The combination of Leica Geosystems and Xwatch technology will help protect assets, infrastructure, and human lives.
Leica Geosystems and Xwatch Safety Solutions team up to bolster jobsite safety. The novel integration interconnects excavator height control, slew control, and safety awareness in a promising stride towards reducing heavy construction incidents.
With every passing year there are more demands – from workers, company boards, and governments – to improve safety on worksites. So, it’s no surprise that Leica Geosystems, a Hexagon subsidiary, and UK-based manufacturer Xwatch Safety Solutions Ltd., are joining forces to redefine construction site safety.
This collaboration marks an important stride in transforming the hazardous realm of heavy construction, an industry that consistently records high rates of severe injuries and fatalities globally.
The partnership’s driving force is to interconnect Leica’s advanced 2D and 3D machine control and safety awareness solutions with Xwatch’s cutting-edge excavator machine control technology. Bridging these technologies aims to enhance safety for all jobsite personnel, whether they’re operating heavy equipment or working around it.
The Leica iCON PA80 and Xwatch XW series can be integrated into Leica’s MC1 machine control platform.
Harnessing years of experience and outside-the-box thinking, Xwatch is taking a fresh approach to worksite safety solutions with its XW series safety system, which features:
- Height control
- Slew control
- Rated Capacity Indication (RCI).
All of these are aimed at monitoring and accurately restricting excavator movement using ‘feather touch’ proportional hydraulic control.
“The integration of our XW series directly into Leica Geosystems MC1 ecosystem is a global first and a true revolution in safety,” says Dan Leaney, Director of Sales and Operation at Xwatch.
The combined technology offers a cost-effective solution, incorporating state-of-the-art hardware technology from the automation sector.
Xwatch’s XW series safety system monitors and restricts excavator movement to avoid hazards.
Brad Mullis, Leica Geosystems’ Product Manager for Safety Awareness Solutions, shares in this enthusiasm, highlighting the importance of protecting assets, infrastructure, and – most significantly – human lives.
“Through the integration of our Leica PA80 with Xwatch XW series, we aim to provide solutions that protect assets and infrastructure – but most importantly ensure people always get home safely to see their families after a hard day’s work,” Brad says.
One of the key features of the partnership is the integration of the Leica iCON PA80 and Xwatch XW series into the popular Leica MC1 machine control platform. This move makes it possible for users to run a new safety awareness solution directly on their existing machine control system. The safety awareness solution can be applied to a range of heavy equipment, from dozers to excavators, that use the Leica MC1 system.
“With the integration of Xwatch into Leica MC1, we are now not only able to alert the operator but are able to proportionally slow down and stop a machine when a wearable device is detected in a configurable zone,” Brad says.
“In addition, by leveraging the Leica ConX cloud solution, comprehensive logs can be downloaded and distributed for analytics within contractors’ existing management processes.”
Furthering this commitment to safety, Dan says Xwatch has also integrated the Leica PA80 personal alert solution into its controller.
“This takes safety to a whole new level,” he says. “The wearable device worn by the field personnel can link with all machines on site creating greater awareness and a much safer working environment.”
Plantforce Digital Manager, Dale Hawkins, represents a growing number of contractors already making use of both technologies. He expresses the company’s pride in being the first plant hire company in the UK to use the Leica Geosystem fitted semi-automatic excavator.
“At Plantforce we pride ourselves as being innovators in our field,” Dale says. “This combined safety solution with a reliable, easy-to-use system and an excellent after-sales service is why we have the confidence in Xwatch and Leica Geosystems products to enhance our commitment to safety.”
With this partnership, Leica Geosystems and Xwatch are leading the charge in changing the face of safety in construction. This ground-breaking integration of technologies represents a major stride towards a safer working environment and promises to be a game-changer for the earthmoving industry.
Your local Leica dealer
Leica Geosystems products are solely distributed in Australia through machine control and positioning specialists C.R. Kennedy.
Based in Port Melbourne, C.R. Kennedy has a national network of more than 260 staff across branches in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Hobart, Perth, and Cairns.
For more information, visit: www.survey.crkennedy.com.au
Read the full article at Earthmoving Equipment Magazine
