Meet our new Monitoring Team

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Centralised team to lead sales, delivery and services process for condition monitoring applications throughout Australia, with advisory support for New Zealand and South East Asia.

Position Partners is pleased to announce a centralised monitoring team that will support customers with tailored solutions for the civil, geospatial, mining and building industries.

Heath Low, who has worked for Position Partners for more than 10 years, has been appointed as a Business Development Manager for monitoring solutions, with responsibility  for Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. He will also act in an advisory role for projects in New Zealand and South East Asia.

Heath has a background in monitoring solutions for the mining industry and has held sales and product management roles at Position Partners for a range of geospatial solutions, including 3D mobile mapping solutions and 3D laser scanning systems.

Jason Clark has recently joined Position Partners as our second Business Development Manager for monitoring solutions, with responsibility for New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Jason has worked in the geospatial industry for more than 20 years in a wide range of roles with AUSLIG, BAE Systems, Amcor and more recently with Thiess as Corporate GIS Manager and Leighton Contractors as Manager – GIS & Survey Solutions.  Jason holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Land Information) and a Master of Science in Remote Sensing.

Position Partners offers two industry-leading monitoring solutions including Senceive, an innovative wireless platform and Topcon Delta, a comprehensive optical or GNSS-based system with advanced reporting and integrated communications technology.

Since its introduction to the Oceania region last year by Position Partners, Senceive has been gaining significant interest for a wide range of projects including rail, roads, tunnels, buildings and infrastructure. With its ability to perform in some of the most challenging landscapes and provide high accuracy whilst eliminating the expense of maintaining prisms, Senceive nodes are entirely wire and mains power free, with a battery life of up to 12 years.

Topcon’s Delta can be configured using either GNSS or optical measurement technology to deliver a solution that combines hardware, software and automated alerts to mitigate risk in deformation monitoring applications. Ideal for mining and infrastructure projects, Delta is a versatile and highly accurate system that can be tailored to all projects with a range of communication and power options to ensure the system is backed up and reliable in even the harshest environments.

 

 

What’s new with Tokara?

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Our custom-built telematics platform designed specifically for the Australian construction industry is constantly evolving to deliver customers greater functionality, increased visibility of their assets and better support than ever before.

Tokara enables Position Partners technicians to login remotely to any Topcon machine control system or survey tablet to diagnose technical problems, update software and train the operator in a real-world environment. In most cases this eliminates the need for a technician to visit the site, greatly reducing wait times, saving money and keeping your equipment in optimal running condition.  

file transfer

 

Tokara also gives project managers and surveyors the ability to remotely transfer design files to site assets without having to visit them in person, view what machines and assets are online or offline, see latest position information and track recent movements, and more.  Here are a few of the new features available in Tokara, make sure you’re making full use of them!  

One to many file transfers
This feature has been around for some time, but not all customers are aware of it. For larger jobs when multiple machines and survey crews are working to the same design, users can instantly transfer the latest file to all assets simultaneously, or to a certain group of assets, with a One to Many transfer. Customers can also create and manage asset groups within the Tokara Customer Portal. 

 

Advanced reporting including Audit Reports
Customers can schedule daily, weekly, monthly or one-off reports for all assets to show time online, dates and location information. Summary reports or detailed reports are also available depending on your requirements. We also have a new Tokara Audit Report available that provides the following information:

  • Time last seen
  • Last position
  • Subscription data
  • SIM card ID
  • Modem serial number
  • GPS serial number
  • GPS firmware version

Enhanced map functionality
The Tokara Customer Portal now lets users overlay KML line work for a job, view signal strength (current and historic) and nearby AllDayRTK base station locations in an easy to read map format. You can switch each feature on or off to view multiple aspects simultaneously or one at a time.

screen shot functionality

A virtual ruler allows the user to measure the distance from an AllDayRTK base station to your chosen location, allowing you to gauge coverage signal for your project.

Secure back-up to protect your machine systems
If the worst happened and your machine control system was stolen or irrecoverably damaged, Tokara gives you peace of mind that your machine build data is secure no matter what! Machine build information is sent to a secure server daily so that if required, we can provide you with a new control box complete with the last machine build on record. Without the need for a technician to calibrate your machine on site, you can be back up and running in no time with minimal cost and time damages. 

No software installs required!
You no longer need to download software to your computer to be able to run the Tokara Agent and connect to your on-site assets. It’s just one less thing to keep updating with new software versions and take up room on your hard drive. It’s all web-based now, to make life easier.

Online alerts
Tokara users can create and manage online alerts to notify them when certain assets are connected to the service. This can be particularly useful for missing equipment or in areas with poor cell coverage. 
signal strength

Grading made easy

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State-Wide Earthworks is achieving fine tolerance results with an EasyGrade grader attachment and total station machine control technology.

Specialising in design, civil contracts, vegetation control, earthworks, traffic control, demolition, plant hire and heavy haulage, State-Wide Earthworks is a Tasmanian company that caters for clients throughout the state.

The company’s earthworks division offers road construction and reconstruction, stormwater upgrades, council work and general earthworks services and has recently invested in the latest survey and machine control technology to save time, increase accuracy and improve productivity.

Installed on an EasyGrade grader attachment for the company’s CAT 259D skid steer, State-Wide Earthworks uses Topcon LPS machine control technology to achieve 10-15mm accuracy.

“We find the EasyGrade setup is ideal for the work we do, which is often on 200-300 metre stretches of road,” said Manager, Rob Dobie. “A standard size grader gave us too much overspill over the kerbs, damage to existing infrastructure and was generally too cumbersome in tight, built up areas.

“The box system on the other hand just picks up the material and carries it where it needs to go so there’s a lot less waste and tidy up,” he added. “We also find we can construct new roads without having to close them as the EasyGrade is small and accurate enough to be able to work in one lane, using traffic management, which we have never been able to do with a standard size grader.”

Mr Dobie explained the skid steer grader attachment was more versatile, with the ability to work on a variety of applications. “It’s a handy machine for smaller jobs like subdivisions and commercial developments as well,” he said.

TopconLPS machine control utilises a high precision robotic total station and a prism mounted to a pole on the machine blade to deliver accurate positioning information and automatically adjust the grader’s cutting edge to work to the design.

“We chose LPS because of the accuracy it delivers and its ability to work in all environments including under dense tree coverage,” Mr Dobie said.

In addition to the grader machine control system, State-Wide has a Topcon 3D GPS excavator system on an 8-tonne Komatsu digger and a Topcon base and rover for survey set-out and as-built checks.

Before upgrading to its new 3D positioning technology, the company relied on more traditional stringline methods and 2D laser levelling systems.

“Our use of stringlines and lasers is now down to a minimum, we only use stringlines for the kerb machine to follow these days,” Mr Dobie said.

3D machine control technology is more versatile for the company’s work, Mr Dobie explained, giving them the ability to grade more complex designs and work to 2 or 3 gradients.

“Since installing the grader system earlier this year it’s been a great bonus, we regularly achieve 10mm accuracy for our road reconstruction and stormwater upgrade jobs,” he added.

Training the team on the new systems has been integral to their success. “Our operators needed some training initially to understand the layers and what the technology is capable of, which is when Tokara remote support was a great help,” Mr Dobie said.

Tokara is a remote support and telematics platform developed by Topcon’s Australian distributor Position Partners, specifically for the Australian construction industry.

With the ability to login to State-Wide’s machines or survey rover remotely, Position Partners technicians are able to diagnose technical problems, upgrade software and train the operator in a real-world environment.

Tokara also gives project managers and surveyors the option to transfer design files remotely without having to visit the machine in person. “We’ve used the file transfer option a few times now but in these early days the support side has been more valuable to us,” Mr Dobie said.

“Tokara has been key to our business in terms of getting us up and running with the 3D systems and learning the ropes with this new technology,” he added.

 

Increasing landfill efficiency through technology

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Tasmania’s Dulverton Landfill has taken advantage of the latest compactor technology to optimise its operations, reduce leachate and maximise waste compaction.

Managing roughly 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes of waste per year, Dulverton is certainly not one of the largest landfills.  

Based in Tasmania’s North West, Dulverton is the state’s largest composting facility, processing around 30,000 tonnes of organic waste per year. It’s a relatively small operation compared to its interstate counterparts, but one which follows prudent environmental management. Mat Greskie, Dulverton Landfill CEO, says its landfill operation undergoes rigorous environmental testing. Mat explains that every aspect of the company’s landfill operation is aimed at optimising airspace – which helps extends the life of the landfill and reduces the carbon footprint.

“Unlike many sites that only cap their landfills at the end of the cell life, we use a different capping methodology which is to cap two or three times throughout the year to keep leachate generation to a minimum,” Mat explains.

Mat says he historically relied on surveyors to regularly visit the site and peg out the design waste surface for machine operators to follow.

“Regular capping means more frequent surveying to peg out the grade for operators to follow. The process was labour intensive and frustrating, as although the pegs gave the operators a guide, with waste being such an irregular medium, it was very difficult for the operator to tell if they had placed waste to the design” he says.

“The surveyors would then come back, often multiple times, and have to re-peg the grade and the cycle would start again.”

Dulverton’s surveyors suggested an alternative – apply machine guidance technology to enable operators to monitor their grade in real-time. He says around 18 months ago he added machine guidance technology to its compactor. The system uses global positioning systems software to view real time compaction and landfill grade information.

After investigating the company’s options, Mat says they opted for Carlson’s LandfillGrade solution, distributed and supported by Position Partners. Installed on a Bomag BC772 RB-2 compactor, the Carlson machine guidance solution enables the operator to work to a specified design and view real time compaction and grade information on the screen inside the cab.

“We chose Carlson because unlike other solutions in the market it has been designed specifically for Landfill applications rather than adapted from an earthmoving solution,” Mat says.  

Another factor in the decision-making process was the availability of technical support.

“Position Partners has a local team based here in Tasmania who have helped us, as well as their team on the mainland that have always assisted us whenever we’ve needed them. They’ve always done their utmost to support us and that is of great value to us,” he adds.

 “Our operators have certainly embraced the technology and find it very easy to use, it’s given them the confidence to know they are placing the waste to design and compacting the waste consistently.”

“It’s also saved our surveying costs and our surveyors are pleased with the setup as they simply input designs into the system and then sign it off when completed – there’s far less rework involved for both parties.”

In addition to labour savings, Mat says machine guidance has reduced machine usage, and improved compaction.

“Landfill waste density is a key performance indicator that is reported up to the Board.

“Introducing landfill machine guidance has certainly helped us to pack as much waste into every cubic metre as possible.” [we are not using the reporting capability of the software at this stage].

As a result, the Dulverton picked up Waste Management Association Australia’s prestigious Landfill of the Year award for 2017 for minimising its environmental impact on the region.

 

 

 

Paving technology to the tip of Cape York

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Koppens Developments upgrades 22-kilometres of dirt road as part of 200 million dollar Peninsula Development Road project to benefit Indigenous and non-indigenous communities at the northernmost tip of Australia. 

With Federal and State Government funding to the tune of $260.5 million, Queensland’s Cape York Regional Package aims to provide local communities greater employment and development opportunities, along with better infrastructure, freight and tourist access and reduced maintenance costs. The Package consists of a $200 million investment to seal the Peninsula Development Road (PDR), a further $10 million to seal the Endeavour Valley Road through to Hope Vale and $50.5 million for community infrastructure works.

Awarded the 22-kilometre Coen South stretch of the PDR project, Koppen Developments is a Cairns-based civil construction firm that has been in business for more than 80 years supplying land development, civil earthworks and infrastructure services throughout Northern Queensland.

Upon completion, Coen residents and other motorists travelling in the area will have access to a 53.5 kilometre stretch of uninterrupted sealed road. With employment and development central to the project’s success in the area, Koppen has also been actively involved in supporting the local community by offering training and job opportunities to local indigenous and non-indigenous residents.

To deliver the project, Koppen makes use of the latest in survey and machine control technology to save time, reduce material waste and increase safety and accuracy across all aspects of the construction process.

“We run Topcon machine control and survey equipment for all our earthmoving and as-built checks,” explained Koppens Director Scott Koppen. “Initially we started off the project last year using Topcon GPS systems on our excavators to shape the batters. Now that the wet season is over we’re back up and running, with four graders, a paver and a milling machine all working to design with Topcon technology,” he added.

The company also uses Topcon GNSS survey rovers as well as the new GT robotic total station. “I’ve been holding off buying a new robotic because for a long time I wasn’t happy with what Topcon had to offer,” Mr Koppen said. “But this new model is really good and I’m very happy with it.”

Koppens is currently running Topcon Millimetre GPS systems across the graders, paver and milling machine. This technology is designed to deliver extremely fine tolerance accuracy through a combination of GNSS and laser systems.

Unlike other solutions that rely on optical total station-based positioning technology, this unique platform delivers 300% greater accuracy than standalone GNSS and can enable multiple machines to operate simultaneously within what’s referred to as a ‘zone’ of connectivity. A specially designed laser transmitter that emits a high vertical and wide horizontal wall of light, connects to a pole-mounted laser receiver on the machine. Linking up to four laser transmitters can deliver a working range of 2.4 kilometres horizontally and 40 metres elevation and this, combined with high precision, multi-constellation GNSS positioning technology delivers millimetre-level accuracy anywhere within the working zone.

Installed on a Vögele 1800-3 paver, Topcon’s mmGPS technology is delivering high accuracy due to its ability to connect directly to the machine’s CAN system. “These days the CAN connectivity adds significant performance improvements and greatly improves the responsiveness of the machine in relation to the design it’s working to,” Mr Koppen said.

“We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our new Smoothride paving system as it will enable us to spread thicker layers of material and change compaction densities, let alone the benefits it offers for milling applications and bitumen stabilising work,” he added.

Koppen Developments will be one of the first Australian companies to deploy Topcon’s new Smoothride solution, which includes newly developed paving and milling software along with real-time surface profiling via a vehicle mounted scanner. Position Partners installed the first Smoothride system in the Asia Pacific region on four paving systems in Singapore as part of the Changi airport expansion project and will soon bring the technology to Australia shores.

As an early adopter of new technology, Mr Koppen accepts that things are not always easy from the beginning. “GPS isn’t like buying a car when you don’t need to see the dealer again until you want an upgrade, it’s a complex solution that requires expertise to support it.” Support from Position Partners has always been a central reason behind Koppen’s choice of positioning and machine control technology and the company regularly uses Tokara, a remote support and telematics platform that Position Partners specifically developed for the Australian market.

Tokara gives support technicians the ability to remotely login to a machine control system, total station or survey tablet to diagnose technical problems, upgrade software and train operators. “Tokara is a really handy tool especially as we’re a long way from Position Partners’ Brisbane or Darwin branches,” Mr Koppen said. “We use it regularly when we have mobile coverage, but unfortunately for some of our jobs and the Coen South project is one of them, network coverage is hard to come by!”

Tokara also enables surveyors and project managers to send design file updates direct to machines and field survey parties without the need to transfer them in person via USB. “We don’t tend to use the file transfer ourselves as we simply transfer the design files from the client or the surveyor. To us the main value of Tokara is in the support it provides us when we need it,” he added.

“Our partnership with Topcon distributor Position Partners dates back 20 odd years, to the early days of laser and machine control technology,” Mr Koppen added. “It is a mutually beneficial relationship and we rely on each other to push the boundaries with what these systems can do – Position Partners is actively committed to the research and development of new solutions for the Australian market and I think that’s the most exciting part of working with them.”

 

New Topcon GT robotic ideal for cadastral surveying

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Connelly & Associates Surveyors are a Melbourne-based cadastral survey firm that offers services throughout the greater metro area as well as regional Victoria. Having recently upgraded one of the company’s robotics to the new Topcon GT series, Senior Surveyor Luke Considine said it came out top of all the brands they tested. 

With some twenty staff including full time and casual employees, Connelly & Associates Surveyors specialises in all manner of cadastral survey work including subdivisions, boundary surveys, levels and features throughout Melbourne as well as regional Victoria.

As a Senior Licensed Surveyor for the company, Luke Considine continues to split his time between field and office tasks. Speaking to Position Partners, Luke explained his reasons for choosing the Topcon GT robotic total station when it came time to upgrade an older model robotic.

“Our old Sokkia instrument was about 10 years old so it was in need of an update, but then there was an accident on site where it was damaged so that prompted us to upgrade,” he said. “Unlike a lot of cadastral firms that like to keep consistency with one brand, Connelly’s has a mix of different makes of equipment as our CEO doesn’t want to get locked into one brand.”

When researching which model to purchase, Luke explained he tested out a few of the leading brands. “All of the instruments were fit for the job, however I just felt most comfortable using the Topcon GT and I particularly like the new FC-5000 tablet and MAGNET Field software as well,” he added. 

Luke added that some of the other brands felt “over-engineered” and too complicated. “One of the models we trialled could only be used as a 1-person instrument, and although I often do use it that way I wanted something that had the flexibility to be used in a one or two-person crew.”

Comparing the new GT robotic with the older instrument, Luke said: “the Topcon system is obviously a lot faster and more responsive than our 10-year old model, and it maintains lock very well so it keeps up with you and you can get through work quickly,” he said.

What Luke enjoys most about the new system is the increased functionality and clarity of the FC-5000 tablet paired with MAGNET Field. “The Field software is really easy to use and has lots of great features such as automatic solutions for resections that save time,” he said. 

“Viewing data on the tablet also gives me a lot more detail so I can see the line work and numbers, not just a series of crosses,” he added. “The FC-5000 feels robust and it also doubles as a tool I use to check my email and receive design updates from MAGNET Office. It’s a great survey tablet.”

For office work, Luke explained he’s an experienced Civilcad user who has now migrated to MAGNET Office. “I have used other software platforms but I find MAGNET Office easy to use and ideally suited to the work we do,” he said.

Luke said the support he’s received from Position Partners has been great and was also a key factor in the company’s decision. “I got along with the local Sales Consultant who was supportive and didn’t push me into a purchase,” he said. Connelly’s has also taken up a Survey Support & Maintenance contract that includes Position Partners’ unique Tokara remote support technology.

“As the instrument’s new we haven’t had much opportunity to use Tokara but while we were trialling the system someone from the Position Partners team was able to remotely login and show me around a few features,” Luke said. “That was really handy because I’m based in Geelong so it’s not as though they are just around the corner.”

Overall, Luke said the company has been very happy with its decision to add a Topcon GT robotic total station to its fleet. “It’s doing everything we need it to and doing it efficiently. It’s certainly saving me time in the field and making life easier for me,” he added.

Grab your survey accessories online!

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We’re thrilled to announce our new online shop for survey and construction accessories, www.shop.positionpartners.com.au

Here you’ll find a comprehensive range of accessories from leading brands including Seco, Rothbucher Systeme, Nestle, Topcon, DJI, Sokkia and more. Our range includes:

  • Tripods and bipods
  • Prisms
  • Targets and smart targets
  • Magnets
  • Nails
  • Poles
  • Brackets and clamps
  • Nails
  • Bags
  • Adapters
     

Plus, we have a range of leading RPAS (survey drones) and accessories including the new Phantom 4 Pro!

We offer direct shipping with standard or express delivery, as well as the option to have your order shipped to your nearest Position Partners branch for free so you can collect it when you are next in the area.

We are adding new products to our store daily, so if there’s something you can’t find please don’t hesitate to drop us an email at shop@positionpartners.com.au and we will do our best to accommodate your request and add the item to the site.

Please have a look and let us know what you think! www.shop.positionpartners.com.au

Position Partners becomes Channel Partner for Bentley Systems

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Bentley

Geospatial company to sell and support Bentley mass data processing and design platforms throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Position Partners announces a Channel Partner agreement with global infrastructure software developer, Bentley Systems. As a Channel Partner, Position Partners will sell and support Bentley’s range of mass data processing, analysis and design tools including ContextCapture and ConceptStation.

“Bentley Systems software platforms complement our range of Remotely Piloted Aircraft and 3D laser scanning systems to give customers an end to end solution for mass data applications,” said Martin Nix, Position Partners CEO.

Position Partners offers a range of fixed wing and copter style RPAS (drones) including the Falcon 8 by Ascending Technologies and the SIRIUS range by MAVinci, both of which have been acquired or invested in by Intel. In addition, the company offers the DJI Phantom 4 and Matrice 100 copter along with Topcon and Z+F 3D laser scanning stations for terrestrial scanning applications.

Brian Middleton Vice President and Regional Executive for Bentley Systems said that “to date, surveying, engineering and construction industries have separately advanced to 3D technologies. Unbelievably, until now, 3D models have been recreated – rather than reused – at each phase. It is exciting to work with Position Partners to enable Australian engineers to gather reality captured survey data in context and cost effectively leverage and update their digital engineering models through the whole construction process.”

Introducing the partnership to the Australian market, Position Partners and Bentley Systems recently held five workshops in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide to showcase the use of Position Partners mass data capture solutions and Bentley software in a live environment.

“The workshops provided a unique opportunity to walk through a mass data project from start to finish,” said Gavin Docherty, Position Partners RPAS Product Manager. “We used the popular DJI Phantom 4 RPAS to fly a small area before processing the model in ContextCapture.

“There are important guidelines about how to conduct an aerial survey with ContextCapture, and these were also featured in the workshop, along with the latest CASA regulation updates,” he added.

Attendees then participated in a detailed session about ContextCapture, which enables users to model complex built environments, including intricate structures and fine detail such as wiring, that previously could not have been modelled without extensive data manipulation.

ContextCapture also enables hybrid datasets to give even greater detail to models by combining aerial data from RPAS and terrestrial data from 3D laser scanners such as the Z+F range sold by Position Partners.

ConceptStation is then used to design in a live environment, enabling engineers to try different models and overlay them into the as-built model in real time. 

“Bentley Systems offers mass data processing solutions for complex infrastructure like no other,” added Mr Docherty.  “When paired with our range of industry-grade RPAS and 3D laser scanning tools, customers are assured of a reliable and accurate solution that will deliver meaningful results.”

 

A tradition of innovation for more than 50 years

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Z+F

As a company that prides itself on innovation, Zoller + Fröhlich (Z+F) puts a strong emphasis on close contact to customers, business partners and users to develop solutions that extend possible applications, improve quality and streamline workflows.   

“Maintaining a leading position as a medium-sized company internationally is quite a challenging task. But our company offers excellent conditions to meet customer requirements by nurturing innovative developments,” said Christoph Fröhlich, CEO of Z+F.

Feedback and demands from users are often the basis for new developments and are closely linked to the research and development of all products. One such example, for the company’s 3D laser scanning portfolio, is the rollout of Z+F’s unique ‘Blue Workflow’ solution, which was realised through close collaboration with users and real world applications.  

Acknowledging that time in the field capturing data could be better utilised, Z+F set about designing a system that would enable users to complete the scan registration process during the scan rather than back in the office afterwards. This approach solved two problems often encountered with laser scanning technology: firstly, making use of the time waiting for the instrument to complete scans; and secondly, reducing the risk of incomplete datasets by analysing the results as the scanner works.

Z+F’s Blue Workflow enables the scanner operator to verify data and target quality, find and fill any gaps with more scans and automatically register each scan before they pack up the laser and head back to the office. With full confidence of returning to his or her desk with a complete dataset, time in the office is also more productive and can be spent on other tasks. 

Aside from the software and workflow innovations, Z+F puts a high emphasis on rigorous quality control and instrument testing to offer customers reliable products. Z+F’s state-of-the-art calibration facility for 3D laser scanners ensures high accuracy and precise measurements as a result. Innovations for customers further afield such as the setup of an Australian ‘calibration check’ facility with local distributor Position Partners, ensure exceptional after sales service and a reduction in service turnaround times.

Position Partners employees have completed training in Germany with Z+F engineers and, in what’s believed to be an industry first for the Australasian market, all customers that purchase either a 5010X or 5016 laser scanner will be offered a free ticket to attend product training at Z+F’s headquarters, with flights and accommodation included.

“A company’s success is not defined by the effort of a single person or department. It is rather the collaboration of the entire team with external partners and users, which make innovative solutions possible. We are indeed very fortunate to have a skilled staff along with reliable partners – basically an unbeatable connection,” Mr Fröhlich added.

The latest addition to Z+F’s laser scanning portfolio is the 5016: a scanner with a smaller form factor, longer range and exceptional data clarity. Viewed for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere at the recent Locate17 conference, the new model offers an extended 360-metre range and 360 x 320 degree field of view to enable precision scanning over large areas, whilst minimising the number of required scan positions.

Capturing more than one million points per second, the 5016 offers the same high quality scans and the unique in-field registration capability first introduced with the 5010X model. This ‘Blue Workflow’ involves an optimised surveying and data processing solution that enables users to register, check, edit and evaluate point cloud data in the field, whilst scanning. With automatic registration, this workflow ensures better data and target quality, more comprehensive data sets and more efficient use of field and office time.

Position Partners’ newly appointed Product Manager – Scanning Systems, Paul Malatzky, commented on the new model’s performance. “Z+F enjoys a great reputation for high quality 3D laser scanners for good reason, and the new 5016 model won’t disappoint. It’s small form factor and user-friendly workflow make it enjoyable to use, whilst also delivering tangible benefits in terms of time saving and data set clarity.”

“As you would expect from an industry-leading instrument, it also comes with all the bells and whistles such as built-in GNSS, IMU and HDR camera so that it can handle a wide range of tasks and applications,” he added. “Handy features such as integrated LED spots and rapid picture capturing also save time in the field by eliminating the need for external light sources and reducing a full panoramic image set capture to three and a half minutes – an industry best.”

A history of innovation

In 1963, schoolmates Hans Zoller and Hans Fröhlich started working together and their first project was the conception and successful realisation of individual control systems in a former coal cellar. From the outset, the electrical engineering company has put a strong emphasis on promoting innovation, developing new ideas and pioneering creative solutions. It has always had a straight forward-looking philosophy which is based on a solid educational foundation.

In 1966, the company moved to new offices in Wangen/Allgäu in Germany’s South East, close to the Swiss and Austrian borders. To this day, the building remains Zoller + Fröhlich’s headquarters. In 1969, building switch cabinets led to the company’s invention of insulated wire end ferrules, a technology that is used all over the world for solderless connections in wire housing. The company continues to manufacture and service these products from its Wangen headquarters.

When Mr Christoph Fröhlich joined the company in the 1990s, Z+F’s entry into industrial measurement solutions was born. His PhD thesis was the foundation for developing the company’s first rail and tunnel measurement system and in 1996 the first optical 3D laser measurement system to document as-built conditions was ready for market. In 1998, this laser radar was awarded the innovation prize of the state of Baden-Württemberg, the “Dr.-Rudolf-Eberle-Prize”. Today Zoller + Fröhlich is amongst the leading enterprises in the field of non-contact laser measurement technology. Due to years of research, development and numerous successful projects in a wide variety of applications, Z+F is the forerunner in this field with a high degree of knowledge, experience and success.

Z+F operates globally and cooperates with distributors in more than 40 countries, with all products developed and manufactured exclusively in Germany. There are also permanent subsidiaries in the United Kingdom and the United States. Recently, Z+F announced a distribution agreement with geospatial solutions provider Position Partners for Australia and New Zealand.

“Z+F has a reputation for delivering industry-leading solutions that are innovative, reliable and highly accurate,” said Martin Nix, Position Partners CEO.

“We are delighted to partner with a company that shares our passion for pioneering a better way and we look forward to offering customers the very best when it comes to 3D laser scanning technology that is backed by our extensive technical expertise and local support,” he added.

 

Mitigate chain of responsibility risk with excavator scales

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Do you ever use an excavator to load a road truck? If so and you don’t weigh the load, now’s the time to consider adding machine scales to your excavator. Not only will it minimise the risk if something goes wrong, but it will also help to reduce machine wear, save time and reduce wasted material.

Incorrectly loaded or overloaded road trucks carry significant risk for your business and strict road weight laws that help to keep everyone on the road safe could come crashing down on you if your trucks are not legal.

In Australia and New Zealand, chain of responsibility law holds that all parties involved in the transport of goods on our roads are accountable, including drivers, machine operators, weighbridge managers, quarry managers and everyone up the chain right up to company directors.

If an offense is committed by your employee, agent or contractor, it could be treated as having been committed by you both, even if you didn’t know about it, let alone approve it.

In addition to ensuring drivers and operators do not exceed permitted work/rest hours, do not operate machinery while fatigued, that goods are secured appropriately and that drivers keep within speed limits, managers, operators, schedulers, consigners and receivers are responsible for making sure vehicles do not exceed mass or dimension limits.

Those involved with loading road trucks have additional responsibility to document that load does not exceed vehicle mass limits and that load is distributed in the truck to make sure it doesn’t become unsafe or unstable during transport.

By fitting scales to loading machinery including loaders and excavators, operators and managers are able to keep a running total of the weight of the load for each trip as evidence that correct loading procedures have been followed and that the truck is loaded consistently across all axles.    

With accurate record keeping, traceability and stock management, excavator scales are a simple and highly effective way to minimise risk to your business and keep track of material movement. And by eliminating paper-based records, a system such as the Loadex 100 by RDS Technology ensures your data is reliably stored and easy to access at any time.

An optional printer can be installed within the machine to give clients a hard copy of load summaries and totals and to keep an accurate paper record if required.

Operators will benefit from knowing accurate weight information and with the ability to input a target load, ensure the correct loading of road trucks with mimimal risk of human error. If loaded past the threshold, an audible alarm will sound to alert the operator. Plus, an optional reversing camera can be fitted to help increase safety on site – it uses the same display in the cab so there’s no extra components to fit into what’s already a crowded space! 

As the most flexible and adaptable system available on the market today, the Loadex 100 has the option of static or dynamic weighing positions to suit all applications. Unlike other solutions, it also uses Ultrasonics, a Gyro, inclinometers and a mechanical sensor to provide dynamic weighing capabilities in even the most challenging conditions and terrains to ensure it keeps up with the machine and the job.

With SQL database functionality, data can be exported via serial, Ethernet, USB memory stick or our Tokara 4G & WiFi modem to easily import into other software platforms and suit your existing workflow. You also have the option of one or two-way communication between machines and the office to save time and keep track of your project with iSOSYNC software.

Unique to the customers in Australia and New Zealand is the option to receive remote service and support through Tokara Link, a telematics platform developed by RDS distributor for the region, Position Partners. Tokara enables support technicians to remotely login to your system to diagnose technical problems, update software or train the operator, without the need to visit the machine in person!

Knowing what your excavators and loaders are picking up and loading to road trucks is vital in today’s construction industry, both to meet your legal requirements and for on-site safety, insurance and the warranty on your machines. With the added perks of increased efficiency, reduced fuel use and machine wear and a safer, more productive team, there is a lot of upside to embracing this simple and effective technology!