Doppstadt is incorporating a Cat Battery Electric Power Unit (BEPU) to power its SWS 6 spiral shaft separator.
The Cat BEPU is a real-world solution designed to simplify electrification for original equipment manufacturers, helping them offer new power solutions without reinventing their machines. The BEPU-powered prototype shaft separator was shown for the first time at IFAT 2026 in Munich, Germany.
“Doppstadt have a long history of innovation and work to support their customers’ sustainability goals. This is an exciting trial of an electrified variant of their SWS 6 Spiral Shaft Separator, which delivers zero-exhaust emissions and low noise when in operation,” said Andy Curtis, Customer Solutions Director at Caterpillar Industrial Power Systems Division.
The BEPU is a compact, plug-and-play solution that can replace a diesel engine in the same space, with the same mounting locations and relative position in the machine.
The system includes the battery, motor, inverter, onboard charging, cooling and controls together, so an electric power unit can fit where an engine used to sit, and OEMs can use existing chassis platforms to transition from diesel to electric. That helps simplify engineering, parts procurement, service and support.
Easy integration
By solving the integration challenge at the power-unit level, the BEPU helps remove unnecessary complexity and gives OEMs a faster path forward as power solutions expand.
With less redesign and fewer engineering and sourcing hurdles, OEMs can offer electric options sooner, staying responsive as customer expectations, applications and regulations change.
Removing design and development barriers makes it easier for OEMs to deliver the electrification advantages that customers demand. That could be zero-exhaust emissions, less noise, expanded application opportunities: even the potential to lower total cost of ownership by eliminating fuel use and reducing routine maintenance.
Over the last year, Caterpillar and Cat dealer Zeppelin Power Systems have been working with Doppstadt to explore how they can accelerate their electrification journey while maintaining performance parity with their diesel-powered machines.
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“The Cat BEPU has enabled the rapid development of this option alongside their diesel variant, with minimal engineering effort. Its intermittent duty cycle, suitability for indoor use, and access to low-power grid energy make the BEPU an ideal fit, with an on-board battery buffering simplifying energy management for end users,” Curtis said.
Keen to continue to explore new opportunities and offer its customers a range of options, Doppstadt has worked with teams from Caterpillar and Zeppelin Power Systems to install the BEPU into its SWS 6 Spiral Shaft Separator. The result is a zero-exhaust emissions solution designed for indoor, urban and highly regulated environments.
Following IFAT, Doppstadt plans to begin field trials using the BEPU-powered SWS 6 Spiral Shaft Separator. Insights from real-world operations will help validate performance and inform how this solution will evolve.
