Prolec, a developer of construction safety solutions, has combined two proven technologies – excavator hazard mitigation and machine control – to deliver precision digging without the risk of hitting surrounding obstacles, such as buildings or overhead cables.
The Prolec PME system features:
- A height limiter to prevent overhead collisions.
- A Rated Capacity Indicator (RCI) to ensure stability and prevent overload.
- A slew limiter to guard against fixed-hazard collisions.
- Virtual walls for enhanced protection from surrounding hazards.
- A 2D grade control system that combines safety and 2D on one screen, so operators can dig to plan without the risk of hitting a hazard.
Operators can use the system to establish a “safe working envelope” based on the machine’s position and location. When a height, reach or slew restriction is reached, the machine will immediately stop, protecting operators, other workers or pedestrians and infrastructure. This increases safety, enhances productivity and reduces excavation project costs, the company says.
The plug-and-play system uses existing hardware and does not require an antenna. If any incidents do occur, they can be reviewed in forensic detail via the data log.
Despite these benefits, Prolec says, the setup process for existing hazard-avoidance systems can be time-consuming because coordinates must be re-established every time a machine moves.
The company is currently collaborating with Trimble to create a 3D avoidance solution.
When integrated with 3D grade control, the Prolec PME system can:
- Map the site using existing techniques.
- Show the exact location of variable ceilings, walls and depth hazards to create flexible virtual walls in a “hazard reference model.”
- Ensure that any excavator equipped with the technology is operating within the designated safe working space no matter where it moves onsite.
- Add or remove hazards from the site map at any time and immediately transmit the information to each excavator onsite.
The 3D avoidance solution, integrated with Trimble Earthworks, is in beta testing across global markets. It was on display in a Kobelco excavator at the 2024 Trimble Dimensions user conference. To get a closer look at the technology integration in action, check out our video above.
“We define a surface using Trimble Business Center. That avoidance surface is transmitted from Trimble Earthworks into Prolec, and what we do is physically stop the machine from entering that surface,” explains Chris Mead, Product Manager at Prolec, a Kinshofer Group company. “We’ll control the hydraulic valves to stop the machine from moving before it hits that surface.”
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