A PROBLEM solving solution by a team of workers at Komatsu UK has swept the board at the Japanese parent company's annual quality circle awards, for the first time in the competition's history.

Teams of employees at Komatsu plants around the world, including the site in Birtley, County Durham, work together to identify areas within the manufacturing process which show room for improvement.

Steve Drummond, Paul Robertson and Shane Conn, from the Birtley plant, were chosen to represent Komatsu UK in Japan, after their team won the UK heat.

Their solution introduced the "just in time" delivery of hydraulic tubes to the assembly line, which reduced costs and improved safety and efficiency for the company.

The team scooped a hat trick at the Japan convention, winning the Global Grand prize, the award for excellence and the judges award, making them the first team to win all three accolades in the competition's 33-year history.

Kunio Noji, president of the production division at Komatsu, oversaw the competition.

He said: "Quality circles provide an important forum for all Komatsu employees to participate in, train and communicate at management level.

"This method of problem solving has, over the year, resulted in ideas that have transformed the production process, benefiting the company greatly."

Steve Drummond said: "We are overjoyed to have won all three awards, not only for ourselves, but for the rest of the team at Birtley.