With customers and trade press gathered after nightfall at its proving grounds in Tinaja Hills the strains of ACDC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ rang out.

Fireworks lit up the sky and then, out of left field – literally – came a couple of scrapers that launched into what can only be described as some circle work to the tune of Van Halen’s Panama.

That circle work certainly stirred up the Arizona dust, giving the laser light show something to bite on.

Not to be outdone out there was some synchronised excavator action and then out came the dozers, some wheel loaders and, what would have been the main act in any other show, the Crack Caterpillar Skid Steer Precision Driving Squad.

The CCSSPDS proceeded to unveil a bit of a skid steer ballet, which was actually more majestic than it sounds.

One Caterpillar source mentioned that a lot of hard work, and shredded tyres, have gone into the CCSSPDS’s sweet moves.

But amid the fireworks, the dust, the circle working scrapers and the dancing skid steers there was one thing everyone had been brought there to see.

With an ominous rumble a phalanx of haul trucks parted and there it was – the 6020B in all its glory.

Normally ICN sister publication MiningNews.net would not concern itself with a machine of this size.

Normally, when the literature says “ideally sized to pair with the Cat 777 truck” this publication starts to move on. But after such a show, how could it be ignored?

Also, after such a challenging history, how could MNN turn away?

Plans for the 6020 started in 2010.

Back then it was being built by Bucyrus, which was in the throes of acquiring the mining assets of Terex.

A year later Caterpillar had taken over Bucyrus and the move to do away with the white and mauve and replace it with Caterpillar yellow began in earnest.

Caterpillar new product introduction manager Anita Russwurm, who has been with the project right from the beginning, said voice of the customer had driven the machine’s requirements.

“This machine is based on hundreds of customers’ comments,” she said.

“Our customers wanted three things – safety, reliability and visibility.”

On the reliability front, there has clearly been some clever thought put into the machine.

From a maintenance point of view there are key service points at ground level. The power module has been designed so a technician can walk right through it to conduct maintenance.

Should that power module fail, it is a surprisingly simple procedure to unclip it and a crane can lift it off so it can be replaced with a standby one.

On the visibility front the 6020 has a section of glass in the floor beneath the operator’s pedals.

This gives exceptionally good visibility of what the operator is digging and where the machines tracks are.

So far Caterpillar has three of the machines out on field follow trials – one in Finland, one in Canada and one in Suriname – and the fourth undergoing testing and putting on the odd show, at Tinaja Hills.

Talk about extremes. In Suriname the Rosebel gold mine experiences more than two metres of rain a year, meaning for very wet conditions underfoot.

In Canada and Finland it is the opposite, with extreme cold being the challenge.

Indeed, the machine that was sent to Quebec was put together in January, when temperatures hit -50C.

Even so the machine was put together in 13 days.

With all of the tools available and much warmer conditions when the technicians are not doing Bibendum [Michelin Man] impersonations due to their cold weather gear, they can put it together in eight to 10 days.