Growing in size Komatsu Italia Manufacturing

Ductile and grey cast iron components for off-highway and heavy vehicles, agricultural machines and mechanical industry.

ZEN FONDERIE S.R.L. Via M. Polo, 3 35020 Albignasego (PD) – Italy www.zencomponents.com T: +39 049 8042838 • giovanni.zen@zencomponents.com T: +39 049 8042809 • luca.marcato@zencomponents.com

Sisu Corporation and we serve three main areas of activity: Defence, Heavy-duty Trucks and Tractors for the shipping container industry. We work with many big global OEMs such as Kenworth, Western Star, Peterbilt and Ginaf. Of course Marmon-Herrington is also a big customer of ours and we work closely with them to serve our clients in the North American market. We are unique in terms of our size and spread of market, which we serve with our highly dedicated team of sales engineers.”

Market leaders

Two years ago Sisu Axles was acquired by Marmon Highway Technologies, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, which serves the global heavy-duty transportation industry. MHT is a global market leader in its chosen disciplines and offers a broad range of innovative components and assemblies throughout its diverse product portfolio. Sisu Axles offers perfect synergy with the MHT heavy engineering companies and continues to benefit from its international connections and advanced engineering expertise.

Today Sisu Axles develops and manufactures a wide range of exceptionally rugged and durable planetary-drive axles and related aftermarket parts. In the North American market, Sisu Axles’ products are sold and serviced exclusively by the Marmon-Herrington Company, an MHT company that is based in Louisville, Kentucky.

At the time of the acquisition, MHT President Kelly Dier said, “Sisu Axles is a great match for our organisation. Like other MHT companies, Sisu Axles serves niche markets that require highly engineered designs. The strongest attraction for us however, was the existing management team, which has earned a stellar reputation for combining innovative, practical products with responsive, flexible services.”

Dedicated customer support

Sisu Axles’ on-going success is not just based upon its innovative, heavy duty products and solutions. Since its foundation, the company has placed a high priority on its close collaboration with customers and providing them with unrivalled service and support. Sisu offers expert advice on the use, maintenance and repair of its axles as well as a full trouble-shooting and testing service. Sisu customers also benefit from a 24/7 customer support portal and a fair and prompt warranty administration service.

Sisu Axles also provides original spare parts with guaranteed availability, which is backed up by an express delivery service to avoid any potential down-time. Customers are also provided with clear and comprehensive maintenance and spare parts manuals at the time of purchase. In line with all MHT companies, Sisu is dedicated to delivering the best products, and providing optimal service and support, as well as investing in new technologies for the benefit of its customers. n

For more information, visit: www.sisuaxles.com

GROWING IN SIZE

Komatsu Italia Manufacturing SpA took on a new name in January 2014 to reflect the wider range of products the company had started producing. Managing director Enrico Prandini spoke to Industry Europe. Barbara Rossi reports.

Komatsu Italia Manufacturing (formerly Komatsu Utility Europe) is part of the Komatsu group, which ranks in second place globally in the earth moving machinery sector. A 100 per cent Japanese group, the global organisation present in all continents is Komatsu Global, which is then subdivided into divisions focused on the world regions. The European organisation is Komatsu Europe, which has five production plants, one of which is Komatsu Italia Manufacturing.

“For us Europe is our domestic market, but we also export our products to often many countries worldwide,” Mr Prandini explained. “Generally, our specialism is manufacturing machines with weights up to 19 tonnes. We make mini excavators, midi excavators, traditional excavators ranging from 13 to 17 tonnes, backhoe loaders, skid steer loaders and two models of wheeled excavators. Each of the European plants specialises in one type of production and traditionally we have produced lighter

machinery, hence the word ‘Utility’ in our former name. However, our portfolio has been widening in recent years and we have been asked to produce some larger models.”

Decades of expertise

The Italian factory started its activity in 1963 as FAI, when it was set up in the Vicenza area by G. Bettanin, a local entrepreneur. The company carried on growing until the end of the 1980s, when there was the first contact with Japanese giant Komatsu, which was very interested in acquiring a factory for production of utility excavators in Europe. The collaboration between the two companies became increasingly close until there was an outright acquisition in 1996 and Komatsu Utility Europe was born.

Komatsu Italia Manufacturing is strongly rooted in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy. Its legal office is in the Vicenza area -Noventa Vicentina- and its head office and plant in Este -near Padua.

“Today we have 360 employees and an production capacity of 10,000 machines a year,” said Mr Prandini. “Our production peak was in 2007, when we reached a total output of 12,000 machines. Obviously with the economic downturn of the last few years there has been a decrease in production levels, as in the number of employees. Nevertheless, we are now growing every year and we expect to reach an output of 4500 machines by the end of 2014.”

Komatsu Italia Manufacturing only deals with production for European markets, because the Brussels-based European organisation takes care of product distribution. Research and development is conducted at different levels: global, regional and local. While the global organisation plays an important role in terms of coordination and has an R&D centre in Japan, and Komatsu Europe has facilities in Germany, the Italian operation also has its own R&D department. Carrying out research and development is vital to its work, as its products are continuously evolving, especially to comply with new emissions requirements at European and global level.

“We have recently launched two very important new hydraulic excavators, of which we are the sole producers outside of Japan: the PC170LC and PC138US. They are both traditional excavators but of a higher dimensional class than those which we traditionally manufactured. The former has an operating weight ranging from 17.280kg to 17.940kg and increased net-horse power, while the latter is designed with an ultra-short tail swing to meet the challenges of work in confined areas. It offers exceptional stability and has an operating weight ranging from 13.700kg to 14.870kg. Both models feature low consumption, environmental friendliness, total versatility, low noise design and the highest safety standards, amongst other characteristics.”

Flexibility, innovation and high-quality

“Our R&D department is very active and our range will significantly grow in the next two to three years, when we will present other innovative products,” Mr Prandini revealed. “Our mid-term plan, which has recently been approved, outlines investments in production technology, resulting in a new production line and possibly, if there is a positive market response, in structural investments.”

The market segments served are earthmoving and construction, plus some niche sectors, such as demolition, defence, civil defence and non industrial earth-moving.