Clean as Mud

• The company manufactures six MudPuppies today, all powered by Cat® industrial engines, with applications extending to geothermal drilling, mining, slurry wall construction and more. The MP255-100 and MP255-400 models need higher-horsepower, so they use the C7.1 U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final engines.
• These MudPuppies take all of the beating when it comes to the mud-cleaning system, so that customers' drills last longer and they are able to save money.
• MudPuppy takes pride in offering quality products at afforable prices, so having a product with excellent customer service and a strong warranty was key. Using Cat engines was the logical choice for them.
• Cat Holt of California supplies MudPuppy with Cat engines in a quick time frame, so they are able to keep their customers' running. 
• Being a part of the Cat dealer network means no matter where in the world a MudPuppy customer might be, they are not too far away from the support needed if any issues arise wih the engine.
  

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• The Cat C7.1 industrial engine is offered in power ratings up to 320 hp (239 kW) and peak torque 1268 Nm (935 lb-ft) allowing for downsizing while still getting more responsiveness and productivity than ever before.
• Highly-efficient fuel and turbocharging systems are specially configured to meet a wide range of machine operating cycles while also reducing fuel consumption, up to 20% when downsizing from a larger engine platform.
  
• With technologically-advanced fuel-injection and SCR systems, the C7.1 reduces the need for DEF consumption, so overall costs remain low.
  
• The newest thermal management systems and catalysts mean your aftertreatment is fit for the life of your engine.
  
• When you've got options, you can keep design and installation costs low. The C7.1 has a wide range of configurable options including one that's fit for your machine application.
  

Customer:

MudPuppy Inc

Product:

MP255-100 & MP255-400 Pumps

Location:

Woodland, California

Scope of Engine Use:

Cat® C7.1 U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final/EU Stage V Engine

Cat Dealer:

Holt California

An Ace in the Hole

It may sound like an oxymoron, but the concept of “clean mud” is at the foundation of MudPuppy Inc.’s successful three-decades-old business. The company’s primary customers are water well drilling contractors, who must create a wall cake out of a mud mixture to keep the hole of a well open during drilling. Dirty mud not only weakens that wall cake, risking a cave-in, but also damages expensive drill rigs, shortening their life.

MudPuppy Inc.’s mud-cleaning systems solve these problems by removing rocks, sand and debris from mud with a single piece of equipment. That’s a big change from the traditional process, which requires hauling multiple machines to a site, digging a large pit, filling it with water and mud, and removing it all when the job is done. “You just bring your drill rig and MudPuppy to a site, and you’re rocking and rolling,” says Craig Henderson, owner of MudPuppy Inc. “That saves on manpower, overheads, jobsite set-up time — it can pay for itself on a single job.”

The company manufactures six MudPuppies today, all powered by Cat® industrial engines, with applications extending to geothermal drilling, mining, slurry wall construction and more. MP255-100 and MP255-400 models, with higher horsepower C7.1 U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final engines, also include a mud pump for even greater drill rig protection. “We put the mud pump where it should be — with the mud-cleaning system. Our equipment takes the beating, so our customers’ drill rigs last longer, and they save money,” Henderson says.

Starting with a Clean Slate

MudPuppy Inc. made the switch to Cat engines several years ago when it was time to transition to U.S. EPA Tier 4 Final models. The company takes pride in offering a quality product at an affordable price, backed by excellent customer service and a strong warranty — and support from the previous engine supplier wasn’t meeting those high expectations. “I need to know my customers will be taken care of,” Henderson says. “I believe 100% that through Caterpillar, they will be. And that means I’m able to sleep at night.”

Made to last. Another point of pride for MudPuppy Inc. is building products that stand up to the challenging conditions of a drilling site. The company makes its pumps out of chrome alloy, for example, because it lasts twice as long as the ductile iron used on other mud-cleaning systems. Adding Cat engines only enhances each MudPuppy’s reputation for reliability. “Guys run our machines day in, day out, in rough environments, because people need water, and they need it now. Our contractors can’t be down,” Henderson says. 

Speed and service. When demand for mud-cleaning systems rises, MudPuppy Inc. counts on Cat dealer Holt of California to supply the engines fast. During a recent rush, Holt came through with same-day delivery on a C7.1 engine, enabling a contractor to put his new MudPuppy to work the next morning. “We recognize that demand can ebb and flow, so we keep warehouse space set aside,” says Dave Leinfelder, Industrial Engine Sales Engineer at Holt of California. “We do everything we can to keep them running, so they can keep their customers running.” 

Support to keep the water flowing. To keep drillers drilling, fast parts delivery and local service are essential. MudPuppy Inc. knows it gets both with the worldwide Cat dealer network — regardless of the country in which a contractor is working or the remoteness of the location. Even better, the need for support so far has been minimal. “Our customer service calls on Cat engines are next to nothing,” Henderson says.

“I need to know my customers will be taken care of. I believe 100% that, through Caterpillar, they will be and that means I'm able to sleep at night."