Topcon’s new range of 3D GPS systems specifically designed for excavators, scrapers, compactors, loaders and dozer A new range of ‘indicate-only’ 3D GPS systems from Topcon offer greater flexibility for contractors to add machine control to all plant on the job. Topcon’s i-33 system for dozers, scrapers, compactors and loaders and X-63i system for excavators have been designed specifically for bulk earthworks. They combine state-of-the-art 3D positioning technology with a price point that is around $20,000 less than 3D GPS systems designed for high precision work such as grading. “Although 3D machine control for bulk earthwork machines has been available for some time, it was originally designed for higher tolerance work,” explained Harry Katsanevas, Business Manager of Machine
Queensland engineering firm RPMS Engineering specialises in project management, civil engineering and construction supervision services throughout Queensland and New South Wales. Recently, the company has adopted the latest in GNSS survey technology in order to extend its capabilities to regional councils by offering asset management and other surveying services. RPMS Senior Project Manager Ken Laughton explained that the equipment the company had been using previously had become dated and that the time to upgrade was overdue. He said that it was imperative that during their transition to their new Topcon HiPer V GNSS base and rover kit, that the company didn’t suffer much down time with their existing project work. “It was important that we chose a supplier
Australasian Construction specialises in all types of civil earthmoving and operates throughout the greater Adelaide region. They utilise an array of Topcon 2D and 3D machine control across their fleet and Director Simon Milutin (pictured above) says it is the backup support and service they receive from Aptella that makes all the difference. For large earthworks jobs, the company utilises Topcon 3D machine control to get 10mm tolerance levels across the project. “One of our current projects covers 350 hectares, 1.3 kilometres long by 200 metres wide with a 400 millimetre crossfall across the entire site,” Simon explained. “With Topcon GPS, we’ve been achieving 10 millimetre tolerance across the job, as verified by an independent surveyor.” Simple, accurate
Basic 3D machine guidance offering grade (cut/fill) for every, single machine? I can hear the salivation of positioning sales professionals around the world. The goal is ambitions but is it so far fetched? The benefits of 3D positioning and guidance is well documented yet adoption remains mostly in its’ infancy. This is especially true when considering all of the applications and all of the machines that are beneficiaries of the technology. So if the technology is such a differentiator positively impacting safety, accuracy and productivity, why then doesn’t every machine (or even half) have 3D machine guidance as standard equipment? Let’s discuss a few of the “challenges.” Warning! Steep (Learning) Curve Ahead There is the perception that setting up
Aptella was selected as the dealer of the year from the Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) region, which includes all Topcon positioning and machine control dealers in the Americas and Oceania. The award was presented at the Topcon Xperience event in Arizona in early November. In attendance from Aptella were CEO Martin Nix, Harry Katsanevas (Business Area Manager for Machine Control) and Joel Seddon (National Product Manager Machine Control). In addition to being announced as 2012-2013 Topcon International Dealer of the Year, Aptella also won a Top Three Dealer Award for Emerging Business and a Top Ten Dealer Award for Construction. Jamie Williamson, TPS Executive Vice President and General Manager, said that without a doubt, Aptella was one of
Aptella took home the ‘Technology Release of the Year’ award at this year’s Earthmover & Civil Contractor awards. The accolade was given to Aptella for its remote support and telematics solution, Tokara. “Tokara was developed specifically for Australian contractors,” said Tokara product manager Aaron Krenske. “We recognised our customers’ need to get fast, remote support wherever they are working and we engineered a solution to meet that demand. We are thrilled to win this award as it confirms we are doing the right thing by our customers.” Tokara Service enables instant remote support for 3D GPS machine control systems, allowing project managers or Aptella technicians to log on to the control box in the cab to format settings,
Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is used in many areas of our daily lives, from car navigation systems to smartphone location services. For the construction industry it benefits two key applications. It gives surveyors highly accurate positioning information for design and as-built reference points, while advanced GPS-based machine control systems provide accurate grade information to operators to complete earthmoving tasks quickly and accurately. If you ever feel that you can’t keep up with the constantly developing technology that surrounds us, don’t worry you are not alone: an interesting forecast predicts that the rate of technological change in the next 10 years could be equal to that of the last 100 years. Along with mobile Internet accessibility, genetic engineering
Based in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Hunter Bros Earthmovers is a third-generation family business that specialises in a range of earthmoving services including residential, commercial and civil projects. The company uses Topcon lasers to achieve the tight accuracy tolerances that are now required on a lot of jobs. “Nowadays, our clients are specifying higher accuracy requirements,” said Hunter Bros’ Managing Director, Scott Hunter. “We are often asked to achieve a plus or minus 5mm tolerance, so we use a range of Topcon laser and GPS equipment to ensure we meet those targets.” Hunter Bros uses the Topcon RL-SV2S dual grade laser for a number of applications, ranging from small plots such as tennis courts right up to
