New 3500C Marine Engine Ratings give Caterpillar the edge in ...

For Worldwide release February 17, 2005
Release Number: M04PR05
New 3500C Marine Engine Ratings give Caterpillar the
edge in displacement, semi-displacement and planing
hull yacht power stakes
More powerful 3500C 1800 rpm high displacement engines with ACERT ®
Technology offer enhanced fuel economy, engine life and power output
A combination of new hardware and software designs and the introduction of
Caterpillar’s revolutionary new ACERT Technology has enabled the US-based power
systems giant to offer significantly increased ratings for its world-beating 3500 Series
marine engine family. At the same time, these new ratings will deliver lower fuel
consumption, lower emissions, longer engine life and reduced maintenance costs.
Caterpillar’s new 3500C-HD (high displacement) 1800 rpm program, which features six
new engine ratings that offer up to 21 percent increased power ratings compared to the
current 3500B-HD Series II 1600 program (see Table 1), has created two new
displacement or semi displacement yacht engine ratings (‘C’ rating or ‘maximum
continuous’) as well as two new ratings (‘D’ rating or ‘intermittent duty’) which could be
suitable for displacement, semi displacement and planing hull yachts.
Cat ® 3500 engines for planing hull applications?
News
The ‘C’ ratings for 3516C-HD and 3512C-HD offer (respectively) 3195 mhp (2350 bkW)
and 2400mhp (1765 bkW) while the ‘D’ ratings offer 3435 mhp (2525 bkW) and 2575
mhp (1895 bkW) – twin engine options of 6870 mhp ((5050bkW) and 5150 mhp (3590
bkW) which would suit displacement, semi displacement and planing hull yachts of up to
50 meters in length.

As Caterpillar’s newly appointed Global Pleasure Craft Manager Jeff Greener explains,
the new 3500C engines, the latest in a family which has been the driving force behind
industries such as fishing, offshore supply, ferries, tugboats, crew and supply boats, short
sea cargo vessels and custom (mega) yachts around the world for more than a decade, are
now reaching the point where they are viable contenders for larger planing hull yachts
above 120’ as well as their more traditional displacement and semi-displacement
applications.
“The new 3500C-HD family presents opportunities for shipyards and yacht-builders to
achieve higher engine performance with lower costs, They provide more power for a
variety of vessels and configurations, delivering typically 20% more power with no
additional weight or engine footprint for displacement and semi-displacement hulls. With
a twin engine installation now offering up to 6870 mhp for twin engine applications at
our highest rating, these engines can also offer top quality planing hull propulsion power
for larger yachts.
“These ‘D’ rated engines also achieve exceptional reserve power for excellent
acceleration without the complexity of sequential turbocharging.”
Table 1. Engine Ratings Comparison
Model and
Rating
New
3500C-HD
Ratings at 1800 rpm
Current
3500B-HD
Ratings at 1600 rpm
2
Percent Power
Increase to
3500C-HD
bkW bhp mhp bkW Bhp mhp %
3516 “D” 2525 3385 3435 2088 2800 2839 21
3516 “C” 2350 3150 3195 2000 2680 2720 18
3516 “A” 1900 2550 2585 1825 2445 2480 4
3512 “D” 1895 2540 2575 1566 2100 2129 21
3512 “C” 1765 2365 2400 1500 2010 2040 18
3512 “A” 1425 1910 1940 1350 1810 1835 6

The Cat 3500 engine family has achieved sales of more than 12,000 in the marine market
since its introduction in 1980 making it the most popular engine in its power range in the
world. It has a reputation, working in some of the most testing and arduous environments
and applications on the planet, for delivering market leading performance and economy,
while outstanding levels of reliability and ease of installation and maintenance have been
a boon to operators and shipyards alike for many years.
The new engines are scheduled for production in June 2005 at Caterpillar’s Large Engine
Center (LEC) in Lafayette, Ind.
ACERT Technology Leads to Increased Ratings
Caterpillar developed the new engine ratings through a range of engine modifications,
including electronic control, or “software,” changes, as well as new components and
“hardware” developments. Caterpillar’s ACERT Technology provides higher ratings with
lower peak cylinder pressures, exhaust temperatures and smoke than current ratings (see
release ref MPC070105). In addition, new hardware technology used on the engines
includes an optimized injector spray angle and combustion crater, modular pulse exhaust
manifold, high-efficiency turbochargers, A3 ECM (Electronic Control Module), drilled
connecting rod, higher flow piston cooling jets and larger oil cooler.
3500C-HD Features
• Cat engine mounted plate type heat exchanger with integrated fuel cooler
• Rigid wiring harness providing more robust wiring system
• Power take-offs for auxiliary drives such as compressors and hydraulic drives
• Remote mounted Cat pilot house panels with integrated displays and controls
• User configurable Marine Power Display (MPD)
• Separate circuit and combined circuit cooling options with high capacity pumps
• A3 ECM, the most advanced engine control module for Cat marine engines
3

3516C-HD and 3512C-HD Engine Sizes
The Cat 3516C-HD engines are 60 o V 16 cylinder, 78 liter, 4 stroke marine diesel engines
with dry weights of about 7850 kg and dimensions of 3187 mm x 1753 mm x 1703 mm.
The 3512C-HD engines are 60 o V 12 cylinder, 58.6 liter engines with dry weights of
5554 kg and dimensions of 2819 mm x 1806 mm x 1703 mm.
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About Caterpillar Marine Power Systems
Caterpillar Marine Power Systems, with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, was created
to bring together all sales and service activities for Cat ® and MaK branded marine
products within Caterpillar Inc. This organization provides premier marine power
solutions (high and medium speed with outputs from 11 kW to 16,000 kW) and customer
service from a single source for the global commercial/ocean-going and pleasure craft
markets. The Caterpillar Marine Power Systems sales and service network includes more
than 1800 dealer locations worldwide and is well positioned to support the customers
wherever they are.
More information is available at www.cat-marine.com or www.mak-global.com.
About Caterpillar
For more than 75 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been building the world’s infrastructure and,
in partnership with its worldwide dealer network, is driving positive and sustainable
change on every continent. With 2004 sales and revenues of $30.25 billion, Caterpillar is
a technology leader and the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining
equipment, clean diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines.
More information is available at www.cat.com.
Editorial information for Editorial information for
Americas: Europe, Africa, Middle East
and Asia Pacific:
Monica Trepanier
Phone: +1 309 578-3985
E-mail: trepanier_monica_a@CAT.com
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Ronald Brügmann
Phone: +49 40 2380-3104
E-mail: bruegmann_ronald@CAT.com