If you have an excavator without GPS grade control, you may be missing out on time and costs savings. What if there was a new solution that reduces staking, surveying and over-digging and allows you to do it cost-effectively with an added bonus?

“The new Smart Construction Retrofit Kit gives customers who want an entry-level, indicate-only system a solid choice,” according to Ron Schwieters, senior product manager, iMC and hardware, Komatsu. “It is three-dimensional, so operators get the advantage of seeing where they are on the project, as well as their relation to target elevation.”

Multiple components make Smart Construction Retrofit highly accurate, Schwieters added. The kit includes four inertial measurement units (IMU) mounted on the bucket, arm, boom and frame of the excavator. Two GNSS antennas for GPS are on the rear. There are options to transfer design data to and from the Smart Construction Cloud.

“Users download our Smart Construction Pilot app from the Google Play Store, and use it with their connected device,” Schwieters noted. “They can set audio alerts that will change tones the closer they get to finish grade. That, along with the visual representation on the app, helps keep operators from digging too deep, saves valuable time and lowers costs.”

A key differentiator

Schwieters said that the added bonus of Komatsu’s Smart Construction Retrofit Kit is a payload system.

“As you load the bucket, it weighs the material, and operators see that in real time,” said Schwieters. “If you’re loading trucks, that helps ensure you are putting the proper amount of tonnage in and not overloading or underloading. Typical aftermarket systems don’t offer that. It’s a great feature for quarries, batch plants and construction projects to accurately monitor materials loaded onto trucks.”

To remotely track progress, that information and production data can be sent to project managers and other stakeholders using other Smart Construction solutions. Design changes can be sent to the machine using the cloud.

“The Smart Construction Retrofit Kit can be used with practically any brand or size of construction excavator,” Schwieters noted. “Installation can be done easily by your distributor or dealer. We recommend you contact them for more information about this valuable solution.”