Cat to expand research center in China
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 05 January 2012 17:14
- Written by Paul Gordon
Caterpillar Inc. plans to expand its research and development center in Wuxi, China, to develop more products tailored to the demands of Caterpillar customers in that country and other markets, the company said.
Announcement of the plans came just two years after the multifunctional research and development center at Wuxi first opened, a reflection of the growth in demand for Caterpillar products, the company said in a news release.
Already Caterpillar employs more than 500 engineers and support staff there. It did not say if employment at the R&D facility will expand as well when the expansion is completed in June.
"China is the largest construction equipment market in the world and Caterpillar continues to invest in China to help our Chinese customers succeed and to position Caterpillar for long-term leadership in China," said Tana Utley, Caterpillar vice president and chief technology officer. "The Wuxi R&D center is enabling Caterpillar's product development success in China and other growth markets."
The center is strategically located in Jiangsu Province, near Caterpillar's component manufacturing campus in Wuxi that began production in 2006, the engine campus in Wuxi that began production in 2009, and the medium wheel loader and motor grader manufacturing facility in Suzhou that began production in 2009, the company said.
It will also be near the company's Asia Pacific Proving Ground and the large wheel loader manufacturing facility in Tongzhou, both of which broke ground on Thursday.
"We are committed to developing sustainable and cost competitive local R&D resources to help Caterpillar compete in China and other growth markets," said Brian X. Sun, director of Caterpillar's Product Development & Global Technology Division with responsibility for China R&D Centers. "The expansion of the Wuxi R&D center will strengthen collaboration among cross-functional engineering teams and with suppliers, enabling integrated product development to ensure Caterpillar provides products with the right value/cost relationship to customers."
The Wuxi R&D center is being developed in a multi-phased approach. The phase announced this week will add engine test cells for light, medium and heavy-duty, as well as high horsepower engines. It will also include more labs for fuel systems, electronics, hydraulics, cooling, roll-over protection and virtual reality, as well as other component and system labs. The center will also have extended design capabilities, the company said.
