Service Mechanic Competition 2014

On July 2 and 3, Hitachi Construction Machinery held the 13th Service Mechanic Competition 2014 at the Technical Training Center, Tsuchiura, Japan. The competition is open to regional divisions worldwide, and seven mechanics took part in the final competition, one from each region of the globe. In addition to entrants from Japan, China, Europe, Asia Pacific, and India, competitors from Russia and Africa were welcomed for the first time this year.

There were three events: a written exam (100 points), technical skills (200 points), and technical reporting (100 points), for a maximum of 400 points. Participants competed based on service knowhow, technical expertise, and customer response capabilities. The technical skills event took place in the morning of the second day. The competitors were each told to inspect and repair an excavator with a non‒functioning engine and low digging power. The mechanics then performed troubleshooting of the actual machine, carried out repair work based on the diagnosis, and conducted comprehensive maintenance inspections. They were also evaluated on their ability to find and deal with any additional problems discovered during the maintenance inspection, thereby demonstrating their day‒to‒day service skills.

The event for repair and inspection reporting to the supervisor of the mechanic was held after the technical skills event. The scores from these two events were then added to the score from the written exam using HICAL 2 on the first day. When the scores were tallied, Jonathon Luke Larsen of Cable Price (NZ) Limited, representing HMAP, was awarded the Most Valuable Service (MVS) award. The award plaque was presented to Mr. Larsen by President Tsujimoto.

HCM aims to further increase global participation in the competition next year. The goal is to enhance the technical prowess of service mechanics and boost motivation to further improve customer satisfaction.