As the title to the thread reads - http://www.equipmentworld.com/komat...ith-fully-automatic-integrated-blade-control/ Interesting roll-out of new technology, although I am not sure what I think about it. The technology is interesting in what the dozer can do and communicate about the progress on the site, which is an aspect that is very valuable on the contract/billing side of the office. When this dozer gets a couple of years and a couple 1,000 hours on it, how well are those electronics going to hold up? With all the automation being installed in yellow iron, the skilled operator is needed less and less - they even tout that in most of the advertisements but it seems to me we are trading skilled operators for the skilled technicians in order to keep these new electrical behemoths running..:cool2 Thoughts?
Yair . . . Gotcha CM1995 . Interesting technology for sure, but looking at it from the point of view of single machine working in remote areas I believe it would be a nightmare. I know I beat the same old drum but there is nothing simpler and more productive over twenty thousand hours than the Cat/Komatsu three speed powershift. There are thousands of machines 30 years and older still paying their way on Stations an in the hands of rural contractors. I venture to say few of the present era's machines will be going in thirty years. In addition I believe it simpler to train operators than technicians . . . an interested sixteen year old schoolgirl/schoolboy can be taught slot dozing in a week and become a competent all rounder within six months. The key is they must be interested and want to learn. Cheers
I agree, how many jobs do us small guys have that we basically do the engineering? I can see where this technology would work great on a large job with multiple CAD files and a rigid design. However, this dozers technology would be lost on the customer who wants a 2 acre pond built on his property or the customer who is building a house on 4 acres who wants a driveway and basement cut out. What I see is the grading industry being spit into two divisions - one with high tech digital worksites and one with old school operators who can take a piece of land and turn it into what the customer wants.:cool2 I think that is the biggest problem our industry faces..
Gentlemen, This is only a step to removing operators from the seat completely. A Sat photo is loaded into a central server with all the elevations and dimensions. A finished layout is over laid onto the photo and the calculations are all done automatically in milliseconds. All the costs are figured, time lines set, supplies allocated, and people cleared from the site. Equipment is brought in on commencement day and it starts working, stopping only for consumables. The iron works relentlessly light or dark, it doesn't need light at all. It doesn't need breaks or to stop for lunch. There is no quitting time. The grade levels will be perfect. Fuel will be burned to move the dirt at the exact best production without worry over operator competence. There will be no union gripes, no safety committee, no industrial insurance, no grade checkers or any other human hands on site until the equipment is moved on to the next project. To put it in short order, the day that operators are gone is in sight and on the horizon probably in what is left of my life time. Automation is king, long live the king!
Yair . . . John C. . Maybe . . . but as CM1995 has mentioned it is never going to happen apart from on big jobs . . . and even then throw a couple of stumps or guleys into the mix and those little jiggers will end up with scrambled brains. There is no doubt automation will improve but I think there will always be a need for butts on seats. Cheers.
And ten years later the tattered remnants of humanity are being hunted down by digger/killer teams of smart machines bent on wiping out all life. Seriously, these things will be cool when new, a nightmare when they get a few hours on them.
We have done several mine reclamations in what is now dense forest. Even with the use of Lydar and all the satellite technology the engineers cannot get acurate elevations in order to design the project and have the material balance. The cost of surveying using total stations is prohibitive due to the density of the forest and undergrowth, and thus the opportunity for a contractor who has the ability to visualize the desired finish product and make things fit still exists (thank goodness or we would be out of work). As you mentioned CM, there is a substantial design cost involved in order to have the ability to provide machines with enough data to run on automatics, and for the forseeable future there will be a break point where the scope of a project does not warrant the design expense. It would be handy to have the GPS for no other purpose than to display the elevation, slope, etc., basically reducing the amount of grade checking required. I am sure that is now available but I have not had the opportunity to use it yet. Hopefully this niche in the market will remain, at least until I can no longer pull my but into the seat of a dozer!
yeah, certainly true in NZ, is ALOT of forestry roading and construction going on here on 1st rotation forests. Is only 'x' amount of dollars for logs and the roading, harvesting,transport contractors all have to make a profit; plus of course landowner ! So is no chance of that replacing a skilled man in the seat. We know where the landing and then road has to go and 'make it up' as we go along; with all the associated tracking, clearing, benching filling etc. Not to mention the stumps you find at every turn ! Certainly interesting work, and can,t see any replacement for a 'mind and eye', not in my lifetime !! And end result is it has to work; or might be your last job !
You're real name isn't John Conner is it?:tong Exactly, there are many projects out there that won't fit a nice digital model with every detail programmed. The company's and operators that have the skill to "see grade" from seat are in demand and will only get more valuable as this technology advances IMO. Looking into my crystal ball, this is how I see it happening - This technology will only continue to evolve and automation will find it's way even into the smallest of machines. The large projects will be dominated by this technology and only have warm butts operating machines, not ever really being taught how to grade. This will create a demand for the traditional operator that knows how to see grade and take a parcel of land and create the desired result for projects that aren't conducive to GPS and 3D models. As time progresses, the price and time involved in this technology will shrink, thus making it more common place. The more "traditional" contractors will be able to introduce GPS, modeling, etc into their workforce for projects that are currently cost prohibitive to use this technology. I think this will take 5-10 years to come to fruition as the technology evolves in user easiness and cost. Digital scanning of existing sites and the ability to make your own model on the fly will lead this technology. The sweet spot for the ones that can see grade is the time between now and when this happens - IE there will be good money to be made by the guys that know how to get the job done without electronics. Agree 100%. I wish we had a stronger logging industry in my area, I would love to pioneer roads in the woods - no grade stakes, engineers, geo-techs or nosey public. Just a job to do and diesel to burn.
Oh its good mate No bull about osh [well its there sort off but nothing like someplaces] summertime I can wander around in singlet and shorts, and even barefoot on occasions. D7H and a 30 ton digger make a sweet combo
I am jealous!