Innovation meets communication

Komatsu as a European manufacturer:
From Hanover to the world

At the opening of the press event, Andre Wohlers, Managing Director of Komatsu Germany GmbH, and Marco Maschke, Head of the German Office/GM German Office at Komatsu Europe, highlighted “The Role of the Hannover Plant”. From steam engines to the first mass-produced cars to modern construction machinery: “Komatsu is always innovative where it matters,” emphasizes Andre Wohlers. To this day, the Hanover site plays a crucial role for the company. About 90 % of the machines manufactured by Komatsu Germany GmbH are sold within the EU.  Six stations on the company premises cover the entire process from machine planning through development to the finished product:

1.    In-house production of key components: manufacturing of axles and transmissions, buckets, and front and rear frames

2.    Production facility for wheel loaders and mobile excavators

3.   Station for dynamic and static testing: quality assurance through functionality, performance, and safety tests for all systems and parameters

4.   European Reman Center: refurbishment of components and conservation of resources; remanufacturing of engines, axles, and K-DPF

5.  EUTC – Development Center: Driving new ideas and improving product performance and quality

6.    Test and Demo Site: Ensuring quality through competitive comparisons, training, and customer visits

Europe and Germany, according to Marco Maschke, also play a decisive role in Komatsu’s future corporate strategy.  The European markets are considered the main innovators for electrification and digital solutions – and this is precisely where Komatsu also sees significant growth potential in the areas of manufacturing, research, and development. Maschke noted: “Artificial intelligence, digitalization, and electrification go ‘hand in hand.’ Europe has the opportunity here to position itself as a pioneer for our industry.”

Smart Construction:
Digital solutions on the construction site

Benjamin Böttcher, Business Development Manager at Komatsu, then spoke about “Digital solutions on the construction site”. The speaker explained: “The construction industry is undergoing a digital transformation. ”While digital solutions were once an optional extra in the construction industry, they are increasingly becoming an integral part of modern construction sites. Through 3D machine control systems, digital terrain models, and remote services, project execution can be made more efficient, transparent, and safer.

Böttcher saw the steadily growing use of remote maintenance and digital data exchange as a clear indicator of this trend. “More and more users are sending design files and working across multiple locations.” This trend goes hand in hand with the increasing use of 3D systems on construction sites. As a concrete example of this trend, Böttcher presented three case studies from Komatsu customers.

JN Bentley: Environmental engineering – Wetland (Yorkshire/UK)

Yorkshire needed a 44 000 m² wetland to improve the water quality of a river.  Through the use of Intelligent Machine Control (IMC) to generate as-built data, an AI tool for simulating and optimizing the construction strategy, and progress monitoring via a dashboard for optimized decision-making, the project saved £ 350 000 and moved 63 000 m³ of soil – without over-excavation, without external disposal, with improved safety, and ahead of schedule.

Heitkamp BauHolding: Unstable terrain due to mining waste (Friedrichsthal/Germany)

A 27 ha site became unstable and unusable due to mining waste. As part of a 10-year project, 2 million m³ of material is to be moved for stabilization. The site manager was confronted with such a flood of data that tracking progress was nearly impossible. The Komatsu approach: IMC bulldozers that capture as-built data and transmit it to the cloud, as well as machine data and drone surveys integrated into the dashboard, enabling a unified visualization. This enables real-time monitoring of the entire project, faster decisions based on centralized data, and documented ground placement.

dhz: Search for the optimal machine fleet (Lufingen/Switzerland)

Careful planning and coordination with regulatory authorities are urgently required for a landfill expansion in Lufingen. To achieve maximum efficiency during implementation, the optimal machine fleet was sought for the project. Komatsu relies here on the simulation of earthwork volumes and machine deployment, whereby multiple simulations are conducted and compared. This makes it possible to identify problems before implementation and highlight potential for optimization. Thus, the customer can select the most realistic scenario for their needs, design workflows and machine deployment accordingly, and enable early preparation for potential issues.

Of course, digitalization in the industry also brings some hurdles, the speaker added: Companies face challenges such as high initial costs, a shortage of skilled workers, fragmented systems, a lack of standards, and infrastructural limitations. But: “Digital construction site solutions create measurable added value,” said Benjamin Böttcher. The practical examples demonstrate that digitalization significantly increases efficiency, safety, and predictability – and that the construction site of the future is already a reality today.

Assistance systems as the key to efficiency

In a concluding keynote speech at the Komatsu press event, Ricardo Meyer, Product Manager for Wheel Loaders, spoke about “Assistance Systems as the Key to Efficiency”. Meyer introduced the new driver assistance system for the Komatsu WA475-11 and WA485-11 wheel loaders. All assistance functions are consolidated here on a particularly clear central monitor, and a modern touchscreen interface creates an intuitive connection between human and machine. “The integrated driver assistance system offers the driver comprehensive support in daily use. It combines several powerful functions, including the Extended LoadPilot weighing system, the adaptive Efficiency Trainer and a high-resolution rearview camera system,” said Meyer as he introduced the new system. Optionally, the system can be expanded to include a surround-view camera system and a tire pressure monitoring system.

Meyer highlighted the Rear Object Detection System (RODS) with autobrake as another key feature of the assistance system. Here, a dual sensor mounted on the rear of the machine is used to detect objects while reversing. "If the possibility of collision with an obstacle increases, the system is linked to the machine and automatically applies the brakes,” explained the Product Manager. The system takes steering angle, travel speed and rake up conditions into account to reduce false alarms. A rollover warning function also alerts the driver to the risk of the machine tipping over.

Ricardo Meyer presented the adaptive work lights as another feature of the assistance system. “Our customers told us that shift working often means operating late into the night in many different ambient conditions. All of which ultimately demand a different visibility solution to ensure safety, comfort, and maximum productivity.” With the optional adaptive work lamps, glare, over- or under-illumination, blind operation and reflections can be completely eliminated by adjusting the brightness, colour temperature, and active dimming of the front headlights. Using a smartphone or remote control, every operator can quickly and easily adapt the machine to the working conditions.