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TTS Engineering, Inc. Invests in the Future by Adding Trimble Earthworks Machine Control Technology to Their LiuGong Equipment from Warrior Machinery
By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor / Photos provided by: Kerry Hoover, CMS, LLC and TTS Engineering, Inc.
TTS Engineering, Inc. has been relying on LiuGong heavy construction equipment for more than a decade. The company has developed a relationship with their distributor, Warrior Machinery, that has become a mutually beneficial business partnership. Tim Wilson is the Owner and President of TTS Engineering, Inc., and he recognizes the strategic importance of making the right equipment purchases and utilization decisions. “The decision to go with LiuGong and work almost exclusively with Warrior Machinery for our equipment needs is one of the best moves our company has ever made,” says Wilson. “After many years of service, our LiuGong equipment has been field-tested and proven to stand side by side with any of the other major brands. Beyond the exceptional quality and performance, we also enjoy the extraordinary service and support that we consistently receive from Warrior Machinery.”
Looking For A Solution To Operator And Workforce Challenges
Travis Nicholson is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at TTS Engineering, Inc., and one of the professional goals he has set for himself is to elevate the level of professional sophistication TTS can bring to their customers. Part of achieving this goal includes the strategic planning and procurement of heavy construction equipment and emerging technology. “Our LiuGong heavy equipment from Warrior Machinery has been a mainstay of our company’s success for many years. Our operators, laborers, and administrative personnel have also been instrumental in our growth and expansion. However, the retiring construction workforce has presented a challenge to our industry, and finding good new operators and laborers has become difficult, to say the least,” says Nicholson. “I have always been a believer and early adopter of emerging technology. If technology can help us solve a problem or issue, we are going to take a good hard look at it. For this reason, I began looking for a combined solution for the current challenges and turned to Steve Nadelman (President/CEO-Principal) at Warrior Machinery for his opinion and advice.”
Both Wilson and Nicholson met with Nadelman and presented him with a few questions, one of which was whether he felt that current technology is capable of assisting in filling the void created by the loss of veteran operators in the workforce. “Steve and I began talking about Trimble and the technology they had to offer for semi-automatic machine operation, 3D modeling, and other hardware and software solutions. We discussed utilizing just the Trimble base and rover systems and how we could start implementing that internally without any immediate consideration toward machine control. We also went over the cost and overall return on investment,” says Nicholson. “I really appreciate working for an owner who is willing to give the appropriate amount of consideration for a proposal of an investment of this size. Steve Nadelman made the introduction for Tim and I with Trimble and assisted in managing the relationship early on. Ultimately, we decided to go with the full Trimble Earthworks suite to include everything from the base, rover, automatics, 3D modeling, and all of the back-office software. We then had everything installed on our new LiuGong 922E excavator and began looking for an appropriate project to begin our proof of concept out in the field.”
Choosing Vermont Logistics Project In Torrance For Proof Of Concept Of Trimble Earthworks Platform
TTS Engineering, Inc. began working for Del Amo Construction on the Vermont Logistics project in Torrance in October 2023 and will have their work completed by the end of April 2024. Robert Schubert and Kyle Wagner are both project managers for TTS Engineering, and they are responsible for overseeing the progress on the project in Torrance. “We are installing the onsite storm drain system on the Vermont Logistics project as a subcontractor to Del Amo Construction. Our $1.4 million contract includes the installation of 850 linear feet of 12-inch to 21inch HDPE storm drain, 650 feet of 6-inch SDR 35 onsite sewer pipe, and 800 feet of 1-inch to 1 ½-inch schedule 40 PVC onsite and offsite water line. We are also installing a catch basin and a large detention system onsite,” says Schubert. “We purchased the Trimble Earthworks platform several months ago and went through the training process. We chose this project to invest the time in building the 3D model to collect a good proof of concept of maintainable production rates.”
According to Kyle Wagner, TTS Engineering, Inc. purchased a new LiuGong 922E 51,522 lb. excavator from Warrior Machinery a few months back, and this is the machine that was outfitted with the Trimble Earthworks for Excavators Grade Control Platform. “Rob (Schubert) built a 3D model after getting the CAD from the designer, and we uploaded it to our LiuGong 922E. This LiuGong machine is now digging off of the model with exact elevations where conventionally we would require a surveyor onsite, and that is no longer needed. Without this system, an operator might dig a trench two inches too deep, and that would require more rock fill material. By having the exact elevations programmed into the system, it is not only more efficient with operator time, but also saves on material costs,” says Wagner. “Clearly, there is nothing like a seasoned operator with 30 or 40 years of experience, but with this Trimble Earthworks system, we can hire an operator with two years’ experience and deliver the same quantity and quality of work. Now our operators can be on the same level, which is so important with the operator and labor shortages and retiring workforce. This technology really helps to level the playing field out here on the jobsite.”
Schubert points out that as a project manager, he can see exactly what the production was for the day without having to visit the jobsite. “We utilize the cloudbased Trimble WorksManager software for the automatic data transferring and to share all of the information with the contractor, owners, and other stakeholders. This information can be sent directly from the tablet or the rover, and I can log directly into the Trimble website to see what the operators have on their screen in real-time,” says Schubert. “Another important facet of this system is that we are as-built on the job as we go. As an example, we ran into a construction conflict with a 24-inch RCP pipe on the project and were able to as-built that pipe and forward precise location and elevation to the engineer in real time. This information just goes
right back into the model design and makes the necessary grade, depth, and other changes. Traditionally, we would stop our work and put a laser on the ground, but with the Trimble system, it is just integrating without any additional plans or modeling. Just push a button and say, “export to CAD file” and it then sends it back to the engineer.”
The Future Of Heavy Equipment Technology
Nicholson says that he envisions that within the next few years, the entire TTS Engineering LiuGong fleet will be Trimble-enabled machines. “This is the future of heavy construction equipment operations, and the payback is in the benefits we will receive from being able to do more in less time with real, dig, dump, and return automated technology. Additionally, we will save money and resources if we unintentionally over excavate too deep or too wide, and by not having to rely on surveyors and grade checkers because the technology does that for you,” says Nicholson. “Additional payback will come from another function of the EarthWorks system, the Trimble WeighMaster system. So, as we are doing dirt loading and export operations, we can accurately weigh every bucket of dirt that we load into the trucks. When you are exporting thousands of yards of dirt, you need to document it properly or risk losing $50,000 to $60,000 pretty quickly. This is all part of the Earthworks suite and provides us with daily tickets of export, uploaded into our model.”
Putting together some sort of automated equipment technology program has been an ongoing goal of Travis Nicholson’s for many years. “I hope that helping to bring TTS Engineering into this field of emerging technology will be my legacy one day. None of this would be possible, of course, without the willingness and foresight of our owner, Tim Wilson. I also want to thank and recognize Steve Nadelman who has been there for us time and time again as a true partner in our ongoing enterprise. I have to tell you that the support and service we have received from Warrior Machinery has been second to none. I have not seen that level of service and engagement from any other distributor that I have worked with over these many years. We look forward to our ongoing relationship with Warrior Machinery, LiuGong, and Trimble as we fully embrace what the future has to bring to this wonderful business of ours.” For more information on TTS Engineering, Inc., please visit www.ttsengineering.net or call their Stanton, CA headquarters at (714) 840-6346. Cc
