Blog: Smart technology increases productivity
February 9, 2016
Destia, the Finnish infrastructure and construction company, has been utilising 3D machine control at its construction sites for several years. The company has been a major infrastructure trend-setter in Finland with a clear vision of the worksite of the future.
Destia has observed that machine control is part of a modern earthwork process and a key factor in increasing the productivity of this line of work. Destia has about 70 excavators that are equipped with Xsite® 3D machine control systems and are in use at various sites. “With the help of machine control, the work’s productivity increases due to a faster process, increased quality and savings in material costs. In addition, remarkable cost savings come from not having to stake-out the terrain. A single work phase can gain as much as a several dozen percent increase in productivity”, explains Destia Project Director, Pasi Nurminen.
“The machine operator won’t have to leave the cabin to check the grades and levels. Instead, he can concentrate on productive work”, states Nurminen. Excavator operator Olli Salomaa continues: “Previously you had to make a separate check of the elevation. Now all you have to do is look at the display. This makes the work considerably faster.”As the designers are often not located at the sites, a wireless data communications system is an essential requirement. “Three-dimensional project files are transferred wirelessly to the display”, says Nurminen, and adds: “The plans can be edited and corrected within a short timeframe, and the new models can be sent to the excavator on the fly.” The wireless data transmission also enables remote support. This enables a support person to log in to the customer’s system from the support premises, to provide, for example, practical assistance.
Excavator operators have been happy to embrace the new working methods. “I have been using a 3D machine control system for 18 months now, and I’m more than pleased with it. You can learn to use it in no time”, comments operator Kari Ketoja. “As I can work with the 3D models, I’m not dependent on surveyors and plans printed on paper. I can easily move from one task to another without having to waste my working time on waiting around”, adds Ketoja.