The launch of the new SMK PC3400 marks the beginning of the renovation of an old factory in Europe.

Shimao is something we are very familiar with. Those who are familiar with Shimao's history will know that after acquiring Demark, they obtained the large-scale mining hydraulic excavator product line. After eliminating products weighing less than 300 tons, there were not many models left, namely the current PC3000 to PC8000. In the Munich BMW exhibition in 2016, the PC7000 was officially launched, and last year, a new model PC3400 was quietly introduced.The PC3400 has not been officially released, so it is difficult to find its official technical parameters. We only know that its official model is PC3400-11M0. That is to say, like the PC7000-11 and the newly released PC4000-11, these three models belong to the new generation of products. The other models, PC3000-6, PC4000-6, PC5500-6 and PC8000-6, belong to the previous generation of products.

Indeed, many models have not been upgraded for over a decade. Although the slow pace of equipment renewal in the mining industry is the norm, Komatsu clearly also shows some dissatisfaction. The Demark factory has a long history and, after being acquired, still independently developed products. Although its products are renowned for their long lifespan and high structural reliability, in terms of electrical and hydraulic aspects, its advantages are not particularly obvious. It lacks the ability to develop core components and basically relies on local suppliers in Germany, whose products have not been upgraded for many years either.

To address this issue, Komatsu combined its electrical and hydraulic technologies with the DeMark factory to enhance the reliability of electrical and hydraulic components. In other words, the supplier became Komatsu itself. The PC3400-11 was the first project of this joint development, with the aim of replacing the PC3000.

However, Komatsu had no previous experience in developing excavators with a capacity of over 300 tons, so there were no ready-made components available for direct use. They had to develop everything from scratch. For instance, they developed a super-large main control valve for the PC3400, increasing the flow rate from 500 liters per minute in the PC3000 to 1000 liters per minute.

Of course, it's not just about the indicators. What's more important is that the performance of the entire hydraulic system has significantly improved compared to PC3000. Although more technical details are still unknown at present, it is known that the number of rotary motors has increased from one to two in PC3000, which undoubtedly will enhance the rotary performance.

The bucket capacity of the PC3400 has increased from 15 cubic meters of the PC3000 to 18 cubic meters. The engine has been changed from Cummins QSK38 to QSK50, with power increasing by approximately 250 kilowatts. Coupled with improvements in hydraulic and control systems, its productivity has increased by 31% compared to the PC3000, and fuel efficiency has improved by 22%. Reliability has also been enhanced. In other aspects, it is the same as the other models - such as comfort, maintainability, electronic information systems, etc.

Currently, a PC3400 is operating on a small island in the Philippines and the results have been reportedly satisfactory. In fact, Komatsu itself is also learning. Although it has acquired Demaco for many years, the integration level is actually not as good as what is imagined by the outside world. Starting with the PC3400, Komatsu may eventually transform the entire product line of Demaco.