With the first intelligent Machine Control (iMC) dozer debuting in 2013, Komatsu’s iMC technology has been on the market for the better part of the last decade. Komatsu has continued to lead the construction industry forward, debuting the first fully integrated machine control excavator in 2014, pioneering the concept of Smart Construction — a suite of products, services and digital solutions that offer interconnectivity and streamline improvement over the entire construction process — and most recently, the evolution of iMC 2.0 technology for dozers and excavators.

At Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc., we are excited about the growth we’ve seen in the adoption of iMC technology. It feels like we are introducing more customers to the iMC product line each day, opening the door to tomorrow’s job site with them. More and more contractors are beginning to embrace the efficiency and increased production offered by fully integrated intelligent Machine Control technology.  They understand how this technology can increase productivity and reduce costs.

Take, for example, the concept of Grade Control Technology. In an industry faced with a severe operator shortage, Komatsu enables novice operators to perform with the precision and efficiency of a more seasoned operator — making the grade as designed. Features such as Proactive Dozing Control (proprietary to Komatsu) use terrain mapping to collect data from each pass and plan the next pass. Knowing the terrain, the machine can grade and follow existing grade contours just like an experienced operator would. Most people in the industry associate grade control with only the finish grade process, but Proactive Dozing Control allows the operator to now utilize automatics 100% of the time.  We use the term “Grass to Grade” to help customers better visualize this concept.
 

Dedicated support

Partnering with customers on their Smart Construction journey and helping them take full advantage of their intelligent machines is something we take very seriously. Whether purchasing or renting, Kirby-Smith provides dedicated support for the entire duration the customer owns or rents an iMC unit.  When a machine is delivered to a new iMC customer, our team performs training and stays on-site until the customer is comfortable operating, and whenever a customer needs help, we’re always a phone call away to assist remotely.

We offer customers all the necessary hardware such as TopCon Base & Rovers, and all Komatsu iMC equipment is compatible with Trimble, Leica and Cellular network systems, so connectivity is never an issue. Our team consists of Komatsu factory-trained technical solution experts (TSEs) / Smart Construction consultants to support technology needs and certified iMC technicians to keep equipment running at top performance.

Supporting iMC equipment doesn’t stop at the distributor level. Komatsu continues to expand their support team as more iMC machines enter the market.  Komatsu’s Smart Construction team focuses on developing new solutions to optimize job site efficiencies beyond machine control.

Kirby-Smith and other Komatsu distributors meet several times throughout the year to collaborate on ideas and share feedback from the field to continuously improve iMC products and Smart Construction Solutions. Komatsu conducts TSE training meetings to communicate releases and new developments, which also allows our TSEs to learn from the experiences of their contemporaries around the country. Komatsu is diligent to ensure that when customers move equipment into different territories for new projects, they receive the same support they have come to count on from distributors like Kirby-Smith.

More updates ahead

It is impossible to fit all the benefits and ways this technology is changing the industry into one article (we haven’t even discussed iMC excavators!) so in each issue of Kirby-Smith Connection, we plan to take you through what we are seeing in the field related to Smart Construction. If you haven’t opened the door yet to greater levels of productivity and efficiency, just know that Kirby-Smith and our Smart Construction Team is ready to partner with you in “Making the Grade.”