Excavator Technology Trends by VOLVO CE Setting New Standards
Grading and excavating are the primary functions of an excavator and both these activities are critical towards just about any given project as they involve the preparation of land for projects to commence. Ryan Neal who is currently a product application specialist with caterpillar declares that the latest innovation in the form of the 2D grade control system that are a component of most new excavator models by Caterpillar has been a a game changer for the industry.
The preparation of land using excavators could range from flattening land, smoothing the surface of excavated areas or creating slopes to land mass to certain degrees for foundations to be laid. The task to prepare land for construction and other activities to kick-off take up a considerable amount of time and completing this process quickly and efficiently has a positive impact on the bottom line. According to Neal, operators are now able to eliminate guess work grading by simply selecting the targeted depth and degree of slope on the system and the on-board processors using sensors will provide guidance in real-time on the grade distance.
Compared to the conventional methods where operators have to move in and out of cabs in order to set stakes and lasers in half which consumes a lot of time and reduces the operator’s productivity potential significantly. The interest related to grade assist systems such as the 2D system started growing two years ago indicated Matthew McLean who is Volvo CE’s product manager which was an innovation that stemmed from the general desire of contractors who wished to enhance bottom line results by saving time wherever they were able to.
The system eventually bridged the gap between experienced and inexperienced excavator operators which had become an industry challenge. Newer operators may not be as fast as older and more experienced operators, but with the 2D grade assist system the experience gap is lessened considerably note Mclean.
Other new features based entirely on the latest technologies include the Cat Grade Assist which in essence is actually a ‘spin off’ from the 2D Grade Assist System indicated Ryan Neal this automating system basically revolves around the actions of the boom and stick movement. The system allows the operator to be far more accurate with his or her cuts, without much effort. The system is based on the position of sensors on the machine which in turn is based on the defined depth and slope parameters set by the operator who only has to activate the digging with a single lever.
According to Mclean, the system which is referred to as Active Control is a standard feature on the EC models the 220E, R235E, 250E, 300E, and R355E. This is possible because of the fact that Volvo has actually gone “electric over hydraulic” in the last few years which allows joysticks to communicate directly to the on-board computers that control the valves and pumps of the machine. Digging accurately has never been easier so much so even new operators from excavator hire rental services would be able to dig almost as well as experienced operators.
Active Control has set a bench mark given the fact that over digging issues have been entirely eliminated when this system is at hand. The system could also be configured in such a way that even the bucket angle can be controlled (even tiltrotator can be controlled with the system). The system has been tested and proven to be exceeding effective based on the feedback that has been received thus from operators.
