Manufacturers focus on power and operator experience to maintain competitive advantage and remain relevant to consumer needs and wants.
The moment governments eased of on lockdowns and allowed businesses to reopen and commence as usual, the construction industry was among the first industry to kick into high gear that resulted in increased demand for heavy machines. This led to a rivalry between manufacturers to heat up as heavy machine development teams racing towards improved designs and features which are critical towards securing market share.
Manufacturers have turned their guns on a wide range of both technological and mechanical advancements that are hinged on greater power – less fuel consumption, technological and mechanical add-ons that enhance productivity significantly and lower ownership costs among others.
The technological advances pursued by major manufacturers such as Hyundai, Komatsu, Kobelco and Yanmar for instance that hold significant market shares in the excavator rental market sphere are currently pursuing more than just mechanical prowess of their respective machines, they are also focusing on technological elements related to remote functions, data pooling and AI integration on top of the mechanical advancements related to attachments and extended hydraulic tools.
Other aspects of excavators that manufacturers are also focusing on in order to maintain competitive advantage is ease of use, operator comfort, machine stability and enhanced safety all of which are critical towards augmenting operator experience. Among the top contenders within the ‘augmented operator experience race’ is Kobelco and this was made evident with the launch of the manufacturer’s SK260LC excavator that focuses on operator experience from a range of perspectives which includes wider cab, ergonomic designs, easy to access control panels and added cameras for safety purposes.
The SK260LC which has become popular within the excavator for hire niche is classified as a ‘Next Gen-11’ by Kobelco and has been fitted with a Tier IV engine by Yanmar and is capable of delivering slightly more than 190 HP of raw power and about 577 lb-ft of torque which makes the SK260LC one of the most powerful excavators within its class. The SK series has always been a popular machine since the machine’s introduction in the early 80s, now it has become even more popular not just due to the power and operator comfort, but also due to the capacity of the machine to improve productivity.
The entire scope of rivalry between top excavator manufacturers are mostly hinged on six elements which are improved operator comfort, low fuel consumption (ownership and operational cost factors), removal of guesswork that is unnecessary, eco friendliness (low emission, low noise), improved safety and improved excavating and grading capability. Most manufacturers are including the 2-D grade control feature as a standard component in excavators which has improved digging and grading capability tremendously even by new operators.
Other smaller, but significant inclusions in the latest excavator models include joysticks, wider high-definition screens, programmable controls and more lately hybrids that are able to run on both fossil fuel and batteries. The rivalry between these gigantic manufacturers has become so intense that even bucket designs and attachment configurations are being sent back to the drawing board as these manufacturers pit against each other aggressively.
Regardless of who takes the leading position, the winner at the end of the line will most certainly be the construction industry itself.
