Machine Control Solutions

Machine control systems involve the integration of positioning into earthworks machinery, where GPS receivers or sensors are installed into the machine and work with a machine control panel to provide real time data. The Machine Control System accurately reflects a blade or bucket’s current position and then compares that position with the desired design. This data is displayed inside the cab, allowing the operator to achieve the intended design quickly and accurately.

Machine control is an essential part of most earthworks projects and is widely adopted due to the various benefits, including an increase in efficiency, improvement in health and safety, resource and material usage reduction and higher productivity.

Machine Control Benefits

• Productivity increased; being on time, on budget and within specification.
• Higher accuracy and conformance to design, so no over or under-filling of excavations
• Reduced fuel consumption, emissions, operating costs and wear and tear on plant equipment due to faster earthworks
• Higher operator retention as Machine Control is easy to use and learn.

Health and Safety

• Health & Safety, decreasing requirements for person machine interface to reduce risk.
• Increased site safety as Machine Control reduces the number of people in work zones.
• Visual aids reduce operator fatigue, fewer stops to verify levels/slopes.
• No Site Marking Out, No Site Pegs or rails required even for complex designs.
• Use Avoidance Zones to identify known hazards to operators.

Green Construction

• Green Construction; Meeting requirements by Government bodies and main contractors.
• No over digging, less materials used to compensate.

A range of services are available to you when you choose to use machine control systems with Sunbelt Rentals. We provide expert consultation, base station setup, machine control data management, site localisation, machine control model conversion and an installation service. Asset tracking and telematics is also available at Sunbelt Rentals. Alongside this are our thorough training courses and our expert support team, who are available through our helpline when you need them.

We can also arrange industry-leading service level agreements across our full machine control range.

Specialist survey locations are situated across the UK, with fully authorised service centres for Leica and Topcon equipment to ensure your systems are working optimally. Our Coalville and Livingston depots are our dedicated Machine Control centres, providing you with technical and sales support.

We provide you with a complete machine control solution from initial consultation through to installation, training and technical support. Sunbelt Rentals Survey has the most up-to-date Hire Fleet of Machine Control equipment. Our range includes Leica, TopCon and Trimble machine control solutions that you can hire or buy.

Xwatch instruments are fitted to plant equipment and have been designed to improve site safety, reduce damage to machines and structures and above all safety to life.

Reliable and simple to use, Xwatch safety solutions allow customers to monitor the plant machines on site, to limit height, slew and load. The software also sends alerts to the driver if a machine is likely to roll when navigating an incline.

We provide comprehensive user training either on-site or at our in-house training facilities at Coalville and Livingston, with the use of our two simulators. These machine control simulators feature supplier-approved training with Leica or Topcon equipment for GPS Dozers, Excavators and Graders.

Simulator-based training is about providing a safe, controlled environment for operators to learn in, and solid educational tools and reports to ensure the best possible results.

Our 1-day Machine Control Course delivers 8 hours of theory instruction with simulator-based learning, and includes:

• GPS Base Station set-up
• System component walkthrough
• Initial set up of job on machine
• Uploading and selecting models
• Working with guidelines, polylines and triangles
• Site set-up and localisation
• Basic diagnostic and fault finding

Our training programs also include engineer workflow training including self-support, fault finding courses. Training for Total Stations, GPS and Lasers is also available.