Cat’s new High Performance Circle for motor graders delivers increased uptime and performance

The new High Performance Circle (HPC) design is now available for the Caterpillar 140 JOY, 150 JOY, and 160 JOY motor graders, designed to eliminate hours of monthly planned maintenance for frequent inspection, wear strip replacement, and circle shoe adjustments associated with conventional circle designs. 

New features on the updated motor graders 

Adopted from the Cat excavator swing drive and 14 motor grader worm drive, the HPC features a fully sealed bearing design. It replaces the previous open circle and drawbar, reducing operator touchpoints, extending service intervals, and improving machine uptime. Additionally, the HPC provides smooth blade rotation and assists in meeting job site and road design elevation tolerance. 

The new HPC maintains the same machine connection interface as the standard drawbar/circle/moldboard. An innovative pinion gear shape with a large shaft diameter delivers durable operation and allows the drive to be removed vertically without drive adjustments. Dowel locators precisely position motors for simplified servicing, optimal tooth contact, and long pinion life. Its new design improves component reliability to reduce downtime and maintenance costs.

The new design significantly increases wear life between the circle and drawbar, and it reduces the likelihood of excessive clearance between the circle and drawbar surface. The centrally located grease bank offers quick and easy servicing, while the easily accessible ring gear provides quicker inspection and maintenance.

Beyond lowering the total cost of ownership, less required maintenance reduces component handling to properly maintain the machine, which improves safety for service technicians. If the circle teeth have reached their wear limit, they can be rotated 180 degrees to double the component's service life.