Caterpillar marks ‘momentous occasion’ with delivery of 1000th motor grader

Construction and equipment manufacturer Caterpillar says it has marked a momentous occasion after it delivered its 1000th motor grader destined for Rio Tinto's operations in the Pilbara.

Caterpillar announced on Monday the 72-tonne Cat 24 motor grader — completed at Decatur in Illinois in the US last year — had come off the production line and delivered to Rio, bound for Paraburdoo.

Caterpillar area manager for large motor graders Florian Dumalle said it was a momentous occasion for the team at Decatur.

"These large machines have evolved over the past two decades to be a top performer with a great reputation in the mining industry," he said.

"It is great to celebrate this type of success together, and we look forward to seeing the next 1000 machines."

WesTrac mining general manager Shane Thomas said the handover marked another significant milestone in WesTrac and Caterpillar's relationship with Rio.

"The partnership has evolved over many years as Rio Tinto has continued to develop mines across Western Australia," he said.

Rio mining equipment general manager Ben Woffenden said the grader provided the right combination of power, weight and blade width to manage haul road maintenance at the miner's remote sites.

"The Cat 24 motor grader is a safe, reliable and high-performing machine, that plays a core role in building and maintaining haul roads across Rio Tinto's Pilbara and US operations," he said.

"This is the third-generation model we’ve used across our Pilbara mining operations and it is a privilege to take delivery of the 1000th machine from Caterpillar and WesTrac."

Seven Group Holdings, a major shareholder in Seven West Media, which publishes The West Australian, owns WesTrac.

Sign up for our emails