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Sales and service
The number of electrically-operated machines is continually rising in response to the requirements of our customers
Hitachi Construction Machinery is stepping up the manufacturing of electrically-operated machines under circumstances where construction machines are required to be environmentally sound. The company shipped a battery driven excavator to Kandenko Co., Ltd. last year.
Shipping a battery driven excavator
Hitachi Construction Machinery develops environmentally friendly construction machines, hybrid excavators and battery driven excavators. In 2008, Kandenko Co., Ltd., who is striving to reduce the amount of CO2 they emit at worksites, purchased one of Hitachi's battery driven excavators.
Hitachi Construction Machinery intends to exert efforts in the development of battery driven excavators because they have advantages that include low exhaust gas and low noise. The model shipped to Kandenko was the first model to be sold. Our sales staff is now receiving honest feedback from Kandenko who has had a long business relationship with us.
Mr. Masayuki Iguchi from Kandenko's Technology Development Research Center told us the following: "We compared the fuel efficiency, electricity consumption, work efficiency, and other parameters between a battery driven excavator and a diesel-operated excavator by having both types of excavators do the same work. We requested the operators at the collaborating companies to complete a questionnaire. This comparison revealed that the battery driven excavator emitted less CO2 and noise than the diesel-operated excavator, and that both had produced same amount of power. The better features, such as the low amount of exhaust gas and low noise are useful for night-time work. However, features relating to work efficiency, such as recharging time and battery capacity, will need to be improved."
Customers' opinions are vital for product development
Hitachi Construction Machinery improved the battery driven excavator purchased by Kandenko in line with their feedback. The battery driven excavator still requires further improvements, including; reducing the recharging time to fit within the machines break time, extending the hours of operation from a single recharge, and improveing the maneuverability to suit a wider variety of worksites.
We will make improvements one by one by closely exchanging information with Kandenko and other users. Our developments will reflect the diverse opinions of the users.
Battery driven excavator, ZX70B
Making the most of precious opinions in product development
Masayuki Iguchi
Team leader
Research and Development Team, Technology Research Center, Technology Development Department, Technology and Business Development Division, Kandenko Company Limited
Various problems have occurred at worksites with our battery driven excavator, which is still under development. However, Hitachi Construction Machinery has swiftly solved each of these problems. Electrically driven machines are more and more being required so I want Hitachi Construction Machinery to make sure that electrically driven machines are developed giving as much priority to the worksite as previous diesel models.
Atsushi Unno
Manager
Sales & Marketing Department, Japan Business Division
Kandenko provides us with wide ranging and valuable feedback concerning the development of the battery driven excavator. New products cannot be developed without the input of the users. I want to faithfully fulfill my task in product improvement by conveying the opinions of the end users who thoroughly know the worksites.
