Komatsu Australia Ltd. is entering into a landmark partnership with Pirtek Fluid Systems that will revolutionise the supply of hydraulic hose assemblies worldwide.
The 10-year deal is worth more than $100 million and will see Pirtek’s share of the OE hydraulic hose business triple within 12 months.
The partnership will grow Pirtek Australia’s Komatsu-related business to exceed $14 million annually - directly benefiting Australian communities.
From May 2010, Komatsu customers can access locally-assembled Komatsu genuine hydraulic hoses through any of Pirtek’s 88 service centres and fleet of 320 mobile service units.
Pirtek’s strategically placed network is able to service over 90 per cent of Komatsu customers within one working day - minimising machine downtime and maximising machine utilisation.
In a world-first arrangement, Komatsu Ltd. in Japan has transferred the intellectual property for the design of its hydraulic hoses to Pirtek Australia.
The Komatsu-specification hydraulic hose and fittings are manufactured exclusively for Pirtek by Bridgestone in Japan.
The arrangement ensures that Pirtek service personnel can assemble genuine hydraulic hose and fittings on-site to Komatsu factory specification.
Each Pirtek service centre or mobile unit will have the correct components to assemble Komatsu hydraulic hoses - to the exact design and specification of the Japanese factory.
By using a detailed design matrix, every Komatsu hose manufactured by Pirtek will meet the Komatsu Engineering Standard (KES).
Komatsu Australia president Bill Pike says this unprecedented level of service eliminates the need for a customer to use inferior non-OE hose assemblies.
“KES is a benchmark standard for equipment manufacture - it is one of the hallmarks of Komatsu’s quality and reliability,” he said.
Komatsu says it has chosen the family-owned Pirtek as its hydraulic hose partner because of its commitment to quality and its existing relationship with Komatsu customers at an aftermarket level.
Bill Pike says the Komatsu-Pirtek partnership is a new model for Komatsu customer-support operations worldwide.
“Komatsu believes strongly in the philosophy of Kaizen - a process of continual improvement,” he says.
“We identified the hydraulic hose program as an area where improvements could be made to the service and support of customers.
“This ground-breaking partnership is significantly beneficial to Komatsu, Pirtek and the customer.
“Using quality genuine parts is critical to the long-term reliability and safety of any machine - and this program makes using genuine hoses both affordable and time-efficient,” he said.
Pirtek Fluid Systems managing director Glenn Duncan says the company’s strength lies in its relationship with the worldwide hydraulic industry.
“Pirtek takes pride in its ability to service customers anytime, anywhere,” he says.
“We have the ability to source, stock and supply the required hose and fittings through our individually owned franchises - thanks to our long-standing relationship with Bridgestone of Japan.
“Supplying the correct Komatsu genuine hose directly to the customer in the shortest possible timeframe keeps machine downtime to a bare minimum - without compromising the reliability for which Komatsu machines are renowned.
“This level of support is unrivalled within the equipment industry - placing Komatsu customers even further in front,” says Mr Duncan.
