It might be an unscientific assumption, but there’s a good chance that the first innovation in attachments—certainly for use in agriculture—most likely arose from human frustration in clearing land with a simple stick
How intriguing to imagine that moment when the idea of adding a flat stone, a piece of shaped wood, or even a branch could immensely improve the task! We may never know just when this occurred, but we do know that it was the first step towards what is today a highly sophisticated technology that makes every earth moving job vastly easier.
As we build skyscrapers, roads, and change the contour of the earth for our own purposes, it is still worth marveling at the accomplishments of earlier civilizations who, with very rudimentary tools and masses of available labor, harnessed ingenuity to build the Seven Wonders of the World. As we continue to be amazed thousands of years later, asking, “How did they do that!”, new technologies are giving us answers.
Archeologists and scientist have recently discovered the grading of the 13-acre base of the Great Pyramid, which has less than a 2-inch variance across its massive surface, was done with sticks and the fall Equinox to establish cardinal points.
Today’s grading and excavation operators have it far easier than their ancient counterparts, but precision is still the goal. With new tools, manufacturing, and technology we’ve dramatically advanced our capacity to get the job done safely and efficiently, and it keeps getting better every year.
Thumbs Up For Profitability
Product marketing manager Jonny Spendlove of John Deere Construction and Forestry says that “attachments for construction are application oriented.”
“For basic earthmoving, a quick coupler and correctly sized buckets are the name of the game. Depending on the conditions, a ripper tooth may also be valuable for cutting through rock, ice, and other hard surfaces,” says Spendlove.
“And if breaking concrete is an important part of the job, a hammer is important.”
He adds that as contractors move into handling scrap, brush, boulders, or similar material, another must-have is a thumb attachment. And for demolition work, specialized attachments “such as pulverizers, concrete cutters, and shears must be part of their attachment list.”
Without question, time is money in every construction project, and Spendlove says that using an excavator coupler and a thumb offers contractors an extra edge of high-level, on-the-job versatility to quickly and safely change the attachment on a machine.
“For example, a customer can easily switch from a bucket to a hammer and back to a bucket during the day. So if there are many obstacles or varied terrain on the job site, quick access to the right attachment to meet the requirements is a clear timesaver. Also, thumbs are an attachment capable of multiple uses in grappling brush, debris, or placement and movement of large objects.”
John Deere Attachments Engineering Supervisor Jason Simmons adds, “Our attachments are really what make the customer profitable because they can do more with one machine.”
“A lot of what my team does from a design of the structure, design of hydraulics, is developed around maximizing the performance excellence of buckets, couplers, and thumbs. The goal is to get weight out of attachments so we are focusing on how to do that without sacrificing any other qualities.”
He explains, “We can do this by using high strength 100 ksi [kilopound per square inch] steel, and from a customer standpoint a lighter attachment that uses less fuel but delivers the best performance is well worth any increase in the cost of using this grade steel.”
Simmons adds that they are also using abrasion resistant Hardox steel.
“To increase wear life, we’re working with some of those [Hardox] steel manufacturers for our attachments, and on the machine side, we are starting to use tungsten carbide coating on the end of the arm on some of the Deere models.”
It’s all about the machine uptime, he says, “because when a machine goes down for a full day, that’s lost money and an idling of your people.
“Plus, we’re doing what we can on the machine quality side to reduce those costs that a customer sees every day—daily fuel, oil, and other serviceability items. Our focus is on the quality of the total product line.”
Simmons says they have a new line of buckets whose new design using high strength steel in high wear areas “makes the machine and the customer more productive.”
The attachments include compact excavator buckets in a 9-inch width, which move a few tenths of a yard, and up to the 84-inch bucket that can move 4–5 yards at a time.
He says the Deere attachments portfolio “gets beyond couplers and buckets and includes hammers and other powered attachments.”
“Also, augers are good for landscape contractors, and plate compactors and hammers are complementary when you are doing backfill.
“On our excavation product line, the customer use of couplers has grown tremendously. Previously, most contractors would have to pin on a bucket, which is time and labor intensive and presents safety issues. But due to today’s diversity of work, they are looking for new applications that let them get into all the dynamics of a job site, and they need to be able to switch attachments safely and quickly to keep the uptime of the machine.
“So now, with the use of hydraulic couplers, most machines that we see, from the mid-size product of our 130 excavator up through our 350 excavator, a majority of those machines get couplers and expand the flexibility to change attachments throughout the day.”
One feature Simmons is particularly impressed with is his team’s work on the Deere grade guidance system. He explains how it works.
“The grade guidance is a system of sensors on the machine. There is a sensor system mounted to the machine arm and you have it pre-programmed on the geometry of the specific bucket you are using, which is read as a display on the inside of the cab. Then, there is a camera and a position system that guide an operator who is digging a trench, for example, and needs to achieve a specific grade with that bucket to meet that grade requirement. Before we had this system, you had to physically get out and look at the elevation.
“But now with the electronic display in the machine, you can see what position your bucket teeth are in and read in real time how you are doing to meet the grading specs.”
Simmons reports that this system is on their 210 and 350G machines and, “They help an operator be more productive, making them a better, more valuable operator.”
“You can put an operator with average skill level on a job and with this system they can do some good, solid work on a very complicated job that might otherwise require the expertise of a more seasoned operator,” reports Simmons.
Finally, as safety is a number one concern in any machine operation, Simmons says that their loaders and compact excavators meet new mandates in ISO requirements.
“The main requirement of ISO 13031 is you need to have a backup safety mechanism as part of your coupler system so that if the machine loses power, you would not lose the locking feature of the hydraulic powered coupler.
“Second, there is a requirement around visual indicators. This is so the operator can see the attachment is properly coupled or when you are disconnecting, that it is done correctly. There is a red indicator on the coupler that can be seen and shows the attachment is locked; we have that as well.”
Simmons affirms that the John Deere mission is one of quality and there is a company-wide focus on this aspect for “all our equipment product lines and their productivity.”
“It’s very important that machines are productive day in and day out, making the customer money and expanding their access to broader job opportunities with our machines.”
Doing More by Doing Less
Very often a mechanized innovation is so effective you wonder why it wasn’t thought of earlier. This might be the perfect description for tiltrotation devices that bring excavation work to a new level of efficiency. Phil Lucoe, sales and marketing manager of Rototilt North America, describes the benefits and capabilities.
“While we can tell contractors what these devices do, the hard part is getting past their resistance to adopting a new operational method. The construction industry is known for taking many years to come around to a new idea. People are used to doing things the same old way; they know how it works, they have it mastered, and learning a new process can seem daunting despite its ability to vastly simplify your work,” he explains.
According to Lucoe, the tilt and rotation function of Rototilt tiltrotators bring an incredible versatility with tremendous time and labor savings to any excavation and grading work and so much more across diverse areas of application.
“A tiltrotator allows you to minimize machine movements, which is another big benefit. So, if you are digging a subdeck or grading a backyard, for example, you can access work at all different angles. If you are digging a foundation you can use the device to get into curves and corners by tilting and rotating your bucket, but without moving your machine. Plus, when you are putting in a pile of gravel, an excavator will dig one way and you have a lot of waste. With the Rototilt you can move on all sides of that pile with minimal loss. A Rototilt tiltrotator provides 40-degree tilt each way and continuous rotation in both directions. It’s really an amazing asset to any machine and project.”
He adds this is particularly valuable when doing landscaping.
“Every time you move the machine you cause disturbances. This is damage you then have to repair, so the unit allows you to do more work, with a lot less re-working, and you also have less undercarriage wear and reduced overall maintenance costs.”
And Lucoe adds that for backfill work, “You can pack your material in more efficiently, which reduces your new material loss, and you can switch to hydraulic attachments, such as a grapple, without connecting hoses if you choose the Rototilt Quick Change option.”
But Lucoe adds the machine is not intended to reduce labor completely, but to allow labor to perform other important tasks that can increase project efficiency.
Another feature Lucoe describes is a pulse/shake function that replaces the operation of actually maneuvering the joystick manually to replicate a shaking operation, such as for spreading granular material, “like covering over pipes with gravel for example.”
“Our innovative control system (ICS) has evolved from push-button operations, which were jerky, to now being controlled by proportional rollers so that now you can tilt and rotate slowly and smoothly. The ICS Control System also features a monitor that keeps track of your tilt and rotation and lets the operator set a ‘home position,’ so if you are working and you are offset from center, it brings you back after you dump out.”
On the larger Rototilt models for excavators above 10 tons, Rototilt offers a pin-grabber option to use standard North American OEM buckets.
He adds that Rototilt is the only tiltrotator that uses an oil-filled rotor, “which not only lubricates the main brass and worm gear but also reduces heat and pulls away contaminants that you can flush out.
“We have a full re-build facility at Rototilt North America that customers can send their Rototilt to after years of service and give it a second life,” says Lucoe.
He reports how one customer has put over 30,000 hours on their oldest Rototilt by resealing and re-bushing it when necessary.
“Our engineering is second to none and now we are developing accessory attachments under the Rototilt brand. With a world-leading advanced manufacturing facility, we are known for our quality, and Rototilt can be used on any excavator from 1.5 tons to a 40 ton. So, from a mini to a bulk machine we can help you be more efficient.”
Lucoe concedes that it is a significant initial investment in comparison to an actual machine itself, “But what we hear is that although it might seem like a big investment up front, you are putting that into a machine that is working on a day-to-day basis; it’s not an occasional-use tool.
“If you put two laborers and a pick-up truck on the job, to do what this machine can do in terms of moving material in a static motion, there’s a cost involved. The payback in the efficiency of not having to move the machine and reduce the need for manual labor, this all adds up.”
He says that depending on the specific job, this can be a significant saving to your profitability and for gaining you more customers. “It isn’t long before they are saying, ‘How did we work without this?’”
“In three to four months time, the owners understand the advantages. It’s not just a tiltrotator, it’s an entirely different way of thinking and doing business. Many people are price shopping, but if you really think about it, this is a long-term product investment versus a short-term low sticker price on one machine. There is no question that this increases the potential for your business and your operation’s profitability to do more, do it better, and more cost-effectively in the long run,” says Lucoe.
Contracting firm W.F. Wilson agrees.
The family-owned Elkridge, MD, contractor has been in operation since 1946. “We are now on our third Rototilt,” says project supervisor and machine operator, Mark Tignor.
“Like most everybody else I was skeptical at first. It was expensive, it was a novel concept, but it’s a terrific asset and looking back, its hard to imagine doing work without it.”
The contracting firm performs many stormwater management and stream restoration projects as part of its excavation work and Tignor says, “Having the Rototilt is an invaluable function when you are on a slope doing road, stream, or waterway work.”
“First of all, you want minimal invasion on sensitive environmental areas. If you are working on public property there are strict regulations about environmental disturbance. This means you can’t be tracking all over and disturbing any more than is necessary as this not only adds costs when you have to go back in and grade and revegetate but potentially violates policies,” says Tignor.
“We’ve been called in by local cities to do emergency work on damage from recent flooding in historic and protected areas. With the Rototilt, we can position our machine, get our attachments, and work on streambeds, over sloped areas, and in tight spots. When you get the job done with minimal property impact it’s highly appreciated by the municipality.”
Now on their third Rototilt, Tignor says the latest unit, the R6, also has an upgraded Quick Change on the lower coupler.
“This allows us to connect to hydraulic attachments without having to connect to jumper lines on the grapple or the compactor.”
Lucoe concludes that for Rototilt users, there is no question that, “The efficiencies you gain are justified with the initial purchase.”
Keeping Track of Your Investment
There’s no mistaking the big yellow heavy equipment machines, a ubiquitous feature at nearly every construction site. As a global leader in machine manufacturing, Paul Fabrizius, the Caterpillar industrial markets sales support consultant, confirms that the company “is 100% committed to customer service excellence and attention.”
“One of the latest innovations that is really terrific is the PL161 asset locator. This is a little module that goes on any attachment, and it’s recognized by Bluetooth on the next-gen excavators and your phone through the Cat App. So all the next-gen excavator will not only recognize this device, it will also report the location,” he says.
Launched initially in 2017, the asset tracker provides the last known position, “So if you are on a big job and you want to know where you left your hammer, the excavator will give you the location.”
“If you think about it, a large contracting firm with 500 machines and three tools per machine and maybe 1500 attachments is a huge inventory to keep track of. With the PL161 attachment locator, it really simplifies the headaches of searching for your tools.”
Fabrizius adds, “One of the big advantages we offer customers is we build our attachments to be the perfect match for our machines to give you the best productivity from that attachment.”
What this means, he explains, is, “We are one source for you, and we design the attachment. Given that the devil is in the details, we have our engineers from the attachment side collaborate with the engineers on the machine side to maximize productivity as a ‘system solution.’”
For excavation, he says their line-up includes attachments for digging, clean-up, and loading, with toothed and flat buckets that come with options for pin-on or coupler attachment systems for your machine. He adds that their range of Quick Couplers (available as the hydraulic Cat Pin Grabber Coupler with 3626 psi), as well as manual, single pin-lock couplers, increase productivity on the job allowing fast bucket changes to Cat backhoes in the field.
Fabrizius says they are putting a lot of effort into the technologies that help understand how attachments wear based on their application and usage hours and, in fact, where the attachments are.
Their Cat Connect is a suite of hardware, software, and service that helps operators grade more efficiently, and when you “load and compact with fewer passes, you can use less fuel and this reduces overall costs.”
While there is inarguably a huge challenge for today’s market in available skilled labor, Cat Grade Technology allows operators to increase productivity as much as 50% over traditional grading. When in use, this system has reduced operator input by up to 80%, “so a less seasoned operator can do more, and do it better, with less tenure on the job.”
For excavators, the Cat Grade with depth and slope can be used with their Grade with Assist to offer a semi-autonomous work mode. This program also works with two-dimensional and three-dimensional grading assistance software that helps the operator with boom and bucket movements, as well as with digging and planning, to deliver efficiency, speed, and the precision required doing roadwork.
“This can increase operator efficiency up to 45%,” reports Fabrizius. By using digital design data, the Cat Grade technologies give operators in-cab guidance using automatic controls that make the most complex slope vastly easier and more precise.
Using other software tools helps the operators understand how much bucket payload “is actually in a load.”
“This data package can help you make the most of your loading and hauling. For example, if your dump truck has a 20-ton limit, you might be loading on the light side because you sure don’t want your driver to get fined for overweight at the weigh station.
“By using our payload calculation program, you can fill as close to maximum as possible without either light loading or overloading. Of course, if you typically are shorting a truck by a ton or less for each dump load, this adds up to actually doing more loads, more trips, and using more fuel and incurring more wear and tear on your trucks. Targeting your load with exact payload is a must for cost efficiency.”
Fabrizius adds that Caterpillar offers customers another incentive.
“We are the only company out there who will help you finance the purchase of your work tools, and this really sets a competitive edge that separates us from the other companies.
“If you already have invested in a $150,000 to $300,000 machine and want to buy a new attachment, you can go to a finance company but they aren’t going to take that on. However, at Cat Financial Services we finance your attachment purchases. Whether you have a Cat machine or not, you can buy that new attachment on the Cat Card Program or an attachment installment sales contract plan. All financing is subject to approval by Cat Financial Services.
“We’re going to see technology really driving all the new improvements to this arena. By improving operator performance, quality of work on site done faster, more precisely, and with less demand for skilled operator experience, this helps everyone’s bottom line. In the end, what we offer the market helps you go out and develop a high-quality project portfolio with the underpinning of quality work and customer satisfaction performed economically,” he affirms.
The Name Says It All
Sometimes a brand name says it all with no guesswork. Band-Aid is not hard to figure out, however, there was a lot of head scratching when Xerox was launched.
But company North American Vice President, Christian Yanes says Steelwrist “is exactly what it sounds like.”
“Imagine attaching an implement to the end of your stick on your excavator that performs all the function of your wrist. It turns, tilts, rotates just like the wrist on the end of your arm that allows your hand to perform many functions in multiple directions. That versatility is what Steelwrist does for your excavation attachments.”
Founded in Stockholm in 2005, the company is very popular in Scandinavia where, Yanes says, “You will find 95% of machines equipped with a tiltrotator. But, there are several reasons for this,” he explains.
“First, this is a large market for owner-operators; the guy who runs the machine also owns it and takes care of it. Second, it’s also a very large country, with a rugged climate and with a small population and if someone is going out to do a road preparation job, they can’t be taking a lot of equipment because fuel costs are high. The Steelwrist lets one machine perform many functions.
“The third reason is that both skilled labor shortages and the cost of labor is high and that owner-operator is saying ‘If I buy a Steelwrist I don’t need extra people.’”
Yanes adds that the concept of tiltrotors has been slow to catch on in North America as, “It is often seen as a gimmick or a toy and only for grading, but it is so much more and really adds incredibly to the versatility of your excavator.”
“For example, in Norway, where the toughest materials on the planet are found, the operator can use a quick connect and go from grading to digging to a pallet fork. Before this, you would have to use a skid steer and a truck to pull up to load and unload. But now you don’t have to rent that equipment. With your Steelwrist, you simply use your excavator, add the pallet forks, and then the machine becomes a tool bearer.”
Installation on the excavator includes a computer and new joysticks as part of the XControl system. This gives the operators the option to add track steering or blade control as well. The Steelwrist also comes as standard with an auxiliary circuit that allows customers to operate hydraulic attachments.
The Steelwrist also has the option of a gripper that is great for light material handling. This lets you use the excavator as a grabber for material handling. “If you need to move a fence or post, you can do this with your machine without using a lifting hook or strap.”
The ease of use as a timesaver is an additional advantage, as Yanes describes the process.
“Imagine a coupler attached to a grapple, for example. On the SQ model, the fully integrated hydraulics eliminate the need to get out of the cab to connect the hydraulic lines hammerline, which usually takes 15 to 20 minutes to connect a hydraulic tool. We’ve put the hose to a bracket right to the breaker, so it connects attachments automatically, meaning you can go right from a breaker to a bucket or any other hydraulic attachment in seconds.”
The SQ, Yanes says, is increasing in popularity as it is the latest innovation, but its convenience and efficiency are already very appreciated by users.
“They tell us that they may have initially seen the product as a superfluous expensive gadget, but once they use it, especially in tough climates like Scandinavia, they wonder how they got along without it.”
Contractors in North America, Yanes explains, have typically had resistance to the tiltrotation devices. “They don’t really see how it’s going to save them money, but it is ideally designed to do exactly just that—save you money, save you time.
“Landscapers in North America are now some of the first adopters as they are the market where working alone without a big crew is more the norm. Before tiltrotators, they had to jump out of the machine to check their slope and grade visually. We’ve now sold these to golf courses as it is the perfect tool for making those contours and there’s less running around with a shovel to achieve your goals.”
Other markets also can appreciate the versatility of Steelwrist, such as the rail industry and urban infrastructure projects.
“Here is where it can really shine as you have very limited mobility. You can’t reposition your machine, there is very little space, but you can do everything you need to with one machine in place and have the versatility of using your attachments in multiple functions; grade, dig, pick up rail ties or other material.”
Yanes adds that this also is perfect for roadwork, “as it eliminates the headaches with having to close lanes and the potential fees charged to contractors for doing that. In cities, there is limited space to work, visibility restrictions, and you’re encumbered by pedestrians and cars, so obviously for safety reasons you don’t want to move a big machine around very much. Steelwrist gives you a real advantage in these situations.”
River, shoreline, and stream restoration, and any site where minimal environmental impact is another must-have application, that “is a perfect application for Steelwrist,” says Yanes.
Furthermore, with the onboard guidance systems, a one-man job can be even more efficient with the integrated machine control system.
“Take landscapers for example. The operator has loaded up a map for the landscape he’ll be working on and the GPS knows the positioning of the machine as to the height and depth of the bucket.
“Basically, it is lending an artificial intelligence to the process and the operator can see and follow the map on the in-cab screen and achieve the depth and contours needed by maneuvering the Steelwrist joysticks. In other words, it is this 3D process that allows you to get the job done perfectly with one machine and one operator, and in less time, with the required precision. Ultimately, the Steelwrist XControl integrates with 3D machine control systems in order to get the most out of the system.”
Yanes says that they offer five different functions through a control system displayed on the LCD screen that collects data on how the operator can change speed and direction, depending on the function being performed.
“If you are operating on one setting all afternoon you can save this as a ‘personal setting,’ and then, like a ‘favorites page,’ go back to it if you switch between functions.”
Another factor that is attractive to contractors is that they can quote on a job using less labor and “that might be the defining advantage to getting a new business contract, as most are dollar driven awards.”
“This is not a niche product,” affirms Yanes, “This is a real necessity to staying ahead as a leader in your market with a clear edge on the competition. You will use this 24/7 and be faster, more efficient with all your other attachments. With all the extra benefits the Steelwrist offers, you will find that within the year, your investment will probably be paid for.”
Engineered for Efficiency and More
When most consumers see the Volvo name, they think sedate, boxy cars and then safety, durability, and, of course, Sweden.
“But we really started out by making trucks,” says Mark Mohn, director of attachments for Volvo Construction Equipment, region Americas.
“Because of our history, we really put a lot of engineering into bucket design. It all comes down to the shape of the shell,” says Mohn, “and, of course, the type of material being dug.”
Back in the home region of Scandinavia, it is essential to have different bucket shell designs as they are digging rock and granite.
“They don’t have the same problem you would encounter in the States with dirt and clay getting stuck in the bucket shell. But in either case, the goal is to fill it up, get a big volume, and when it dumps the bucket, it is clean, and that helps your efficiency and productivity. The design consideration for these soils and materials of North America is essential to meet that goal.”
He adds that they offer a range of buckets in three categories: ditching buckets, general-purpose (GP) buckets, and heavy-duty (HD) buckets. All can be attached as a direct fit or with the Volvo quick coupler interfaces.
The ditching bucket is designed for landscaping and slope shaping and is ideal for handling and moving soft materials, whereas the HD bucket is heavier and tougher than both the GP and fixed ditching bucket.
The HD bucket is equipped with bottom wear strips, making it a great choice for handling dense materials like blasted rock, stone, ripped basalt, and granite and Volvo also offers optional side shrouds and segments.
Their GP bucket is well suited for softer materials, plus gravels and stones, so it handles a large variety of ground digging conditions. Mohn says that the design ensures an optimal fill factor and digging force to maximize productivity.
To enhance that productivity, Volvo has developed a range of quick couplers that let operators quickly secure their Volvo attachments.
“Our hydraulic universal pin-grabber coupler picks up all our direct-fit attachments without having to leave the cab,” says Mohn. He adds that you can also use it with other manufacturer's attachments with various pin sizes and spacing “as long as they are within the coupler’s range.”
The Volvo S-type Quick Coupler is another option and is a dedicated coupler/bucket for all S-type interface attachment applications.
To further enhance productivity, Matt McLean, product manager for wheeled excavators at Volvo, speaks to the Volvo business partnership with Steelwrist as a mutually beneficial alliance.
“I hear from a lot of people who don’t yet know what a tiltrotator is, let alone the benefits they offer that justify the cost,” he says.
“When the Steelwrist is used on Volvo excavators, it lets operators rotate their attachments by 360 degrees and tilt 45 degrees to the left or right. Due to this wrist action, you suddenly boost your bucket or attachment versatility tremendously, allowing you to perform more functions and in less time.”
McLean cites a few on-the-job examples such as “trenching in confined spaces without having to constantly reposition your excavator.”
“When you are digging around a manhole with a traditional excavator there’s a lot of repositioning to dig it out. But with the tiltrotator, however, you can move the bucket, not the machine, to get the job done from one spot.
“Then there’s creating a V-shaped ditch along a road. By using one of the rollers on the joystick and starting the bucket at 45 degrees to the left, you can dig a pass and then repeat the process, angling it to the right at 45 degrees, create that side. You’re done very quickly.”
McLean says grading is a snap as well because operators can use the boom float feature, which lets them follow the contours of the ground. Volvo’s symmetrical quick coupler also makes it easy to exchange attachments like forks, brooms, grapples, and compactors, and the Steelwrist front pin lock keeps workers safe in the process.
McLean also reports on the benefits of using Dig Assist, the Volvo excavator machine control system displayed on the co-pilot interface that works in real time to help operators meet job parameters.
It has an in-cab interface with a 10-inch touch screen and allows for input of job specs.
“The best part is it is easy to learn and easy to use. Using it is as simple as running a tablet or smartphone, with a learning curve of less than two minutes. It’s also a great training tool because they have a visual aid to judge their accuracy in real time.
“By decreasing the time spent checking and re-checking depth and slope accuracy, it frees up crewmembers to do other work, which can increase job site productivity and efficiency.”
McLean explains how easy the process is. You open the application and “by using a tooth on the bucket to tell the system where the earth begins, it first sets a reference point.”
Next, “You input your target depth and grade and the system gives you an image so you are seeing the bucket in real time. With the Volvo Smart View, you can also toggle to get a 360-degree and bird’s-eye view of the machine and surroundings—this really helps with job safety.”
The system has an optional In-Field Design function, McLean says, that lets operators use the co-pilot touch screen to draw a custom dig profile right from the cab without an engineer or surveyor.
“And our Material Layers function lets operators do backfilling with much less guesswork by presetting the depth layers for each material and then watching the progress in real time.
Once the system is set up and calibrated, it’s accurate to within 3/4 inch and the multiple views of the machine—from side, top, front, and the 3D—can all be seen simultaneously. “This keeps the operator informed to the machine’s position during the job at all times.”
With Volvo having served the contractor market for more than 100 years—often bringing innovating new concepts to market—their recent introductions indicate no signs of slowing.