MACHINE CONTROL
SMOOTHING IT OUT: TIPS TO GET THE MOST FROM MACHINE CONTROL ON DOZERS AND GRADERS BY LEE TOOP, EDITOR
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or contractors who go from moving large amounts of dirt to finishing grades on their job sites, precision is a must. Dozers and motor graders, with their broad blades and fine adjustment capability, are ideal tools for precision work – and the addition of machine control only makes that task easier to complete. The argument for machine control use on motor graders and dozers is a simple one: it adds efficiency and reduces overall cost in many ways. And, according to CASE Construction Equipment Product and Marketing Manager Jeremy Dulak, it is more and more an important part of any earthmoving contractor’s tool set. “Let’s be honest: there are very few earthmoving applications that won’t benefit from machine control in one way, shape, or form. And, as acceptance and options increase, the contractors you are bidding against on a regular basis may already be using it to streamline their operations, to make their bids more aggressive,” Dulak said.
LEVELS OF CONTROL DIFFER BASED ON NEED
Grade control systems generally offer the operator much of the same information and benefits on either a dozer or a grader, since they tend to perform much of the same function especially when it comes to final grading. As with other types of machines using these kinds of systems, the level of control can differ. Nathaniel Waldschmidt, CASE product manager, noted that the solutions can run the gamut from simple to complex. “Many of these solutions are guidance- or indicate-only solutions; this means that it is providing the operator with feedback on the screen in the cab that guides his or her actions. So, this solution still relies entirely on the input of the operator,” Waldschmidt pointed out. “It is simply letting them know where they are as it relates to their desired result and helps them dial in their work from there.” A step above the simple guidance indicators are automatic
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heavyequipmentguide.ca | JANUARY 2022
THE USE OF MACHINE CONTROL ON DOZERS AND GRADERS CAN IMPROVE ACCURACY AND REDUCE COSTS.
solutions, which truly incorporate the concept of machine control. In those cases, the system has the capacity to take over the hydraulics of machine and blade based on input data and models. It’s especially useful when it comes to working with 3D models, Waldschmidt noted. The difference between 2D guidance and 3D control solutions may seem to be a big jump in technology, but Product Manager Richie Snyder said that many of the components are similar, making it easy to shift from one to the other when necessary. A 2D system generally involves setting an external point of reference and inputting a slope that the operator needs to reach on the grade they are producing. Depending on the solution being used, the system may use indicate to have the operator provide input, or run automatically. Units may use one or two masts on a machine; Snyder noted that CASE’s SiteControl CoPilot system uses no masts, GPS, or lasers at all, instead relying on sensors to adjust the position of the blade, calculated from grade and slope specs input by the operator, and holds that grade as it works. Stepping up to 3D is where, Snyder said, “Things get really fun, and allow you to expand beyond working with just a slope or plane.” A pre-built model of the job site is input into the machine control solution, and the job becomes akin to a video game, Snyder said. “These systems can be indicate-only, but reach the full potential of machine control when they’re automatic,” he said. “You do need some additional geospatial technologies to make this work, such as a GPS or GNSS receiver, or universal total station. These systems still allow you to do plane and slope work, but really simplify those more complex curves and site plans.” Selecting the right version of machine control for a grader or dozer depends on the type of job, Waldschmidt said. A 2D system is great for simpler jobs – typically, working on a single
