Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty, Ltd. (CUGM) has acquired the intellectual property of underground articulated truck designs from Ground Force Worldwide. This agreement will provide Caterpillar with additional design options in the 20-metric-tonnes and smaller payload class.
The Ground Force AT18E (18-metric-ton payload ejector) and AT20 (20-metric-ton payload) remain available for immediate order via Ground Force Worldwide. The company will showcase the AT18E at MINExpo 2016.
This acquisition follows the Sept. 24, 2015, announcement of CUGM acquiring the intellectual property of underground articulated truck designs from Specialised Vehicle Solutions Pty Ltd (SVS). The new Cat AD22, derived from the SVS UAT designs, is currently undergoing field trials with an expected market availability in 2017.