Bryan Contractors' new Unicontrol3D system is fitted to a Volvo EC140E excavator equipped with a Steelwrist tiltrotator.
Operator Mark Anderson, running the machine on a civil engineering project near Dundee, is impressed with how much time and effort the Unicontrol3D system saves him. “You need to get an image in your head of what the site will look like and what the first task that you can undertake will be,” he said. “Normally, it’s taking everything down to grade, which the Unicontrol system makes so much easier.
“You’re checking your datum and heights just to make sure everything’s right, and you’re walking around with a laser for maybe half a day, but as soon as you turn the system on, you’ve got your datum and you’re away – it’s unbelievable how much time it saves.”
SMT GB product manager John Lawrence adds: “While there is no one solution to the challenges the construction industry currently faces, making use of a cost-effective and easy-to-use 3D machine control system will certainly alleviate some of the pressure that companies are facing.
“Unicontrol3D provides exactly what the industry has been looking for – a simple and user-friendly 3D machine control solution. Its adaptability is key to what makes a great product, with Unicontrol providing full support throughout the fleet, regardless of machine type or manufacturer.”
When asked about the set-up process of the system, Mark Anderson explains: “With John’s help, we went through the basics. For the first job, I was setting batons out and grading on the 2D system and used it throughout that job. Now we’ve got the 3D system, and it’s crazy how much time we’re saving.”
Unicontrol3D is designed to be retrofitted to machines and can be swapped around different machines within the fleet.
Customers using the Unicontrol system can digitally create an entire project, and assign specific machines fitted with Unicontrol3D from their fleet to the project. Additionally, Unicontrol also provides insight data from the machines working on the project and, if required, even allow for a customer to make adjustments to the project as it progresses.
Moreover, according to SMT, Unicontrol3D is the only system on the market that provides full support of the swing boom, helping to guarantee the best functionality and flexibility for smaller excavators. Unicontrol3D helps to save time and resources by delivering exact data for excavation, making machine control simple.
