Tag: machine control: Page 4

Construction Equipment

John Deere unveils 700K SmartGrade dozer, integrating Topcon system with machine refinements to accelerate operator productivity

“One of the biggest challenges our customers tell us they have is finding skilled labor,” says Liz Quinn, product marketing manager, John Deere Worksite. “With the baby boomers retiring out of the workforce, getting these brand new guys up and running the way that their predecessors did is a challenge.” The way Deere is meeting […]

February 8, 2016

Technology

Away with the masts, Topcon’s new 3D-MC Max GNSS blade control boosts speed, precision and accuracy

Automated blade control using GNSS signals has been the most revolutionary earthmoving technology of the last decade and now it seems the technology is entering a second phase of refinement and improvement. Case in point is Topcon’s new 3D-MC Max dozer machine control system, introduced this week at World of Concrete. Rather than use a […]

February 5, 2016

Technology

AI, robotics expected to claim nearly 500,000 construction jobs by 2020

An estimated 5.1 million jobs are expected to be lost in the next five years due to advances in technology, specifically those in artificial intelligence, machine-learning, 3D printing and robotics, according to a report from the World Economic Forum. Of those job losses, construction and extraction are anticipated to account for nearly 10 percent. The […]

January 25, 2016

Equipment Experts

Caterpillar brings semi-auto Grade with Assist control to 323F L excavator; grading 45% faster

Cat has added a semi-autonomous grade assist system option on top of its indicate-only Grade system on the 323F L excavator, a model introduced last year. What Cat calls Grade with Assist is available both factory-installed and as a dealer-installed update for 323F machines now in the field. Cat says the system enables operators—no matter […]

November 17, 2015

Construction Equipment

Caterpillar brings semi-auto Grade with Assist control to 323F L excavator; grading 45% faster

Cat has added a semi-autonomous grade assist system option on top of its indicate-only Grade system on the 323F L excavator, a model introduced last year. What Cat calls Grade with Assist is available both factory-installed and as a dealer-installed update for 323F machines now in the field. Cat says the system enables operators—no matter […]

November 17, 2015

Construction Equipment

Bobcat unveils Trimble 3D grade control for M-Series, a first for compact loaders

In big earthmoving jobs 3D GPS machine control on dozers and motor graders has proven its worth. Now Bobcat is bringing that same precision and performance to the compact end of the equipment scale with its new 3D grade control system. The company announced last week it is adding the option of using a Trimble […]

October 20, 2015

Technology

Komatsu unveils D65PXi-18 semi-automatic dozer, expanding intelligent machine lineup to 7

Komatsu has added yet another dozer to its lineup of machines equipped with intelligent Machine Control, the company’s semi-automatic earthmoving tech. Situated between its largest iMC dozer, the recently-unveiled D155AXi-8, and the D61i-23, the company has unveiled the D65PXi-18. The long track, low-ground-pressure machine is powered by a 217-horsepower Komatsu SAA6D114E-6 Tier 4 Final engine. The engine […]

May 27, 2015

Construction Equipment

Komatsu reveals intelligent, hybrid machine sales figures at Intermat, says more on the way

Komatsu’s intelligent machine initiative, now well into its second year, was top of mind during at Intermat presentation from Komatsu Europe executives at Intermat today. The company also reported on its hybrid excavator population, and the fuel savings realized from the machines it first introduced five years ago. The company now has six intelligent dozer […]

April 21, 2015

Equipment Experts

TEST DRIVE: Caterpillar’s low-tech, K2 dozer automation allows GPS-like machine control without the price tag (PHOTOS)

[imagebrowser id=235] A theme I hear from contractors these days is that more than ever, they are using dozers to do finish grade passes. Motor graders can do this too, but a motor grader is a one-job machine. A dozer can also hog out mountains of dirt, pile up brush and material, push out stumps, […]

April 16, 2015

Technology

TEST DRIVE: Caterpillar’s low-tech, K2 dozer automation allows GPS-like machine control without the price tag (PHOTOS)

[imagebrowser id=235] A theme I hear from contractors these days is that more than ever, they are using dozers to do finish grade passes. Motor graders can do this too, but a motor grader is a one-job machine. A dozer can also hog out mountains of dirt, pile up brush and material, push out stumps, […]

April 16, 2015

Technology

PHOTOS: A tour of Trimble’s connected jobsite: Network of dozers, workers and the office removes chaos from construction

[imagebrowser id=142] When Trimble president and CEO Steve Berglund opened the company’s 2014 Dimensions user conference Monday, he mentioned how, from a technology standpoint, not much has changed for the company over the last several years. On a slide he showed three categories the company offers solutions for: 1) Modeling, analytics and decisions support; 2) […]

November 6, 2014

Equipment Experts

DOZERS REDEFINED: How electronics and machine control made mid-size dozers smarter

There’s a direct correlation between power and fuel consumption; more power requires more fuel. Higher injection pressures, careful design of the piston and combustion chamber, turbocharging and other mechanical ploys improve combustion efficiency and help ensure maximum power is extracted from each unit of fuel, but they don’t change the fundamentals. More power still requires […]

July 1, 2014