Komatsu Australia and Pirtek Fluid Systems have announced an extension of their landmark partnership.

The partnership, in operation since May 2010, allows customers to access locally- assembled Komatsu Genuine hydraulic hoses through any of Pirtek's 90 Australian branches (19 in New Zealand) or through Komatsu's extensive branch network.

Komatsu and Pirtek have added 2500 hose product lines to the supply agreement, significantly increasing the number of machine models that can now be serviced with Pirtek-assembled Komatsu Genuine hose.

Komatsu Limited of Japan has transferred additional intellectual property to Pirtek for the design of hydraulic hoses, now covering machines manufactured in a number of Komatsu factories worldwide.

The initial agreement focussed mainly on machines assembled in Japanese factories. The additional product lines cover European and American-assembled machines, including a number of larger mining models.

Komatsu's manager, Brandon Semple says Pirtek was now able to provided more than 3000 genuine-specification hose product lines to Komatsu customers.

"With the addition of these new lines, more than 90 per cent of the Komatsu machines currently in service are covered," he says.

"The transfer of hose design and manufacturing to Pirtek has resulted in an enhanced level of service to customers, with the majority of replacement hoses being fitted within 24 hours of the order being placed.

"Significantly, every hose is manufactured to Komatsu's stringent engineering standards, ensuring quality and safety are never compromised," says Mr Semple.

"Downtime is significantly reduced - as there is no waiting at the worksite for the stock to arrive from a warehouse," he said.

Komatsu and Pirtek say the use of inferior-quality or non-genuine hose products can lead to costly hydraulic hose failures.

A blown hose has the potential to cost an operator thousands of dollars in lost production and machine repairs - and can pose a significant physical risk to machine operators and technicians.

With work-site safety continuing to be a major issue for operators, Komatsu and Pirtek have implemented a number of safety measures when manufacturing hoses to minimise the risk of injury.

General Manager of Pirtek Australia, Stephen Dutton, says each Pirtek-manufactured hose was subject to several testing procedures before it is shipped to the customer.

"Pirtek has invested heavily in world-class cleaning machines, ensuring every hose is free from dust, grit and any particle that may damage the hydraulic components of a machine," he says.

"Each hose is assembled using the Komatsu Japan design matrix, and is guaranteed to fit - just like any other genuine part.

"The partnership has been welcomed by operators all over Australia, and has now been successfully rolled out across New Zealand and South Africa.

"Every Pirtek technician is accredited with a qualification which helps controls the quality of the finished product.

"By assembling these units using identical hoses and fitting them at Komatsu factories, quality and safety is world-class, meaning the fitter and operator's operations are never compromised," says Mr Dutton said.

NZ customers can access their replacement hoses either by contacting their local Komatsu or Pirtek branch.