Designed for use in heavy-duty off-highway machines serving the construction, industrial, and agricultural sectors, the Cat C9.3B engine delivers 335 to 455 hp (250 to 340 kW) and 1535 lb·ft (2081 N·m) of torque. It will meet Stage V, Tier 4 Final, and below emissions standards.

“This is a big deal for us for the Industrial Division of Caterpillar,” Ramin Younessi, Vice President of the Industrial Power Systems Division at Caterpillar, said at the engine’s unveiling at Bauma 2016 in Munich. “This is truly a global product...This engine is the heart of the Cat machine as well as being offered in many industrial applications. We have invested a significant amount of money and significant amount of resources in redesigning it. We basically redesigned the air system, the electronics, the aftertreatment system, as well as the turbos in order to improve the efficiency and the performance of the engine.”

Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman also was on hand to unveil the C9.3B and added, “It’s not very often that we get to introduce a brand new engine. One that’s simple, easy, efficient, CO₂ efficient, and will virtually change our customers lives.”

Proven core, redesigned add-ons

Built on a proven core that’s been in production since 2004, the 6-cylinder turbocharged C9.3B delivers 18% more power and torque, and has a simplified and 30% smaller aftertreatment compared to the previous Stage/Tier. System mass has been reduced by 210 lb (95 kg) while a simplified air system allows for smaller radiator packaging.

“It’s not a new platform; it’s an evolution of the current platform,” said Victoria Reeves, Caterpillar Industrial Product Marketing Manager, talking to Off-Highway Engineering at Bauma. “What we’ve really done is make modifications around that core, the add-ons, to really get those benefits.”

Ease of installation has been supported through engine-mounted aftertreatment (EMAT), while uptime is maximized due to the compact and lightweight diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), diesel particulate filter (DPF), and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system. Multiple configurations of aftertreatment will be available to support packaging flexibility. For example, the smaller DOC cylinder can be separated from the larger cylinder containing the DPF/SCR, so they can be installed in different areas in the application, Reeves explained.

“One of the key feedback we got from some of the machine customers is, they struggled to fit such a big unit in without impeding some of the machine design,” she said. “What this [new design] enables them to do is keep some of the machine design, like bonnet lines and things like that, within the current canopy size and fit this product in.”

A combination of three different things led to the smaller packaging footprint, according to Reeves. “We took the decision to remove the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) components, which has allowed us to get a more efficient burn to push the power density up. But it also helps us with...the aftertreatment sizing.”

A next-generation fuel system enables better control of the injection pressures and the timing to support more power and a cleaner burn. “And the last thing is, aftertreatment technology has evolved. We’ve learned a huge amount and [the engineers] are continuously downsizing their products and getting better efficiencies out of smaller products.”

Optimized electronic architecture supports connectivity mission

Another key change from an architecture point of view relates to the ECM—moving from three ECMs (engine control modules) on the previous product to just one on-engine-mounted ECM for the new C9.3B.

“That eliminates the need for customers to create a lot of interconnect harnesses for the system, which is cost in design and more complicated,” Reeves said.

The hardware and software has been updated to the latest technology, she noted, which will help support a major goal for the company on the machine side of the business: to be an industry leader in digital technology and connectivity.

“We want to make sure our engine is ready to integrate with all of that. So all of our electronic engines can integrate with telematics solutions today, but [now it’s] the latest technology. We call this OEA, which is Optimized Electronic Architecture,” Reeves explained. 

Hardware enhancement includes an Ethernet port so customers can directly connect to the ECM for faster downloads in communication.

“For end users, being able to access all the features of telematics is a key thing moving forward, and on the machines everyone is asking for it, so we've got to be ready,” she said. And indeed she believes they are.