The comfort of excavator operators and the positive impact comfort can have on their wellbeing and output, was to the fore at Komatsu UK as designers set out to plan a new Operator Cab for crawler excavators, details of which have just been revealed.
Said by its distributor in Ireland, McHale Plant Sales director, Denis McGrath, to be “the product of detailed research and close contacts with customers, the new cab builds upon Komatsu’s well-established reputation for exceptional operator protection”.
The result of extensive research and consultations with customers, it is viewed as ‘a significant upgrade’, engineered to deliver ‘a first-class user experience’ from the moment an operator begins to climb on board.
First notable feature is evident in access to the machine, made safer thanks in large measure to the provision of sturdy, high-visibility handrails finished in familiar Komatsu yellow – fitted outside and inside and easy-to-see, even in low-light conditions.
Other safety-related features include a new, chrome-finished exterior door handle finished with an ‘easy- to-grip’ surface, and new ‘coming-home lights’ which remain illuminated for 30 seconds after the key is removed from the ignition.
Inside, a refined and ergonomic workspace has a high-end luxury ‘feel’ helped by a premium dark colour scheme and a plush floor mat. Retained is Komatsu’s iconic Safe SpaceCab design, engineered for hydraulic excavators to provide superior protection even in a most extreme rollover accident.
Visibility of the exterior and the ground being dug benefits from the fitting of an improved ‘sun-shading’ front roller blind, and a UV-protective tinted rear window that minimises sun exposure and maintains a cool in-cab working temperature.
Upgraded LED lighting – positioned above the seat and to its rear – provides illumination at all points in the day. A document holder for storing jobsite papers helps keep the cab-space clutter-free.
Amongst optional fitments is a ‘premium’ seat that adjusts automatically according to the operators weight and other physical metrics. New control levers ease handling and help eliminate ‘grasp and grip’ fatigue.
Of particular appeal is a robust, multifunctional bar to which accessories such as water bottles, monitors, tablets mobile phones, tablets, and other digital devices can be fixed.
Operators drawn to background music, news bulletins, and podcasts have dual USB ports in USB-A and USB-C formats, and easy mobile device charging and data transfer.
