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WHEN Cat 395

excavator

THE CUSTOMER Operating Weight 94,000 kg

Net Power (ISO 9249)
404 kW
9.670 m
Maximum Digging Depth
Height
3.750 m
KNOWS BEST The idea behind Caterpillar’s Field Follow

Program is simple. Before you go into full-scale
production of a new machine, you create a machine
and test it in the field for 18-24 months.
CATERPILLAR HAS LEARNT THAT IF YOU WANT TO BUILD BETTER MACHINES,
THERE’S REALLY ONLY ONE PERSON YOU HAVE TO ASK AND THAT IS THE CUSTOMER. For Caterpillar, that means finding the most companies in Finland. My father founded the
challenging, rigorous real-world situation there is. company in 1965, and I can remember being a little
Which inevitably means asking an existing customer boy when he bought his first Cat machine. Now
to put the machine through its paces and telling we have a fleet of 250 machines and employ 450
us what works, what doesn’t, and how it can be people. So, we know how good their machines are.
better. With the dealer visiting them fortnightly and To be able to learn the new technology first as well
Caterpillar every six weeks for a full debriefing. as help improve the machines is a big privilege.”

Alfons Braun, Caterpillar FF Program Manager, has Even so, it still surprised Arto just how good the
worked with many machines in the FF Program for Next Gen excavator was. “The 390F was already
over 25 years, starting on the much-loved C-series. a good machine, but with the new Next Gen HEX
“For nearly five years, we’ve been working with the 395 excavator, we’ve seen a significant increase in
Next Gen HEX (Next Generation Hydraulic Excavators) productivity. Plus, fuel efficiency is also better when
series on this test phase. With the new Cat 395 calculating tons per liter. We’ve even loaded 95 tons
excavator, we first needed to find a partner to give the off highway trucks with the new 395 without any
machine to. Someone who was working the toughest issues. We also like very much the new technology
rocks, as we want to punish the physical structure. such as the weighting system (CPM) and 3D- machine
But also, who was working in the extreme cold.” control system. These have really helped our
operators to be even more efficient during the shift.”
This led Alfons and his team to Avesco Oy, the
Caterpillar dealership in Finland who knew exactly who Finally, asked if there was anything else he would like
to give it to. Mikko Raiskio, Product Manager at Avesco to say about being part of the FF program, Arto simply
Oy, takes up the story. “When we were contacted by replied with a smile, “I don’t think I want to sell this
Caterpillar, we knew the company that perfectly fit.” program to anyone else. I want to keep this for us.” ■
Hannu Jurvelin, Salesman and Account Manager at
Avesco Oy, knew them well. “E. Hartikainen Oy has been
around 50 years and has been a good Cat customer
for a long time. Back in 2004, they tested a 365 BL
Pilot machine, which they then bought at the end of the
program. A machine with 54,000 working hours that
they have only this year traded in for a second life!

Arto Hartikainen, CEO, E. Hartikainen Oy, couldn’t
be happier to be part of the project. “E. Hartikainen
Oy is one of the biggest mining and construction

“To be able to learn the new technology
first as well as help improve the
machines is a big privilege.”
Arto Hartikainen, CEO at E. Hartikainen Oy

Cat Magazine 9