Kobelco Construction Equipment India Pvt. Ltd.

Kobelco Construction Equipment India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Kobelco Construction Machinery (KCM), Japan, a leading global manufacturer of excavators and mobile cranes, is known for offering the most fuel efficient and high on productivity equipment. Beginning the India journey with 20-tonne excavators, said to comprise of 69 per cent of the overall excavator market along with the 35-tonne excavators used primarily in mining for instance in granite, marble and iron core, through Bauma Conexpo India 2018, the company drew attention to newer focus areas like the sub 14-tonne excavators segment so far untouched by the company in India. Citing the tough soil conditions in India and long hours of operation, claimed Vikram Sharma, Advisor (India & South Asia) Kobelco, that the sub 14-tonne excavator segment, estimated to constitute 14 per cent of the overall market, would going forward be an important focus segment for the company. At Bauma Conexpo, the company showcased the 35-tonne mini excavator SK35 SR Mini aimed at farming, for instance in coffee plantations for applications like soil preparing and levelling among others. Besides the company showcased a 52-tonne mining excavator SK520XDLC, an advanced hydraulic regenerative machine claimed to aid power saving by reusing the hydraulic flow. It is powered by the sixcylinder, water-cooled, direct injection type diesel engine with intercooled and turbo-charged HINO P11C-WF engine, with a rated power of 344 hp and a peak torque of 1470 Nm. Besides the company is also aggressively pushing the 85-tonne excavator SK850LC, a fully imported machine, powered by the direct injection, water-cooled, four-cycle, electrically-controlled common rail turbocharged intercooled diesel engine Komatsu SAA6D14OE-5. Together with the SK520XDLC, the two are expected to help the company penetrate deeper into the coal and cement mining segment typically requiring handling of bulk materials. With excavators expected to be governed by emission norms, the company is gearing up for competition to upgrade its machines and outlook on pricing to change going forward.