Cat’s 6015 Mining Shovel Gets a Substantial Refresh. Here's the Scoop

There is no more epic a machine than a mining shovel. Just look at that giant revolving superstructure. That massive undercarriage (somehow still too small). Those bucket payloads registering at 15 to 70 tons. In fact, let’s take a closer look at mining shovels today since we’re talking about it. Caterpillar just announced a pretty substantial update to its Cat 6015 hydraulic mining shovel. The refresh focuses on everything from hydraulics and bucket linkages to undercarriages and aftertreatment. Let’s dig in.

The basics on the Cat 6015

If you can believe it, the 6015 is Caterpillar’s smallest surface mining and construction shovel. It’s designed to move a high-volume of material across a broad range of markets ranging from mining to heavy construction. Overburden. Iron ore. Coal. Limestone. This model can dig, load, and move dense, abrasive materials all day long. The 6015 is most often paired with haul trucks in mining and quarry operations. From the press release:

"With its 14.6-tonne (16.1-ton) bucket payload, the shovel provides proven pass match efficiency with Cat 773, 775 and 777 haul trucks operating in the 55- to 90-tonne-class (61- to 100-ton-class) range. It delivers flexible and productive loading efficiency across a full spectrum of applications, including mining, quarry and aggregate, heavy construction, and industrial," said Ryan Mitchell, product value stream manager, hydraulic mining shovels, Caterpillar

The 6015 pairs a powerful Cat C27 engine producing about 824 hp (615 kW) with a 16.1-ton bucket payload and a 154.3-ton operating weight. This unit also comes in flexible configurations with interesting options — cold-weather packages, access packages (for maintenance), varied sticks and track pads, and a wide range of buckets. Now let’s talk about what’s new.

Hydraulics and joystick operation get updated

“Boom-lowering float valves provide faster movements by using gravity, rather than hydraulic pumps, to lower the boom and increase efficiency, allowing the pumps to support other functions simultaneously. Improving energy efficiency while generating less heat, the 6015’s closed-loop swing system feeds captured swing motion kinetic energy back to the system during deceleration, providing more power to drive the main and auxiliary pumps.”

No DEF, autolube, and undercarriage protection 

As mentioned, the 6015 runs a 615-kW Cat C27 engine. It also meets Tier 4 Final and EU Stage V standards without diesel exhaust fluid. This unit touts a new maintenance-free, non-selective-catalytic-reduction aftertreatment solution that does not require DEF. No tanks, heaters, or dosing systems. Take note fleet masters. There are also two alternative engine configurations, supporting lower-regulation regions. One meets China Nonroad Stage III. The other targets fuel efficiency at U.S. Tier 1 equivalent levels.

The 6015 now includes a standard bucket linkage autolube system. Manual greasing is no longer required, and the new grease tank supports 500-hour service intervals. The slew bearing also features a new triple roller design. Then there’s a new heavy-duty undercarriage protection package, which includes “heavy-duty idlers and rollers plus improvements to track pads, track tensioning, and wear volume.”  

Service access, safety, and telematics  

Fleet managers and machine techs will appreciate that the 6015 improves hose routing for better durability and faster replacement. Cat notes that dealers can build hoses to length without waiting for custom parts. The 6015 design also shares parts with other Cat hydraulic shovels. This reduces spare inventory for mixed fleets. Service access improved across the machine. The engine compartment opens more easily. The ground-level service station reduces climbing. There’s also wide anti-slip walkways and an optional powered 45-degree stairway, both of which improve safe access. The machine integrates Product Link Elite and MineStar Health for remote condition monitoring. Definitely worth noting: Cat Electronic Technician (ET) enables service techs to diagnose and execute engine maintenance and monitor that new pilot pump system.

The scoop 

The 6015 anchors the lower end of Cat’s hydraulic mining shovel lineup, and this new update secures that anchor even further. Fuel savings come from smarter hydraulics. Uptime comes from better undercarriage design. Serviceability improves through simplified hose routing. This unit avoids DEF. Joystick operation gets smoother. This 6015 update adds even more efficiency and technology to a massively cool earthmoving shovel.