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Bespoke GKD system for suction excavator

Road Rail Plant, a plant engineering and maintenance provider based in Rochester, Kent and installer of GKD systems for the civil market, has fitted a ‘bespoke’ GKD 2RCI-based system to a suction excavator belonging to Force One Ltd.

RRP’s managing director Ross Hewer explained what makes this set up special, and how it increases safety. “This type of limiter had never been used for this purpose before and it had to be the GKD 2RCI as this system, as standard, can handle four separate boom angle sensors which were required for the four moving booms of the suction excavator arm. We mounted the touchscreen controller in a metal weatherproof box at the rear of the truck for ease of use while mounting the module/motion cut box closer to the main control panel of the suction excavator system at the front.

“We managed to use an angle encoder to monitor the left and right motion of the arm and the rest came down to integrating with the electronics of the suction excavator itself,” he continued. “We found a way to safely cut the remote-control signal to each valve on the suction arm and once calibrated this allowed the system to have not only height and slew limitations but a full ‘virtual wall’ capability. This means that you can physically set out a 360-degree pattern around and above the machine and no part of the arm will venture outside of those lines. We also installed the Road Rail Plant ZoneLight system on Force One’s suction excavator arm which along with an illuminated chevron panel supplied by InSpace Media.”

Road Rail Plant was established in 2017 and it wasn’t long before GKD approached the company to assist with installations, call outs and maintenance on civil plant machinery - initially for the 2RCi, which can provide load, height and slew control, and latterly the latest Height & Slew system from GKD – Sensorsafe. RRP is currently undergoing expansion and will soon have facilities at its main depot to install, set up and tip test GKD’s full range of 3RCI systems, specifically for rail.

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