TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS
FOR TOMORROW DEAN GAEDTKE, KOMATSU’S EXECUTIVE MANAGER FOR CONSTRUCTION, LOOKS AT SOME OF THE COMPANY’S TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS AND THE ROLE THESE TECHNOLOGIES PLAY IN MOVING TOWARDS A NET ZERO FUTURE. Komatsu’s hybrid excavators combine diesel and electric power.
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s the world moves towards net zero emissions, the construction and resources industries will be expected – and are looking – to play their part in using equipment and technology that deliver carbon-neutral operations. Contractors, project managers, client organisations, quarries, miners and the broader community are all seeking technological innovations and solutions that can help achieve what is essential for the future of the planet. Komatsu is part of many of these innovations which are driving the construction, operation and management of infrastructure and resources projects today, and into the future. Komatsu’s SmartConstruction suite of integrated project management solutions, including intelligent Machine Control (iMC) technology, the Komtrax remote monitoring offerings, and Komatsu’s autonomous haulage solutions, are all examples of such innovations. 72
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In moving towards a more sustainable future, Komatsu is leading the way in low emissions engine technology, as well as in moving towards zero emissions technology via an all-electric future. SMARTCONSTRUCTION SmartConstruction is a major step forward in improving productivity and safety in the construction, quarrying and mining industries through the application of unique technology and integrated products. It covers critical steps in a project’s development, from initial site survey and design, through to machine control, machine and project management, machine interconnectivity, review of project progress throughout the construction phase, and finally development of detailed as-built information for future construction and infrastructure maintenance. As Dean Gaedtke, Komatsu’s Executive Manager for Construction explains, Komatsu’s SmartConstruction solution is designed
to work across mixed-brand equipment fleets, offering a “one-stop-shop” service and support solution across all phases of a project’s lifecycle. “With SmartConstruction, the technology around fleet productivity management is exciting, with its ability to save customers a lot of time, money and cost per tonne, while helping monitor safety on every machine in a fleet,” he says. “Site and fleet management teams can watch every piece of machinery in near real-time and see where any hazards may be. At a detail level, they can monitor critical factors such as truck payloads for over and under-loads, as well as issues such as site inefficiencies, over-revving, over-speeds, excess idle times and more.” INTELLIGENT MACHINE CONTROL Komatsu’s iMC technology delivers major productivity, efficiency and cost saving advantages to the company’s ‘intelligent’ range of dozers and excavators, as Gaedtke explains.
