Position Partners is investing in the expertise, infrastructure and research to future proof the AllDayRTK national Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) network solution.

Position Partners has teamed up with Ricoh, a leader in hyperconverged infrastructure solutions, to design and implement a new processing platform to improve the AllDayRTK national CORS network. The main aim of this collaboration is to minimise the latency, or time of processing, when computing very large amounts of CORS data.

Hyperconverged architecture is hardware that can combine the processing resources of CPU/RAM with the storage device into a single hardware unit. The platform reduces the amount of data flow between different hardware elements (such as servers and storage devices) because all these devices are physically on the same hardware platform.

This new platform is now processing Position Partners’ aspect of the National Positioning Infrastructure (NPI). It is also being used in a national research project to provide better real-time ionospheric modelling to further improve positioning services in the future.

The combination of a new processing platform and NPI CORS stations to compute real-time ionospheric corrections has reduced the processing times, with latency measured in milliseconds.

Ricoh initially provided Position Partners with virtualisation testing before migrating to the production platform where it now provides IT services and multiple carrier options, resulting in the fastest run times for multiple applications. Ricoh also provides back-up fault tolerance services via high-speed network links between data centres.

Ricoh ensures that the infrastructure can scale for growth while storage management has been greatly streamlined.

“Position Partners has managed to reduce processing times for computing national ionospheric models by more than 50% which is particularly beneficial for machine automation applications because it provides a higher quality of service.” said James Millner, Positioning Infrastructure Manager, Position Partners.

“The benefit to users are epoch by epoch ambiguity resolution for each site resulting in optimum positioning accuracy. The continual investments in core network processing capability and research potential will ensure the continual enhancement of our customers experience.” Said Martin Nix CEO of Position Partners

For more information about the AllDayRTK national CORS network solution, contact Position Partners on 1300 867 266 or visit www.positionpartners.com.au  

For more information about the Ricoh Infrastructure solutions, contact Ricoh IT Services on 13 RICOH or visit www.ricoh.com.au

For a free 30 day trial of AllDayRTK, visit www.alldayrtk.com.au

Position Partners hosted The Constructioneering Academy in Brisbane with Topcon and Bentley Institute. The Constructioneering Academy brought Australian industry leaders together to tackle data silos and accelerate civil infrastructure workflows between contractors, engineers, surveyors and owners.

The Constructioneering Academy was designed to allow construction industry professionals to learn best practices for constructioneering, a process of managing and integrating survey, engineering and construction data, to streamline construction workflows and improve project delivery.

The Constructioneering Academy was attended by surveyors, engineers, contractors and owners. This event provided civil design build professionals information on the digital construction process and how to leverage mass data, design models and automated machine control to improve project efficiency.

Attendees of The Constructioneering Academy were given the opportunity advance digital practices related to project execution, survey, and engineering.This Constructioneering Academy had a range of objectives, including:

• Optimise digital insights to improve project outcomes;
• Advance constructioneering technology, methods, and best practices;
• Streamline asset lifecycle workflows, by integrating surveying, engineering and construction data;
• Create knowledgeable constructioneering leaders;
• Transform design-build performance, enhancing project efficiency and reducing costs.

To register your interest for next year’s Constructioneering Academy, please visit Constructioneering.com.

Position Partners and Topcon are proud to present the MAGNET Conference on the 17th of August 2018 at the Heritage Ballroom, The Westin Hotel, 1 Martin Place Sydney.

This conference will provide attendees with a full breakdown and demonstration of the latest updates to the MAGNET software. Attendees will also get the opportunity to learn how they can use MAGNET Office to improve efficiency and productivity.

Members of the Topcon MAGNET research and development team will be on site to discuss and present upcoming developments and address any challenges end-users may be experiencing, to help with achieving the overall outcomes of improving efficiency within the software.

Throughout the conference, Position Partners national MAGNET support team will give MAGNET software users the opportunity to participate in three punchy classroom sessions and multiple workshops targeted towards specific features of the software. Attendees will also have access to MAGNET Office support desks and Tips and Tricks segments. 

This event will be assessed for CPD points:

State	Number of CPD Points
NSW	6.5
WA	1
VIC	2

Tickets to the MAGNET Conference are:

• $300 + GST each
• Early bird rate of $200 + GST each if registered by 13 July 2018

To book accommodation for the duration of the conference at The Westin Hotel, call 02 8223 1111.

To view the agenda, click here. To register for the upcoming National MAGNET Conference, please click here.

 

Speakers at the National MAGNET Conference:

Barkley Hensley, Senior Product Manager for MAGNET Office Products, Topcon Positioning Group
Barkley Hensley has been involved in the surveying industry for 30 plus years and has been employed by Topcon since 2007. Prior to Topcon, Hensley was the director of technical support for a software company in the land surveying industry and has been a licensed land surveyor since 1990.

Graeme Hetet, Technical Support Manager, Position Partners (NZ)
Graeme Hetet supports Position Partners New Zealander clients and Australia’s Position Partners Support Team in the everyday use of MAGNET Office. Hetet is based in New Zealand and has a Civil background with 22 years’ experience with CAD software – previously CivilCAD and, more recently, MAGNET Office.

Jason Hallett, Vice President of Global Software Business Development, Topcon Positioning Group
Jason Hallett has been employed by Topcon since 2007 and has been involved in the precise positioning industry for 30 years. Hallett’s main responsibilities include leading the MAGNET Systems business of the Topcon Positioning Group, focused on software solutions and services for the surveying and construction markets. Hallett was most recently the VP of Global Product Management at Topcon, is a licensed California Professional Land Surveyor (since 1999), has been awarded three patents with two more pending, holds a Certificate of Business Excellence from the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley, holds a B.S. degree in Management, and holds an A.A. degree in Business.

Garry MacPhail, Executive Director, Head of Geospatial Business, Position Partners
Garry MacPhail is a qualified engineering surveyor and began his career with Hinco Engineering in 1984. Hinco were distribution agents for Topcon equipment in Western Australia. In 1989, Topcon established a direct sales office and Garry was appointed the State Manager for Western Australia. In 2000, founded Stadia Instruments with Bernard Cecchele taking over the distribution of Topcon in WA. MacPhail was Company Director for eight years until Stadia Instruments combined with ABC laser, Laser Quip, Laser Beams and Ross Instruments to form Position Partners. Since the formation of Position Partners, MacPhail has held the role of State Manager for Western Australia and is also a member of the Position Partners Board. MacPhail has recently been appointed the head of Geospatial Business within Position Partners.

Scott Wielt, Senior Manager of the MAGNET Product Management Team, Topcon Positioning Systems
As Senior Manager of the MAGNET Product Management Team, Scott Wielt is responsible for defining and managing the innovation for the MAGNET system of solutions. Wielt has worked for Topcon Positioning Systems since 2013. He is responsible for the management of the Topcon Technical Partner Program which provides access to Topcon technology for software and hardware development partners. Wielt has been in the Geomatics Industry for more than 30 years and holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from The Ohio State University, specializing in Geomatics.

David Banks, Senior Application Specialist, Position Partners
David Banks is a qualified survey technician who has been with Position Partners for seven years, although he started his career working in the field on T1 road projects around Sydney. Using his industry experience, Banks has had an interchangeable path with Position Partners, as he has been an integral member of the Campus and Support teams providing, training nationwide for all solutions with a focus around the MAGNET Suite. Banks has spent many years as the National MAGNET Office Support Manager building relationships with customers and Product Managers to aid their success. Banks is now servicing NSW as a Senior Application Specialist in the Position Partners Geospatial business.

Greg Goodman, Professional Surveyor and Managing Director, LandTeam Australia
Greg Goodman is a Registered Surveyor who graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1976. Goodman has been the President and Secretary of the Institution of Surveyors New South Wales and was an interim Board Member of the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute, Australia demonstrating both his standing in the profession and his commitment to the Surveying Profession in New South Wales and Australia. Goodman continues his professional involvement as Chairman of the Southern Group of the Institution of Surveyors NSW and through various public speaking and mentoring engagements.Goodman is a passionate envoy for the LandTeam business and its values, ethics and professionalism. Goodman believes in and supports the LandTeam human resource as an accomplished, innovative, loyal and vital team. He pursues and promotes excellence in customer service, client expectation, product control and product delivery whilst promoting work health safety, quality management, environmental safeguards and technology/innovation within the business. Greg’s current focus is the implementation of LandTeam 2018 – a strategic plan for growth. LandTeam is a multi-disciplined consulting firm of Surveyors, Engineers, Town Planners, Project Managers and Water/Sewer Servicing Co-ordinators employing 50 staff throughout Southern NSW.

In the ever-changing marketplace, project managers need to ensure that they’re focused on generating the maximum productivity from their site and equipment. One way to do this is to ensure that every piece of equipment is operating at maximum efficiency.

The Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale is an investment in productivity, this loader scale from Position Partners has the adaptability to go on a range of heavy vehicles around your site, enabling you to keep your technology purchases to a minimum while still increasing your productivity.

What can the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale be used for?

In its basic form, the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale from Position Partners is a tool to indicate the weight lifted by the loader and loaded into the truck, hopper, pile etc.

From there it evolves into a complete management tool with data storage, Wi-Fi and internet connections to send the captured data anywhere in the world. 

The Loadmaster loader scale was the first loader scale in Australia to gain a pattern approval to allow it to be used for trade purposes. This loader scale can help project managers overcome the following challenges:

• Load record keeping;
• ‘The Chain of Responsibility’ legislation;
• Underutilization of plant;
• Equipment matching for productivity. 

The key benefits of the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale are its ease of use and that it can be configured to be a basic scale or a fully featured load management recording tool. This loader scale is also a key tool in the compliance of ‘The Chain of Responsibility’ legislation. 

What is ‘The Chain of Responsibility’ legislation and how does it relate to the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale?

In short, while the drivers and operators of heavy vehicles have been the focus of road laws, breaches are often caused by the actions of others.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has introduced ‘The Chain of Responsibility’ legislation to ensure that anyone, not just the driver or operator of the heavy vehicle, who has control over the transport task can be held responsible for breaches of road laws and may be legally liable.

The Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale can work for you to ensure that you are not overloading your vehicles and the Load Record Keeping feature of this loader scale means that you can keep track of all your loads within a certain time period. This data is then on hand if you need to prove that you have not overloaded a vehicle.

How adaptable is the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale?

Position Partners Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale is adaptable enough to be installed on a range of machines including:

• Front end loaders of any size;
• Telescopic handlers;
• Fork lifts;
• Container lifters.

“We aim to make the integration between the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scales and your machine as seamless as possible,” said Chris Nussey, RDS Business Development Manager, Position Partners.

“The Loadmaster is the best value for money loader scale on the market today.”

How can the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale improve efficiency on site?

“Prior to implementing the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale, project managers would be relying on the operators to manually record load data, opening up the ability to ‘fudge the figures’ and user error in relation to weights, truck cycles and what went where,” said Chris Nussey, RDS Business Development Manager, Position Partners. 

“Purchasing a Loadmaster is an investment in productivity! Along with increased logging ability of jobs – to be able to recall one particular truck load loaded in the past, say six months, to prove no overload or just the weight loaded if an accident happened is invaluable.”

The Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale has a range of stand-out features that set it apart from its competitors:

• Its user interface is extremely straight forward which ensures that new users can be trained to use these loader scales in a very short amount of time;
• The Loadmaster also improves the efficiency of operators by removing manual inputs with GPS, barcode reader and RF tag reader. These attachments allow the operator to automatically select products, trucks and locations without touching the screen;
• The Loadmaster’s integrated reverse camera improves safety on the site while improving efficiency.

“The Loadmaster also has the ability to be controlled from any computer in the world with an internet connection,” said Chris Nussey, RDS Business Development Manager, Position Partners.

“The Position Partners support team is always just a ‘click’ away too.”

Position Partners service and support team joins you on site 

The team at Position Partners recognises the important part they can play in ensuring the successful and efficient implementation of new technology, such as the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scales, on your site.

“’Local’ support is critical and with Position Partners branches in each state we are well positioned to assist,” said Chris Nussey, RDS Business Development Manager, Position Partners.

“Position Partners can supply after sales support and training packages depending on customers’ requirements. From basic telephone, On site and World Wide remote internet to the Loadmaster, ongoing support and training is not far away.”

As the Australian and New Zealand distributor for iDig, Position Partners is helping contractors maximise their profits, by optimising the use of machines and increasing excavator productivity.

iDig 2D machine control systems are simple but technically advanced tools designed specifically for excavators, to provide real-time (with no delay) indication of depth, distance and slope.

Real-time depth indication: Enter your desired depth and iDig will guide you there.

Real-time slope indication: Enter your, positive or negative slope and percentage on x:y, and iDig will guide you there – it can even calculate relative slope if required.

Real-time distance indication: Place the bucket teeth on the starting point, enter your desired digging distance, and iDig’s horizontal LEDS will guide you there.

This highly portable and affordable excavator control system enables operators to do everything from within the cab – removing the need for a grade checker or surveyor, and reducing waste fuel and machine downtime by eliminating the necessity of getting out of the cab to check the grade or dig site.

The iDig setup requires no welding, thanks to sensors that are directly fitted to the boom by a highly adhesive 3M solution; it involves no wiring along the arm, as it’s connected to the cab control box by radio; and it’s solar-powered so needs no recharging. Its real-time technology also ensures that grade calculation is immediately displayed, with information conveyed seamlessly to the operator via a coloured LED indicator.

 “The iDig control system is set to revolutionise the way excavation occurs on job sites across Australia and New Zealand,” predicts Martin Nix, Position Partners’ CEO. “Because one iDig system can be used for an entire fleet of machines, which is ideal for contractors since different jobs require different machines and different buckets. Your one iDig system can go from excavator to mini to backhoe, and once set up, it will recognise more than 100 different machines and buckets.”

Joel Seddon, Position Partners’ Machine Systems Product Manager adds, “iDig has been built specifically as a 2D system for 2D applications on any job sites – it is not a 3D system with 3D technology simply taken out of it – so it’s very intuitive, and extremely simple to use, thanks to the large icons, 800 x 480 pixel resolution, and highly responsive 7” touch screen.”

“When placed on a mini or large excavator, the iDig machine control system enables you to carry the benchmark with you, including height and slope guidance, across an entire job site; it completely negates the need for a grade checker or standalone laser receiver on your machine,” he added.  

Optional accessories are also available, including chassis sensors for non-centre pivot machines, additional boom sensors, and tilt bucket sensors.