Komatsu’s Smart Construction 3D Machine Guidance (3DMG) is a truly accessible and user-friendly GNSS system, accurately guiding earthmoving operations for maximum efficiency and productivity. The 3DMG kit can be tailored to suit different operations and is compatible with crawlers and wheeled excavators from 13 to 120 tonne, regardless of the manufacturer or generation. The kit includes a rugged Handheld Algiz Android tablet, making it accessible even to operators with mixed levels of experience with in-cab technology.
How the system works
Installers attach two global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antennas to each machine — one on each side of the body. They place four exterior inertial measuring units (IMUs) at various points along the body, boom, and bucket. Based on customer requirements, more sensors can be fitted depending on the machine configuration such as an extra boom sensor for a 2-piece boom machine or a tilt sensor for the tilt bucket. If the optional payload monitor is equipped, they affix two additional payload sensors to the boom cylinder’s hydraulic piping.
Then they move inside the cab, where they hook up the Wi-Fi router and the hard-wired vehicle dock. Mounting the rugged Algiz Android tablet is the final step.
Operators use their Algiz rugged tablets to connect with Pilot, Smart Construction’s proprietary machine guidance app. The app syncs data with company servers via the onboard Wi-Fi router. This allows site engineers to directly send design files in any format via the app, eliminating the need for physical visits to the jobsite just to plug in a USB stick. Operators can instantly receive and view these design files on their tablet, enabling them to immediately start digging towards the design.
The app reads GNSS receiver data as the 3DMG kit sensors detect the machinery’s posture, inclination, and directional orientation. The Pilot app provides side, front, top, and 3D views of the machine’s bucket, and it can display two of these profiles side by side in a split-screen view.
Operators can easily display cross-sectional views of the job site slope and monitor and work according to real-time measurements, such as the bucket’s angle to the slope and its exact distance from the design surface. If the payload sensor is equipped, the tablet keeps track of exactly how much dirt is being moved, so operators can load trucks full without exceeding capacity.
The challenges of harsh environments
The harsh conditions on construction sites and in-cab are not exactly compatible with equipment made of tiny moving parts, electrical wires and glass. Especially not if you’re expecting that equipment to provide reliable, centimeter-accurate location information. The 3DMG solution hinges on technology that stays interactive and dependable under stress — responding to touch, updating coordinates in real-time and displaying sharp imagery.
“The tablet is the primary interface through which customers engage with our system. Our aim is to always provide the best user experience. We want customers to easily visualise their bucket position, empowering them to achieve a significant increase in productivity,” says Richard Clement, Deputy General Manager of Smart Construction Systems by Komatsu.
Komatsu trialled multiple commercial and rugged tablet computers before deciding on Algiz. One feature the team highlighted was the tablet’s physical button layout – side buttons for power and volume, plus three programmable shortcut buttons.
“We like the fact that you can press the physical button without having your finger blocking the design on the screen,” Clement says.
The benefits of the system
It eliminates personnel inefficiencies such as a site engineer having to travel to a job site, employees recording data manually, or a separate surveyor monitoring the dig. It also cuts down on machine overuse, fuel costs and equipment maintenance by making sure the right equipment is used for the job and the right amount of time is allotted. It makes job sites significantly safer since design profiles can flag hazards for diggers to avoid.
As Komatsu and Smart Construction advisors have found, great technology and great support are at the crux of a solution’s success.
“We haven’t experienced any hardware devices breaking down — the quality of rugged tablets is good.” Clement says. “Plus, the responsiveness and continuous support of the sales and support team are crucial for us, since we want a long-term partnership.
Operators like it too! Tomas Walsh, operator at Tower Civil Engineering says the tablet offer flexibility.
“I like how flexible the tablet is. I can take the tablet out of the machine during troubleshooting or training sessions, preventing any unnecessary crowd around the machine.”
At ESIS Industrial Electronics, we offer a range of solutions to meet your industrial user interface needs. Whether you require a rugged, high-quality display, a powerful integrated computing platform or a programmable interface for direct PLC integration, we have the right equipment to ensure your operations run smoothly and efficiently.
For more information, visit www.esis.com.au or contact our team to discuss your specific requirements.
Article courtesy of HandHeld.
