Novatron Automates Construction Sites – 30 Years of Machine Control
February 12, 2021
Novatron has risen from a small manufacturer of excavator depth gauges to a competitor of multinational giants. According to this Finnish construction technology company, digitalization is changing information management on construction sites. Robotization will make it even easier to control work machines in the near future, even if the person is still in the cab.
There is a long way to go to a fully autonomous construction site, but the milestones are taking Novatron towards the goal. For example, all information on large construction sites, is currently transferred via cloud services and computers. These means were used, for example, in the Tampere tramway project. Environmental safety is the most critical thing in automated worksites: how to interact with machinery when people are moving in the same environment. Novatron’s founder and CEO Jukka Tervahauta believes that automation does not make people’s jobs useless.
– The advent of 3D machine control systems also once raised fears among surveyors about the unnecessary nature of their jobs. In reality, the nature of their work just changed. On the contrary, new technologies can create new job descriptions and professional titles.
The products developed by Novatron have permanently changed civil engineering and construction. In 30 years the family business has grown into a technology leader with more than 130 employees.
Global demand
Finland, among the other Nordic countries has been at the forefront of digitalization in the earthmoving sector. This has helped in bringing competitive products especially to Scandinavian markets. Novatron conducted the first tests for it’s 3D machine control in Norway, and close cooperation with Novatron’s partner, German MOBA AG has made international growth possible. The company also trains both current and future infrastructure professionals around the world.
– At one point we recognized that we did not have enough expertise about digital infrastructure processes, so we hired experts from the construction sites, to share the knowledge to our own organization. Around this, we began to develop educational services to our customers and partners as well. There is a high demand for training services on a digital construction even globally. In addition to product training, we train customers for digital processes, provide training packages for educational institutions, and develop the entire industry. Novatron’s success has been made together with customers, Tervahauta emphasizes.