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Komatsu Bulldozer G40 being tested in 1938
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The G40 discovered in Australia returns
to the Awazu Plant to be restored in 1979.
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The G40 is currently exhibited at the
Komatsu Techno Center in Japan.
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A unique
mechanical engineering version of UNESCO World Heritage has been established
in Japan. Known as the Mechanical Engineering Heritage program, historically
significant items are listed and certified by The Japan Society of Mechanical
Engineers. To date, only 25 items have been designated as heritage assets contributing
to the development of mechanical engineering in Japan. One of these is the Komatsu
Bulldozer G40, the first bulldozer made by Komatsu in 1943. Komatsu’s unique
technology and originality at the time of development, outstanding quality and
high historic value in terms of technology in addition to ensuring the preservation
of the G40 are key reasons for receiving accreditation. The first machine was
found by chance in 1978 being used in Australia and is currently exhibited at
the Komatsu Techno Center in Japan. It took the tremendous efforts and hard work
of dedicated Komatsu engineers to carry out the machine’s development.
Inspiration Leads to Innovation
It all began in 1938 with a request from the
government, marking the start of Komatsu’s dedication and commitment to
producing construction equipment.
“Komatsu was manufacturing presses and
farm tractors at the time, and there were no engineers with knowledge of construction
equipment,” explains Mr. Fusao Yamamoto, who greatly contributed to the
development of the G40. “Nobody even knew the word ‘bulldozer’—it
could only be found in limited sources of foreign literature and there were no
photos available. One day, I recalled a scene from a news clip. It showed a machine
I had never seen before which had a board-type structure in front of the tractor. ‘That’s
it!’ I thought. Back then, I’d be lucky if I could see a movie once
a week, so I watched intently every time a new movie came out. I guess that’s
why the image of this new machine stuck in my mind. Consequently, I set about
gathering as much information as I could from technical journals and other sources.”
Mr.
Yamamoto and his fellow engineers ventured abroad to get a glimpse of an actual
bulldozer. Unlike today, doing research posed some major difficulties in the
1940s. “The conditions at construction sites were tough. With no lodgings,
we slept on straw in the garage, while dinner consisted of only canned food and
biscuits,” says Mr. Yamamoto. “The bulldozers we saw were small and
because they were always in use, we could only ask questions to related staff
in the repair yard. I remember thinking how strong and efficient the machines
were, despite their small size, when compared to what people can do. We returned
to Japan completely exhausted, but very motivated to develop our own bulldozer.”
Equipped
with the knowledge gained from these tremendous efforts, Mr. Yamamoto went to
the production site and gave detailed instructions on how to build a bulldozer.
The result was Komatsu’s first bulldozer, the G40.
This was the starting
point for expanding Komatsu’s range of products. Its success was born from
a genba-oriented approach. Genba is a Japanese word that is literally defined
as “the location where actual work takes place.” Komatsu believes
that if practical elements are not properly understood and managed at the genba,
it is difficult to grasp the overall picture. This way of thinking is passed
down through generations as part of Komatsu’s corporate characteristics,
and together with the G40, Komatsu’s mechanical engineering heritage.
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