Usage Of GPS Machine Control Files For Earthmoving

By Mayra Pierce


GPS or Global Positioning System has now been included in the earthmoving industries. Heavy equipment manufacturers are now applying this technology in their procedures. These are for land grading, roads, causeways, railway beds, levees, dams, berms, and canals.

Due to demands for cost effective production in most industries, a lot of the production has developed advances and innovation in order to meet these demands. GPS machine control files is being utilized in the earthmoving industry in order to spend less for resources. It would also make work easier and faster.

Late 1990s was the beginning of heavy equipment corporations to innovate this technology while dominating the market sector for this type of procedure as well as advancing the process even further. This simply works by comparing the positions of the blade with the current location of the graders. It gives the difference while making it able to automatically adjust itself. Making these place holders for location is the use of the GPS.

3D and 2D software are now being utilized, developed, and being upgraded even further to help with this sort of procedure. The topography map of the area is imported to these software for it to let the operator have a better visualization for the whole area. Leading companies are actually making their own software and constantly making revisions and upgrades to give higher accuracy in the process.

There are two types of systems that are being used in earthmoving for the heavy equipment industry. They are simply categorized as Indicate Only and Fully Automatic. These two systems can use one or also two of the receivers. Having only one would limit the guidance system in the orientation of the position of the machine. Having two would allow two points of the position which gives also the angle of the machine in relation to the site plan.

In order for accuracy with this use, there should be an accurate site design as well. The design file that came from an engineering firm can be imported into the GPS display. Some guidance systems will also allow the user to define the grade elevation and angle without the specifics of the original design.

Here are the heavy equipment that are installed with this guidance system. Compactors, Scrapers, Hydraulic Excavators, and Motor Graders. This is a great advantage for the machines for them to have higher accuracy, efficiency, and cost effectiveness. This can give lesser people on the field as well, making it more convenient.

For one machine it has a cost of about one hundred million dollars. If used efficiently, it can be thirty percent more productive than the traditional methods. Due to the high accuracy, there is less materials that are needed and cost. That is why most construction projects have GPS as a requirement in order to lessen the cost.

There are a few limitations but these are not as bad as they are but should still be considered. Since the system uses satellite signals, obstructions in the environment of the project site may cause it to not function properly. Dead zones may be created due to the roofs of buildings and other establishments nearby. But even if this is true, the use of Global Positioning System is still a standard for advanced Earthmoving.




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