TUCSON, Ariz., September 21, 2024 – Today’s Cat® drills, including the MD6310 displayed at MINExpo, share a common platform, parts, components and technologies to enhance lifecycle value and streamline operator training, maintenance strategies and fleet planning. Every component and subsystem are matched to work together as a system to increase uptime, improve efficiency and lower cost-per-meter. The exhibited MD6310 is equipped with the latest automation building-block technologies to drive drilling efficiency and performance, while the in-booth remote operating station (ROS) gives visitors the chance to remotely operate a MD6250 located at Caterpillar’s Tinaja Hills Demonstration & Learning Center in Green Valley, AZ.

• Onboard Drill Assist functionality, for both rotary and down-the-hole (DTH) drilling, helps automate the functions of a drill cycle – enabling accuracy, consistency and hole quality on par with a skilled operator. Drill Assist capabilities include:
  • Auto Level, which provides machine leveling and jack retraction
  • Auto Mast, which raises the mast to the desired angle and locks it in place and then, if required by the site, unlocks and lowers the mast after drilling is complete
  • Available for both single- and multi-pass applications for the MD6310, Auto Drill provides automated drilling for a complete drill cycle. It helps ensure holes are drilled to the defined depth by monitoring real-time parameters and automatically modulating the drill string to handle complicated ground conditions.
• Cat MineStar™ solutions build on the automation capabilities from Drill Assist with additional technology options, including:
  • Terrain for drilling provides high precision guidance to help complete patterns accurately and efficiently
  • Operator Machine Assist (OMA) allows the operator to select a row, and the machine automatically navigates from hole to hole and autonomously drills each hole in the row, increasing the productivity and consistency of an operation
  • Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) Remote Control uses an ROS to enable positioning the operator safely away from the drilling site
  • The Command for drilling Autonomous Drilling System (ADS) automates the drill cycle for multiple rows on a pattern enabling increases in machine utilization, productivity, and safety

• Cat MineStar Health Product Link Elite and Vital Information Management System (VIMS), enables the collection and transmission of equipment data to be visualized and analyzed through Cat MineStar Health or other third-party applications
• The MD6310’s electronic compressor controls boost productivity while reducing fuel burn
• Major components are built to be rebuilt for multiple machine service lives
• Cat Electronic Technician (Cat ET) makes troubleshooting quick and convenient
• Caterpillar’s rotary blasthole drill cab features floor-to-ceiling windows to improve line of sight to the drill deck and surrounding areas
• Closed-circuit cameras, including a camera in the mast, improve operator visibility 

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