Lasers at Work in Mississippi for Caterpillar Remanufacturing

Laser cleaning allows Cat Reman Salvage Development to resurrect parts from scrap
Nov 11, 2014 12:00 PM ET

Technology is also yielding process improvements at Cat Reman in Mississippi. Here, we have greatly improved the cleaning process of components by adopting technology that allows parts to be cleaned with laser light rather than chemicals. Conventional cleaning involves chemical solvents that create a variety of environmental hazards and wastes and is subject to strict regulation.

The new laser cleaning technology is not only cost effective but increases cleaning quality, cuts the cycle time on products by as much as 50 percent, and allows Cat Reman Salvage Development to clean certain parts without a full disassembly of the product. In addition, an air filtration system installed to extract the dust and fumes generated by laser cleaning improves working conditions for employees.

Click here to read more about Caterpillar remanufacturing and other topics in the 2013 Sustainability Report.

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