Caterpillar Tears Down 9-Story Buildings With New 352 UHD Demolition Excavator

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Cat’s new 352 UHD Ultra High Demolition excavator can take down structures eight or nine stories high. (Photo courtesy of Caterpillar.)

Caterpillar’s new 352 UHD Ultra High Demolition excavator can take down structures eight or nine stories high, then switch to a straight or bent retrofit boom position to tackle the lower levels and digging tasks. At its maximum, the machine boasts a 91.8-foot (28-meter) vertical height to its tool attachment pin. It can use an 8,150-pound (3,697-kilogram) tool at that height, and it can reach horizontally out to 51 ft (15.5 m). It takes two workers only 15 minutes to change the 352 UHD’s boom configuration, Cat says, and the operation requires no special tools.

Visibility & Control

The cab of the new Cat demolition excavator can tilt 30 degrees to give the operator visibility on its extensive reach. A work tool camera is a dealer option that seems like a smart upgrade, considering the height at which the demolisher can work. Cameras for the right and rear views come standard. Washer/wipers keep the P5A-rated front and roof laminated glass clean on a dusty demolition site, and a falling objects guard structure (FOGS) protects the cab.

A heated, cooled, premium seat comes standard in the 352 UHD; it uses enhanced viscous mounts to cut vibration in the cab by up to 50% over previous models. Controls include a 10-inch touchscreen with operation and maintenance tutorials, along with fully programmable joysticks that can retain individual operators’ settings to control the electro-hydraulic system. The Cat Active Stability Monitoring system keeps tabs on the work tool’s position and alerts the operator if it becomes less stable.

With its retrofit boom, the excavator can use the Cat GRADE with 2D grade control system, swing e-fencing, and the Cat Payload weighing system. The latter can use VisionLink and Product Link telematics for remote management of production targets.

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The 352 UHD can wield an 8,150-pound demolition tool at a 91.8-foot height, and switch out to a retrofit boom for lower-level tasks. (Photo courtesy of Caterpillar.)

Powerful Performance

The 352 UHD is motivated by a 408-horsepower, Tier 4 Final/EU Stage V C13 engine, which can run on diesel or B20 biodiesel. Its fuel efficiency benefits from a new hydraulic reversing fan. The motor has a new air filter with a precleaner that holds double the dust, Cat says.

Meanwhile, the excavator has an improved hydraulic oil filter and an automatic oil warmer to bring the hydraulic system up to operating temperature. The hydraulics also activate the machine’s variable-gauge undercarriage, which can retract from a 13-ft (4-m) working width to a 10-ft (3-m) transport width.

With its retrofit straight boom and a 4-cubic-yard (3-cubic-meter) bucket, the new Cat has a maximum digging depth of 21.8 ft (6.7 m) and a max ground level reach of 38.92 ft (11.9 m). Retrofit sticks are available in 9.4-ft (2.9-m) and 11-ft (3.35-m) lengths. Depending on the boom configuration, the 352 UHD can use tools such as multi-processors, grapples, shears, and hydraulic hammers.

Source: Caterpillar