Celebrating 100 Years of Metallurgy

History of Metallurgy at Caterpillar

Caterpillar Tractor Company was formed in 1925 by the merger of two fierce competitors in the early tractor business: Holt Manufacturing Company and the C.L. Best Tractor Company. The history of metallurgy at Caterpillar, however, started even before the company began. 

1919: Holt Manufacturing Company began operations in their first metallurgical laboratory in East Peoria, Illinois. A chief metallurgist and two chemists staffed the Met Lab which included a microscope, photography darkroom, lathe, drill press and various chemical analysis equipment. 

1920s-1930s: “Caterpillar Quality” was introduced and included, enlarging the Met Lab's chemical and physical analysis facilities and creating the first 1E specifications to capture metallurgical requirements. Metallurgical operations grew to include 16 personnel and the lab moved to a larger area to accommodate development of oils, wash tanks and bearing material testing. In 1931, Caterpillar was issued its first known patent in the field of metallurgy entitled “Furnace,” which disclosed a heat-treating furnace designed for more efficient maintenance. In the late 1930s, the important role of failure analysis was added.

1940s-1970s: In the 1940s, more labs were introduced expanding Caterpillar research and development in metallurgy, and a formal Metallurgical Engineering Rotational Development program was created that continues today. Also, in the 1940s, heat treat engineering was formed as a formal section and this would begin Caterpillar’s development of world-class heat-treating processes. In the mid-1950s, the first Caterpillar metallurgical laboratories outside the United States were formed in England and Scotland. In 1963, Research Metallurgy moved into the Technical Center in Mossville, Illinois, and led the industry in developing steels and performing a wide range of heat treatments and unique material testing.

1980s-2010s: Fast-forward to the 1980s, 20 metallurgical organizations existed globally, and worldwide materials engineer meetings began that brought the community together. The 1980s also marked the beginning of Caterpillar research into new materials processing techniques like thermal spray coatings, thin film coatings, and lasers, which would all be delivered into production by the late 1990s. Heat treat technology advancements would also be seen throughout this time period in areas like quenching, atmosphere control and equipment automation. Caterpillar continued to be a leader in driving technology and quality improvements in the steel industry. The Caterpillar Hardenability Calculator became the steel mill industry choice for calculation of hardenability and the basis for numerous industrial specifications. Additionally, there are many other materials engineering and processing innovations that were delivered to Caterpillar customers.

2019: Today, Caterpillar supports 48 global Met Labs, staffed by over 700 engineers and technicians in 13 different countries to support the ongoing enterprise need for expertise in metallurgy, heat treating, foundry, chemical engineering, non-destructive engineering, in-coming quality control and numerous other materials engineering and processing functions.