Komatsu is adding the first remanufacturing scheme for electrical components on its hybrid hydraulic excavators.
Remanufactured capacitors and inverters compatible with hybrid hydraulic excavators of the HB series currently sold and operating in Japan will be available.
Expansion of the service outside of that market is expected to occur later.
The company already offers Reman services for various components of its conventional diesel engine-powered construction equipment. This includes remanufactured engines and transmissions from construction and mining equipment that has been operating at customer sites for long periods.
According to Komatsu, its Reman components are restored to the same quality and performance as new components and re-supplied back to the market after going through various processes of disassembly, cleaning, repair or replacement of parts, painting, and shipping inspections.
The company introduced its first hybrid hydraulic excavator to the market in 2008 with the intent of helping customers reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions at their job sites.
The third generation of the machines, the HB365LC-3 hybrid model has been on the market since 2016 and was again highlighted at ConExpo 2023. This hybrid excavator’s generator/motor system provides an additional 70 HP on demand and up to 15% more productivity in P mode.
Komatsu’s hybrid excavators use a company-developed hybrid system that employs an inverter to convert the energy generated during swing braking into electrical energy, stored in a capacitor and used as supplementary energy to drive the swing and accelerate the engine.
Previously, the only repair for most of the energy-storage-related components was complete replacement.
Achieving remanufacturing of those same components provides options for repair at a reduced cost compared to replacement.
The expectation is that Komatsu will continue to evolve its business options for parts sales, maintenance, and repair after sales of new equipment.
Powerful and quiet, Komatsu says its HB365LC-3 Hybrid excavator helps reduce customers' carbon footprint and fuel consumption by up to 30 %.Komatsu
