Skip to main content

GPS delivers accurate real time depth control

The novel EZ Dig Pro system offers real-time depth control for excavators and backhoe loaders. This package is said to provide precise grade control for digging a fixed depth or a slope and it boosts safety as there is no need for anyone going into the excavation to check depth. Applications include use in trenching and drainage ditches along roadways, as well as footings and foundation depths and cut-and-cover applications for a fixed depth for utilities.
July 13, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The EZ Dig system comes with in-cab LCD control box and see-through display panel that allow the operator to watch the ditch, bucket, and display in the same view.
The novel EZ Dig Pro system offers real-time depth control for excavators and backhoe loaders. This package is said to provide precise grade control for digging a fixed depth or a slope and it boosts safety as there is no need for anyone going into the excavation to check depth. Applications include use in trenching and drainage ditches along roadways, as well as footings and foundation depths and cut-and-cover applications for a fixed depth for utilities.

Sensors mounted on the excavator measure the movement and angle of the bucket, boom, and dipper stick to give continuous depth control indication on the in-cab display. The operator does not need to stop digging to place the bucket and dipper stick in the same position to take an accurate reading and the system can help make substantial reductions in over cutting and reinstatement.

The system can be installed and calibrated by any operator in 45 minutes or less using its patent-pending software. No welding is required, as the sensors mount to the excavator with strong magnets, while the unit can be calibrated to several machines as it retains the data when moved between equipment. One of the three sensors includes a laser receiver, to eliminate resetting the elevation reference when the excavator is moved.

The sensors have solar panels to maintain their charge, and the system uses wireless RF communication between the sensors and in-cab displays, eliminating external cables.

Related Content

  • Volvo develops pipe-laying equipment
    November 30, 2012
    Volvo Construction Equipment (CE) claims its new PL3005D pipelayer could be “revolutionary” in its market. Said to offer an unbeatable combination of superior stability with a 50tonne lifting capacity, the 35tonne 151kW Volvo D8H engine powered machine is part of Volvo CE’s comprehensive range of Tier 4 Interim launches. Due to its claimed ability to swing its superstructure through 360° the PL3005D can easily handle large, heavy pipes and place them anywhere around the machine, said to be unthinkable with
  • Volvo develops pipe-laying equipment
    November 30, 2012
    Volvo Construction Equipment (CE) claims its new PL3005D pipelayer could be “revolutionary” in its market. Said to offer an unbeatable combination of superior stability with a 50tonne lifting capacity, the 35tonne 151kW Volvo D8H engine powered machine is part of Volvo CE’s comprehensive range of Tier 4 Interim launches. Due to its claimed ability to swing its superstructure through 360° the PL3005D can easily handle large, heavy pipes and place them anywhere around the machine, said to be unthinkable with
  • Topcon’s LN-100 3D positioning system
    May 13, 2014
    Topcon Positioning Group says its new BIM solution - the LN-100 – is the world’s first 3D positioning system designed specifically for construction layout. Said to offer seamless integration and flow of project data from the design to the field, the LN-100 is simple to operate, removing “the intimidation factor and reducing the learning curve in performing construction layout tasks,” according to Eduardo Falcon, Topcon Positioning Group executive vice president and general manager for the GeoPositioning
  • Leica Geosystems develops machine control
    November 29, 2012
    An array of sophisticated machine control and surveying tools are coming to market from Leica Geosystems. One of the key developments is an addition to its iCON range in the form of its iCONtrol package. The firm says that this offers contractors a portfolio of powerful machine control solutions that can communicate with iCONstruct sensors on site and the iCON office software. This customisable and versatile solution suits use in grading and excavating segment and can be used as a control system for constru