Innovations in Heavy Equipment: Japanese Company Komatsu
The Japanese heavy equipment manufacturer Komatsu is known for its numerous innovative solutions in the Internet of Things sector. Since 2011, the company has actively implemented network technologies in its plants in Japan. All operations at the main production facilities have been connected to the Internet, allowing managers to monitor the company's operational activities in real-time across all countries.
Komatsu continues to be a leader in the mining industry. Their heavy autonomous trucks, already in use at the mine of the future in Rio Tinto, Australia, showcase the effectiveness of cutting-edge technology. Not long ago, the company also acquired the American mining equipment manufacturer Joy Global, adding another innovative product to their arsenal — a continuous mining coal harvester. This harvester can wirelessly transmit up to 7000 measurable parameters per second to a data processing center.
German Company KUKA and Its Achievements in Robotics
An alternative example is the German company KUKA, which specializes in robotics. KUKA is implementing an Internet of Things strategy that encompasses all of their factories. For example, the company Jeep ordered the construction of a factory with the aim of producing one car body every 77 seconds. KUKA responded to this request by developing a factory concept that incorporates Internet of Things technology and involves hundreds of robots connected to a closed cloud environment. With this technology, the new factory has the capability to produce over 800 vehicles daily.