Topcon releases a suite of new survey solutions

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Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) has announced the release of an integrated suite of advanced survey products that combine the latest precision technology with robust, easy to operate hardware.

The new Topcon survey suite covers the following products:
•    Topcon’s PS robotic total station series
•    HiPer SR RTK receiver
•    Tesla handheld controller
•    Magnet Field software.

According to Garry MacPhail, Survey Manager with Topcon’s Australian distributor Position Partners, individually these systems are the fastest, most reliable and most accurate in their class.

“Together they deliver superior performance and a fully integrated solution to provide everything a surveyor needs in the field,” he said. Details of the four elements making up the new survey suite follow.

Topcon PS

The Topcon PS high performance robotic total station is designed to surpass all others in power, accuracy and tracking, said MacPhail.

Available in 1- and 3- arc second models, the PS utilises Topcon’s new PowerTrac™ technology to increase the prism tracking power up to an industry-leading 6 km range.

“Using new optics, laser system and advanced algorithms, PowerTrac provides the PS with the ability to keep tracking a moving prism even under the toughest environmental conditions,” he said.

The PS employs a new EDM that has a smaller beam width than other instruments in its class. Topcon algorithms reduce the “noise” traditionally associated with reflectorless measurements, providing an accurate result even to dark or wet surfaces up to a 1 km non-prism range.

The PS’s smaller beam width also allows measurements in tough situations such as through (or to) a chain link fence or other complex surface.

In addition, the PS uses Topcon’s exclusive LongLink™ technology to provide 600 m Bluetooth wireless communication, enabling measurements to be taken from the pole and giving complete control of the PS using Topcon’s RC-5 remote system, field controller or new Tesla tablet.

With the new TSshield™ communications module, the PS robotic is secure from loss or theft through the ability to remotely disable the unit if reported stolen and track its location via a web-based map.

TSshield also keeps the PS operating system up to date, with remote messaging to the unit to advise of a new firmware version.

Topcon HiPer SR

MacPhail described Topcon’s HiPer SR as a highly advanced GNSS RTK receiver supporting all constellations and providing automatic signal tracking across 226 channels.

“Designed to be the ultimate job site receiver, Topcon’s cable-free HiPer SR weighs just 800 grams and is the most compact professional-grade base and rover RTK system available,” he said.

Combining Universal Tracking Technology™ with the all-new Vanguard GNSS™ chip, the HiPer SR provides advanced performance and satellite tracking, for current and future signals.

In addition to precision measurement and advanced multipath rejection, the 226-channel chip offers support for all GNSS constellations and incorporates Topcon’s patented Universal Tracking Channel technology.

“While other GNSS receiver designs must dedicate channels to a specific satellite system or signal – requiring more and more channels as additional GNSS signals become available – with Universal Tracking Channels, any channel can track any available signal,” said MacPhail.

“This flexibility enables the 226 channel Vanguard design to ‘scale-up’ and track more signals than other GNSS systems. The HiPer SR, like the PS total station, incorporates Topcon’s new LongLink™ technology, giving a 300 m working radius.

Topcon Tesla tablet

Designed to incorporate the readability of a larger tablet, but still be easy to hold with one hand, Topcon’s Tesla handheld tablet has a large 5.7-inch colour touch screen that is easy to read and operate even in bright sunlight, with direct touch access to all controls.

“You really have to hold the Tesla yourself to understand just how good it is,” said MacPhail. “Its design fits so perfectly in your hand and the screen is so easy to see, that it just feels right.”

The Tesla has been designed to be extremely durable, with an IP67 environmental rating meaning it can be submerged in water, exposed to dust, shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, humidity and altitude, or dropped from 1.2 m and still function perfectly.

All models come with WiFi and Bluetooth® technology and 3.2 megapixel camera, with 16 hours operating time and hot-swappable batteries.

Available as a standalone data collector or as an integrated GNSS network RTK rover, MacPhail said the Tesla can also be scaled to any accuracy requirement for GIS use, including 2-5 metre, sub-metre, decimetre and centimetre options.

Topcon Magnet Field software

Topcon’s new Magnet Field software is a new in-field package that enables cloud-connected data exchange and backup for data, and which can be instantly shared with the office or others in the field, said MacPhail.

“Magnet Field incorporates an easy-to-navigate icon-based menu structure that lets users easily stake out points, lines, surfaces, curves, real-time roads and slopes.

“It also includes the ability to calculate inverse, intersection, curves, area, traverse and DTM and complete topo surveys,” he said.

In addition, Magnet Field includes Bing Maps® allowing users to incorporate real-time background images behind field work for points, lines and imported design files.

Magnet Field works seamlessly with Topcon’s Civilcad survey application, as well as other office-based software packages – including Topcon’s forthcoming Civilcad Magnet solution.

Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc. (TPS) designs and manufactures precise positioning products and solutions for the global surveying, construction, agriculture, civil engineering, mapping and GIS, asset management and mobile control markets. TPS’ parent company, Topcon Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange – 7732), was founded in 1932.  

NSW Council pushes the envelope with Topcon machine control

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Forbes Shire Council, in the central west of NSW, has been a pioneer among local government in the state in its use of GPS-based surveying and machine control systems – a move it has found has paid off in terms of efficiency and speed of works.

Based around the town of Forbes, located about 400 km west of Sydney, the shire services a population of just over 9,000 people.

Over the past five or six years, it has pioneered the use of GPS-based systems among NSW councils for its survey works, and as a result of the efficiencies and successes it achieved, has since moved into machine control systems for its road construction equipment.

According to design engineer Graeme Isbester, the council started using lasers and 2D machine control in about 2004, then moved into GPS-based systems five or six years ago.

Today it owns a significant number of Topcon systems, including two 3D machine control systems for its graders, plus Millimetre GPS add-ons, a Topcon LegacyE base station, along with repeaters, GR5 and GR3 receivers used as base stations or rovers, plus one HiPer+ rover.

High performance, automated 3D-MC2 for grading
The Komatsu grader which Forbes Council uses for RMS works has recently been fitted with Topcon 3D-MC2, which was purchased with the intention of improving road ride quality.  Under the RMCC contract between FSC and RMS, superior ride quality may attract monetary bonuses and below standard ride quality may attract penalties. It is therefore in Council’s best interests to achieve the best ride quality possible.

With this equipment, the majority of the shire’s survey works, including construction and maintenance, along with stockpile measurements, are now carried out using Topcon GPS systems.

“We love this, being surveyors,” said Graeme.

“Usually there is no set out needed and, provided we get the model right to start with, it’s great; we just do a check every so often.

“We’ve learnt over time how we need to set the jobs up a bit differently than we would with a total station and it all runs pretty well now,” he said.

“For example, to start with, we weren’t aware that you could  take a 20-30 second observation instead of the usual 3-5 sec shot with GPS to increase the accuracy, so we tended to use the total station more to start with.

“But now we hardly use our old total station at all after learning a few tricks with GPS,” Graeme said.

The council hired its first Topcon rover in about 2007 for a project, purchasing the same unit for its next project.

Work carried out by Graeme’s team includes DTM and point setouts, detail level conformance for RMS works and measuring stockpile volumes for six monthly returns for the council’s gravel pits.

Forbes Shire’s graders and machine control systems are used for carrying out road construction, both for the council’s own works as well as on RMS jobs.

“For our machine control operations, we just load the design into the Rover and the grader, we do a few checks and make sure we’ve got the grader setup right and it then usually runs without a hitch,” he said.

Saving time with more streamlined workflow
“In the past, when we were constructing say a 300 mm overlay on a road, we would have to go out and work out tipping rates so that they could get the correction course right before they could construct all the pavement layers. Then they’d have to repeat that for the next three layers.

“Now with machine control, the grader driver knows when he is 300 mm below finished surface level, so he just moves material around and imports material until he has achieved the subgrade level, then he knows he can lay out the pavement material in even layers.

“They find the whole process much easier too – plus at the end of a day’s work, they can lay the material down instead of leaving it windrowed along the edge of the road like they used to.

“They can lay it down knowing how it compares with the levels they are after – and it makes the jobs safer because there are no windrows sitting alongside the roads at night.

“Our operators just lay the material down and give it a quick roll at the end of the day; they know that the road has got the correct crossfall and they know exactly how much they’ve still got to go simply by dialling up the depth,” said Graeme.

According to the shire’s construction supervisor Tim Smart, the machine control systems on its graders – a Komatsu GD655-5 and a Cat 12M – make operations much quicker for the operators.

“We don’t have to wait for the surveyors to turn up at a certain time to place pegs,” he said.

“The surveyors go and do the surveying, do the design, then plug it straight into our machines, and we’re right to go.

“It saves a lot of time and our operators like it too, because they don’t have to get out of the machine to check the stringlines and all the things they used to do.

“It speeds up our job, our process, and doing the work as well, so it is a win-win for everyone really,” he said.

Tim’s comments were backed up by operator Brian Curry.

 “I’m not waiting around for surveyors and stringlines and things; they just put all the files in it, and I just go and start my work,” he said.

“It’s much more efficient; you know where your lines are and your grades, so you don’t have to rely on getting out and pegging it.

“I’d say it would cut a job to a third of the time, or a little bit more maybe.

“When you’re laying the gravel out and everything, you’re getting good results with your materials, because you’ve got it everything at the right height,” Brian said.

GPS improves on-site safety
Design engineer Graeme Isbester’s team also finds that using Topcon GPS for stockpile volumes is safer and faster than with traditional methods.

“In the past, using a total station, we’ve had to have maybe four or five stations to be able to see around the stockpile, or we have taken the unsafe practice of taking the instrument right up on top of the stockpile so that you can get the perimeter, but it is not very safe.

“Now we just walk over the stockpile with the GPS rover.

“If we are anywhere within the town limits, we use the town base station, otherwise, we set up another base station out at the stockpile site. It doesn’t really matter the precise coordinates of the thing as long as it is correct within itself.

“When we’ve walked over the stockpile, we take it back to the office and process the volumes.”

Graeme believes that Forbes is one of the most advanced among NSW regional councils in its use of GPS systems for both surveying and machine control.

“From what we’ve been told by Adam Burke from Position Partners, we are probably ahead of the field for most of NSW as far as councils go, but I think others are now coming on board, now the benefits are becoming apparent” he said.

Machine Control benefits all machines, big and small

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While there has been plenty of attention in recent years on the productivity and performance advantages of the latest precision machine control technology in “high-end” construction projects and on large machinery, there are also huge benefits for smaller machines such as tractors and skidsteers.

These cover applications as diverse as house pads, general earthworks, sports grounds and industrial construction.

For the past 20 years, Position Partners has been tailoring solutions for these smaller machines to meet the needs of customers around Australia.

One such innovation is a “laser-tractor” system for small agricultural tractors, incorporating Topcon machine-mounted lasers, custom-fit hydraulics and electrics, and a specially designed blade to enable precision grading on a small scale.

“Initially we manufactured a single tractor solution that we hired out, but as its popularity grew we began manufacturing them to suit the customer’s machine and requirements,” said Joel Seddon, national product manager for machine control at Position Partners. 

“They are a simple and ideal solution for smaller jobs like sports grounds, house pads, tennis courts and so on, or for use in tight spaces where you can’t get a grader in to do the work.”

And the great advantage of Topcon systems is that they are flexible to suit a specific job or application, while components can be swapped out or added to give a more accurate or appropriate solution as required.

Position Partners also offers hire options across the product range, so if an owner operator or contractor needs to meet a certain accuracy level for one job, they don’t have to invest in hardware they may not use on a regular basis.

This article looks at three contractors around Australia who are currently using various Topcon systems on smaller machines to increase their productivity, accuracy of operations, profitability and appeal to clients.

CASE STUDY 1: Peter Grzesik, Cranebrook Excavations, Sydney; running dual-grade Topcon lasers on laser-tractors, crawler loader, excavator

Grzesik and his son Rob operate about 15 items of equipment carrying out site preparation and levelling works for clients throughout the greater Sydney metropolitan area, as far west as the Blue Mountains and north to Newcastle.

Their equipment fleet – mainly Caterpillar – includes skidsteers, excavators, rollers, water carts and Position Partners-modified John Deere 5320 laser-tractors fitted with mid-mounted grader blades, as well as four Topcon dual-grade lasers and three grade lasers able to be fitted across machines as required.

“Using these systems makes life a lot easier,” said Peter Grzesik.

“I usually rough the site out, then, because Rob is younger than me, he comes in and works all this modern technology. He sets it up, and it’s just magic.

“The builders, our clients, love these systems because when the job is finished, the quality is that close to a concrete surface in terms of smoothness.

“We have 15 pieces of gear, and we take what we need out to suit a particular job,” he said.

“On this project in Newcastle, which is being leased by a Chinese company to build coal trucks, we are preparing the subgrade and sitefall for the concreters.

“We’ve done the whole job from beginning to end using our Topcon equipment, starting with the main warehouse floor, which we set up to be dead level, and now we’re working on the carpark which has been graded with a slight pitch so the water can get away,” said Grzesik.

“We’ve been operating with this gear since it first came out.

“About 15 years ago, when I needed new equipment, the boys from Position Partners, then known as Laserquip, showed me the Topcon range of equipment, and I’ve been buying it ever since.”

CASE STUDY 2: Shane Kelly, Terra Forma, Adelaide, running Topcon dual grade lasers and machine-mount laser systems on laser-tractors, graders and excavators

Terra Forma is a contracting company based Adelaide that specialises in industrial site preparation throughout Australia.

According to project manager Shane Kelly, its works include stormwater installations using laser systems on excavators, levelling for loading docks and outer pavements using both small and larger laser-equipped graders, and laser buggies for tight spaces and confined area work, which can run manually or automatically.

“What we find ideal about these laser-tractors with the Topcon systems on them is that, once the warehouse goes up, there are a lot of very tight corners,” said Kelly.

“We are able to get this machine out to the tighter corners, where you wouldn’t be able to get a grader into this situation.

“It cuts down on a lot of manual handling, whereas if you couldn’t get this machine in there, the guys have to do it all by hand – which is a slower process.

“We only have a small number of employees, which keeps things easier, so the more that we can do with the machine, obviously the quicker we can got the job done and then move on to the next project,” he said.

“We’re currently doing a project in Alice Springs where we’ve got a varying levels of heights in the building, with very small pads.

“Our little laser-tractors are ideal to do that and do setdowns and everything else. They were required on that job; we just couldn’t have done it with a grader,” Kelly said.

“With the Topcon laser systems fitted to them, they are a really easy machine to use.

“You don’t need a lot of training to be able to use one because it’s pretty simple stuff – and being a small company, we need all our employees to be able to operate pretty well everything

“Anyone who has used this, within about half an hour, they are an expert with it.

“When it comes to manual jobs, they need a bit better eye and we need a more experienced person, but in automatic we can put anyone on it and they have no problems,” he said.

CASE STUDY 3: Ash Beriman, McKinnon Earthmoving, Bendigo, running Cat 279C skidsteer fitted with Topcon 3D-MC2 system

McKinnon Earthmoving works predominantly in the Bendigo region, down as far as Macedon/Gisborne/Woodend to the north-west of Melbourne, carrying out a full range of subdivisional works, both residential and industrial.

Company owner Ash Beriman has opted to fit one of the most sophisticated machine control systems available, Topcon’s 3D-MC2 system, to a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment, a Cat 279C skidsteer.

The skidsteer is fitted with a single-antenna 3D-MC2 system, working off the machine’s 4:1 bucket, with the ability to work in two modes, either “bucket open” (as a dozing/grading blade) or “bucket closed” (as a conventional loader).

“We are using this set up for all our footpaths and curb and channel preparations on our subdivision projects,” he said.

“So, where in the past we have had a number of people preparing the curb bed and the footpath bed, with this skidsteer alone, we can put in the curb and channel, and the footpath bedding.

“The operator simply goes over and grabs material out of the pile, runs it out and cuts it all down to level.

“And once it finishes the footpath boxing, it then goes back and does all the topsoiling and cleanup after all they have put the footpath in, so it is pretty well non-stop getting around all the jobs.

“The system is more than paying for itself,” said Beriman.

“Something I’ve really tried to home in on is to cut out the amount of manual labour that is incorporated into civil construction and this has certainly let me do that.

“Traditionally, with a footpath, you would go along and box it all out, then you would have somebody tipping in all the rock, then you would have guys raking it out in between the boxing.

“It is all very slow and very labour-intensive; now with machine control on the skidsteer, the tolerances are that good that we have got it down to a 3 mm tolerance pretty much every time we work now.

“The operator can just go in ahead and put in all the bed material into the footpath before they box up behind him and then they are ready to pour.”

The skidsteer’s 4:1 bucket has a tilt hitch, allowing it to do cross-falls and elevation.

“Really, it’s just like a grader but on a much much smaller scale,” said Beriman. “But it still runs off the same design files and GPS signal.”

 

Using CORS Networks in Mining

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As both geographical coverage and popularity of continuously operating reference station (CORS) networks grow across the survey and GIS industries, so too does it offer unique benefits for Australian mining.

In this article, Gavin Docherty, Position Partners GNSS Infrastructure Product Manager, considers the unique benefits and challenges of using CORS networks in mining.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PDF FORMAT

Position Partners announces reseller distribution channel for construction products

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Jason Barrett, Wholesale Territory Manager QLD with Mike Ramsay from C & L Tool Centre, Hendra

Position Partners has announced that its construction product porfolio will now be distributed via a network of approved resellers – including general hardware stores throughout Australia – to improve accessibility for customers. 

The company offers a range of Topcon and PLS construction lasers and accessory measuring devices that cater for the building, interior fitout and plumbing trades. From now on lasers for building and consruction trades will be widely available in general hardware stores and specialty tool shops across the country, giving customers improved access to high quality equipment.

“Ten years ago lasers were highly specialised tools that required expertise and enhanced support,” said Ben Davis, Position Partners’ construction product manager.

“Nowadays, they are part of every tradesman’s tool kit, which means we needed to make them more accessible to customers.

“Now a customer will often find the latest Topcon and PLS laser tools available in their local hardware store.”

Before reseller distribution came into effect Position Partners – as the exclusive distributor for Topcon Positioning Systems and PLS – was selling laser equipment and measuring devices direct to the trades through a team of field sales representatives.

The company will now focus its sales teams towards the civil engineering and surveying industries for machine control and survey solutions and no longer make direct calls to tradesmen on job sites.

“It is a great win for the customer and a great opportunity for our resellers,” said Davis.

A customer can find their nearest reseller by calling 1300 96 LASER (1300 96 52737), while an interactive search function is coming soon to the company’s website.

“Position Partners is committed to supporting our resellers and growing the construction laser market to its full potential,” Davis said.

“We offer our resellers a full range of industry-leading tools that include Topcon and PLS construction lasers as well as measuring accessories such as Rotosure wheels and Yamayo tapes.”

O’Connor promoted to senior managing executive officer of Topcon Corporation

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LIVERMORE, Calif. – June 27, 2012 – Only two years after Topcon Corporation announced the promotion of Ray O’Connor to managing executive officer, the president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS), has been promoted to company senior managing executive officer.  He has also been named president of the newly formed Positioning Company division of Topcon Corporation.

In 2010 O’Connor became the first non-Japanese executive officer of the 80-year-old company.

 Ray O'Connor

O’Connor, based in Livermore, Calif., is also chairman of the board of Topcon Europe Positioning, as well as chairman of both Sokkia America Corporation and Sokkia Europe BV, and serves as direct adviser to Topcon President Norio Uchida.  He will continue to fill these present positions, as well as other positions within the corporation.

 
“For the past 10 years, Ray has been a creative and driving force in growing the Topcon positioning business not only in the United States but globally.  His adherence to sound business management practices, adoption of and putting into place ‘lean manufacturing’ operations through TPS, and his total understanding of the key markets in which we compete has proved invaluable to Topcon,” Uchida said.
 
“Ray is a total business professional who uses extraordinary sound business management skills combined with strategically aggressive initiatives to deliver, time and again, positive results even when confronted with market shortcomings.”
 
Uchida said, “Under his leadership, our positioning business in the Americas, Australia and Europe has dramatically exceeded our expectations.”
 
In addition to leading Topcon’s efforts in its core markets of construction, surveying and civil engineering, GIS and mobile mapping, O’Connor has also provided the guidance for Topcon’s growth into the global precision agricultural industry and its OEM expansion.
 
“I am grateful for the opportunities and confidence that the Topcon management and executive committee, and especially Mr. Uchida, have shown to me during the years.  I admire the progressive philosophy of the Topcon organization and it is an honor to serve among the highest levels of leaders, a responsibility that I take with greatest appreciation.
 
“But I am most proud in how our team has worked cohesively, tirelessly and aggressively to explore every opportunity for growth during the past years, and certainly during the worldwide recession.  The team members worked hard to increase our technology and market foundation for the future.”
 
O’Connor joined Topcon in 1993 as the North America sales manager for construction lasers.  By 1995, he had guided the company through the acquisition of Advance Grade Technologies and formed a separate division, Topcon Laser Systems.  In 2000, he led Topcon’s acquisition of JPS to bring Topcon the basis of its world-leading GPS technologies.  Then in 2001, he managed the formations of Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) that consolidated all of Topcon’s construction and survey business in the Americas.  In 2008, O’Connor contributed to the successful consolidation of Topcon and Sokkia Corporation in the market.
 
In 2002 he was promoted to president of TPS, and was appointed chairman of the board of Topcon Europe Positioning in 2005.  He was a Toshiba Corporation businessperson of the year in 2005, the first person of non-Japanese descent to receive the honor.
 
Currently, under O’Connor’s direction, TPS has more than 1,000 employees on five continents.  

Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.(TPS) designs and manufactures precise positioning products and solutions for the global surveying, construction, agriculture, civil engineering, mapping and GIS, asset management and mobile control markets.  TPS’ parent company, Topcon Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange  – 7732), was founded in 1932.

Topcon Voice of the Customer Survey

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Topcon has announced its 2012 Voice of the Customer Survey will be live until June 30th 2012.

Now is your chance to express your opinions regarding Topcon’s products and services.

By working together, by sharing information, and by soliciting and listening to the concerns and opinions of people who use Topcon products, the company can focus its attention on providing the absolute best products and applications in the marketplace.

Your opinion matters to Topcon, so please take a moment to tell them what you think!

Machine Control spreads its wings

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Traditionally 3D machine control systems have been used on a relatively narrow band of equipment types: graders, dozers and excavators (if “tradition” can be applied to a technology that’s only been around less than two decades).

But in the past few years, we’ve seen an accelerating trend to putting these systems on a wider range of equipment, as contractors and other end-users seek to extend the productivity, efficiency, materials saving and time-reduction benefits across their entire fleet.

Equipment that is now being successfully fitted with machine control technology includes:

  • Front-end loaders (both wheel and crawler)
  • Backhoe/loaders
  • Skidsteer loaders
  • Rollers and compactors (both soil and asphalt)
  • Pavers
  • Profilers and milling machines.

And as more and more equipment types are fitted with machine control, the day will surely come when an entire construction site is run by machine control-equipped plant, allowing unprecedented levels of project planning and jobsite communications.

Let’s start by looking at each of the above equipment types.

Loaders

Depending on the bucket set up, front-end loaders with machine control allow the option of a “bucket mode” and a “grading mode” (in the case of a loader with a 4:1 or multipurpose bucket).

In bucket mode, there are three sensors, one each on the arm and bucket area, plus one on the body of the machine.

This allows a precise location of the bucket tip when coming in to scoop a load of material, so the operator knows exactly where the bucket is and is not taking too much or too little off the ground.

It’s also possible to co-ordinate the machine control system with other technologies, so you can calculate how much is in the bucket and how much material you have moved.

This setup is ideal for applications where materials are spread using a loader before grading machines – dozers or graders – come in for the final trim.

Being able to spread material using the machine control system enables you to get a very even spread across the whole work area.

And where you have material being brought to a site and dumped from tippers, the loader can come in and take just the right amount each time, then spread it to a consistent depth just where it’s needed.

This is ideal where there’s a lot of material coming in at a regular speed from trucks, and where the productivity of the wheel loader is crucial to the operation.

Another application is in moving material from one stockpile to another on a job site, and where accuracy again is crucial.

Site management might need a certain volume of material taken from one place to another, so tying this in with a weighload system where the bucket can calculate the volume makes this a very useful capability.

Bear in mind, this is still very new technology and I don’t think we have realised the full potential of it on wheel loaders yet.

Markets such as China and India, where the wheel loader is the biggest seller by tenfold over any other machine type, will really drive innovative applications of this technology.

The other application for loaders – and this applies more for crawler machines or IT loaders, which typically are fitted with 4:1 buckets – is in “grading” mode.

By adding in a sensor on the rear “blade” of the 4:1 bucket, with the front of the bucket open and lifted up, you can then have it treated as any other blade, such as on a dozer or grader, and work to your cut or fill values.

Because you don’t have the ability to angle the blade, as you do on a dozer or grader, the slope can’t be automatically controlled; it will be an indicate-only system. In the future the market may drive the need for automated height control or load detection, but we’re not there yet.

But this will still allow an operator to have clear reference where the bucket is relative to the design grade or final grade or whatever they grading to at the time.

Backhoe/loaders

Backhoe/loaders allow the capability to put a front-end loader system (“bucket” and/or “grading” options) on the front of the machine, and an excavator system on the backhoe end.

This has already been done, and is out in the market right now. I haven’t seen it in Australia yet, but I have seen applications in Singapore and other parts of Asia as well as in the US.

Skidsteers

You may ask why you would put machine control technology on a machine where the system is worth almost as much as the machine itself.

But we have one customer in Australia who’s done just this – using our top-of-the-line 3D-MC2 system. They are seeing significant benefits in labour savings, having one machine able to do the work of several others, as well as faster working speeds and improved overall jobsite efficiency.

Using this technology on a skidsteer means you can bring grader-quality finish to very small, tight jobs, where the client is still demanding a high degree of accuracy.

That means you don’t have to bring in a lot of manual workers to spend a lot of time stringing and boxing out small, fiddly works such as footpaths and bicycle paths, and the like.

Rollers and compactors

Certainly we have seen high-speed soil compactors fitted with machine control technology over recent years, as this gives site managers the ability to ensure that large cut and fill or other earthworks areas are properly compacted with the required number of passes.

Compactors have massive potential in the construction industry.

Looking first at self-propelled single-drum rollers – padfoot or smooth-drum – over the past few years, I’ve done a lot of work with them in China on high-speed railway jobs, where they have literally hundreds of these machines on a project.

In Australia, it hasn’t taken off quite as quickly as it has in some other countries, but it is one of those second-tier machines, like a wheel loader, where there are a lot on a job site.

So if you want to get the most out of these machines – and they do use a lot of fuel – 3D GPS can really make a difference.

It can also help, because the nature of the compaction process means that sometimes you can overdo things, which can be just as bad as under-compaction.

A lot of the drive towards machine control in compaction equipment is geared toward increasing productivity with regard to optimising compaction time, while at the same time ensuring you have uniform compaction across your work area.

GPS and machine control allows you to map the path of the compactor and enable operators to see if they have been over the work area five, 10, 15 times, whatever is required by the site standard.

That means they won’t over-compact, and at the same time don’t have to keep in their mind the number of passes they’ve done.

With regard to asphalt rollers, manufacturers are now incorporating heat temperature sensors on the drum so that asphalt temperature is being recorded as it is being compacted.

You can combine that system with a 3D GPS system, allowing you to map the temperature of the mat as it’s laid down, along with the number of passes specified, giving a very precise record of the asphalt compaction process and any “cold spots” that may have occurred.

3D GPS-equipped asphalt rollers tie in very well with machine-controlled pavers, which is our next equipment type…

Pavers

Currently 3D paving is a highly under-utilised technology within Australia, especially considering how fast this technology has been adopted with motor graders, dozers and excavators.

Probably one of the reasons that paving has not adopted the technology so quickly is that the machine is a very sensitive beast.

It’s a little bit different to other equipment types in that there is a lot more going on with it, along with a lot more machine-specific controls.

Using a machine control system on a paver requires a lot of education and training – more than that required on other machine types – and the crew that runs the paver has to know their machine inside out.

But, in saying that, the results can be spectacular.

3D paving in general is a very application-specific or a job-specific application.

It is more often used in high-precision jobs, such as airports and concrete-treated base laying for high-speed highways and the like, so it is generally not a technology that can work on every job every day or month of the year.

However, for specific jobs, it is definitely a step up over traditional 2D methods that use contact sensors and/or sonic trackers with stringlines.

Jobs where it works well are those where you have to be spot-on with your vertical and horizontal accuracy.

In many jobs, paving contractors and their clients are more concerned about the vertical than the horizontal, but when you get into large jobs such as airports and highways, your horizontal precision, can be just as important as your vertical.

It is important to ensure you are using the same baseline, particularly when you are using machine control on say your grader or dozer doing your surface prep before the paver comes in.

You can undo a lot of good work done by your machine-controlled graders or dozers by not paving as accurately as you could be.

On the other hand, a 3D machine-controlled paver can also come in and tidy up where your base layer is not as accurate as it could be.

For example, there are systems available that allow you to place more asphalt in certain low areas on the base layer, so that when the asphalt roller does its work, it gets compacted uniformly to the correct final design specifications.

There is a lot of potential in 3D paving, and it can save significantly on fuel and materials, because you are using only what asphalt you need to.

Although the technology is very project-specific, the benefits for the right job have the potential to far outweigh the costs and associated training and preparation.

In a more specialised paving application, Topcon has recently released a 3D paving system for curb-and-guttering machines, and we will see its first use in Australia in Sydney shortly.

The customer sees the value it can add to their jobs and they are very keen to see it in action, especially when they are laying long curbs and channels, where they need high precision for both horizontal and vertical accuracy.

Profilers and milling machines

Profilers and milling machines have been using laser systems for years, but they are now really moving into 3D technology.

Particularly since the GFC there has been a lot of re-work – rather than new work – done in America and Europe.

Rather than building new roads, there is a lot of resurfacing happening, so 3D milling in conjunction with 3D paving has really been pushed into the market in recent years.

Bringing it all together

I think we are still some years away, but the time will come when every piece of earthmoving equipment on a project will have some form of GPS-based 3D machine control or indicate system.

Currently, there is a lot of forward planning by 3D/machine control system manufacturers to be there when that happens, although getting there will raise its own set of fresh challenges.

Once we see 3D machine control on all plant across a site, the focus will be on integrated systems, seamless communication and centralised design control.

New advances in telematics solutions such as Tokara are already seeing this come to market, with project managers, surveyors and machine operators able to communicate and send and receive design updates wirelessly and get up-to-the-second updates on all systems across the site.

Support is another challenge, which will be met with remote service capabilities that allow technicians to log onto a system remotely to diagnose, update software and change settings to reduce operator downtime. 

All manufacturers are doing a great job at trying to future-proof as much as possible with current technology and adoption levels. As demand for fully integrated systems increases, it could get to the stage where we are supplying full network infrastructure for a site throughout, say, the five years of the project.

But that is a matter for a future article.

JK Williams first adopter of Topcon 3D paver machine control

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NSW civil contractor JK Williams has recently purchased a new GOMACO Commander III slipform paver fitted with Topcon’s MillimeterGPS™ precision machine control system.

The US-built GOMACO Commander III can lay pavement up to 8 m wide, as well as carry out a wide range of kerb and gutter work, including Jersey kerbs, barriers and barrier kerbs up to 2.4 m high, standard kerb and gutter, rolled kerbs, kerb-only, in a wide range of profiles.

On a recent job the paver was laying around 1.5 km of kerb and 2 km of footpath for Penrith Council at Glenmore Park in Sydney’s Western Suburbs.

The company will also be using the system on a major dam construction project, incorporating a concrete wall around the dam, and through the middle.

It is the first use of Topcon mmGPS machine control on a Commander III in Australia, and among the first in the world, said Leigh Hartog, JK Williams’ managing director.

“To get this system working correctly, Topcon and GOMACO brought people out from America, as well as from Topcon’s global software centre in Brisbane; we had 11 guys here to set it all up and make sure it went properly,” he said.

“We’ve been with Topcon for 20 years, and we know we’ll get the service and support from their national dealers Position Partners.

“When we decided to buy this paver, we went to Topcon and they assured us the mmGPS system was the right one for us, and that they would get it working properly for us,” said Hartog.

Tim Lyle, JK Williams’ operator on the machine (pictured above) said that operating the whole system is very easy and straightforward.

“I’ve been driving the Commander III for approximately eight years now and we have always conventionally used the stringline method, which needs at least two people: an operator and a groundsman,” he said.

“With Topcon’s mmGPS 3D system, you can eliminate the groundsman and the surveyor, along with all the man-hours putting up the stringline.

“Now it is all controlled by the operator using mmGPS. So, as I drive along, I can constantly monitor where I sit in relation to the world and how I am going.


“When I start my day, it is quite easy and simple: I start by putting my tripods and mmGPS lasers onto control points and then set up my receivers onto the machine.

“Then it is just a matter of selecting what alignment I am doing, starting up the system and the machine doesn’t rest from then on.”

Lyle said that being a pioneering application, there were a few minor technical challenges in getting the Commander III working with mmGPS.

“Because Topcon had not fitted this system to many GOMACO Commander III machines before, the company’s software people had to amend the code that tells the machine what to do; because it’s running off an alignment, it’s not only controlling the height, it is controlling the steering of the machine.

“We also had a lot of training to get everybody on board, from knowing the specifics of setting site survey for the mmGPS, right to the end when I come in and slipform,” he said.

There were also some teething problems with the system when it first started.

“Initially, within certain spots of the alignment, it would start jumping up and down and not following what it was supposed to be doing, but with help from Position Partners and their support crew, we’ve been able to rectify these problems and overcome them,” he said.

“Now it is running at a beautiful speed and pace, and you don’t have to check what you are doing.

“I do, just for peace of mind, but otherwise it is a perfect operation,” said Lyle.

Free 30-day trial on new AllDayRTK CORS network

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Position Partners has launched AllDayRTK, a national network RTK solution across Australia providing flexible, subscription-based services for the surveying, GIS, civil construction, mining and precision farming industries.

AllDayRTK is a Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) network. “CORS networks offer a number of advantages over traditional base station operation, including reduced setup time, consistent accuracy regardless of distance from a reference station (within networked areas) and subscription-based access for greater payment flexibility,” said James Millner, Position Partners’ GNSS Infrastructure Manager.

“In setting up AllDayRTK, Position Partners is collaborating with privately operated and Government-run state networks, such as Victoria’s GPSnet.

“Because of this, we are able to provide a seamless solution for customers that crosses network borders to deliver accurate, reliable GNSS positioning with 20mm accuracy in network RTK areas.”

In addition, Position Partners has established an extensive network of its own CORS bases, to compliment existing infrastructure and deliver even greater coverage in regional and metropolitan areas around the country.

 “AllDayRTK is designed to be a complete service solution for anyone needing accurate GNSS positioning in their work,” said Millner.

“Rather than go through different providers depending on your location, AllDayRTK lets you work anywhere using the same subscription and manage one account instead of many.”

Position Partners has established an online AllDayRTK customer portal that allows users to manage their subscriptions online, download RINEX data and view detailed network information at the click of a mouse.

As part of the rollout of AllDayRTK, Position Partners is offering all new users a free 30-day trial so they can experience its benefits first hand.

“Our customer portal makes it very easy to just set up an account and start using the service within minutes,” said Millner.