Volvo Construction Equipment and Engcon are employing advanced technologies to significantly improve the operational efficiency of machines.
Modern machine control systems promise a number of advantages for operators, and the same can be said for tiltrotators. Today, a global collaboration between Engcon and Volvo will now allow fleet managers to get all the benefits from both tools. The tiltrotator is very much a mainstay of many continental markets, where the efficiency benefits of eliminating the need to reposition an excavator, together with a consequent reduction in wear and tear, are already well-established.
At the same time they have, of course, been a feature of rail projects in this country for many years, but can be equally beneficial on practically any project. As a result, tiltrotators are a growing class of equipment in the UK, and manufacturers are increasingly joining forces with attachment specialists to bring the benefits of the technology to the fore.
At the heart of this partnership is Engcon’s eML (engcon Machine Link) and Volvo Smart Connect, and the goal is to offer machines with tiltrotators and safe quick hitches as an integral part of the machine. Via a smart interface, the Swedish attachments specialist’s control system can communicate with the excavators computer for both control of the tiltrotator and integration with Volvo’s own developed machine control system, Dig Assist.
“With this intelligent solution, Engcon’s tiltrotator can become a fully integrated part of the machine and the benefits are many – time savings during installation, retained CE marking and direct assimilation with Volvo Dig Assist to name just a few”, explains Fredrik Eklind, Product Owner at Engcon Control Systems.
By communicating via CANbus (Controller Area Network), information can be securely and quickly sent and received from Engcon’s own DC2 control system to an OEM’s computer and machine control system – all with a simple electrical installation. “It is the result of a close collaboration and the integration of several advanced solutions, the tiltrotator, the machine and machine control system,”, continues Eklind. “This has extended so far that, with the next Dig Assist update, the customer will be able to clearly see that it is an Engcon product that is connected via the tiltrotator in Dig Assist’s graphical interface using Engcon’s signature colour. Other smart features that will benefit the end user can also be anticipated with this forthcoming update.”
The Engcon eML and Volvo Smart Connect project has resulted in the first compatible machines – an updated EC250 E and EC300 E – reaching the workshops and Volvo, destined for Engcon’s customers during the first quarter of 2021. The ambition is that in the course of this year more of the original equipment manufacturer’s machines will be available with the Volvo Smart Connect option, and that together the two companies can continue the development of intelligent and integrated solutions.
