E. Moses, Executive Vice President, Division Head, Kobelco Construction Equipment India, speaks on different models and specifications of mini equipment offered by the company.

What are the specific types of mini-construction equipment you manufacture? Can you provide more details about the different models and specifications of equipment?
Compact machines like mini excavators are in high demand due to rapid urbanisation since they may be used by customers for a variety of projects of all sizes and sorts. This is due to the fact that mini excavators are very versatile and can be used with a wide range of attachments. In urban and semi-urban locations with limited space, these machines can manage solid waste; help with pipeline building, trenching operations, etc.

Cutting-edge technology from Kobelco mini excavators sets the bar for contemporary construction in terms of both quality and performance. Kobelco manufactures wide range of mini excavators ranging from 0.8 tonne to 6 tonne. Since 80 per cent of mini excavators are sold between 3 to 4 tonne in India, Kobelco offer two models SK30SR-6 and SK35SR-6. Both excavators are equipped with word renowned Yanmar engine having power of 18.1 kW. Bucket capacity of this equipment is 0.12 cum. These mini excavators feature the latest hydraulics and zero-tail swing with superior ergonomics, performance, and safety features.

Do you offer customisation options for your mini construction equipment? If so, what kind of customisation options do you offer?
Kobelco believes in keeping the customer at the centre of every product. Be it our product portfolio or our aftermarket support, we ensure satisfaction of our customers. To provide solutions in terms of different applications, where these mini machines can be deployed, we offer additional piping kit for special attachments like rock-breaker, grappler, auger, etc. along with our standard mini excavators. We also offer an AC cabin as an optional fitment. As per customer requirement we can also provide rubber tracks in addition to regular tracks. We do have an option for long arm where more reach is required.

What is your approach to research and development for mini equipment?
Kobelco as a group have their centralised R&D team and centre at Hiroshima, Japan. The Kobelco Group brings basic and cutting-edge technologies developed by the Technical Development Group together with the technologies of the individual business units closely linked to customers and production.

We design our products in order to make them more efficient, productive, and environment-friendly with special inclination towards our society. The objective from a business standpoint is to cultivate, maintain and to create value added products and technology. From a customer standpoint, it is to ensure value in the product as a quality product. In order to do the same our team keeps on visiting our existing customers to understand their future requirements.

For mini excavator, our focus it to make it more compact, which can easily work in cramped spaces where other heavy equipment cannot work. Our mini machines come with actual zero tail overhang. We are committed towards making our mini equipment less noisy and dusty. For the same we have our iNDr (Integrated Noise and Dust Reduction Colling) System.

Then the most important aspect is easy maintenance. All our major components are ergonomically placed so that there is no hurdle in doing regular maintenance. In fact, the iNDr filter fitted in front of the cooling system ensures easy cleaning. The iNDr filter removes dust from the intake air, cooling components stay dirt-free and do not require regular cleaning. We also emphasise on our operator’s comfort. We have a broader floor space and a greater sliding range for the seat to give operator plenty of foot room.

How do you ensure that your equipment is up-to-date with the latest technological advancements?
Kobelco has been known for continuous innovations in its product lines. Our excavators have emerged an ideal high-end machine in the industry with their fuel efficiency, superior quality, technologically advanced design, high reliability and best in class ergonomic features.

Kobelco ensures that its excavators undergo improvements based on the feedback from our customers and implement latest technology in terms of engine optimisation, IOT, etc. to fulfil demand and application scope.

What is your company's competitive advantage in the mini construction equipment market?
Mini excavators are a crucial tool in the construction industry, and their popularity is on the rise. Kobelco mini excavators are the best option for a number of tasks, including demolition and landscaping. Our mini excavators have many advantages, few are listed below-

Then we have our integrated-flow pump system, which utilises three pumps to optimise performance, with the dozer pump providing additional digging power as needed. Our ultimate goal is to make sure to give the best quality product which enhance our customer’s job productivity and in turn increase their return on investment. Kobelco always believes in becoming your true solution provider.