CRADLE TO GRAVE •
The new product, which replaces both slip-style and press-fit joints, needs no hydraulic tooling and presses, allowing operators to safely remove and install tracks without any additional equipment.“ Improperly managed undercarriages cause downtime and cost money,” says Tim Nenne, senior market professional for Caterpillar.“ This product is available for any standard hydraulic excavator with a 7.5 pitch size class, making in-field track installation both simple and safe.”
“ We all know how time-consuming both slip-style and press-fit joints can be to replace,” he continues,“ but after all that effort, they’ re not infallible either.” Nenne says that the company focused on durability when developing the new link, making durability a feature alongside convenience, speed and safety.
Extensive press-out testing has shown that the product offers 25 % higher pin retention compared to the press-fit master and up to a 50 % improvement in joint life compared to the slip-fit master.“ Tool-less solutions are often seen as a temporary quick-fix, but with the Track Clamp, we’ ve set a new standard: it may not require hydraulic tooling, it may be quick, but it’ s certainly not temporary,” points out Nenne.
The new product, which replaces both slip-style and press-fit joints, needs no hydraulic tooling and presses, allowing operators to safely remove and install tracks without any additional equipment.
It is widely used across a variety of hydraulic excavators and covers all types of undercarriages, including general duty, heavy duty and heavy duty XL. Alongside the company’ s Custom Track Service, Undercarriage Assurance Programmes and renowned worldwide parts availability. •
Source: supplied by Caterpillar The new product replaces both slip-style and press-fit joints.
Supplied by Caterpillar
By Mukwandi Chibesakunda, Chief Executive Officer, Zanaco Plc.
INSIGHT •
AFRICA’ S FUTURE MAY WELL LIE IN THE SUN
Across the African continent, one topic increasingly dominates conversations in boardrooms, parliaments and everyday households: energy. When the grid fails and the lights go out, the consequences cascade through industry, education, health services and family life.
Energy has therefore moved beyond being a purely economic matter; it has become a deeply political one, shaped by national policies that determine how securely and sustainably the continent will be powered.
In the era of climate change, the need for innovative and resilient energy systems has never been more urgent.
Zambia is a good case in point. With 85 % of its electricity generated from hydropower, the country remains highly vulnerable to weather extremes. The drought of two years ago exposed this fragility. By May 2024, Zambia could only produce 900 megawatts against a demand of 2 400 megawatts, a shortfall of roughly 750 megawatts. The economic impact was immediate and severe. Some businesses survived on costly generators; others did not survive at all.
Once seen as the bedrock of national energy security, Zambia’ s large hydroelectric dams are now reminders of the need for deeper diversification. Encouragingly, the country is witnessing a surge in solar installations at both household and industrial levels.
With vast land and abundant sunshine, solar energy could become one of Zambia’ s most reliable pathways to energy resilience.
Supplied by Africa Energy Indaba
But the promise of the sun and of all renewable
Mukwandi Chibesakunda, CEO, Zanaco Plc.
technologies hinges on one stubborn barrier: financing. Across Africa, inadequate financing remains the single greatest obstacle to universal energy access.
Unless governments, financiers and private players work in alignment, millions will remain in the dark. In Zambia, rural electricity access is still just 34 %. Zambia’ s Energy Compact aims to install 10 000 megawatts of renewable capacity by 2030. Achieving this will require nearly USD12-billion in private investment, almost half of the country’ s GDP.
www. africanmining. co. za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • March 2026 • 37