Within the current market, experts point to global positioning system (GPS) control as the “it technology” for large-scale equipment and earthwork operations, while the demand for cost-efficient laser systems is seeing growth when applied to smaller machines such as skid-steers, backhoes, and mini excavators.

Due to an ability to easily upgrade from simple to more complex laser systems, many prospective machine control market participants take a first step with laser guidance as an introduction to full-out machine automation. “The reason why laser tools are a great steppingstone for smaller contractors is that the instrumentation can be used independent of machine control,” says Harry Ward, executive vice president of Outsource Inc., a Virginia-based CADD consulting firm. Projects conducive to using lasers without machine automation, he says, include placing pads, performing formwork, setting foundations or footings, achieving depth control for sub-base excavation, and conducting finish grade work.

Ward cites three main types of laser use in construction. The first is a simple laser-based display system in which a laser receiver is mounted on the front of the machine on top of an electric mast. It provides information for the operator to make manual adjustments to the cutting edge, thus speeding up grading operations. The second use involves laser-based grade control, which adds proportional valve controls to the machine’s hydraulics, allowing it to be an automatic system. The third level of laser use is complete 3D grade control augmented by laser technology.

The decision to invest in laser use, says Ward, is easier when one looks toward “scalable” technologies, or those that are easy to upgrade. Scalable technology is the concept of building systems (hardware, software, and firmware) that allow users to add features and grow new capabilities in the future without sacrificing the initial investment—one which Ward says can be recouped rather quickly with continued expenses for laser use being manageable. He adds that display systems, which range from $1,000 to $5,000, can be moved from machine to machine, making them a flexible and viable choice.

“For most, cost is the driving force,” says Fred Rogers, machine automation and sales director for Leica Geosystems. He says that the cost to automate the elevation or lift of a dozer could range from $4,500 all the way up to $20,000. On the other hand, he stresses, for most 3D GPSs, costs could start at around $75,000 and run up to well over $100,000. Rogers adds that most Leica Geosystems laser machine automation systems can be upgraded to 3D.

Regardless of cost issues, the big benefits of even the most entry-level laser products are readily seen in areas such as labor cost savings, finished grading accuracy, rough grading efficiency, overall production levels, and safety.

Lasers and Small Machines
Bobcat Marketing Manager Lance Mathern says that using a laser-guided system with compact equipment can eliminate the need for an onsite survey crew to continuously check the grade. It also reduces labor needs and costs, enabling workers to complete other projects and improve overall production levels.

PHOTO: CASE

Mathern points to concrete and asphalt flatwork as the most common application for compact equipment combined with laser-guided attachments. “Tasks may include curb and gutter work, new roads, driveways, commercial parking lots, or specialty projects such as repairing or building tennis courts. Also, the attachment and loader’s compact design enables efficient work inside of structures, such as grading a new concrete slab for an existing building,” says Mathern.

Bobcat manufactures two attachments for use with a laser-guided system: the box blade and the grader attachment, which are both approved for use with select Bobcat skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders, and all-wheel steer loaders, Mathern says. For finish grading accuracy, the laser-guided Bobcat blade attachment has a grade accuracy of plus or minus 0.25 inches. The laser system moves the blade up or down to keep the base material exactly on grade. Without the laser-guided system, the operator can utilize the box blade attachment to fill in low spots, and push or carry materials to prepare the surface for final grade. The operator controls the box blade attachment with switches mounted on the loader’s steering levers for fingertip control of the blade raise-and-lower function, explains Mathern.

PHOTO: CASE

Wade Peska of Sioux Falls, SD–based Peska Construction has multiple Bobcat loaders and three laser-guided grader attachments. “The time and labor you save far outweighs the cost. We know what it costs to have two extra men standing around with a check rod,” he says. Peska Construction initiated its laser use in 1995, a decision that’s helped the company land projects for major retailers such as Home Depot and Wal-Mart. “We need tight tolerances for indoor flatwork. The typical Wal-Mart is 150,000 to 200,000 square feet. So if we were to lose one-eighth to one-quarter inch of concrete material, that’s a pretty big deal. By using a laser-guided system, the tolerance tightens considerably, which saves big on the yield that we get out of our product. It usually works out to be a 3% to 4% waste factor for that one-eighth inch of material. So when we look at that over the span of 1 million to 2 million square feet, the cost of laser-guided equipment is virtually next to nothing,” he says.

Another Bobcat customer reports an overall increase in production levels. Colin and Basil Rissolo of Stratford, CT, use their laser-guided grader attachment and skid-steer loader to build and repair tennis courts. The Rissolos say that with the laser system, they can grade a tennis court in just two days—a job that took nearly eight days in past years, when the company used a motor grader. Its 8-foot blade had to be manually controlled to follow stakes and string lines to achieve the desired base and finished grade. Due to the increased accuracy of laser-guided grading, the company can produce a flatter, more uniform surface for the courts.

Laser technology is also used on tennis courts in southern California and bike paths in Minnesota, says Topcon Regional Sales Manager Bill Painter, who points to the use of small LeeBoy paving machines equipped with electrical and hydraulic interfaces that integrate with Topcon’s laser systems.

Also on the sports-related front is Denis Griffiths and Associates, a Georgia-based design-build golf course architect that accesses Topcon machine control to laser-grade critical areas. The system includes a System Five paver control panel, an LS-B4B receiver, and an RLH-2SA laser transmitter, all of which operate a proportional valve that controls a single-function box blade. The result is a laser package that is ideal for a variety of precision grading tasks.

Interior construction is also a popular application. In Cedar Rapids, IA, two Mustang skid-steer loaders are equipped with Topcon LSB-2 laser receivers. A “smart” junction box is used to tie the transmitters to a hydraulic valve that controls a flat blade. A Topcon RLH-2SA laser transmitter is used to guide both machines simultaneously. The Mustang skid-steers are used for sub-grade operations to obtain the correct elevation and eliminate overruns in the stone base. The stone is finish-graded with the Mustangs and Topcon’s system, producing a surface that is ready for the concrete slab.

Roger Bryant Excavating, a small operation located in Mason, OH, illustrates a residential basement construction application, one that involves laying a gravel base for preformed concrete walls. Bryant uses a Bullseye 5+ laser receiver manufactured by Apache Technologies. Mounted on his Bobcat skid-steer, the Bullseye product detects laser light generated by any rotating laser transmitter and then gives him a visual indication of which direction to move the blade or bucket to reach grade. Bryant says the big advantage is that he can complete the entire job without getting out of the cab once. “That’s a great timesaver. One of my competitors still does things the old way. I’ll bet he has to get out of his cab 50 or 60 times a day to make sure he’s within grade,” he says.

Views From the Manufacturing Front
Trimble is one of the leading providers of GPS technology. Recently the company acquired Apache Technologies to extend its laser product portfolio for handheld laser detectors and entry-level machine displays and control systems. “Laser transmitters and receivers have a range of features today that make them very easy to set up and use as laser-guidance systems on compact equipment,” says Pat Bohle, vice president of marketing and OEM sales for Trimble’s Construction Division. Bohle says that the efficient use of laser systems requires very little training. He stresses that anyone who has used a laser level on the construction site can use a laser-based display system on a compact machine. Bohle goes on to explain that setup is easy and typically involves the following: (1) setting up the grade laser or laser level on the job site to provide the level or sloped plane reference; (2) transferring the elevation reference to the machine; and (3) mounting the laser receiver on the machine. “On a skid-steer, it’s often mounted on the cab. On a backhoe or mini excavator, it’s usually mounted on the boom,” says Bohle, who adds that typically a laser-based display system does not use an onboard computer or an additional controller. The laser receiver itself provides the visual reference to the operator via bright LEDs and an audible beep, he says.

Bohle is quick to highlight the Trimble CR600 Laser Receiver as a system that’s ideal when utilized on backhoes, small excavators, and skid-steers. “It’s used as both a handheld and a machine-mounted laser receiver—making it a very flexible option for general contractors who do a range of elevation work on the construction job site,” he says. “To increase its versatility, the magnetic mount allows it to easily attach to the cab or boom, or to be moved from machine to machine,” he says.

Sales and Marketing Manager Mike Bank of Apache Technologies says that the evolution of attachments is the major impetus behind the growth of laser-guided products on compact equipment. “As more and more attachments are developed, more applications for laser systems arise. Additional features added to visual indicate receivers have made them more accurate and easier to use,” he says. Some of the newer features for excavation, he says, include internal plumb sensors, as well as methods of compensation for dipper angle. “For both visual and automatic grading, tilt sensors help the contractor keep the blade level or at a preset angle. For automatic systems, the use of fully proportional or linear photocells combined with proportional valves allows the system to react smoothly and precisely. Also, plug-and-play utilizing the machine’s onboard hydraulics is another area where progress is being made,” he says.

Bank notes that small to midsize contractors generally make a step-by-step progression. He explains that they start by using a laser system that consists of a standard handheld detector and grade rod. Then they progress to mounting lasers on machinery, first with a visual indicate system, then eventually going automatic. “Our goal at Apache is to re-index the entry-level point of visual indicate as well as automatic machine control. Our systems are very flexible as they allow a contractor to use the receiver one day on his automatically controlled push box attachment, and use it the next day on his backhoe or excavator as a visual indicate receiver. The ability to use laser-guided systems every day makes them a necessary tool for even the smallest companies,” says Bank.

Next, one of Topcon’s latest offerings suitable for compact equipment is the LSB-3, a visual indicate system that runs at a cost under $2,000. Topcon Regional Sales Manager Bill Painter says the system attaches to any piece of equipment with magnets. “There are no cables or control boxes needed, and the unit runs on readily available C-cell batteries. It gives the operator visual indication via signal lights on his equipment’s cutting edge in relation to the planned grade. The LSB-3 is designed to operate with Topcon’s RL-H3C laser transmitter,” he says.

Another recent addition to the laser lineup is the Economy Indicate System manufactured by Leica Geosystems. The system allows the user to operate the sensor and a display from the machine’s cab with a single battery pack. The display has audio tones and visual LED indicators for high, low, and on-grade. The company says that the system is very universal and easy to move from machine to machine. “Laser use increases productivity by 30% to 50%,” says Leica Machine Automation and Sales Director Fred Rogers. “The cost and material savings of laser guidance and control are undeniable. As technology evolves and new ways of building are discovered, there is no doubt that lasers will always play a part in the construction industry,” he says.