CE INDUSTRY 4.0: TECHNOLOGY ENABLED SOLUTIONS

Construction Equipment companies are finding that technology is an important link in the value chain for innovation and product development. The transformation is challenging, but there are ways to getting it started.

With economic profit flatlining, Construction Equipment companies are turning to revenue growth to drive value. Using technology to innovate and develop new products and services is fast becoming the new battleground. Companies are not only enhancing their offerings through software and data but making the transition from selling hardware-based products to creating tech-enabled businesses.

Construction equipment itself has lagged in digitization, but it is about to undergo the same digital disruption that has hit information-based industries and is now being felt in the automotive and commercial-vehicle sectors. The first wave of digitization is already arriving in construction machines, which are becoming increasingly automated and connected, enabling operators to deploy them more efficiently. A bigger change will come as construction projects go digital, in particular through building information modeling (BIM), which will accelerate the deployment of smart, connected heavy machinery.

According to Romed Kelp and David Kaufmann from Oliver Wyman’s Automotive and Manufacturing Industries, Equipment manufacturers’ success will be determined by how effectively they apply digitized machines in this connected ecosystem. Digitization is not about to replace construction machines, but customers are likely to select the equipment providers that best execute the new digital possibilities.

Most of today’s construction machines track information such as idle time and fuel consumption, enabling managers of building sites and public-works projects to make better decisions on the use of their fleets. A compactor, for example, will be able to adjust its operations to different surfaces and environments, such as the presence nearby of sensitive structures. It will also be able to carry out much of its work automatically – or at least with minimum human input, often remote. Predictive-data diagnostics will make maintenance smoother and less costly: To avoid unplanned downtime, for example, components will be replaced before they malfunction, but not so early as to be wasteful. Operators will also be able to coordinate groups of machines more easily, so that they operate as one, speeding up each phase of a project.

A third major change will come as construction machines acquire new, highly automated capabilities, and BIM goes mainstream. BIM uses a virtual construction site, consisting of a digital model of a building project that includes construction schedules and costs. The modeling enables construction companies to implement a version of lean production, with just-in-time delivery of materials and components. Engineering and construction costs are expected to be reduced by around 20 percent thanks to better coordination of all the input factors. So BIM is both a challenge for makers of construction machines – because it demands more advanced, digitized equipment – and a means to helping customers boost the efficiency of construction and reduce costs. Construction equipment companies will need to adopt and integrate a “smart construction site” approach, where all aspects of building (including machinery) are connected to the BIM and to each other. And to leverage new efficiencies and reduce costs, they will have to stop operating in silos.

Push for Digital Solutions…

According to According to Romed Kelp and David Kaufmann, equipment manufacturers need to figure out the best approach to succeed in this new era. It is essential for them to digitize their machines, so that they can be connected to the digitized environment. But that alone will not be enough. Digitized machines will be more transparent to their customers in terms of performance, breakdowns, and costs. Hence, new strategies will have to be found to cope with this transparency. 

So, equipment manufacturers that limit themselves to basic digitization might find their offerings treated as commodities. They will provide more value if they integrate further capabilities and fully become part of the “smart construction site.” These could include digital systems to schedule construction in real time and coordinate fleet performance beyond their own machines. Or, they could provide support services such as drone-based monitoring of performance and progress. Some equipment makers might try to offer all such services in an integrated package to provide a strong, differentiated offering and capture a large portion of the new value pool.

Hybridization

Just like in passenger cars, the opportunity to incorporate hybrid motors and energy capture and storage technology is here for some construction equipment.  The idea is simple. A machine with repetitive tasks and movements, such as truck loading and materials handling, is perfectly suited for a hybrid power train that enables the machine to capture the energy from the cycle and apply that to the work.

This lessens the burden on the engine and in turn reduces fuel consumption, allowing for engine downsizing as well.  It is increasingly available on some machines, such as wheel loaders (Deere 944K) and excavators, and some manufacturers have further introduced adaptive systems that capture the stored energy at selected points in a variable cycle.

Manufacturers also have developed handy tools and calculators to help customers determine the ROI and other indicators.

Incorporating Electric Drive

When diesel engines are uncoupled from the mechanical drive and work movements of a machine, engines speeds, loads and fuel consumption can be optimized for a sweet spot of steady state operation that delivers maximum fuel efficiency and optimum performance. Instead of driving variable mechanical linkages, the engine acts as an electrical generator that drives more efficient electric motors to power the machine and its tools (Caterpillar D7E Medium Track Type Tractor).

In these instances, fuel savings can be substantial (up to 30 percent) compared to conventional systems.

A variation on electric drive being explored replaces all the traditional hydraulic drive components with direct drive electric motors, thereby eliminating the weight, maintenance and componentry of hydraulic fluid power systems and instead operating by wire.

Driveline Alternatives

Introducing continuously variable transmissions or transmissions split between mechanical and hydrostatic modes is a trend for some OEMs. This reflects innovation to integrate efficient technologies and components that diverge from a conventional setup, with power still supplied by a diesel engine.

Equipment Task Matching

The boom in compact construction equipment has opened up a whole range of new considerations and options to consider in specifying equipment for the job.  Done properly, use of these new compact and mid-range machines for the right tasks can save fuel and boost productivity over previous approaches.

Gone should be the days where equipment selection is based on what’s on the site today versus the proper tool for the job. Tackling big jobs with undersized equipment can result in diminished productivity, higher fuel costs, and increased repairs, maintenance and downtime.

Utilization of Non-diesel Fuels

In a growing number of cities and counties, especially in California (which has subsidies in place), fleets have switched over their vehicles and some off-road equipment to utilize advanced renewable biofuels. These fuels, produced in a refinery from waste animal fats and other products, are considered to be drop-in replacements for diesel fuel, with enhanced properties that reduce emissions of smog-contributing compounds as well as greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions.

For public or private construction projects seeking lower carbon footprints and implementing sustainable practices, contractors could incorporate the use of renewable biodiesel fuels on the jobsite.

The Technology Of Choice

As a result of these changes and other innovations, diesel engines continue to be the technology of choice for nearly all large and small construction equipment into the foreseeable future. Manufacturers are now in the second or third generations of their advanced emissions control strategies and systems.

The Selective Catalytic Reduction systems that enable diesel engines to achieve the near-zero emissions EPA requirements have been downsized to smaller footprints, taking up less space on the machines, and improving their overall efficiency and performance. This is key as OEMs work to deliver fuel savings, performance and other benefits to their equipment customers.

As for the electrification of construction equipment, experience suggests new power technologies will be introduced when markets demand them. Construction machines have very different duty cycles and demands than small electric cars. Manufacturers continue to explore a range of fuels and technologies to best serve their customers.

Leaders speak…

According to V. G. Sakthikumar, Managing Director, Schwing Stetter India, “In this 5 years span, the revolution in networking infrastructure development has shown a better prospect for cutting edge tech, but still there are many avenues which lag the facility. Still, there are challenges prevailing in providing telematics for the equipment installed in tunnel based projects and these challenges are to be handled with a cost effective solution. More the advancement, more the challenges in adopting the data management and security as the threats are so vulnerable that prompts to bring more secured cloud infrastructure. These challenges are pretty much handled by solution provider in a better way to bring a smooth transition of digitization in construction domain.”

Sandeep Mathur, Brand Leader – India & SAARC, CASE Construction Equipment, said, “Introduction of new technologies brings with itself a variety of challenges such as imparting the required skills among the existing workforce, dealers, operators, consumers etc.  Therefore, at CASE, we design equipment and processes keeping our people and their surroundings in mind.  We host training programs all around the year and conduct regular training sessions for our operators, dealers and other partners to keep them updated on latest developments. For the same, CASE India has dedicated training centres to host these training programs. We also have dedicated CASE manpower in product support team in each region specially to support our customers with regular training, ground check and maintenance. Even during the Pandemic, we continued to offer these trainings to our respective stakeholders via digital platforms to ensure continuity in business.”

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