Kobelco Final Drives

Kobelco is the brand name for Kobe Steel, Ltd. founded in 1905. In 1930. they manufactured the first mining shovel in Japan, followed by the first Japanese pile hammer in 1954 and the first Japanese wheel-type hydraulic excavator in 1963. The Kobelco international trademark was established in 1979 and introduced the Beetle mini-excavator in 1996. By 1997 they had merged with Yutani Heavy Industries to form the Kobelco Construction Machinery Co. In the mid-2000s, the ultra-large building demolition machine the Kobelco SK3500D, with a maximum working height of over 65 meters, is registered to the Guinness World Record as the highest in the world at that time. In 2006, they debuted an environmentally conscious hybrid excavator and reduce fuel consumption of their other excavators by 20%. They continue to combine power and environmental consciousness in their designs now manufacturing a full range of equipment for the construction, mining, and demolition industries, and specializing in excavators and cranes.