Komatsu is resetting the playing field with its new PC220LCi-12 excavator – giving each operator the ability to customise the machine controls to suit their skills and style of working
At Komatsu’s Boots On showcase event in May the star of the show was the 24.5-tonne PC220LCi-12 excavator, sporting the next generation of intelligent machine control.
The first units of the new model arrived at the end of October and are now making their way to customers, but the dash 12 has already been generating interest with the Boots On display unit travelling around Australia for customer demos.
“The machine is a gamechanger. We’re pretty much redefining what the standard is for excavators for the future,” Komatsu national business manager – construction excavators and mobile crushers Mark Boyes says.
“We put a GoPro inside the demo unit’s cab to record customer reactions and it’s been interesting to watch their faces as they experience the performance of the excavator, how comfortable it is, how quick it is to operate and the configurability.
“It still has the traditional Komatsu quality touch and feel, but with a lot more modern technology to support the modern operator.
“It’s been well received, and a lot of customers are seeing a lot of leverage that they can put into market, especially when we talk about some slightly higher risk work in and around obstructions, bridges, buildings, etc, whereby the technology will allow them to operate a little bit safer.”
Complete revamp
There’s been a full top-to-track revamp of the dash 11 model, covering everything from cab size to customisation of controls, a new hydraulic system, repositioning of cab features and the latest generation of Komatsu’s intelligent machine control system.
The PC220LCi comes with a 129kW (172hp) engine and a bucket capacity of 0.5 to 0.93 cubic metres. A Productivity mode boosts productivity by 18 per cent compared with the PC210LC-11, while maintenance costs have been decreased by 20 per cent.
Boyes says the redesign was driven by ‘the voice of the customer’ – with requests for a more modern cab and greater functionality driving the changes.
“We looked at configurability not just for the cab, but also for our new hydraulics, which allows us to set the machine up for individual operators,” he says.
“This means we can now link the setup and configuration of the machine to an operator ID. This means they can set priorities, the speed of individual work equipment and also the responsiveness of the sticks to effectively suit their style.
“Some operators may want to have the dipper arm or the bucket be fast and the boom to be slow, for example, so we can configure individual work equipment movements to their skill set, but also application. In final trim work, we want it to be smooth, so we can tune the machine to do that.
“As it’s tied to the operator ID, this means operators aren’t having to reconfigure the machine every time they get in the cab. And this isn’t just for machine performance – they can also configure the buttons on the joysticks with a whole host of features.”
The cab is larger than the dash 11, with 30 per cent more leg room and 50 per cent more visibility. Boyes says the latter has been achieved by having more glass and repositioning the machine monitor screen from the corner of the cab to the seat.
“One big advantage of that is that all of the machine telemetry information is now within reach of the operator on the seat,” Boyes says.
“Regardless of their seating position, they can see engine hours, depth, fuel levels, machine health and hydraulic temperatures. They also get the KomVision there. So the first reaction coming in is not only is the cab ingress a lot bigger, you’ve got a lot more visibility inside the cab.”
iMC 3.0
The iMC 3.0 system brings new features to the market, such as 3D boundary control, tiltrotator integration and control, auto swing, swing-to-line, travel-along-line and an advanced payload meter.
The 3D boundary control improves operator safety by preventing the boom, arm or bucket from moving outside of a set boundary, to protect structures such as overhead wiring or buildings.
iMC 3.0 also includes auto-stop control, which stops the bucket edge on the design surface to stop over-digging past the desired grade, and auto grade assist, which automatically raises the boom and bucket edge to accurately trace the design surface when grading.
Minimum distance control calculates the bucket’s nearest point to the design model to prevent deviation from the design and accidental damage to a surface, while auto-tilt control automatically adjusts the bucket edge for accurate grading on an angle. The operator can also automatically set the bucket grading or digging angle to ease final grading or trimming work.
While digging, iMC 3.0 automatically logs the lowest point of the bucket edge which is used to create an up-to-date terrain surface which can be visualised on the Smart Construction Dashboard. Volume calculations can then be made to measure the volume of material moved in a day.
Boyes adds that the PC220LCi-12 and PC220LC-12 base version now come with 2D machine control.
“This allows the operator to set a grade point with the bucket so that they can cut either flat or dual grade surfaces,” he says.
“But it’s not just indicated, it is machine control, so you’ve got the benefit of the automation and the machine itself will control the bucket angle as well as the boom lift, so that when you engage the surface, it will prevent you from over-excavating.”
Fuel efficiency
Another change on the dash 12 is a new hydraulics system, with pressure proportional control (PPC) replaced with an electro-hydraulic system. Boyes says a key advantage of using electric control is that it allows for the configuration to specific operator preferences, but it also means an on average 18 per cent reduction in fuel usage.
“This is due to the way that it manages the oil flow in and around the bucket and the boom cylinders,” he says.
“It regenerates the oil when it is relaxing, so you’re not actually dumping oil back to tank, which also increases response speed because if the oil is already there in the circuit on the cylinder, when the operator does input on the lever, they get a very fast reaction, rather than having to stroke the pump up and then put oil back into the circuit.”
Improved accuracy
Later this year, an additional feature will be released that will be a major bonus for operators using the PC220LCi-12 to dig trenches.
“We will be releasing our new swing to line and track to line functionality, to effectively automate the trenching process,” Boyes says.
“The swing to line means that with a 3D polyline in the machine control system, we can lock the slew so that when it swings back to that line, it sets alignment for the trench.
“We can set an automated dump location, and then when we start to track back or forward on that trench string, it’ll automatically steer the excavator as well.”
For more information, visit: www.komatsu.com.au
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