A Climate-friendly Subway Built in Germany with the Support of Cat 966 XE

Zeppelin low-emission wheel loader 966 XE contributes to the construction of the U5 in Hamburg. The Cat 966 XE wheel loader features a continuous, branched-power gearbox. The loader is provided in “load and carry” mode, the material is transported over a certain distance and then unloaded. The new Cat 966 XE uses a variable power continuously shifting, improving fuel efficiency by up to 35% over conventional models.

The new metro line runs from Bramfeld to Altona via Winterhude, Jungfernstieg and Eppendorf. There is a large movement of material between the stops during digging. The infrastructure project aims to take into account the CO2 emissions generated locally and the entire supply chain. Thus, a climate-friendly subway is being built in Germany with the support of a Cat 966 XE.

The wheel loader used by the company, Helmuth Meyer Grauen, is characterized by a stepless branch. This is an advantage for the construction site of the new U5. For the construction of the metro, the new machine has to load large quantities of material. The loader is provided in “load and carry” mode, the material is transported over a certain distance and then unloaded.

“We manage the split wall warehouse. Having already managed gravel plants in the past, we know how to manage them and what we need. The strong point is a powerful machine”

explains Stefan Meyer, who has been on board since 1990, and is a joint partner with his brother Detlef, who is responsible for the technical department. In 2016, Kordian Meyer joined the company in the fourth generation and took over the management.

Two models of the 966 series – but with conventional propulsion – are already in use in the family business.

“Cat has been our choice for large wheel loaders since 2015 and their technology has left us satisfied”,

says Stefan Meyer.

The new Cat 966 XE uses a variable power continuously shifting, improving fuel efficiency by up to 35% over conventional models. The continuous and branched power variator combines hydrostat with converter, combining the advantages of both systems in a single drive, that is the ease and the continuous adjustability of the hydro-state with the high efficiency of a mechanical drive, Unbeatable in load conditions. The new transmission allows the engine to run almost always in the optimum range of revolutions. Thus, the fuel efficiency per tonne of material transported is superior to that of machines with traditional torque converters.

The new wheel loader is equipped with a hydraulic coupling. The Cat 966 XE is not only equipped with a soil-handling bucket, but also with a pallet fork that can be used to transport big bags. Michael Otto, sales representative of the Hamburg branch of Zeppelin, had delivered the new apparatus in this configuration at short notice. The construction machine has been approved and can travel at a maximum speed of 40 km/h on public roads, for this it also carries the number plate WL-HM-366.

The new Cat wheel loader has received – in line with the entire fleet – the same shade of royal blue and a silver inscription, Stefan Meyer says that they switched from grey to orange and then to blue. For the new work tool, it means that the wheel loader’s rims should also be matched to the frame and have been painted in royal blue as well. The entrepreneur explains that the overall framework must be adapted.

The company Helmuth Meyer Grauen has been in existence since 1927, when Stefan and Detlef Meyer’s grandfather started trading coal. Since 1960, the oil trade has been added. Another 20 years later, the company was expanded with excavation and container service.

The entrepreneur defines the range of fields of activity:

“In the meantime we have acquired a wide range of skills and accept all the material that we can prepare with our machines. The terrain at Appel has been improved, but sometimes the material is very clayey and therefore difficult to work with. We must then turn the soil several times to dry it in air, but here our experience comes to us.”

says Stefan Meyer.

In addition, construction debris is broken and recycled concrete is produced. “We are ready to continue processing and create new products,” explains the company’s CEO. Green waste is shredded and sieved to obtain compost soil from old wood and logs are made of wood chips and then sent to the burning provides a Jenz HEM 593 R Cobra, the shrub work and log with up to 560 millimeters Diameter processed, wood chips are also produced for own use. Because a wood chip heater produces the heat necessary for operation. Whatever materials are processed, they have one thing in common: In principle, it is always about a clean sorting. “This applies to everything we ship in our own 75 containers and transport eleven trucks. Our core business is the processing,” explains Stefan Meyer. The most diverse materials are not only prepared for further processing in their 25,000 square meter recycling yard, but also with the crusher and wheel loaders, they are directly transported to customers, where construction waste is handled. Just like for the U5.

A Climate-friendly Subway Built in Germany with the Support of Cat 966 XE published on The HeavyQuip Magazine.