The regional Queensland city of Bundaberg was largely built on its sugar industry, with extensive sugarcane fields, mills, refineries and packaging and distribution plants all contributing to the city’s economy. One of the stalwarts of the region is Greaves Enterprises. More than 45 years of farming expertise has enabled Greaves to deliver reliable, economic and efficient machinery to the sugar industry and other primary producers. And, since the very beginning, Cat® has been part of the Greaves family.
Cameron Greaves says his grandfather Merv was building equipment and machinery in the 1960s and was involved in the development of the early mechanical cane harvester and the first Greaves Transporter in 1969. His father Paul carried on the tradition and designed a new model Greaves Transporter in 1994, and then in 2013 Cameron and his brother Ben worked with their father and grandfather to launch the Greaves R-Series cane transporter.
- Client Greaves Enterprises
- Completion Date TBC
- Industry Sugar
- Location Queensland
The R-Series cane transporter receives billets (small pieces of harvested cane) that, when at capacity, run to a drop-off point of rail bins that are pulled by locomotive to the sugar mill. Powered by a Cat C9 engine, the Greaves R-Series embodies a futuristic design with productivity-boosting features and advantages to deliver superior strength and rigidity without excess weight. “We need full confidence in our engines and service as the machine could go to the other side of the country, and we know Caterpillar’s serviceability will back up our product,” says Cameron Greaves.
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Productivity-Boosting Features
The speed factor of the R-Series greatly helps to deliver operating cost efficiencies
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Superior Strength
Works longer, harder and smarter and deliver more for less
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Rigidity Without Excess Weight
Excellent power-to-weight ratio to improve turnaround times
The relationship between Greaves and EPSA dates back to the advent of EPSA in 1992 but Greaves has been working with Caterpillar since the very beginning. “My grandfather was putting Cat 3160 engines into cane harvesters in 1970 and Cat 3208 engines into the Greaves Transporter from 1972,” says Cameron.
Today it is the Cat C9 engine that powers the new R-Series. The C9 was chosen because it boasts excellent power-to-weight ratio to improve turnaround times. “The speed factor of the R-Series greatly helps to deliver operating cost efficiencies. Comfort is also paramount in our design and the C9 provides a smoother ride and reduces fatigue for operators.”
The Cat C9’s durability, reliability and efficiency helps to deliver cost efficiencies because it will work longer, harder and smarter and deliver more for less. The Greaves advantage is that “we are the only self-propelled cane transporter manufacturer still left in Australia,” says Cameron. “Our competition are tractors towing a trailer, which don’t survive well in the harsh environment we operate in and many modern tractors have a short life expectancy and a low resale value.” “We have a client finally re-powering his three Greaves Transporters after 17 years of continuous service who says he would have been through at least nine tractors over this period. With minimal wearing parts and minimal downtime, more time is spent in the field getting the job done.”