Komatsu Australia has launched the PC210LCi-10 excavator, the company’s first excavator with fully integrated Intelligent Machine Control (iMC).
The PC210LCi-10 has an operating weight of just over 23 tonnes and is powered by a 123kW Komatsu SAA6D107E-2 diesel engine configured to US Tier 4 Interim emissions standards.
Komatsu’s iMC concept is designed to let operators focus on moving material efficiently, without having to worry about digging too deep or damaging the target surface.
The company says the system can deliver a more than 60 percent improvement in work efficiency when compared with conventional construction processes.
Komatsu says its iMC system differs from traditional machine guidance systems which still require extensive manual inputs and operator skill.
“With conventional excavator guidance systems, the final finish quality depends entirely on the skill of the operator,” Komatsu Australia national technology solution manager Aaron Marsh says.
“One of the biggest problems customers have had with these systems is speed and accuracy from sensor lag and 100 per cent operator inputs, so operators have had to constantly monitor the system to check they are on design, while also having grade checkers regularly confirming design surface accuracy.
“But with machine automation, Komatsu’s iMC excavator enables operators to achieve optimum speed to final grade accuracy with minimal operator inputs, while eliminating the need for manual grade checking.”
The system uses an array of integrated sensors placed across the machine in strategic locations. Built-in stroke sensing hydraulic cylinders on the boom, arm and bucket provide real-time bucket positioning data, tracking the location of the cutting edge of the bucket relative to the body of the machine and target surface.
Two GNSS antennas are positioned on the handrails behind the cab, with the GNSS UHF digital receiver inside the cab. All data from the sensors and antennas is then displayed on a 12.1-inch touchscreen controller.
As the excavator’s bucket edge approaches the target surface, the iMC system’s automated features take over.
Auto grade assist uses the boom to adjust bucket height automatically as the arm moves, minimising over-excavation. Auto stop control stops the machine during boom, arm or bucket operation once the bucket edge reaches the target surface.