EPSILON meets Caterpillar

EPSILON Kran GmbH, a subsidiary of the PALFINGER Group that specializes in truck-mounted timber and recycling cranes, makes its customers significantly more successful in their job with its EPSOLUTION crane series. A series developed entirely with efficiency gains, ease of servicing and maintenance in mind.

In the middle of 2010 EPSILON and Caterpillar met for the first time to discuss a possible cooperation regarding loaders for forest machines. Already at that time it was clear, that there was a great understanding of each other’s requirements, needs and wishes and so it was only a matter of a few months until EPSILON has launched and presented a heavy lift forwarder crane for Caterpillar’s 20 ton forwarder- EPSILON’s X-Series forwarder crane range.

During the design EPSILON especially took care of Caterpillars initial idea to produce a very reliable forwarder in the 20t range. As a result the X120F (available with 8m reach single tele and 10,1m reach double tele), with its gross lifting capacity of 159 kNm, became a real workhorse that is ideally suitable for heavy duty applications. In addition the X-series incorporates EPSILON’s patented solutions EPSCOPE and EPSLINK and with its intelligent illumination system EPSLIGHT.

Beginning of 2011, after the first loader was inspected by Caterpillar’s engineers an exclusive cooperation agreement was signed, stating that EPSILON will be the preferred supplier of loaders for Caterpillar’s cut-to-length forest machines. To start with Caterpillar has placed the first order for 50 units of the X120F already to be fitted on the new Forwarder model 584.

Throughout next couple of years there shall follow further developments of cut-to-length products. EPSILON will therefore design a complete new range of cranes with some new and unique features that will be revolutionary for the industry. The Harvester crane range will be presented as part of EPSILON’s EPSOLUTION range and hence it will offer special solutions from EPSILON to increase customer’s performance even more.

Just recently the driving forces of both companies, John Carpenter (President of Caterpillar Forest Products Inc.) and Hans Friedrich (Managing Director of EPSILON Kran GmbH) met at Caterpillar’s forest products headquarters in LaGrange, Georgia, USA to finalize details of the cooperation and to celebrate the launch of the first CAT 584 with an EPSILON X120F mounted crane. Both gentlemen agreed that it is not just a good looking combination, but a truly promising one that will make it possible to gather the market share both companies expect.