The pace at which construction automation is advancing is staggering. We can already find drones hovering above building sites and three-dimensional printed buildings being assembled. One of the best parts about the advancements of robotics in this industry is that it is becoming easier and more enjoyable to use. The way humans interact with robots is key to implementing a successful solution on any site. Robots and the technology behind them are becoming a valuable extension of construction teams by tackling some of the toughest challenges faced by the industry.

The combination of handling heavy objects, low levels of equipment standardisation and varied safety issues have created a need for innovation in this space. Typically, other industries surpass construction in terms of technological adoption. However, technologies from other sectors, like the military, have provided a good foundation that can be adapted to the construction sector. Heavy construction equipment is expensive to manufacture and expensive to purchase. Therefore, one of the main aims for companies is ensuring maximum uptime and long life for each piece of equipment. While some equipment is starting to be built with future technology in mind, they are still not widely available.

The demands placed on construction equipment have evolved dramatically over the years. With the new updates and functions being added all the time and requirements for operational efficiency and quality higher than ever, these equipment need an automation system that is both powerful and scalable.

Says Saurabh Kulkarni, Mobile Automation Expert, B&R Industrial Automation India, “Our portfolio includes complete automation solutions for the industry. Every aspect of the B&R automation system is designed for modular and concurrent engineering. With the X90 mobile CPU system, we offer automation solutions designed specifically for critical environmental conditions often present in commercial vehicle and outdoor applications. Recently we added three new option boards for its X90 product line.”

Kulkarni feels that in the developed countries like America and Japan, construction automation is already implemented in civil infrastructure and housing projects. He adds, “Advanced automation and control technologies are helping them in skeleton erection, assembling, interior finishing, concrete compaction, etc. However, India still has a long way to go in implementing automation, which is rapidly evolving. Research and development and technology awareness are critical areas where our country needs to invest in demonstrating some throttlehold in these areas.”

Ifm has developed the ecomatmobile series controllers and components especially for mobile applications. The most important part of mobile machines is the mobile controller that offers free programmability, configurability of the inputs and outputs and a CAN interface with CANopen and SAE J1939 protocol.

Amit Hatgine, Manager-System Business, Ifm electronic, says, “Customers are also realising that increased productivity and the reliability of construction equipment ultimately translates into higher profitability from fewer defect-related claims and the avoidance of death penalties. This is also one of the reasons that the end-users are demanding highly productive and technologically advanced machines.”

Says Sandeep Mathur, Brand Leader – India and SAARC, CASE Construction Equipment, “With increased focus towards newer technologies, digitisation is going to be the biggest trends in the construction equipment sector in near future. Companies are working towards leveraging digital technologies such as IoT, big data, automation, artificial intelligence, etc. and integrating the same in the upcoming machines. Moreover, with the fourth industrial revolution, we can use these emerging technologies to create smart tools and factories for the future which will help us increase the productivity and efficiency.”

“Our machine is equipped with InSite, our in-house a suite of telematics solutions. InSite provides information on aspects like location data, asset utilisation, geo fencing, operations monitoring, health alerts and fuel level monitoring. This enables equipment owners to have better control over their operations and thereby realise a better return on investment. We are gradually seeing an increasing level of interest among customers as they are realising the benefits that accrue due to these technologies. Customers are increasingly accepting them, as they ensure a better handle over customers’ operations, driven by the data in terms of condition of operations, fuel levels, maintenance notifications and daily SMS reports, among others”, says Rahul Shorey, National Head – Construction, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery.

“Our range has been built on a global platform, equipped with world-class renowned components, which makes product technological advancements. Apart from this, all our products are telematic-enabled, which provides freedom to customers to monitor machines from anywhere. With our telematics, the customers get higher security, optimum operational efficiency, easier and precise fleet monitoring, which increases machine productivity, reduced costs and improved fleet utilisation,” says VG Sakthi Kumar, Managing Director, Schwing Stetter (India).

Business owners can reduce costs and improve safety while the project team benefits from increased productivity by allowing robotics to take over high-risk tasks. Construction automation technology can also ensure projects are completed in a timely manner, as production is kept moving despite uncontrollable factors that might hinder completion time under other operating conditions.