Intelligent Machine Control investment paying dividends

Since Komatsu rolled out its game-changing Intelligent Machine Control (IMC) system three years ago, industry uptake has been nothing but promising.

Norris Construction Group, operating out of Geelong, currently has eight IMC machines - ranging from dozers to excavators - at the core of its 36 strong Komatsu fleet.

In a nutshell, the Intelligent Machine Control system is a technology that renders a machine semi-autonomous, meaning the system does most of the hard work for the operator.

On a dozer, IMC helps carry out a range of tasks such as bulk dozing, excavation, grading and final trim without much input from an operator. All they have to do is push a button, forward and reverse the machine and the IMC does the rest.

On an excavator, it enables operators to achieve optimum speed to final grade accuracy with minimal operator input, while eliminating the need for manual grade checking. That way, operators won’t need to worry about over or under-excavating.

Norris Construction Group has tasked a group of young employees with the operation of the IMC machines and has since reported a 20 to 30 per cent increase in productivity.

Tim Norris,48, the second-generation owner of the business, credits the advent of IMC as the most startling innovation of the decade and the root cause of his expansion.

"You just don't make mistakes - the job is there on the screen in front of the operator when he climbs on board," he said.

"Where a foreman might forget to give an instruction, the entire sequence of activity in an IMC machine is outlined and continually updated for the operator.

"It enables us to work when inclement weather prevails because it eliminates the need for a person on the ground."

Norris hesitates to compare ‘old ways’ to those that are available now, but acknowledges that the younger generation is best placed to make the most out of the intelligent machinery.

"The younger generation has a strong grasp of technology," he said.

"Aided by IMC they can think three of four days ahead on any job - plotting the best way for a work program to proceed.

"It's not just a case of following the orders on the screen.”

Norris said the ability for operators to access project design and scope via the in-cab screen and use the IMC system to better plan a work path are priceless.

"There are a number of different applications, some of which help to increase productivity between 20 to 30 per cent,” he said.

"A picture (on the IMC screen) is truly worth a thousand words."

Norris Construction Group was founded by Norris’ father, Keith, more than 50 years ago.

In the 1980s, just as Tim Norris was completing his Commerce degree and getting ready for a career in the big smoke, his family business hit a financial snag which led him to join the company instead.

"You always hope you're going to follow in your father's footsteps, and I'd been hanging around the yard since my early teens,” he said.

He remembered purchasing his first excavator - a second-hand Komatsu PC120-6 with 900 hours of use. It had 16,000 hours when he sold it.

The now thriving Norris Construction Group has other brands in its fleet, but said they are the result of the acquisition of three other businesses over the years.

As a result of the acquisitions and its own organic growth, the company is achieving annual expansion approaching 20 per cent a year.

Norris Construction Group employs 185 people, making it one of the larger employees in the Geelong region, and Norris is committed to offering full service to its core group of large clients.

"As long as we plan well, we are much better off having all our services in house so we can deploy them to the areas of most need rather than relying on outside suppliers," he said.

Norris said its IMC operators meet once a day to share the results of their day's work on the machines and to jointly plan upcoming activity.

"A hundred percent - the IMC machines are at the core of our business," Norris said.

"The older non-IMC machines are generally used to work on projects like recycling and crushing where there's not the same need for sophisticated planning.

"Anyone can pull the levers, but these days the secret to business success is how well you can work with the on-board technology to plan a better result.”

MORE RELATED READS:

Aussie innovation keeps Komatsu loaders cool

Komatsu unveils 25 new machines at largest ever launch event