If you’re a contractor or fleet manager working in construction, and your company is involved in infrastructure projects, the odds are that you’ve heard of machine control or are already using it. After all, it’s a technology designed to improve machine performance and efficiency, reduce the reliance on highly-skilled operators, and lower overall job costs. So what’s not to like?
For machine control in the Middle East, it seems that there is simultaneously both good news and bad news. The bad news is that uptake of machine control (MC) in the Middle East lags behind the rest of the world (less than 1% of machines here equipped with MC); the good news is that contractors can make their fleet suddenly perform dramatically better by adopting the technology. Bad news is that implementing MC across a fleet has a cost; the good news is that in the long term their business will become more profitable through lower operating costs, and ROIs can be low. The bad news is that MC is still relatively new in the construction machinery market, which means that there can be problems with compatibility, and not all manufacturers are equally invested in MC; but the good news is that there are some excellent players in the market with long track records, who are delivering proven results.
Almost all equipment used in repetitive, process actions can be fitted with machine control (MC) technology. MC for bulldozers and motor graders can be used to complete earthworks to a high level of precision, and with far less reliance on operator skill. Excavator sensors allows operators to quickly dig to accurate depths. And many manufacturers have developed automation controls for their specialised machines, such as BOMAG with its highly accurate compaction controls for its rollers, or Wirtgen, with a slipform paver that can pave according to the surveying plan, without the use of pegs. In the tower crane industry, anti-collision controls automatically prevent tower crane clashes, and put in place safe-working parameters for operators.
Japanese manufacturer Komatsu has invested signficantly in machine control technology, and is allianced with Topcon. Its most recent and advanced product is its machines equipped with intelligent machine control (iMC), notably its D61PXi-23 launched at Bauma last year, while four iMC dozers are being shown this month in Las Vegas. The iMC technology is fully integrated into the dozer during the factory build, meaning that the sensors and controls are built into deep into the core of its hydraulics. Komatsu believes it’s the most sophisticated MC product on the market, and it can transition seamlessly from rough dozing to finish grading, allowing operators of all levels of experience to operate the machines.
When activated, the blade lowers until it meets the target surface or until the blade load reaches a maximum. Before the blade overloads, it automatically rises to minimize track slip and maintain forward momentum.
This maximses productivity and minimises track wear and damage to the target surface. Factory integration also means that the sensor packages and cables are internal, or placed in areas of the machine that will protect them from daily wear. Internal testing by the company suggests that improvement in combination rough dozing efficiency is up to 13% higher in iMC machines than for other brands of add-on machine control systems it tested.
A major provider of machine control tech in the GCC is SITECH Gulf, part of Mohamed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar group of companies, which operates in Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. SITECH itself is a global brand, established as a partnership between Trimble, one of the oldest innovators in the field of surveying equipment and MC, and Caterpillar. The technology can be implemented on almost any brand of equipment, whether Komatsu, John Deere, or Volvo CE, though in all cases, the newer the machine the easier the installation process will be (new machines can be specified as ‘Trimble-ready’ from many manufacturers). Nevertheless, buyers using Caterpillar machines will be able to receive more machine information through the VisionLink software relating to machines usage or fault codes.
John Taylor, COO for SITECH Gulf, says that the company has made significant strides in the past year, since the company held a well-attended demonstration day in Abu Dhabi, while working individually with companies to prove to them the benefits of the technology has borne results.
“We have really started to get our ball rolling here even in the past few month,” says Taylor, noting that the company’s products are being used on many of the major projects underway here. It seems that currently the most profitable use of MC is on levelling machines – dozers and graders – as well as rollers and pavers, all machines that play a core role in infrastructure projects. “The technology really shines on road construction, airports and railways. Our tests on road projects show a double in production for graders when using our technology.”
When the company provides a demonstration on a customer’s site, they also do an in-depth study giving a precise comparison of the productivity of the MC-enabled machine versus the ordinary machine working on site. One demo with a MC-enabled D8 showed it to be more productive than the two other D8s working on the site; the conclusion was that a single, automated D8 could do the work of all of the three machines originally working on the project.
“[These reports] really open up a contractor’s eyes to what the benefits of machine control are, beside the accuracy and other things,” explains Taylor. “If we can actually double or triple their production, that’s where we pique their interest.”
He says it’s easier to convince customers working on larger projects to adopt the technology, since they know they have a lot of work to do, and the savings can be easily quantified. But over time contractors with MC-fitted machines are likely to move these machines around to other job sites, where projects may only last several weeks. The technology can be deployed in a 2D or 3D configuration, with the latter more accurate but also costlier. 2D grading uses laser sensors, and is highly effective for fine grading of flat or sloped surfaces, controlling the height of the blade. 2D is fine where what is needed is a flat, levelled surface, such as a carpark or port area, and is even more accurate in this case than GNSS, but lasers will not measure the horizontal position of the machine, which is needed for roads and other similar designs. 3D grading uses GNSS (GPS) antenna, which measures the position and slope of the blade and compares that to design data for rough grading and mass excavation on complex design surfaces. The systems are integrated with the surveying technology, and both 2D and 3D can be operated in either automatic or manual mode.
Machine control obviously isn’t cheap when compared with buyng a new GPS for your car – but for contractors working on a major project the cost savings are signficant. Manpower reductions are dramatic, with workers are no longer needed to pound stakes and check grades. Existing GPS base stations and rovers are compatible with the system. ROIs vary.
Taylor says that a study in Al Ain on a dozer showed that the cost of the upgrade, for a dual GPS, would have paid for itself in 168 days of work. In 23 hours of work during a field test, the single D8 managed 9000m2 of work, while two other D8s, each working 23 hours, only managed a cumulative total of 6500m2. The study was carried out over three days, rather than being extrapolated from a small test period. Taylor says that during a demo they involve the contractor in measuring the production, since some of the numbers are ‘unbelieavable.’
“We want to make sure they’re involved with it, and understand that they’re real numbers. We can calculate diesel savings, and also man-power savings, since stakers aren’t needed. The Al Ain demo was also a neat project since they were leasing the machines, so there was an exact monthly cost for each of the machines.”
But how does it feel for the operators in the cab? Taylor says that, as can be expected, there’s a fair amount of trepidation – if not outright fear – from machine operators, when they see SITECH installing sensors and antennae on the machine, with screens in the cab. In one case, an operator asked him – through a translator – if he would need a college degree. But, after 20 minutes, he was able to work the machine perfectly. Taylor says that from a user point of view, it’s designed to be easy and intuitive, including large screens, with information that is very simple rather than showing complex information.
“We have not had any issues from operators.What this technology does is transform mediocre operators into pretty good operators. For example, the king of the road job-site is the finish grade operator. He’s the guy that can get you that high consistency before you pave, so you don’t have to remill and grind it up. He’s a very high skilled worker, that demands the highest salary and is a bit of a primadonna. Now, with machine control, we’ve taken that advantage away from him. It’s as easy as a flick of a switch, and you can have an operator with far less experience producing very good grades.”
SITECH Gulf also liases with consultants, when it is needed, to convince them of the efficacy of the MC technology. The quality of earthwork finishing is also noticeable – so contractors can expect to win further contracts on the basis of high productivity and accuracy. There’s also the reduced possibility of a contractor having to redo sections which might not meet the consultant’s spec.
While grading operations are a popular technology to adopt, it’s not to forget the other areas where machine control can be utilised. MC from SITECH for rollers can produce a colour-coded passcount for operators, letting them know how many passes they have completed, and still need to do, as well as measuring a relative compaction value. Excavators can be equipped with MC that will show the operator precisely how deep to dig, or in the case of a island project, can allow them to place marine armour accurately underwater at the required position and depth. Pipeline projects will also benefit from the precision of machine control enabled excavators, especially for gravity feed pipelines where the accuracy is required.
Taylor says that when they first began selling MC technology local contractors were very hesitant, and it was only being used by the international contractors in the region. This view has now certainly shifted, especially when contractors see their competitors utilising MC, or see it on all the machines exhibited at the international shows.
“Over the last few years, you’ve seen the equipment manufacturers push GPS very hard, and I think that’s helping. You see it at Bauma, World of Concrete and ConExpo,” surmises Taylor. “I think we’re at a turning point here in the Middle East, and I think we’re on that edge to where we’ll really start to see some rapid adoption over the next few years.”
The screwing down of contract bid prices also means that contractors who don’t adopt risk missing out on business or profit, he believes. Mistakes on a project can further erode already-thin profit margins. “I think these contracts are getting bid so tight now, that for them to be really financially lucrative, contractors will have to adopt machine control technology.”
Production gains proven
SITECH Gulf’s John Taylor provided to CMME a number of productivity reports
As background for this article, SITECH Gulf’s John Taylor provided to CMME a number of productivity reports it had completed for contractors in the Gulf. Since, while there exists significant literature and reports on the productivity gains from MC, nothing quite compares to seeing the improvements on your own worksite. The typical demonstration is to equip one machine with control systems, and then benchmark that against another similar machine working on the same project, having both machines complete a day’s work on different patches. One customer demonstration used a Cat 14M grader, fitted with a GCS 900 dual GPS system.
This operated alongside a grader working in the conventional way on an embankment, using the string and dip method to attain the top level within allowable tolerance – thus three workers were engaged in the measuring. For the sub base first layer, following the rough grading, the grader completed the final grading of a 220m long, 27m wide strip in 90 minutes, whereas the conventional method takes a minimum of 8 hours. For the top layer, final grading took 115 minutes, versus 4 hours for the conventional method. But how to calculate the cost savings?
There are obviously a lot of variables. Since the grader can cover more ground, a contractor can own fewer machines in his fleet, also lowering the fuel cost. The number of surveyors is reduced, and the helpers are not needed. SITECH calculated a saving of 77% per square metre that needed to be graded for the contractor; while for the individual machine it calculated a production increase of 353%: the normal production machine was able to complete 495m2 per hour (averaged from the 12 hour shift), while the machine control equipped machine was able to finish 1747m2 per hour (it completed the same amount of area in just 3 hours and 25 minutes).
A second test pitted a Caterpillar D8 equipped with AccuGrade against two D8s. the result was that the single D8 increased productivity by 27% over both of the conventionally operated machines. The single machine completed an area of 9000m2, while the two machines in the same shift completed 6571m2. Diesel savings were 63%, while labour was reduced by 96%, in part since no survey control stakes were needed. The AccuGrade method was also far more accurate (accuracy of 1.5cm versus +/- 16cm for the conventional method). The conclusion was that a single D8 with machine control could have replaced all three dozers with nearly the same production – but obviously for a fraction of the price.