{"id":54866,"date":"2020-04-22T12:38:29","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T02:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.positionpartners.com.au\/?p=54866"},"modified":"2024-03-20T12:16:19","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T01:16:19","slug":"dial-in-your-height-and-dig-with-idig-2d-excavator-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aptella.com\/asia\/case-asia\/dial-in-your-height-and-dig-with-idig-2d-excavator-control\/","title":{"rendered":"Dial in your height and dig with iDig 2D excavator control"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contractors dig to height with iDig 2D excavator grade control<\/h3>\n

Two New Zealand contractors share their experience with the latest iDig 2D excavator <\/a>grade control technology.<\/p>\n

Ireland Earthmovers, based in Matamata in New Zealand\u2019s North Island, specialises in a wide range of earthmoving work including small civil jobs, site clearance, building, drainage and agricultural projects.<\/p>\n

Owners Ricky and Jenn Ireland (pictured above) have one 6.5-tonne and two 13-tonne Hitachi excavators and the company recently invested in an iDig 2D excavator grade control<\/a> system that they saw recommended online.<\/p>\n

\"\"Between a laser and a full-scale 3D grade control system<\/h3>\n

\u201cI was interested in a cost-effective machine guidance<\/a> option that was more advanced than a laser receiver on the dipper, without being a full-scale 3D system that is better suited to large scale civil sites,\u201d Ricky said.<\/p>\n

iDig 2D excavator grade control provides an ideal solution because it gives real time depth, distance and slope information to the operator to enable accurate excavation to the required height.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the jobs we do, there\u2019s no engineered 3D design that you need for more advanced machine control systems to work. We have the reduced level and the batter ratio, as required, so I needed a system that could suit the type of work we do,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Since implementing the iDig system<\/a>, Ricky has been impressed with how versatile it is and loves the fact it can be swapped between machines to get even better returns on it. Each of the excavators is fitted with the sensors and cabling, so the system can quickly be switched out and moved around as needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can do everything with this system including batters, level sites, depths, falls, culvits and water troughs or tanks on farms,\u201d he added. \u201cRecently we\u2019ve been doing a lot of farm work digging ponds and troughs \u2013 water doesn\u2019t lie and you can see how accurate the system is by the results we\u2019ve been delivering to customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ricky says another key benefit is reducing the hassle of setting up a laser. \u201cParticularly for jobs like a pond where you\u2019d have to set up the laser in different stages of the project and keep changing your reference, iDig really comes into its own as you consistently get within 10mm without having to re-set or find a laser reading,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Getting it right the first time with the iDig 2D excavator system<\/h3>\n

Reducing guesswork and rework through an accurate grade control system has also been vital. \u201ciDig helps with everything from pricing out a job to proving our results \u2013 we find now that there are no discrepancies with the engineer because the system also works as a record keeping tool,\u201d Ricky said.<\/p>\n

Before working with the iDig 2D digger system<\/a>, the company like many earthmoving contractors, would use methods such as lasers and batter boards to get to grade, but there was still room for error. \u201cIf you make a slight error on the batter you can be a metre out overall, which all comes out of your back pocket,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt comes down to accuracy and speed \u2013 if you don\u2019t have the accuracy, you have to re-work to correct the error and that adds to the time, let alone the materials. It all hits your bottom line.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local service and support<\/h3>\n

Ireland Excavations bought the iDig 2D excavator grade control system from Aptella, the distributor for New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia. Having local support and training helped to get everyone comfortable with using the system.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe team at Aptella has been great \u2013 we\u2019re a pretty technologically disadvantaged bunch and they can help us out with everything either on the phone or coming out to see us, even with more unusual things,\u201d Ricky said. \u201cFor example, we\u2019ve been doing some tree clearance and we had issues with the sensors getting knocked with branches, so the Aptella team figured out a way to reinforce the mounts and protect the sensors so we could keep working,\u201d<\/p>\n

Ricky\u2019s advice to other contractors thinking about getting machine control? \u201cI think you have to be open to technology \u2013 it\u2019ll get to a stage where you won\u2019t win work unless you have it so it\u2019s better to get on board and embrace what it can do,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re looking to get a second system because the one we have is in hot demand!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Mike Powrie, owner of Northern Excavations that services the Rodney and North Auckland area, reports a similar story. Specialising in residential house builds, the company has six excavators and three that are fitted up to use the iDig system.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put the system on as a trial and never took it off, it\u2019s great to have one product for multiple machines so we can use the bigger machines initially for bulk earthworks and then bring on our five-tonner using the same grade control setup,\u201d Mike said.<\/p>\n

Northern Excavations has the iDig setup<\/a> for its 14-tonne Kobelco digger, as well as an eight-tonne and a 5-tonne Yanmar.<\/p>\n

Mike explains that it is an ideal machine control system for excavators on the jobs they specialise in. \u201cIt fits the work we do perfectly and I find you get a lot of technology for the cost,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Using labour more efficiently has been a great benefit to the company. \u201cIt\u2019s not efficient having someone on the ground checking heights all day when you could put that person to more valuable work,\u201d Mike explains. \u201ciDig took a man off the ground straight away as the operator has continuous grade checks straight to the cab so we can use our labour more productively.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to labour savings from grade checkers, Mike said that iDig 2D excavator grade control<\/a> also makes his operators more productive. \u201cIt takes away the guesswork and means you never over cut, so you can work faster,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really simple solution from a user\u2019s point of view, you just dial in your height and dig,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Contractors dig to height with iDig 2D excavator grade control Two New Zealand contractors share their experience with the latest iDig 2D excavator grade control technology. Ireland Earthmovers, based in Matamata in New Zealand\u2019s North Island, specialises in a wide range of earthmoving work including small civil jobs, site clearance, building, drainage and agricultural projects. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":54777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1790,1791],"tags":[1771,935],"class_list":["post-54866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-case-asia","category-feature-case-asia-2","tag-nz-asia","tag-sea"],"acf":[],"youtube_video":null,"yoast_head":"\nDial in your height and dig with iDig 2D excavator control<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"iDig is a 2D excavator control system for contractors available in Asia from Aptella. 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