Get FinancingKobelco: Giving The Environment A Lift
Kobelco, a leading global manufacturer of excavators, cranes, demolition machines, and other construction equipment, is working overtime to minimize the impact those machines have on the environment. Kobelco’s strategy involves developing equipment used in the recycling and conservation industries, as well as building all of its equipment to the highest efficiency standards using cutting-edge, eco-friendly technologies. Kobelco’s unique reverence for the environment is evident in almost everything the company does and creates.
A History Of Responsible Innovation
In 1977, Kobelco developed its revolutionary nibbler demolition attachment, an articulated pinching claw designed to quickly and efficiently disassemble machines and vehicles for recycling and disposal. The modern variant is capable of dismantling a vehicle, from removing the body panels to separating the engine and drivetrain from the frame, all without spilling oil and hazardous fluids in such a way that they cannot be easily cleaned up. In 1979, Japan’s first purpose-built automobile demolition machine rolled off Kobelco’s production line, dedicated to the safe and efficient disposal of automobiles.
Kobelco also builds machines for the building demolition industry. The SK3500D, which has a working height of over 213 feet (65 meters), achieved a Guinness World Record as the tallest building demolition machine in 2006. This impressive machine can disassemble a 21-story building from the top down, one piece at a time.
Big Machines, Small Footprint
Since 2013, in accordance with the Ministry Of The Environment’s recommendation, Kobelco has begun contributing to Japan’s carbon offset program. The funds, designed to partially offset the greenhouse gases produced by the machines Kobelco manufacturers, are used to support Japan’s forests. Speaking of woodlands, Kobelco also makes forestry equipment that used to tend and preserve those natural landscapes.
G-mode Energy-Saving Assist Systems
G-mode refers to a collection of Kobelco technologies and systems designed to use fewer resources, reduce emissions, run more quietly, and cut operating costs for the company’s cranes. Kobelco says that the combined G-mode features can provide up to a 25% reduction in daily fuel consumption.
The Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature lets a Kobelco crane automatically shut off its engine after remaining idle for a given amount of time. This is useful for when the crane is in position, but has to wait for delivery of materials it is expected to move and can dramatically reduce fuel waste.
Kobelco’s G-Engine design reduces maximum crane engine speed while increasing hydraulic pressure whenever the hoist is not lifting a load, or is lifting very light loads. This effectively reduces fuel consumption for the main and auxiliary winches. The G-Winch feature also cuts fuel consumption by reducing the engine speed without reducing the maximum hoisting rope speed in no-load situations.
Kobelco’s G-mode technologies aren’t just clever marketing; they provide real savings in terms of fuel consumption, operation expenses, and CO2 emissions. In 2006, Kobelco launched its G-mode-equipped SK200-8, which offered 20% lower fuel consumption compared to the previous model. In 2013, with the release of the SK200-9, Kobelco reduced maximum fuel consumption by another 18%.
Improving Worksite Conditions
Making construction sites a more appealing place to be around, for workers and non-workers alike, is another way Kobelco strives to improve the environment.
With the advent of the EPA’s Tier-based emissions regulations, diesel-powered construction equipment manufacturers have significantly reduced the amounts of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter their machines produce during operation. Like other manufacturers in the industry, Kobelco’s machines employ the latest emission control and reduction technologies to remain fully compliant with current limits.
While air pollution is a major concern on construction sites, noise pollution is a close second. Kobelco is making strides to reduce the noise produced by its machines. The company uses advanced simulation and modelling techniques and component testing to ensure the parts that go into its products produce as little noise as possible while performing their intended functions. The company’s proprietary iNDr (Integrated Noise and Dust Reduction Cooling System) minimizes the amount of dust that infiltrates the cooling components and employs an offset duct attached to the engine to muffle excess noise output. In 2008, two machines equipped with the technology received the Japan Institute of Design Promotion’s Good Design Award.
Recycling programs are a valuable way to enable rapid innovation and development to continue without contributing to landfills. Kobelco offers a recycling program that takes used parts, reconditions them, and markets them as DC (da capo, which means “from the beginning”) parts. The DC parts meet the performance standards of new parts, but contribute dramatically less machine waste than replacing an old part with a new one.
As in most industries, the components and raw materials that Kobelco relies on to manufacture its products come from numerous sources. In accordance with its green procurement goals, Kobelco seeks out environmentally friendly suppliers and components that rely on and generate fewer regulated toxic materials. Kobelco also thoroughly inspects all machines destined for the European market to ensure they comply with EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) standards.
By examining all aspects of its business, Kobelco was able to find unique ways to make a positive impact on the environment. One of those involved shifting away from wooden boxes for shipping components and parts, as is the industry standard, to shipping in containers made from heavy-duty corrugated fiberboard, beginning in the 1990s. Today, nearly every part the company ships out arrives in a box that consists of two or three corrugated layers of reinforced fiberboard that’s several times stronger than wood, ounce-per-ounce. Better yet, the boxes are nearly 100% recyclable, weigh considerably less (which makes them cheaper to transport), and fold easily for better storage or easier transport to a recycling facility.
Kobelco Is Making A Difference
Kobelco’s stewardship of the environment and advocacy of green policies is laudable. As a major global manufacturer of construction equipment, the company is setting an example that other organizations, large and small, will undoubtedly emulate, to the benefit of us all.
Source: Kobelco
Questions? Comments? Visit the CraneTrader.com Forums to ask questions, get answers, and share your thoughts.