Komatsu produces in Peoria

Advanced heavy-duty robotic frame welding technology, new factory-based transportation systems, and major changes to factory layout combine to improve quality and reduce product cycle times for Komatsu at its Peoria, IL, plant.

Designing manufacturing plants to improve output is an ongoing process for most OEMs, requiring full-time planning and a carefully phased introduction so that interference with current production is kept to a minimum. The recently completed Komatsu plant in Peoria, IL, is proving to be no exception.

Globally, the company has placed considerable emphasis on ensuring that quality and direct manufacturing costs of all its equipment are kept within some of the strictest self-imposed operating parameters of any off-highway OEM. Recent enhancements to Building EE, its electric truck assembly line, provide some insight into how Komatsu is pushing ahead in the global manufacturing arena, where quality rules but reducing cycle times still dominates.