Excavator guidance system + tiltrotator = efficient combination

We were welcomed by contractor Anker Jørgensen who was on site with his excavator, which in addition to the Engcon tiltrotator and all manner of attachments, was fitted with Engcon ePS and the Leica excavator guidance system. Anker took us down into a deep excavation that would be the foundation of the apartment building and on the way down he explained how he had first come across Engcon.

“I remember the moment when I first set eyes on Engcon’s tiltrotator. It was at a trade fair and I realized immediately that this was something that could improve my everyday life and profits,” says Anker.

The latest technology

It wasn’t long before Anker purchased his first Engcon and installed it on the Hydrema 926C backhoe he owned then. Now, 11 or 12 years later, Anker’s operation has advanced with even more modern technology in the form of a new Volvo EC235D tracked excavator fitted with Engcon’s new generation EC226 tiltrotator, the DC2 control system, MIG2 joysticks, track control and – the cherry on the cake – ePS plus a Leica excavator guidance system.

“For some time I was looking at the possibility of fitting my excavators with a guidance systems, and as soon as it was possible to link my Engcon tiltrotators, I didn’t hesitate a second,” says Anker.

Up to 30% more efficient

Anker contacted Leica in Denmark who were offering test drives on their system at their international development centre in Odense. It was one such test drive that answered Anker’s every question, and soon afterwards he placed an order for his new Volvo with the Leica guidance system and Engcon’s EC226 tiltrotator with ePS.

“It’s a pretty big investment but without a doubt worth every penny as it makes me so much more efficient, in some cases I guess up to 30%, so I’ll cover my costs pretty quickly,” says Anker. For a while we look on as trucks with their huge trailers tip sand into the foundations, and after a couple of minutes Anker transforms the giant piles to an even surface that is also spread out at the exact height in exactly the right place. He is sure about this as all the basic drawings are programmed into the excavator guidance system. This would otherwise have required setting out with pins and personnel to follow up and check that heights are correct. So the excavator guidance system saves not only time, but also personnel, materials, digging manoeuvres and machine transits, all of which add up to major savings.