Caterpillar honored by Equipment World with two Innovation Awards

Caterpillar is innovative. Two Cat machines were recently awarded Equipment World's Innovation Award, taking the title for being the first company to be awarded for two products in the same year.

The Cat^® 336E Hydraulic Excavator and 966K XE Wheel Loader were honored at a ceremony in Peoria, Ill, January 24.

"As you may suspect, this is not the first innovation award that Caterpillar has gotten," said Marcia Gruver, editorial director for Construction Media - Equipment World. "But this occasion does mark a first. It marks the first time that we have given two awards to one manufacturer in the same year. We felt both the 336E and the 966K XE deserve this recognition."

The 336E H Excavator was awarded the Innovation Award because of its hydraulic hybrid system. The system conserves, optimizes and reuses the maximum amount of energy created by the engine, with efficiencies as high as 50 percent. The 966K XE Wheel Loader was recognized because it reaches the same goals as the 336E, but with a split-power, continuously variable transmission that can reach up to 25 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, according to Equipment World's Website.

"There are some products that really stand out and that's certainly the case for the two products we're honoring today," Gruver said. "Our innovation awards are designed to honor bold thinking and creative engineering that really brings value to the user."

Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman accepted the awards, complimenting the teams who worked to make the two award-winning machines a possibility.

"I think that over the last decade or so, a new focus has been made toward product innovation, manufacturing excellence and deep design expertise. I think it's conspired to drive a lot of innovation. There's not any one individual who did this," Oberhelman said. "I'm very proud of the company and proud of all of you. I expect to see a lot more of this. This really is a great win for us."

Caterpillar has won four Innovation Awards from Equipment World in the past.