Komatsu Wacol super hub open for business

Komatsu’s new state of the art distribution facility that covers an area of 17,500sqm, is officially open for business in Wacol, Queensland.

The facility, first announced in late 2020, was built to service over 3000 customers across Queensland, the Northern Territory, NSW, New Zealand and New Caledonia. It represents an expansion of 70 per cent in warehousing capacity, helping Komatsu improve its parts and components availability, reduce turnaround times, and streamline ordering efficiency.

Komatsu said the construction of the distribution centre resulted in the creation of more than 50 new jobs within the business, and is the single largest building Komatsu has ever constructed in Australia.

It was commissioned during Komatsu’s Centenary year, when the company celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding in May 1921 in Komatsu City, Japan. Komatsu has been operating in Australia since 1961.

According to Komatsu’s CEO, Sean Taylor, the key driver of the new distribution centre is to improve customer satisfaction across the regions it serves.

“By using the latest in warehousing technologies, we have been able to drastically increase the efficiency of this operation, with pick rates of fast-moving parts increasing by 300 per cent – which will contribute to faster delivery times for customers,” he said.

“In addition, order consolidation innovations have driven a 22 per cent reduction in individual packages, which contributes to a lower carbon footprint – an important driver in our commitment to lower emissions.

“At the same time, we have achieved a six-star energy rating for the building through the use of solar power and an energy-efficient design, while 89 per cent of our waste from the site is diverted away from landfill.”

Taylor said Komatsu has set out to achieve the highest standards in workplace health and safety when it comes to designing and building the new facility.

“Our Wacol Distribution Centre incorporates the latest in safety innovations, including wire guidance systems to control forklift movements, dock safety controls that ensure people are kept out of harm’s way, and zero gravity cranes to minimise manual lifting,” he said.

Naturally, the construction of the facility was carried out using Komatsu’s own range of equipment and technology.  

“In preparing this site for the new building, our earthworks contractor was able to make use of our own SmartConstruction technology,” Taylor said.

“A cornerstone of Smart Construction is our intelligent Machine Control, or IMC.

“SmartConstruction links machine operation directly to site design. The semi-autonomous capabilities of Komatsu dozers and excavators ensured highly accurate compliance with the design, driving productivity and safety.”

Komatsu’s drone technology was also used in conjunction with the contractor’s iMC machines to volumetrically scan the site to determine progress, in turn feeding data into Komatsu’s Edge technology, which has the ability to process millions of data points in real time.

“Our project management team, along with our contractors, designers and surveyors were all able to take advantage of Smart Construction’s ability to combine 3D design data with aerial mapping and intelligent machine data, so they could visualise the project at every stage of construction,” Taylor said.

“This was a perfect example of Komatsu being able to take real advantage of our own technology, and realise its benefits firsthand.”

The brand-new facility not only houses Komatsu’s mega parts warehouse but also features an Innovation Hub that showcases the company’s inventions and innovations over time.

There will be a range of interactive exhibits covering Komatsu’s work in mining automation, SmartConstruction, digital services, sustainability, supply chain and a “history lane”.

“Visitors to our Innovation Hub can go from displays of classic items of Komatsu equipment, to a vision of the future with a prototype all-electric remote-control excavator,” said Komatsu’s General Manager for Business Transformation, Todd Connolly.

“We have live displays of our Komatsu machine population throughout Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia – including location, operating status and machine condition – along with a countdown to our 150th anniversary in 2051.

“There are also opportunities to try out a Komatsu excavator simulator, or see how our SmartConstruction offerings are having a direct influence today on the management of our instructure and resources projects of tomorrow.”

The Innovation Hub is also a celebration of Komatsu’s century of innovation, dating back to when the company was founded in May 1921.

“Since the company’s founding, innovation has been at the centre of Komatsu’s DNA, and our new Innovation Hub brings together all our technology innovations under a single roof,” Connolly said.