Komatsu’s RF-5 reclaim feeder is taking the Australian resources industry by storm.
Mining companies are always looking for ways to maximise productivity on-site.
Enter Komatsu’s RF-5, a reliable feeder designed with ease of use at the forefront.
“The RF-5 was developed in 2019 and launched to the market in 2020,” Komatsu Mining product support manager – crushing Daniel Hurse told Australian Mining.
“We previously had a broad range of feeders. The RF-5 has allowed us to provide a standard offering to the global market, with common stock available worldwide, reducing the lead time on the machines.”
Komatsu’s reclaim feeders are constructed with a drag chain or chain and flight conveyor, drawing material in from a stockpile at a controlled rate. The machine then feeds the material to a downstream system such as a conveyor.
“A reclaimed feeder could be used to draw material from a stockpile that needs to be sized down,” Hurse said. “Or it’s at the other end, supporting the final product being fed into a plant or taken away to another site.”
Ideal for a range of industrial materials such as aggregates, coal and iron ore, the RF-5 has a throughput of up to 4000 tonnes per hour and a power rating range of more than 370 kilowatts.
Hurse highlighted the low cost of ownership and operation as another key benefit of the machine.
“There’s minimal installation costs and site preparation in setting up a reclaimed feeder – all you need is some solid, flat ground,” he said. “It’s a low cost-per-tonne machine with minimal wear components, making it easy to install, operate and maintain.”
Operating in fixed or semi-mobile installations, the RF-5 can be easily moved and relocated depending on the needs of the mining operation.
The machine boasts a heavy-duty design with steel components, supporting an operating life of more than 20 years. The system’s components are the same as other Komatsu machinery, reducing lead times across the fleet.
“Whether it’s gone through our feeder breaker and our double roll sizes, resulting in the final product, or whether it’s feeding one of our crushers, the RF-5 is designed to be loaded by Komatsu trucks, loaders, dozers,” Hurse said.
“It fits in seamlessly with our broader product offerings.”
A plug-and-play machine, the RF-5 can be fitted with a control system supporting local or remote operation.
“Our remote monitoring and data logging system assists in tracking machine wear and pain points, with data available to the customer to help maintenance planning,” Hurse said.
“The customer may have their own control system we can tap into, or we can go with the links so they can access that data.”
Any maintenance issues logged can be turned into actionable insights to enrich decision-making.
The RF-5 can also operate while electric and automatic lubrication is taking place, further reducing downtime.
These capabilities are sweeping the resources sector, with one RF-5 machine available for purchase in Australia.
“It’s a cost-effective, reliable machine to get material from the ground onto a belt,” Hurse said. “It’s versatile and suited to any application. We have a machine that can meet the customer’s needs straight away.”
This feature appeared in the July 2025 issue of Australian Mining.
