Cat Compact Wheel Loaders Capitalize on Precleaners at Charcoal Facility

In demanding work environments where dust, dirt and debris are a given, installing turbo Precleaners to protect valuable equipment and their engines is a critical strategy to reduce downtime, increase efficiency and lower maintenance costs. Improving productivity and extending equipment life are operational issues which have an important and direct effect on profitability, and one key way to cost-effectively achieve these goals is to use turbo Precleaners by Maradyne.

There is probably no environment better suited for precleaners than at a charcoal manufacturing facility, where airborne dust is the order of the day. Recently, a fleet of 12 Cat 908 compact wheel loaders operating at Timber Charcoal Co. in Salem, Mo., was outfitted with turbo Precleaners in an effort to protect their engines and maximize productivity. Todd Hamilton, operations manager for the company, decided to install the turbo III model 50 to combat the challenges posed by charcoal production and keep his compact equipment operating with less maintenance.

What sets turbo Precleaners apart from other precleaner brands is a straight-through airflow pathway which creates less air intake restriction to optimize engine power. Engineered paddles create centrifugal force which ejects up to 85 percent of contaminants through discharge ports. This unique design effectively removes airborne debris such as dust, dirt and moisture, including particles as small as one to two microns, ultimately allowing only filtered air into the engine for maximum performance.

Timber Charcoal has reported reduced equipment downtime in the four months since the compact wheel loaders were outfitted with turbo Precleaners. According to Hamilton, “We have been very happy with the turbo Precleaners. Our people do not have to worry about cleaning filters and dust bowls, and we are seeing an extended filter life.”
turbo Precleaners provides four different precleaner models designed for a wide range of equipment operating in light- to severe-duty applications. From compact equipment to rock crushers and surface drilling rigs, there are turbo Precleaners available to protect a variety of machines and their engines. A range of lower-CFM models fit many compact equipment applications, with the turbo III model 50 designed for engines requiring 200 to 500 CFM. All high-quality turbo Precleaners are independently tested to ISO 5011 standards, and some models are available with extended raincap, low-profile bull-nose or under-the-hood options.