BOOTING Your MACHINE – the MACHINE CONTROL WAY!

Machine Control Systems (MCS) are the future in India. They have already picked up in most developed countries. There, machines are sold with factory-fitted MCS. A few global players like us are trying vigorously to introduce and promote this technology in India. Equipment Times finds the latest automation and control solutions, growth of monitoring and control technologies in CE, government initiatives and future scenario for machine control technologies for construction equipment.

Machine control technology has come a long way in the past 20 years and the development of 2D and 3D systems has been rapid in the construction sector. These have evolved from comparatively simple technologies using signals from locally-mounted total stations to send out signals that could be picked up by laser arrays mounted on a bulldozer or grader. Early systems provided machine operators with simple visual guides as to how deep to cut, allowing a dozer or grader blade to be controlled and kept on grade. These systems had shortcomings though and were limited when it came to constructing complex cambers and also required a high degree of calibration. Used by specialist contractors only for the most part, the early systems were too expensive and too complex for the majority of firms to consider.

Integrating Latest Technology

Demand for construction equipment is likely to rise as a result of growth in traditional end-user industries, including construction and mining. If numbers are any truth, then the earth moving and construction equipment market in India is expected to grow by a healthy 20-25 per cent over the next few years to reach 330,000 to 450,000 units sold in 2020, from current levels of about 76,000 units. This would imply a US$16 billion-$21 billion market, up from today’s $3 billion.

However, if such numbers are to be maintained and expectations are to be lived up to, what is needed is adoption of latest technology by the construction equipment companies in India. Realising this importance of technological upgradation and innovation, construction equipment companies in India are increasingly taking action and the results are fast and efficient equipment.

Factors Leading To Technological Advancements

With growing awareness, end-users are becoming smart and demanding world-class technology for better fuel efficiency, higher productivity & profitability, thus, motivating the construction equipment manufacturers to come up with innovative solutions to meet the customers’ expectations.

Further, the entry of global OEMs is also leading to upgradation in technology-driven product features such as remote access devices, automatic controls to manoeuvre machines, more efficient (Tier III) engines and cabin air-conditioning. These features are gaining popularity among customers also and thus, attracting the attention of construction equipment manufacturers as well. As a result, some recent product launches in excavators and backhoe loaders are featuring several additional functionalities, including service enablers such as the capability to send problem logs by SMS to the nearest service point and downloading historical data regarding engine status, hydraulic systems, fuel consumption and the expected life of critical components. Customers are also realising that increased productivity and the reliability of construction equipment ultimately translates into higher profitability from fewer defect-related claims and the avoidance of death penalties. This is also one of the reasons that the end-users are demanding highly productive and technologically advanced machines.

Future Technology Trends

Productivity and uptime are crucial drivers in the construction equipment industry, where machine downtime can cost more than 5 crores per day. Hence, what will define a bright future of construction equipment would be the adoption of newer intelligent features and increased sophistication by the manufacturers. In addition, the IOT (internet of things) will also impact construction equipment sector considerably in the future. IOT describes a system in which objects can communicate internally or with outside entities. According to AEC Big Data, equipment repairs represent the third largest operating cost in the construction industry. IOT can help reduce this cost by enabling machinery to self-detect the imminent need for a repair before it becomes a bigger problem. It is believed that in future, many construction equipment manufacturers will adopt this technology for manufacturing better equipment. Experts believe that in future, increased flexibility and advanced technology of construction equipment will write down their future and they are not wrong. An increasingly volatile and unpredictable Indian economy will require construction equipment manufacturers to build more flexible, efficient and technologically advanced operating machines.

Overall, by systematically developing technologically advanced products as well as by providing insights regarding emerging technologies, construction equipment manufacturers in India will gain a larger market share. Apart from technological upgradation, market players in the segment would also need to find new ways to maintain and acquire their leading edge. Collaborating with other equipment companies could be the key to success. Alliance across industry due to the entry of more diverse and technology-driven products into the marketplace will also help.

Market has moved on a long way

The various machine control systems have equally benefited from new software and more powerful computer hardware, at less cost to the customer. At the same time the market has moved on a long way with the rapid development of GPS solutions, which have become increasingly cost efficient and accurate. Users are now able to access higher resolution GPS tracking signals backed up by the establishment of the Russian Glonass satellite network and the prospect of the European Galileo system to come. Cross-referencing these satellite tracking systems with total stations on-site has allowed precision to millimeter accuracy and some of the latest packages even allow full-speed operation of a dozer, with semi-automatic control of the blade, reports worldhighways.com.

At the same time the use of machine control packages in earthmoving has spread from blade guidance for dozers and graders, taking in scrapers, excavators and soil compaction machines. Road construction machines such as concrete pavers, milling machines, asphalt pavers and asphalt compactors can also be guided by machine controls systems.

Furthermore the closer links between construction software houses and the machine control system providers, most notably Leica Geosystems, Topcon & Trimble, has allowed for a greater interaction between the systems. Design data taken from software packages can be plugged straight into the earthmoving machines, allowing them to take cuts semi-automatically to the design grade. The volume of data to be recovered & analysed has increased too and this has even become a two-way flow in some instances, with information on work carried out being taken from the working machines and placed in the design model, allowing it to become a document of record for a project.

Because of this much closer interaction with software firms, and the machine control specialists, the three major GPS and machine control system providers, Leica Geosystems, Topcon and Trimble, have all steadily been moving beyond simply providing machine guidance tools. The aim of all three firms is to provide a portfolio of technology solutions for overall site management. Rather than offering packages that can be set to work with software packages from other suppliers, these three companies are also buying into the software sector. One of the most notable developments in this regard was the recent purchase of Intergraph by the Hexagon Group, which is the parent of Leica Geosystems. This was a major acquisition for the sector, worth US$2.125 billion and demonstrates exactly how the Hexagon Group is keen to expand its product range. This move will see specialist Intergraph becoming Hexagon’s core software provider and the business will continue to provide software solutions to its core industries. Intergraph will retain its brand name and will operate as a separate Hexagon division. The intention is to integrate Intergraph software with Hexagon’s measurement and precision technology systems, including those from Leica Geosystems. The benefit for Hexagon will be easier production of visual presentations for management, analysis and sharing of critical data.

New machine control option

UK-based firm OnGrade is now importing the Norwegian-developed Dig Pilot machine guidance package into Britain. Director Nigel Adams said, “What we’re trying to do is to bring in equipment that’s not been available in the market.” The Dig Pilot system is completely wireless and its sensors mount on a machine using brackets. These units are clipped in place and as the system operates without wires, it is easy and quick to install. This package is also versatile as the sensors can be simply unclipped and fitted onto another machine equipped with brackets. As standard the system can be configured to work on up to 20 machines so that a contractor can use the same package across a fleet of machines and Adams added that the system can be upgraded from 1D to 3D as required with the addition of extra software.

The Dig Pilot package features a touch screen display, making it easy to use for an operator. The system can be used on large sites with total station technology and he said, “It comes as standard with a laser receiver.” Adams said, “It’s been designed for self-installation and the real advantage is portability. In less than two hours you can install it and calibrate it.” He explained that at the end of the shift, an operator can easily unclip the units and take them away for safe storage away from the machine. This is also useful should the contractor want to switch an excavator from excavating work with a bucket to other tasks such as breaking using a hydraulic hammer. This point is of particular importance given the increasingly large quantities of data being generated from on-site tools such as machine control equipment. Handling real-time data from construction sites and using this efficiently is proving a challenge for the industry, which will be solved by new software suites.

Hexagon’s purchase is of major strategic importance to the software market and allows the firm to reposition itself within the sector. This is one of several acquisitions made my Hexagon to widen its technology portfolio and this move further bolsters its range of solutions for the software and machine control markets.

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