Representatives of manufacturers of construction equipment differ considerably on the subject of machine control and guidance. In recent months, some people have said that the future will see machine control taken away from operators because they are less efficient and, in the long run, more expensive than the machines themselves. Reports indicate that the cost of labor is increasing more quickly, in proportion, than the cost of machines. Responses were forthright and honest, with many manufacturers of machines quick to point out that control options are often add-on products from other manufacturers, usually instrument makers.Joint ventures and agreements between manufacturers of such machines as graders and loaders and makers of instrumentation (often with laser receiver and global positioning system as part of product terminology) seem likely to increase in the next few years. Two leaders in their respective fields–Caterpillar Inc. and Trimble–reached agreement earlier this year to form a joint venture called Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC; each company owns 50%. “The two companies have worked together for six years on a variety of machine control technology initiatives,” notes Lea Ann McNabb for Trimble. “The initial distribution is interesting. The joint venture will supply products to both Caterpillar and Trimble, and each partner will distribute, service, and support the products using their company’s independent distribution channels.”Is There a Need for Additional Machine Guidance?
Should you feel you are being left behind in these technologies? How big is the market for machine guidance and control? How much growth has been seen so far? “Over the past five years, there have been more than 300,000 machines sold in the United States alone that can potentially benefit from the use of this technology,” asserts Karl Ramstrom, senior vice president and general manager of Trimble’s Engineering and Construction Division. “The combined strengths of Trimble and Caterpillar in this venture will enable us to reach a larger part of this customer base and accelerate the growth and acceptance of these productivity-enhancing systems in the construction market.”Steve Murphy, a contractor based in Orion, IL, says his experience includes drilling tools for mining projects. “They became almost completely computerized,” says Murphy. “That offered many benefits, but it felt unusual not to be in complete control of the tool I was working. From that experience I can understand why operators of machines like excavators and graders feel they are missing something when instruments take over. Some people make fun of operators talking about the feel of their machines, but even car drivers understand what they mean. It’s not the technical aspects of the machine, it’s the feel.” Other contractors say they cannot explain their relationships with their machines “without sounding corny” but that is the same concept: that the machine and operator are one unit, not two competing entities.“The market for machine guidance and control products has seen relatively low penetration rates to date,” observes Mark Nichols, general manager of Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies. “Over the past three years, customers who have adopted the new 3D machine control technology have realized significant benefits, with productivity enhancements up to 30%, reduced rework, and the virtual elimination of certain steps in the construction process. By integrating this technology into the design of its machines, Caterpillar will offer its customers an innovative way to further enhance their productivity in the field.”Some professionals have a problem with the words control and guidance. Does guidance imply that there is something helping the operator? Does control indicate the operator is overruled or becoming obsolete? “You will never totally replace the human mind, which is required for decision-making and reason while you are working,” states Dan Klug, excavator expert at Bobcat. “There are remote-control machines available today, but often they are intended to keep the operator out of harm’s way. They still have operators. That’s just my opinion. Engineers may think differently.” He is supported by Leroy Anderson, also at Bobcat in North Dakota. “How can you automate the thinking that’s required when digging in touchy situations?” asks Anderson. “Those who say that an operator’s human brain and decision-making are not essential to the running of an excavator, dozer, or grader sound as if they themselves have never run one,” remarks Jeff Munsell, a hydraulic expert for Caterpillar in Montana. “They seem to have forgotten the daily aspects of the work, the small events that demand quick human involvement. For everyday jobs, even with help from instruments, your operator is a vital part of the project’s success.” Many owners and operators of graders, excavators, and loaders agree. From these comments, we have learned to differentiate clearly between machine guidance and machine control. The terms are not interchangeable.Contractors have been using instruments that guide their excavators and graders but, to many, the phrase machine control implies that something apart from a human operator is running the equipment. Some years ago there was a site where some “empty” Komatsu excavators were controlled from a remote station because the earth they were moving was hazardous and human operators were not allowed near it. That application and its solution were unusual, understandable, and ingenious, similar to demolition machines that can be remotely controlled at hazardous sites.Improvements in Productivity“Our productivity doubled,” reports Arthur Hatch, engineer for D&C Construction of Rockland, MA, referring to his use of a Topcon RT-Sa dual slope laser transmitter. His company performed grading for the Braintree Dam reconstruction project. “I think the instrument paid for itself in three months of that job alone.” At the Boston Central Artery project, also in Massachusetts, use of the same type of instrument enabled workers for joint venture Slattery, InterBetton, White and Perini to reduce setup time by as much as 75%. “And the grades matched every day,” says Ralph Ghosn, chief engineer for the joint venture. In Austel, GA, where the site covered 800 ac., the Topcon RT-Sa allowed Marty Goodsen of Driggs Inc. and his team to grade almost 35 million ft.2 with the axis lined up perfectly. The foreman says he finished the subgrade job (for the Norfolk Southern Railyard) two days ahead of schedule with the control mounted on a Cat 14-H motor grader. The Georgia contractor also mentioned easy setup, and the production increase was estimated at 60%. Those applications are quoted as examples of machine control, but the machines were not traveling around the sites on their own, and they did not put any operator out of work. “Our 3-Dimensional Machine Control puts the future of machine control to work for you today,” states Topcon. “Less initial staking is required, with restaking and conventional stringlining no longer necessary. The result is fast, fully automatic grade control with accuracy.” While recognizing the Topcon system and its proven benefits, it is most likely that the control is of the results (the grading) rather than of the machine. The system does not eliminate the need for an operator, nor is it intended to do so. Most contractors equate machine control with remote control, which implies that nobody is in or on the machine. When remote-controlled trench compactors are used, there is no worker in the trench with the machine; there is a worker, above the trench, managing the remote controls for accuracy and productivity.Similar to the Topcon instruments is the Javelin series introduced by Laser Alignment (Leica Geosystems). “The Javelin and the Javelin-S are dual grade lasers,” explains Dan Dykhuis, product program manager for Laser Alignment. “The Javelin provides up to 20% grade in both the X and Y planes and features a high-speed rotation for accurate, smooth blade control. It has an onboard battery pack and an LCD that the user will find easy to use. The Javelin-S provides up to 50% grade in either the X or Y planes. It has an angle-setting feature and an automatic line-finding feature that will set the axis precisely to the control points.” Both Javelins offer one-touch adjustment (for windy conditions), fast steep-grade setting, and a grade “swap” feature that reverses the grade in one axis for such applications as road crowns. “The Javelin,” adds Dykhuis, “can be combined with our GPS system to provide the ultimate 3D control system.” Often it’s the technological terms that put contractors off new products. Younger workers are more comfortable with the instruments and theories behind machine guidance and control systems, but older professionals should remember that they were the ones, as youngsters, who propelled many of the features and benefits in machines that we take for granted today. Manufacturers’ representatives were knowledgeable and helpful when asked questions that betrayed the askers’ ignorance. To reinforce the statement that operators will not become obsolete and to offer a solution for the problem of a worldwide lack of skilled and motivated personnel, these words from Sir Anthony Bamford, chairman and CEO of JCB, might be helpful: “One aspect, sometimes ignored, is that the skilled operator or worker is becoming the most expensive item at a construction site. The machines themselves may soon be perceived as the lower expense. What may be ideal for a contractor is the availability of several machines at a project–a backhoe loader, skid-steer, excavator, and telescopic handler, for example–with one or two operators who can run them all efficiently. I think users of construction equipment must address the cost of labor and its level of importance in the overall cost of doing business. Equipment that gives savings in labor costs will become most important in the coming years.” Today’s instruments for machine guidance and control are included in that “equipment that gives savings in labor costs.” (See the article by Daniel Brown on the subject in the May/June issue of Grading & Excavation Contractor.)Machine Control Systems from AGL Corporation can be manual or automatic. With both versions, there is an operator in charge. The laser transmitter emits a beam for the laser receiver to detect as the machine moves across the job site. The operator sets the blade at the desired elevation by placing the cutting edge on the reference stake. The operator then adjusts the mast or receiver until an on-grade signal is received, meaning that the equipment is ready. The operator monitors the display and uses the equipment controls to manually maintain the on-grade signal. The automatic versions operate the machine’s hydraulic systems, enabling the laser to control the blade. When using an automatic system, the operator can simply switch to the auto mode. For preparation at a construction site, this kind of system virtually eliminates grade staking, making for a faster job. A machine control system is similar to having a grade checker sitting on the blade. Not only does it speed the operation, it also prevents material waste. In excavation, there is no overexcavation, fewer fill overages, and a safer performance from the machine and workers. The precision of a laser-controlled job allows better placement of the sub-base materials and can prevent concrete overages. This kind of machine control has been successful for drainage projects and levee work too.Project Size Seems ImportantMost of the construction projects noted as examples of good machine guidance were for airports, highways, and industrial building sites; relatively few were everyday jobs, such as the building of a single house, an extension to a gas station forecourt, an extra classroom, or short street repair. Size seems to have played a significant role in the acceptance of guidance and control technologies. One contractor says his system paid for itself “in three months on that job alone.” Another reports excellent productivity improvement at a project that involved multimillion square feet of soil. Jobs that take three months or involve 1 million ft.2 of ground are rare.The contractor whose work comprises mostly small jobs should not forget that skid-steer loaders can benefit from the instrumentation. We have always thought of excavators and graders as large machines moving large amounts of earth, but much of today’s grading and excavation is done by small equipment, such as compact excavators and skid-steers–the sort of machines you might expect from Kobelco, Takeuchi, ASV, Bobcat, Gehl, New Holland, Case, Terramite, Deere, Mustang, and Caterpillar. Grading for driveways does not require a big excavator, and the contractor hired to do it might not own one, but that should not deter him from investigating the guidance equipment available. “Fast setup makes a big difference, especially on a small job,” says Rick Liske in Eldridge, IA. “If setting up instrumentation takes as long as the whole job without the instruments, you’re not going to use it.” The Laser Horn Mast from Montana Mast Company is designed specifically for skid-steer loaders. It has been successful for grading inside buildings and those jobs in confined spaces where a skid-steer might be the only machine capable of maneuvering efficiently. “It’s a complete skid-steer leveling system for about the same price as many machine control receivers alone,” states Chuck Kleffner, president of the company. “It is simple and installs in minutes. With this system, the skid-steer operator can reduce job time while increasing accuracy. We have been told it saves money in both labor and material.” When this system’s Agatec MR200 receiver is mounted on equipment, its dampers on the housing clamps minimize the effects of machine vibration to keep the readings consistent. “The receiver for the Laser Horn Bullseye 3 360º offers three accuracies for the user to select the most appropriate to a particular job, from rough grading to fine finishing,” adds Kleffner. “It can be moved from machine to machine and works with any rotating laser. The user gets a perfect grade at the first pass. We’ve seen it used for parking lots, floors, sidewalks, and home-building sites.”Related DevelopmentsG700B series motor grader cabThe Laser Horn Mast is useful for grading inside buildings and confined spaces.The speed of completion and accuracy of depth and distance are not the only aspects of grading and excavation that benefit from extra products. The instruments that produce efficient machine control and guidance are linked closely with those that help in ground preparation for the contractor. Anything that helps win the bid at a good profit must be considered. Programs such as Trimble’s new Paydirt RoadWork software system allow earthwork estimators to digitize existing, proposed, and substrata surfaces of the cross-sections to calculate the necessary excavation, stripping, and substrata volumes. For heavy, highway, and earthmoving contractors, the accurate calculation of volumes is critical to success and profitability.Manufacturers of excavators, graders, and dozers point out that products for guidance and control of their machines are made by others. They are products manufactured by independent companies to enhance the performance of standard equipment. But don’t forget the standard equipment. The manufacturers have introduced systems into their earthmoving machines that give today’s operator good control. Volvo’s Automatic Sensing Work Mode comes to mind, along with Kobelco’s NeuralNet Command System and Case’s Pro Control System. As noted earlier, there might be 300,000 machines in the US that can benefit from machine control technology. Those who own them should talk with the distributor or manufacturer of the current equipment to see if they recommend any new technology for better earthmoving results. Whether you prefer to call them instrumentation control or guidance tools, the consensus is that they can make jobs (even quite small ones) more efficient, accurate, and profitable without putting skilled operators out of work. Keith Mitchell, who has owned a contracting company and done excavation, grading, and reclamation work in several Western states, is thinking of retirement. “If I were starting out, I would go out and buy those products for machine control at once. At this stage in my career, it would not be worth the expense but, with a lifetime of work ahead of me and my excavation equipment, I would not hesitate.” Mitchell’s crew is, most frequently, himself and his wife Marcia, both running excavation or grading machines. “I have seen other contractors using the instruments, and it is hardly believable how well they perform and how they cut down on rework and the number of workers required.”It was the savings in labor that impressed Richard McCoy, based just south of Memphis, TN, and with experience in Alabama, Mississippi, and occasionally other Southern states. His specialties have been the ground preparation and erection of steel buildings. “I’ve heard others assure their customers that a site is level and graded properly with old-fashioned stringlines and several workers holding stakes, but I’ve never seen accuracy as good as that provided by laser instruments for the grading machines,” relates McCoy. “Nobody likes to see skilled workers made redundant, but I don’t think any skilled employees will be lost. The control systems make up for the errors we used to have from unskilled or uncaring workers satisfied with second best, and I think that helps both the contractor and the customer. The most amazing success I have seen was when the dozer of another contractor managed to work the curves and slopes for a project that involved complicated drainage. The operator managed it all in one pass. It was incredible!”
