A Turbocharged Relationship: 60 Years of Collaboration with Honeywell

July 16, 2015

The man was brilliant. So brilliant, he was the father of the first Caterpillar diesel engine – an accomplishment that cemented his legacy.

But the engine’s challenges still permeated through Art Rosen. The process to engineer a superior product was painful, but he knew the process would ultimately lead to perfection. 

When recalling one especially grueling project, he said, “We worked on that for many, many years until when finally we were at wits end with it. I remember it was Christmas one year and I sat down to work. It was quiet and could sit there by myself.” 

An engineer by trade, Rosen’s mind was always moving through the intricacies – every painstaking detail serving as a building block to the next big thing. 

In the early 1950s, Rosen was thinking about machines, and how they would eventually need a higher output. There were limitations because of weight and space, so Rosen turned to turbochargers to potentially give Cat® equipment a power boost. 

He called on Honeywell to provide the turbochargers. Back then, they were called Garrett Corporation and they were an industry leader in small gas turbines. Together, Caterpillar and Garrett worked to include turbochargers into the development of the D9 track-type tractor – what would be the world’s largest tractor at the time. 

By 1954, they had developed a finished product that was mechanically simpler than the original prototype, so much that it had half as many parts. Caterpillar placed an order for 5,000 production units, which was the single largest production order for turbochargers in the world. 

Then came the D9 – with a 286 horsepower turbocharged D353 engine, it was the world’s most powerful tractor. A brochure for the D9 read, “This means more working horsepower – greater performance.” 

It was a significant moment in Caterpillar’s history – not just because of the breakthrough innovation, but also because it marked the beginning of a 60-year relationship with Honeywell. 

Honeywell is still a supplier for turbochargers, and it also provides sensors and heat exchangers. Caterpillar also remanufactures turbochargers at its Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, facility. 

To put the relationship between the two companies in perspective, Honeywell uses five factories to support 21 Caterpillar facilities around the world. 

To celebrate the 60-year partnership, Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman and Honeywell Chairman and CEO Dave Cote rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. Click here to watch the replay of the broadcast.