Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/148063
cover story | continued But having all of this technology on board wasn't enough, That's where a second "i" comes in: integrated. Rather than produce another plugand-play dozer control system that would accept aftermarket machine control devices, Komatsu built each element of the system into the machine body. "The only giveaway is the antenna on top of the cab," Robson says. When designing the D61i-23, Komatsu engineers set out to figure out a way to avoid what is currently the norm: mounting costly components to the dozer blade, an extremely vulnerable part of the machine. "Every little bump is magnified because the blade is so far out," says Komatsu engineer Jason Anetsberger. Anetsberger notes the position of the GNSS antenna also makes it prone to getting snagged on trees or being stolen. So engineers spent a huge chunk of the three to four years machine design time getting all the components into the body of the machine. The result is a small GNSS antenna mounted on the roof and not a single cable between the machine and the blade. Much of the difficulty in achieving this design was figuring out a way to move the antenna to the roof and still retain the optimal accuracy thirdparty antennas get when mounted to the blade. Also setting the D61i-23 apart from conventional machine control systems are the machine's four dozing modes: cut and carry, heavy cut, spreading and simple grading. There are also heavy, medium and light load modes. Operation Operating the D61i-23 was rather simple – even for those who haven't operated a piece of equipment in their life. Automatic grading is engaged with a press of a button and the blade is lowered automatically into its position with a flick of the 32 August 2013 | EquipmentWorld.com In-cab displays let you know whether or not your grade is on target. Blade load settings are adjustable between pre-sets to match actual elevations. blade joystick. On a large display inside the cab, the dozer's performance is compared to the preset grade with an easy-to- read gauge that resembles a level and indicates whether or not you're on target. If the arrow is in the middle green area, you're doing well. But if it ventures up into the red area it's too high and if it goes down into the blue, you're too low. Those colors are also used to indicate grade progress on the real time Sitelink 3D map in the office. In the end, the D61i-23 can actually be operated completely hands-free – that is, until you need to change direction. And for those worried that the machine provides too much automation or are hesitant to trust the machine's automatic control, Robson said he's confident that any operator that gives it a shot will be convinced. "They begin to realize they can let the machine take care of itself," he says. "By changing their habits a little bit, they can run in auto a lot more than they used to." EW