of the engine.

Hydraulic system

The pressure in the CAT 320DL hydraulic system is created by two oil pumps, which together produce 428 liters of working fluid per minute.

• The maximum pressure supplied to the earth-moving actuators is 35 MPa.
• However, spool valves and fuses limit the pressure supplied to the travel circuit and the platform swing mechanism.
• In the first case, the pressure is 34.3 MPa, in the second - 25 MPa.

Chassis

1. The rotating platform with earth-moving equipment is mounted on a tracked chassis, which is driven by volumetric hydraulic motors. They provide vehicle speed in the range from 0 to 5.5 km/h.
2. The tracks rest on rollers, drive and idler sprockets.
3. The turntable is mounted on a hinge with a large contact surface, which helps transmit more torque.
4. The chassis frame is made with increased rigidity to eliminate elastic deformations and rocking of the equipment. Durability is needed to ensure stable operation in difficult conditions.

In addition, the installed shock absorbers effectively dampen dynamic vibrations.

Engine device

The Caterpillar 320 is powered by a Cat 3066 ATAAC four-stroke, six-cylinder diesel engine producing 140 horsepower. With. (103 kW). Each cylinder has a Ø 102 mm.

Cat 3066 ATAAC engine
Such diesel power ensures high performance of special equipment. It is protected by an air purifying filter equipped with a sensor that monitors the amount of filtered dust. If the norm is exceeded, it transmits information to the on-board computer.

The engine is located on the turntable at the rear; access to it is possible through hatches provided on the top and sides.

The fuel consumption of the excavator ranges from 10 to 23 l/hour. This parameter is directly dependent on the load on the working body: the higher the working activity, the greater the consumption of diesel fuel.

Layout

The cab, power unit and earth-moving equipment are mounted on a turntable. The engine itself is located behind the operator, which provides a good overview of the working area.

Earthmoving equipment is installed to the right of the cab. The rotating platform is equipped with brackets for hanging ballast weights, ensuring machine stability when working at extreme distances.

Cabin

The manufacturer pays a lot of attention to the arrangement of the operator’s workplace. Traditionally, it offers two cabin equipment options - “Comfort” and “Deluxe”. Both designs are equipped with a pre-installed climate control system and a comfortable, adjustable seat mounted on a damping cushion.

For operator convenience, the cab provides plenty of storage space for personal items. You can put them behind and under the seat, in niches above your head and on control panels. In addition, there is a document holder, a cup holder, a bottle holder, and a coat hook.

Dimensions

The manufacturer tried to create a compact but energy-intensive machine. The excavator has a small turning radius, but impressive coverage of the working area.

Table No. 3. Dimensions

The radius of work performed by the excavator is 10680 mm, the maximum digging depth is 7580 mm, and loading depth is 7020 mm.

Equipment

A bucket with a volume of 1.19 m³ is installed on the machine. It is mounted on a standard handle with a length of 2.9 m and a boom with a reach of 5.7 m. Additionally, the manufacturer offers earth-moving equipment for difficult operating conditions. It is represented by a shortened handle 2.5 m long and a reinforced boom.

In addition, the excavator can be combined with other attachments, purchased separately:

• adapter for quick attachment of working mechanisms;
• drill;
• hydraulic shears;
• hydraulic hammer;
• leveling bucket;
• front blade.

Attachments

The standard package includes the installation of a system for quick replacement of working parts. The price of Cat 320 depends on the modification and configuration of the machine. Some replacement units are installed using an adapter. The versatility of the excavator is due to the ability to install:

• borax, used with soils of any category. With it, the machine can work on a construction site and mining site. An adapter is required to install it;
• hydraulic shears, which are used in the demolition of construction sites. They are characterized by a large force, due to which the destruction of concrete-based structures, as well as rails, is carried out. By installing a rotator, maximum accuracy and the ability to set the angle of inclination of the working body are ensured. Installation is carried out using an adapter;
• hydraulic hammer, which is used for dismantling work with structures and materials based on concrete and asphalt concrete. Installation is done via an adapter;
• bucket for excavation work, which is included in the basic package of Cat 320. These buckets differ in volume, size, purpose and number of teeth. No adapter required for installation;
• bucket for territorial planning, it can perform loading and unloading operations with bulk materials. The unit is not equipped with teeth and has a slightly increased width compared to the standard working body. Installation does not require an adapter;
• frontal blade, which is used for cleaning and leveling areas in the presence of loose soils. Included as standard in several modifications, it can be installed optionally.

Features of operation

The CAT 320DL is designed to operate over a wide temperature range. It is used from −50 to +50 °C, which makes it possible to operate the device at any time of the year.

The electronic Product Link system is installed on the machine. It monitors the position of the machine, the technical condition of its elements, and the duration of the shift.

In addition, together with the Connect LINK remote connection, data transfer to a stationary control point is possible. This increases the productivity of equipment; the system allows you to track work and calculate the time required to complete a task.

Pros, cons

American technology is valued for its reliability and durability. Here are the main advantages of this model.

1. Ability to work in various climatic conditions.
2. Easy to maintain. The design of the machine allows for scheduled maintenance to be carried out from ground level.
3. Work in confined areas. The small turning radius allows the CAT 320DL to be used in tight spaces.
4. Economical consumption of fuel and lubricants.

Equipping your excavator with the Product Link system increases productivity. An operator from a control point can control machines in real time, intelligently distributing equipment resources.

Among the disadvantages of an excavator is its high price. Even used models can be more expensive than devices produced by domestic enterprises. In addition, the lack of original spare parts complicates repairs, forcing owners to wait for the delivery of new units.

Chassis and hydraulics

Cat 320 Excavator Undercarriage

All structural elements of the Cat 320 excavator are mounted on a welded frame made of high-quality metal.

The tracks have lubricated tracks, which extends their service life. The working life is also increased by the automatic supply of lubricant to the support and guide rollers of the chassis.

The working pressure for mounted units in the hydraulic system is created by two hydraulic pumps. The compact arrangement of all elements allows us to shorten the path of movement of the working fluid, which has significantly increased productivity.

To soften shocks and reduce noise levels, hydraulic cylinders are equipped with dampers that act as shock absorbers in the rod cavities.