New Cat® 311F RR Excavator Saves Fuel, Delivers Performance

Contractors looking for a machine with power to do many jobs and lower operating costs to match their business will find it with the new Cat^® 311F RR excavator. Powered with a 70 net horsepower (52 kW) C3.4B engine that meets U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final emissions standards, the new machine features a reduced radius that limits over-the-side tail swing to just 20 inches (508 mm), making it ideal for space-restricted job sites. A massive 5,400-pound (2 450 kg) counterweight gives it the stability and working capacity of conventional machines, while design efficiency allows for use of a full-sized cab. The machine’s compact size is complemented with fuel-saving features and an efficient hydraulic system that powers through tough digging and easily handles a range of work tools.

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Emissions control is transparent to the 311F RR operator, requiring no intervention and causing no interruption of work cycles. An engine idle shutdown feature automatically stops the engine after a pre-set period of idling, and an ECO mode allows adjusting machine performance to the task at hand. Customer benefits include lower fuel consumption and extended service intervals. The C3.4B engine also accepts biodiesel blends up to B20, adding more potential savings.

The 311F RR's powerful hydraulic system places major components in close proximity, thus minimizing piping lengths and reducing frictional losses and pressure drops. The system responds proportionally to control lever movement and delivers flow precisely where and when it is required, thus reducing pump loads and saving fuel. Further fuel savings result from regenerating boom and stick cylinder oil, allowing it to transfer from the head end to the rod end of the cylinders without wastefully flowing back to the tank. Available auxiliary hydraulic systems and couplers allow employing powered work tools for greater machine versatility.

Major structures for the 311F RR are designed for long-term durability. The upper frame incorporates special mountings to accommodate the heavy-duty cab, and the standard long undercarriage uses high-tensile-strength steel components for long service life in a wide range of applications. The reach boom and stick use internal baffle plates for added strength and are ultrasonically inspected to ensure weld quality. In addition, these box-section, multi-plate fabrications use high-strength castings and forgings in high-stress areas such as the boom foot, boom nose, cylinder mounts, and stick foot.

The 311F RR is designed to competently handle a variety of work tools, thus expanding work opportunities and profitability. An available Cat Pin Grabber coupler allows quickly switching among a range of bucket sizes or quickly attaching a hydraulic hammer for breaking pavement materials or a shear for reducing metal on demolition projects. With an available thumb, the 311F RR easily handles large rocks, brush, and construction debris. A choice of grapples allows convenient material handling for sorting and loading.

In the cab an automatic climate control system with multiple vents provides filtered air, and seat choices include air suspension, heated, and cooled options. Joystick control consoles can be adjusted to operator preference; the right-hand controller incorporates a "one touch" button for reducing and resuming engine speed. An available "quick change" pattern changer allows operators to select the operating pattern of choice. The crisp LED monitor, which can be programmed in 42 languages, displays critical operating information as well as images from the available rearview camera.

The cab's ample glass areas provide excellent all-around visibility. The upper half of the split-configuration windshield stores in the roof; the lower section stores on the inside wall of the cab. A large skylight provides enhanced visibility and serves as an emergency exit. Halogen lights provide ample illumination and can be programmed to stay on for up to 90 seconds after engine shuts down.

Large service doors that latch securely when opened allow ground-level access to routine service points such as filters and fluid taps, and grease points are easily reached from ground level as well. A screen between the radiator and air conditioner condenser facilitates cleaning, and the ventilation filter is conveniently reached from outside the cab. Water and sediment can be easily drained during routine maintenance via the fuel tank's drain cock, and a fuel level indicator reduces the risk of overfilling the tank.

Equipment owners need to employ their machines to full potential in order to realize maximum return on investment. They need to produce more in less time using less fuel while avoiding unnecessary machine wear and ensuring the safety of everyone on the job site. Cat Connect helps customers get more value from their Cat equipment and improve jobsite efficiency by capitalizing on Caterpillar technology and Cat dealer services.

LINK technologies, like the optional Product Link™ system wirelessly connects owners to their equipment, providing access to valuable machine data such as location, hours, fuel consumption, idle time, events, and diagnostic codes for analysis and reporting via the online VisionLink® user interface. LINK information assists with fact-based decision making to help increase efficiency and lower owning and operating costs.