KOBELCO showcases innovative long reach excavator

Kobelco has always been known for its world-class range of cranes and earthmoving products. The company has launched a 38-ton excavator model – SK 380 XD at Excon 2017. According to Mr. Santosh Kr. Jaruhar, Advisor- Support Services, who while going into the further details about the product said, “This is basically an entry level mining excavator. It is mostly used in marble and granite quarries. It is also used for overburden removal in some areas.”

Mr. Santosh Kr. Jaruhar, Advisor – Support Services (right), and Mr. Kensuke Hariki, Senior Manager – Product Support, Kobelco Construction Equipment India PVT. Ltd.

The company has also launched a 22-ton excavator (SK 220 XD) with a long reach of 50 ft. Explaining the logic behind the development of the product, Mr. Jaruhar explained: “Nowadays many applications require that excavators work from a distance. The machine will enable the operator to work from 50 feet away, something that a conventional machine will not be able to handle.”

In Maharashtra, these excavators are being used to dig wells from the banks itself. Similarly, these excavators are also ideally suited for desilting process too.

Explaining the recent trends in the market, Mr. Jaruhar said: “The market has been on an upswing since 2017. There was a minor drop later when the GST was introduced. But fortunately, from late September onwards things started picking up. The industry has been moving forward very fast.”

When asked about certain specific targets that the company has set for itself in the near future, Mr. Jaruhar said, “Last year we had seen a growth of 30-40%. In fact, in the last 2 years we have been struggling to meet the demand.” The company currently has a production capacity of 2000 machines annually.

Forecasting the trends for the future, Mr. Jaruhar stated that as of now roads projects will continue to dominate the horizon and other projects such as railways would soon catch up with that of road.  There has also been increasing focus on mining. The government too has been offering an encouraging atmosphere.