Today’s trip to Caterpillar was once again in Clayton and at the CMDC, like yesterday. We began by meeting Jake in the lobby and being signed in, then split up to meet with various engineers for Caterpillar machines.
I worked with one of the engineers who designs engines for the Small Wheel Loaders. As it turns out, he did robotics in high school just like me! He taught me so much about Cat’s CAD software and cooling systems, and stressed the importance of working within tight constraints and with other team members. He also took me out to the testing fields so that we could inspect the components he designed.
After that, we had a meeting to discuss Caterpillar’s automation and remote control initiatives. It turns out that Caterpillar has remote operating stations which allow machines to be controlled from nearly anywhere on earth. (Here’s an interesting article about this) They also have remote controls to be used with line of sight to machines.
After discussing the various technologies Caterpillar offers, we were taken out to the testing fields to try the remote controls! One of the engineers set up two cones and Leonora, Atticus, and I all completed a figure eight around them.
Next came the main attraction “stick time,” the two words from our agenda which resonated with me most deeply these last three days. Jake drove us out to one of the more isolated testing fields, revealing two machines, one of which I’m allowed to show you.
After a brief overview of the controls, it was my turn to try out the 13 ton apparatus. It was so fun! After operating the machines for only around half an hour, I gained enormous respect for the people who use them daily, and the people who design them. The machines were extremely powerful and ripped through any earth in their way.
(Video of me using the backhoe loader.)
After our time with the machines, we ventured back to the offices for an engineering challenge and a tour of the 3d printing space. The engineering challenge was to find a way to fit a toolbox into one of the Small Wheel Loaders. The three of us brainstormed ideas, weighed their pros and cons, then chose the best solution. It was a great activity to understand how the engineering design process works in the real world.
We then looked at Caterpillar’s 3d printer, which extrude plastic out of a fine nozzle to create 3d plastic parts. It is used very often for rapid prototyping and testing within the design departments.
Thank you to everyone today for teaching me so much! I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn about Caterpillar’s engineering work and to try out the machines for myself.