by Nick Drew | Tue 28 Jan 2020
Komatsu on top of the game with Topcon
The Redditch based dealer recently held a demo day at the Midland Plant Training and Testing Academy in Brownhills, where visitors could get “hands on” with a Komatsu PC138US-11 excavator fitted with Topcon’s X-53x system and experience the benefits that 3D GPS and machine control guidance systems can offer the end users.
Such systems really are shaping up to be the must have addition to a machine these days, as we appear to have moved on from just wanting a tiltrotator, which were the buzz word must have attachment for the past few years and now with the so called “Play Station” generation of operators coming through, machine control and all the wizardry that goes with it is coming on in a big way.
Topcon’s X-53x system can take control of the excavator’s boom to precisely guide the bucket edge depth to the grade design. The operator simply pulls back on the joystick and the system automatically controls the depth and shape of the grade cut.
According to the manufacturer the benefits of this system are that the operator can dig exactly to design grade, tackle complex designs with ease, eliminate over digging and reduce rework, experience less fatigue, achieve greater accuracy and productivity for skilled operators, and provide a shortened learning curve for novice operators.
In this video Peter Haddock of Content with Media and my Earthmovers Magazine colleague explains more.