Unicontrol Offers Cost-Effective Machine Control for Earthmoving Equipment

Operator calibrates a machine control system
Operators can upload the digital design into the Unicontrol3D guidance system to provide a display of dig progress.
Unicontrol

Unicontrol, a Denmark-based manufacturer of 3D machine guidance and remote diagnostics platforms, is making its lower-cost machine control system for excavators, wheel loaders and backhoes available to construction contractors in the U.S.

The company says the intuitive, easy-to-implement system is roughly half the cost of systems currently sold in the U.S.

Developed in cooperation with  Danish contractors, Unicontrol's simplified user experience doesn’t require pre-existing technical knowledge. It will take an operator about 30 minutes to learn the system and get digging.

The machine control system features an Android tablet with a customizable interface, fast-tracking sensors, a dual GNSS box and antennas, and a 4G WiFi router. The Unicontrol Cloud allows users to upload design files, share projects between teams and download logged points. Engcon, Steelwrist, Rototilt and SMP tiltrotators are supported by the system.

General functions include:

  • Operate according to design files
  • Background files
  • XML and DXF file formats
  • Point codes
  • User-defined job types
  • User-defined lines and points
  • Possibility for 2D without GPS
  • Screen sharing for remote assistance
  • Bucket calibration

“Companies face tighter cost controls and escalating supply-chain pressures and seek to get more from their technology. Our products are ready to ship now to meet immediate needs,” says Ehsan Ekhlas, co-founder and CCO. 

“The construction market is faced with many challenges. Making a cost-effective, easy-to-use 3D machine guidance system available to construction companies alleviates some of that pressure. Developed in collaboration with machine developers, our system ensures ease-of-use and delivers features most important to users,” adds Rich Hilliker, managing director, North America.

In addition to developing a system with an increasingly fast learning curve for operators, Unicontrol has acknowledged that contractors sometimes need specific, configurable features, unique to their operation or region.