Ranger Construction Industries, Inc.

Ranger Construction
Industries, Inc.
Pete Scholer
William Nash
S. E. Region Annual Sales Meeting
Where We Have Been
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Gear driven graders
Cable drawn dozers
Brass Transits
Lock Levels
String Lines
The only constant is Change:
• Since inception we have been an industry prone
to change.
• With the advent of new technologies the change
has become more rapid and more dynamic.
• Embracing the existing technologies as well as
looking forward to new solutions allows the
construction industry to evolve into a safer more
productive, less wasteful, and more efficient
industry
• Automated Machine Guidance – What is it?
• Automated Machine Guidance – What are the
benefits?
• Automated Machine Guidance – How does Ranger
use it?
• Automated Machine Guidance – When should it be
used?
• Automated Machine Guidance – In Closing
Automated Machine Guidance is simply the automation of the
largest manufacturing industry in the world, “Construction.”
There is two primary types of AMG:
• 2D which uses elevation sensors to determine grade from a
physical reference, as well as, slope sensors to determine
cross slope
• 3D which uses a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and either
GPS, or Robotic Total Stations to measure position and
determine grade and slope
• Contractor receives job control
• Using those points we then (with GNSS) measure the distance
between the points and compare it to the distance that is
mathematically between them. This forced fit is now the calibration
of the project.
• Once a site calibration is complete we are able to set up a machine
control base. (Can range depending on several factors but a base
will typically have a 1.5-2.5 Mile radius)
• One base station can run any number of machine controls and any
number of surveyor/superintendent’s receivers.
• Accuracies are now +/- 0.08’ vertically and +/- 0.04’ horizontally.
Automated Machine Guidance allows the contractor to do the
following:
• To increase productivity
• To better control material cost
• To help reduce infield engineering cost (staking)
• To improve operator performance and efficiency
• To improve safety
• To bid more competitively
• To increase profitability
To increase productivity:
• Reliability- Machines don’t have sick days. Don’t have HR
complaints. Don’t require coffee breaks
• AMG can actually improve productivity up to 100% per
machine.
• Eliminate material reworking due to unknown current
positioning
• Early detection of plan and engineering errors
• Less personnel on the ground- Safer.
To better control material cost:
• AMG allows accurate material management within +/- ¼”.
• Removes guess work on what has been placed as well as
what materials are still needed.
• Yeilds may be more tightly monitored to avoid “placing just
in case”
To help reduce infield engineering cost (staking):
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Reduced survey staking by 50-70%
Staking now required for verification purposes only
String-lining now eliminated during construction
Survey crews available to service multiple projects and work
more efficiently
• Data collection speed increased exponentially
To improve operator performance and efficiency:
• Will not turn a laborer into a finish operator!
• Will make an OK operator Good, a good operator great, and a
great operator… stand back and watch the productivity amaze
you.
• Crews are now able to operate just as efficiently with half the
personnel.
• It is a tool that is best implemented by individuals who know what
they are building and how to utilize the equipment they are
running
To improve safety:
• Fewer machines/labor force to accomplish the same task
• Machine awareness of potential conflicts that may not be
visually apparent to the operator
• Such as underground utilities.
• Predefined “avoidance zones” to alert the operator when
they are where they should not be.
• Machines able to monitor other machine locations that may
be working in the same area.
To bid more competitively:
AMG allows the contractor to bid more competitively by simply
utilizing all of the cost savings. If you increase your production,
better control your materials, avoid material overages,
decrease your infield engineering, improve your operator
performance and efficiency, and reduce your labor, why not
incorporate that into your bid process. To bid more efficiently
will only increase your chances on winning competitive bids.
To increase profitability:
AMG allows the contractor to increase profitability. Increased
profitability benefits most importantly, the bottom line, but also,
benefits the Contractor’s ability to hire, purchase equipment,
bid more work, and grow. Machine guidance and the
integration of technologies allows projects to be completed
quicker and with less rework. With the aging work force (NOT
PETE) the integration of technologies makes a more attractive
business model to bring the best and brightest upcoming
professionals into the construction industry.
Ranger Construction Industries, Inc. uses Automated Machine
Guidance in the following construction markets:
• Road and Heavy Highway Construction
• Utility, Drainage Construction
• Site Development and Construction
Road and Heavy Highway Construction:
Ranger utilizes AMG on Dozers, Excavators, Graders, and
Pavers. 3D GPS is used on Dozers to help control
material, while getting to grade
faster and more efficiently.
Road and Heavy Highway Construction:
Robotic Total Stations are used with Graders to finish material.
This technology allows Ranger to
finish material within 1/4” to 1/8” of
grade.
Road and Heavy Highway Construction:
Ranger utilizes Topcon
Millimeter GPS for high
precision paving projects,
such as Airports that require
tolerances of less than .02’,
or less than ¼”.
Road and Heavy Highway Construction:
Ranger also utilizes Topcon
2D systems for their Asphalt
Paving operations. These
systems control depth of
material, elevation and cross
slope of material.
Utility and Drainage Construction:
Ranger also utilizes GPS for
stakeout of utility and
drainage construction. GPS
on the Excavator also allows
for the operator to see where
alignment and grade of the
pipe run is supposed to be.
Model Building:
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In house building of machine controlled models
– Allows for real time changes to design and implementation of revisions
– Operator input regarding what is useful and what is not allows increased
productivity and uniformity among projects.
Information changes are implemented in a matter of hours instead of weeks
to give supervision and operators the latest and most up to date information
possible.
Individuals constructing AMG models will be best served after one has
spent time in the field personally witnessing the varying aspects of road
construction.
Site Development and Construction:
AMG allows the operator of
any equipped machine to
view the design, line work,
and automatically maintain
design grade and slope.
Dozers
High Speed
Dozers
Excavators
Graders
Milling
Machines
Asphalt
Pavers
Intelligent
Compaction
Trimmers
Curb
Machines
Haul
Truck
AMG equipment does represent a substantial
investment and with the increased usage a
growing amount of theft will result in a real
problem.
• Charging single individuals with day to day
care… Not leaving it up to chance where it
goes each night.
• Working site protection and monitoring
• “low jacked” equipment
• Site protection to deter theft
Automated Machine Guidance offers Ranger Construction
Industries Incorporated:
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Increased Productivity
Better Control of Materials
Significant Reduction of Infield Engineering (Staking)
Improved Operator Performance and Efficiency
Improved Safety
More Competitive Bid Process
Increased Profitability
Where we are heading
• Machines remotely linked with the office able to upload
machine vitals as well as report productions/ yields etc.
• Machines gathering all information for pay items
• Minimal to no field QC cost.
– Machines will be able to verify and report densities,
locations, and quantities.
Ultimately machine guidance will be utilized to
produce a higher quality job at a fraction of the
time with ZERO safety incidents