Caqital Equipment News October 2018

time, every time. “Volvo CE is the only manufacturer that offers such an upgradable and flexible solution to assist excavating. In April 2018, during Intermat Paris, Volvo CE announced that the DigAssist system could now even be upgraded to a true 3D machine control system supplied by Topcon, which is running on the Co-Pilot system,” says Donkersloot. Digitalisation to the fore The global excavator market is also witnessing rapid digitalisation, which is helping the construction industry work efficiently. As the introduction of 3D CAD ignited the digitalisation of product data and lifecycle management, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/ VR) technologies are now accelerating digitalisation of manufacturing (Smart Factory). Today, HCE reports that it has moved significantly on its journey towards digital transformation. The digital integrity of Hyundai’s excavator, better known as Digital Twin, enables virtual validations, where many performances and requirements are simulated and the excavator can even be manufactured in virtual world. New models’ styles can be reviewed with the aid of AR/VR technologies at the early stage of development and both fuel efficiency and productivity can be evaluated with the aid of site simulation. According to Donkersloot, automation, digitalisation and energy efficiency have been identified as important focus areas in the Volvo Group’s Technology Plan. An example of digitalisation within Volvo CE is CareTrack, its very own telematics system. “CareTrack is a system that gives extensive insight into Volvo machines. By monitoring key information, the system helps to reduce fuel costs, optimise machinery and operator performance, as well as proactively manage service and maintenance; all of which result in efficiency and higher profits,” says Donkersloot. Meanwhile, Cat Connect LINK technologies, such as Cat Product Link, transmit data wirelessly from Cat machines and turn it into essential insights about location, status and productivity of the equipment – from fuel burn and payload weights to cycle times and job progress. “LINK brings together all Cat Connect technologies to help customers make timely, fact- based decisions to boost productivity,” concludes Faucher. b

“CareTrack is a system that gives extensive insight into Volvo machines. By monitoring key information, the system helps to reduce fuel costs, optimise machinery and operator performance, as well as proactively manage service and maintenance; all of which result in efficiency and higher profits.”

Martijn Donkersloot, product manager, Dig Assist at Volvo CE EMEA

Performance Series excavators,” says Faucher. Machine control systems Machine control systems, such as digging operation assisting systems, are also taking centre stage. Faucher says over the past 20 years, productivity construction only increased by 25%. He is of the view that bridging such a gap can’t be done through traditional ways. “We believe control and guidance technologies are the breakthrough that will allow our customers to achieve unprecedented levels of productivity and operator efficiency gains,” says Faucher. For example, Sarignac notes that Cat’s Grade with 2D helps operators reach the desired grade quickly and accurately. When engaged, the monitor gives the operator a visual indication of the bucket depth, eliminating the need of a grade checker. The Assist Mode automates the bucket motion. When engaged, the bucket will follow the desired depth and slope, eliminating the guess work, undercutting, overcutting and reducing the need for surveyors. “Customers can easily upgrade from 2D to Cat GRADE with 3D to create and edit designs with ease and see the front linkage’s full range of motion on a second high-resolution 254 mm touchscreen monitor. The machine automatically compensates for excavator pitch and roll caused by sloping ground conditions,” says Sarignac. “The excavator’s exact position is known by using GPS and GLONASS systems. The operator can view the digitalised model of the result right in the cab to guide him/her to perform the job without any guess work. To assist per worked hour has doubled in manufacturing. Meanwhile, over the same period, productivity in

with planning and to monitor a job site progress accurately, the system can inform the back office of what has been done to update the ‘live’ project,” adds Sarignac. Another great technology introduced by Caterpillar is Payload, an on-board weighing system to achieve precise load targets and increase load efficiency with on-the-go weighing and real- time estimates of the payload without swinging. It enables customers to track daily productivity such as truck target weights and load/cycle counts. Calibration can be performed in a matter of minutes. By combining Payload with VisionLink, production targets can be remotely managed. When it comes to automation control systems for excavators, HCE has been conducting research and development (R&D) on its Machine Control (MC), a semi-auto levelling operation system, and Machine Guidance (MG), a surveying assistant system. The performance verification shows that overall productivity increases by 30%. The two systems are also effective in additional reduction of costs, such as overhead costs. In the case of the MG system, the commercialisation process is in progress and the MG-applied machines will be launched in European, North American and South Korean markets first. In future, Hyundai will expand to other regions depending on customer demand. Elsewhere, in 2016, Volvo CE launched its latest machine control technology, Dig Assist. Designed for crawler and wheeled excavators, Dig Assist provides real-time guidance for operators. Using Volvo Co-Pilot – the award-winning in-cab interface with a 10-inch high-resolution touch screen – allows operators to easily input job specifications and track progress to ensure the job is done right the first

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS OCTOBER 2018 19