Komatsu Limited

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For other uses, see Komatsu (disambiguation).
Komatsu Ltd.
Native name
 株式会社小松製作所
Public (TYO: 6301)
Industry Heavy equipment (construction and mining), Defense technology
Founded May 13, 1921; 103 years ago (1921-05-13)
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Key people
  • Tetsuji Ohashi
    (President and CEO)
  • Kunio Noji (Chairman of the Board)
Products
Revenue Increase Template:US$16.1 billion (FY2013)[1]
Increase Template:US$1.98 billion (FY2013)[1]
Increase Template:US$2.0 billion (FY2013)[1]
Number of employees
 46,730 (Consolidated)[1]
Website http://www.komatsu.com

Komatsu Ltd. (株式会社小松製作所 Kabushiki-gaisha Komatsu Seisakusho?) or Komatsu (コマツ) (TYO: 6301) is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures construction, mining, and military equipment, as well as industrial equipment like press machines, lasers and thermoelectric generators.[2] Its headquarters are at 2-3-6, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The corporation was named after the city of Komatsu, Ishikawa, where the company was founded in 1917. Worldwide, the Komatsu Group consists of Komatsu Ltd. and 182 other companies (146 consolidated subsidiaries and 35 companies accounted for by the equity method).

Komatsu is the world's second largest manufacturer of construction equipment and mining equipment after Caterpillar. However, in some areas (Japan, China), Komatsu has a larger share than Caterpillar. It has manufacturing operations in Japan, Asia, Americas and Europe.

Japanese 小松 ko matsu means "small pine tree", named after Komatsu city in Ishikawa prefecture.

History

Komatsu Iron Works was started by Takeuchi Mining Industry as a subsidiary to make industrial tools for the parent company. Komatsu eventually became large enough to sell to the public, and was spun off on May 13, 1921 as Komatsu Ltd.

Komatsu produced its first agricultural tractor prototype in 1931. Through the 1930s, Komatsu also produced military tractors for the Japanese military, as well as bulldozers, tanks and howitzers. After World War II, under its new president Yoshinari Kawai, Komatsu added non-military bulldozers and forklifts to its line of equipment. In 1949 it began production of its first diesel engine.[3] Its growth as a company was aided by the strong demand for its bulldozers during Japan's post-war reconstruction in the 1950s.[3] In August 1951 the corporate headquarters were moved to Tokyo. By 1957 the company had advanced technologically to the point that all its models were using Komatsu engines.

Komatsu 61PX dozer

In 1964 Rioichi Kawai, son of Yoshinari Kawai, became president of Komatsu,[3] and it began exporting its products, looking to counteract the postwar image of Japanese products as being cheap and poorly made. In July 1967, it entered the U.S. market, taking on Caterpillar,[4] the largest bulldozer maker, in its home market. This was done under the company slogan of "Maru-C", translating into English as "encircle Caterpillar" (from the game of Go (board game), where encircling an opponent results in capture of his territory).[5]

Komatsu and Dresser Industries established Komatsu Dresser to make mining tractors and related equipment.[6] This 50-50 ownership lasted from September 1988 to August 1994, when Komatsu bought out Dresser's share.[6] Komatsu's mining products were consolidated under the name Komatsu Mining Systems in 1997. To prevent brand-name confusion during these corporate changes, the name "Haulpak" was used for the product line Komatsu began with Dresser. The name "Haulpak" dates back to 1957 when LeTourneau-Westinghouse introduced a range of rear dump trucks known as "Haulpaks". LeTourneau-Westinghouse equipment later became known simply as WABCO equipment in 1967. The name Haulpak was an industry term that eventually became applied to any type of rear dump truck. A detailed history of the development of the Haulpak can be found in Wabco Australia.[7]

Product range

Komatsu PC210 LC excavator during peak summer conditions in San Antonio, Texas
Komatsu PC138 US on a roadside, in France
  • Komatsu makes the largest bulldozer in the world, the D575.
  • In 2008 Komatsu launched the Komatsu PC200-8 Hybrid, a 360-degree excavator that stores the energy from slew-braking to boost power and cut fuel use.

Komatsu America Models [8]

Compact Excavators PC09 PC18 PC27 PC35 PC45 PC55
Small Excavators PC78 PC88 PC130 PC138 PC160
Medium Excavators PC200 PC228 PC220 PC270 PC300 PC308 PC400
Large Excavators PC600 PC800 PC1250 PC2000 PC3000 PC4000 PC5500 PC8000
Bulldozers D21 D31 D37 D39 D51 D61 D65 D85 D155 D275 D375 D475 D575
Haul Trucks 730E 830E 860E 930E 960E
Articulated Dump Trucks HM300 HM350 HM400
Mechanical Dump Trucks HD325 HD405 HD465 HD605 HD785 HD1500
Wheel Loaders WA50 WA65 WA70 WA80 WA100 WA150 WA200 WA250 WA320 WA380 WA430 WA450 WA480 WA500 WA600 WA700 WA800 WA900 WA1200
Backhoe Loaders WB142 WB146 WB156
Skid Steer Loaders SK815 SK820 SK1020 SK1026
Track Loaders CK30 CK35
Crushers BR380 BR550 BR580
Graders GD555 GD655 GD675
Crawler Carriers CD60 CD110

See also

  • Hanomag — now a Komatsu subsidiary
  • ISBN 0646396978 - A History of Komatsu Construction and Mining Equipment Volume One
A Komatsu LAV (Light Armored Vehicle) on display with 1st Airborne Brigade (Japan) markings.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ KOMATSU : Manufacturing Operations
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Haycraft, William R. (2000) Yellow Steel: The Story of the Earthmoving Equipment Industry University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois, pages 183-184, ISBN 0-252-02497-4
  4. ↑ Haycraft, William R. (2000) Yellow Steel: The Story of the Earthmoving Equipment Industry University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois, page 260, ISBN 0-252-02497-4
  5. ↑ Wellman, Jerry L.. Organizational Learning. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. pp. 62. ISBN 0230621546
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Will, Oscar H. (2007) Payline: International Harvester's Construction Equipment Division MBI, St. Paul, Minnesota, page 144, ISBN 978-0-7603-2458-5
  7. ↑ "Wabco Australia", ISBN 0-9585608-1-1, (Global General Publishing Pty Ltd)
  8. ↑ Komatsu America Web Site

External links

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