JBG Partner with Leica and CRK Machine Control

When it had to be right, JBG looked to Leica Geosystems and C.R. Kennedy to deliver accuracy, efficiency and reliability through their Machine Control and Survey solutions

JBG Contractors has been operating around Sydney and the South Coast of NSW for 40 years, specialising in civil earthworks, demolition, asbestos removal and soil remediation. The firm employs around 50 people and runs well over 50 machines including three dozers, three graders with final trim capability, 30 excavators and a number of posi-track systems. It’s all state-of-the-art equipment.

 

Most of JBG’s earthworks requires high precision. Management is well aware of the increased accuracy and productivity possible with modern technology, 20 machines are fitted out with machine control systems. The fleet also includes five total stations and 10 GNSS base stations and rovers to round out the technology. JBG Contractors are quick to adopt modern technology and will soon utilise drones to map their sites and conduct monthly volume calculations.

Not stopping there, they realise drones can be used for costing works and recording project progress. Phil Butterfield is JBG’s operations manager and he made the point that it makes no sense having the latest machine control equipment, if you’re not making the most of its capabilities.

"We soon realised that the crucial thing was to have really strong aftermarket service and support,” he said.

“We needed someone we could rely on for guidance and training, but more than that we needed someone who knew what our work involved and what technology might help us do things even better – someone with innovative ideas, someone we could work with, someone to innovate for us."

"When it had to be right, JBG looked to Leica Geosystems and C.R. Kennedy to deliver accuracy, efficiency and reliability through their Machine Control and Survey solutions"

JBG had trialled various brands of machine control systems and was able to compare them. However, gauging the level of after-market support available for each brand was more difficult, so they asked the other earthworks contractors in the region. Leica and C.R. Kennedy came out above the rest, so that’s where JBG went. They haven’t looked back.

Since partnering with C.R. Kennedy, JBG has already been able to introduce quite a number of innovations. In just one example, C.R. Kennedy developed a new joystick for the Lasergrade attachment on JBG’s posi-tracks. The joystick assists with the simple manual operation of the blade and also lets the operator override the system’s auto mode and lift the blade if it’s pushing too much material. This modification has increased the machine’s output by around 50 per cent.

According to Phil, machine control and total stations have transformed how the firm approaches its work because everyone from site managers to equipment operators knows what’s going on. “In the cab, an operator gets to see the whole job in front of them,” he said. “The levels are there on the screen and the linework is there, so the operator is better informed to make the correct decision. The technology takes away any guesswork.”

Phil cited a recent project at Bomaderry where JBG was constructing sediment ponds with some tight tolerances and where the firm was up for the cost of supplying and placing stabilised sand in any walls more than 20mm out of tolerance. JBG’s team finished the job accurately and economically and were able to hand the client the as-constructed survey documentation as soon as the ponds were finished.

Phil also commented on the improved site safety where machine control is used, saying they no longer need guys using lasers and staffs in front of machines. “It’s a one-man operation now, so it’s safer as well as more efficient,” he said. In relation to the Leica gear itself, Phil said they were finding real benefits in the interchangeability of Leica screens between their excavators, dozers, graders and posi-track systems. Leica’s interchangeable system gives the team at JBG much more flexibility to quickly move systems between machines themselves without any additional tool requirements.

When asked whether C.R. Kennedy was providing the level of aftermarket support JBG had been hoping for, Phil said he couldn’t fault it. “They’ve been really good with any troubleshooting,” he said, “to the extent that these days we have virtually no downtime at all. “And with regards to innovation, the Leica/C.R. Kennedy combination has exceeded our expectations by a long way. Quite frankly, we’re rapt with how things are going,” he said.

 

 

Products associated to this article

Leica Rugby Bonus

Buy a Rugby 610/620/640/640G with a premium receiver & get a bonus li-ion battery pack

View Promo

ICON SITE EXCAVATOR

SPECIAL OFFER - LIMITED TIME
A simple machine control solution ideal for compact excavators — with a big payoff!

View Promo