Going the Distance

CAS® Slinger Powered by a Cat C7.1 Industrial Engine

If you work in construction, residential development, landscaping or even mining, you’re probably familiar with a “slinger.” That’s the common term for an all-terrain vehicle that uses a conveyor system to move and place material. But despite sharing a name, not all slingers are the same. Those manufactured by Conveyor Application Systems (CAS®), subsidiary of Rexius Inc., stand apart from the crowd. The only American-made slinger OEM brand on the market, CAS Slingers handle more types and higher volumes of material — and throw that material farther — than any slinger on the market today.

Product Overview

  • The most popular CAS Slinger is the AT7, a four-wheel-drive, all-terrain vehicle that’s operated via the operators’ wireless remote control, making it perfect for safely placing material in hard-to-reach areas that might otherwise put operators at risk.
  • Materials such as rock, soil, mulch and concrete to name a few are no match for CAS Slingers. The AT7’s twin-on-tracks, the TR20, is nearly identical in every way — with the exception of its low-ground-pressure tracked platform. Emitting a mere 4-7 pounds per square inch (psi) of ground pressure as it travels, the TR20 is ideal for jobs on soft terrain like sandy beaches, wetlands or on sloped areas.
  • Both models can be easily transported from job site to job site, adding to their versatility. The AT7 and TR20 are powered by Cat® industrial engines — in this case, the Cat C7.1 U.S. EPA Tier 3 and Tier 4 Final models. Having a Cat engine in machines bring a higher level of quality that would be expected with the Caterpillar name.
  • Today’s C7.1 powered AT7 and TR20 models give operators 225 horsepower — more than 2.5 times as much as the AT7's predecessor — allowing them to operate multiple functions simultaneously such as independently steering all four wheels, traversing difficult terrain and placing material at extreme distances or large volumes. This makes the machines much more efficient and is a huge time saver for customers.

Cat Engine Overview

  • The Cat C7.1 industrial engine is offered in power ratings up to 320 hp (239 kW) and peak torque 1268 Nm (935 lb-ft) allowing for downsizing while still getting more responsiveness and productivity than ever before.
  • Highly-efficient fuel and turbocharging systems are specially configured to meet a wide range of machine operating cycles while also reducing fuel consumption, up to 20% when downsizing from a larger engine platform.
  • With technologically-advanced fuel-injection and SCR systems, the C7.1 reduces the need for DEF consumption, so overall costs remain low.
  • The newest thermal management systems and catalysts mean your aftertreatment is fit for the life of your engine.
  • When you've got options, you can keep design and installation costs low. The C7.1 has a wide range of configurable options including one that's fit for your machine application.

Profile

CUSTOMER: CAS® Slingers

PRODUCT: CAS All-Terrain Slingers

LOCATION: Eugene, Oregon

SCOPE OF ENGINE USE: Cat C7.1 U.S. EPA Tier 3 and Tier 4 Final Industrial Engines

CAT DEALER: Peterson Power Systems

NOT ALL SLINGERS ARE CREATED EQUAL

If you work in construction, residential development, landscaping or even mining, you’re probably familiar with a “slinger.” That’s the common term for an all-terrain vehicle that uses a conveyor system to move and place material. But despite sharing a name, not all slingers are the same. Those manufactured by Conveyor Application Systems (CAS®), subsidiary part of Rexius Inc., stand apart from the crowd. The only American-made slinger OEM brand on the market, CAS Slingers handle more types and higher volumes of material — and throw that material farther — than any slinger on the market today.

The most popular CAS Slinger is the AT7, a four-wheel-drive, all-terrain vehicle that’s operated via the operators’ wireless remote control. Because it’s unmanned, it’s perfect for safely placing material in hard-to-reach areas that might otherwise put operators at risk. CAS All-Terrain Slingers can place up to nine yards of material per minute or sling it as far as 150 feet in distance. Materials such as rock, soil, mulch and concrete to name a few are no match for CAS Slingers. The AT7’s twin-on-tracks, the TR20, is nearly identical in every way — with the exception of its low-ground-pressure tracked platform. Emitting a mere 4-7 pounds per square inch (psi) of ground pressure as it travels, the TR20 is ideal for jobs on soft terrain like sandy beaches, wetlands or on sloped areas.

Both models can be easily transported from job site to job site, adding to their versatility. The AT7 and TR20 are powered by Cat® industrial engines — in this case, the Cat C7.1 U.S. EPA Tier 3 and Tier 4 Final models. “When you put a Cat engine in your machine, it legitimizes that machine. It brings the quality expectation to a much higher level,” says Don Lindsey, CAS’s Marketing and Operations Manager.

NO REPLACEMENT FOR DISPLACEMENT

Since the early 2000s, when Rexius acquired CAS, the company has consistently increased engine horsepower to improve machine functionality and maintain its industry-leading performance. The AT7’s predecessor, for example, had just 87 horsepower. Today’s C7.1 powered AT7 and TR20 models give operators 225 horsepower — more than 2.5 times as much — allowing them to operate multiple functions simultaneously such as independently steering all four wheels, traversing difficult terrain and placing material at extreme distances or large volumes. “Competitive products have extremely limited functionality, but with high horsepower Cat engines, CAS Slingers have more than enough displacement to perform three or four functions at once. It’s much more efficient and a huge time saver for our customers,” Lindsey says.

Performance under pressure. In addition to higher horsepower, today’s CAS Slingers feature upgraded hydraulic systems that run at extremely high pressure — as much as 6,000 psi, which is about three times that found inside a natural gas pipeline. “That amount of pressure puts greater demand on the engine, so we worked closely with the CAS team to select the right model for the job. The C7.1’s power band, power curve and horsepower aligned perfectly with their parameters,” says Don Muth, OEM Account Manager for Cat dealer Peterson Cat.

No need to sacrifice. The close working relationship between CAS and Peterson Cat paid off during the transition to Tier 4 Final. The AT7 and TR20 are compact machines with limited engine compartment space, so accommodating the slightly larger Tier 4 Final engines presented a few challenges. “Others went down in power so they could use an engine with a smaller footprint, but we weren’t willing to do that. We worked closely with Peterson’s engineers to make slight adjustments to our design without sacrificing horsepower and performance,” Lindsey says.

Small in size, big on service. It’s not just Peterson Cat that CAS has come to rely on. The company considers the global Cat dealer network an extension of its service team, and it gives AT7 and TR20 owners confidence that there’s always an expert nearby to address any issues that may arise and minimize downtime. In fact, CAS has even turned to Cat dealers at times to troubleshoot non-engine-related issues. “We are a small-medium sized OEM. Working with Cat gives us a much larger global presence,” Lindsey says. “When a Cat Service Technician arrives on site, they represent our company in the manner we want to be represented.”

“WHEN YOU PUT A CAT® ENGINE IN YOUR MACHINE IT LEGITIMIZES THAT MACHINE. IT BRINGS THE QUALITY EXPECTATION TO A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL.”