Technical Innovations

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June 2008

Cat sets plan of attack on ac electric drive

"When we gave Caterpillar engineers the opportunity to design a brand new tractor from the ground up, two things happened," said David Nicoll, Commercial Manager, Track-type Tractors. "First, they were very excited and passionate about it because they don't get that opportunity very often. Second, they did some amazing things."
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April 2008

Nanonails enable electrically tunable surfaces

With a surface composed of tightly packed nanostructures that resemble tiny nails, thus the term "nanonails," University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers and their colleagues from Bell Laboratories have created a material that can repel almost any liquid. But with a jolt of electricity, the liquid on the surface slips past the heads of the nanonails and spreads out between their shanks, wetting the surface completely.
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March 2008

Ceramic coatings—from DPFs to steam-powered car

To operate efficiently, diesel particulate filters (DPFs) need to reach their high operating temperatures quickly if they are to meet legislative requirements for reduced emissions levels. Zircotec thermal coating has been developed to reduce heat loss in diesel exhaust systems, helping DPFs to reach their optimum operating temperature faster.
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