Marubeni-Komatsu Ltd - General - Lafarge Enterprise using Komatsu Machines

Date: 17 Jan 2005

Marubeni-Komatsu Ltd is the exclusive supplier of Komatsu construction equipment in the UK. After years of collaboration with Lafarge Aggregates, one of the UK's largest producers of construction materials, Lafarge has recently purchased three Komatsu machines, an excavator and two wheel loaders.

Lafarge Aggregates has a turnover in excess of £500m with over 2,000 employees across 200 sites in the UK alone, required to handle a range of services covering asphalt, rock, stone, sand and gravel. They also provide building blocks, road surfacing work, ready-mixed concrete and waste/recycling services. With such an extensive product offering, high quality machinery and reliable suppliers are needed to meet demands. Hence, the competency of Marubeni-Komatsu with its highly productive machinery, has attracted Lafarge.

A Komatsu PC600-7 excavator has recently been delivered to the Hafod Quarry, an important site near Newport as stone from the site is well suited to skid-resistant road surfaces. The excavator will primarily be used to load stone from the quarry face onto dump trucks. Lafarge representatives visited sites where machines from various manufacturers were operating, they were impressed by the Komatsu excavator as the reach and the bucket size proved more superior than other leading brands, with a capacity and strength that ensures a large digging force on uneven work sites. Furthermore, the driver favoured the Komatsu PC600-7, recognising that its impressive horsepower delivery of 287KW 385hp at 1.800rpm coupled with the ergonomically designed cab interior would provide both the power and the comfort to achieve maximum productivity.

The Komatsu WA470-5 wheel loader is currently operating at a wharf based in Thurrock, Essex, where it is used to load lorries. Engineered to bring high productivity without compromising on health and environmental factors, the Komatsu WA470-5 has an immense tractive force with low fuel consumption. The net horsepower is 195kW 271 HP @ 1700 rpm with a bucket capacity of 3,8 - 6,0m.3 Noise levels are almost to a whisper and the cabin has high visibility to reduce health risks - an important factor given its average of 50 hours a week operating time.

The second wheel loader is a Komatsu WA380-5 which functions to collect sand and gravel at the Marfield site. Features of the wheel loader include a very spacious cabin designed for driver comfort which is vital at Marfield as the Komatsu WA380-5 is expected to operate for 10 hours a day. The Komatsu WA380-5 has a net horsepower of 124 kW 166 HP @ 2.000 rpm, indicative of the high torque power at low engine speeds. Richard Cerruti, the Purchasing Manager at Lafarge comments on the buy - "Let's hope for many more."

Komatsu PC600- WA470 and PC600-WA380

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