Sunbelt Rentals UK supply smaller electric machines such as dumpers, and excavators up to 2.5T, but the problem is the large excavators. Although our stage V plant can help significantly reduce tail pipe emissions, large plant is still a high consumer of fuel, and our largest excavators can pump out CO2 emissions at an alarming rate – with some averaging 16 tonnes per year*.  Though fuel options available such as biodiesels are available, which alongside being a sustainable diesel alternative is also low emission, it still does produce those emissions.

We also do our best to increase fuel efficiency: reducing idle time, training our operators to high standards, selecting the right machine for the job. Electric and hybrid plant are good options – but even electricity has a carbon footprint. So, then what? The solution, we think, lies in the amount you use the machine in the first place. Wouldn’t it benefit your project and your fuel emissions to spend less time on that work?

Enter machine control solutions.

Machine control uses 3D design models of your project to enable operators to accurately position earthwork machinery, allowing for precise digging and grading. Multiple sensors are fitted to the machine to track movement, and a machine control panel is fitted inside the cabin, displaying the model and allowing the operator to see, in real time, how close their work is to the design. Using this technology, operators can dig once and get the results that you want – the first time, every time.

We worked with Tough Construction, a groundworks contractor, to deliver a full project solution with machine control – we provided the equipment, installed it in their plant machines, provided training and gave full technical support. The results speak for themselves, with a minimum of 4 hours being saved while digging foundations alone. On a 100-home development, this would be a time saving of 400 hours. For foundations, the operator takes less times to follow a screen than to decipher marks on the ground, there is no requirement for a second person to check the dig level, or for an engineer to spend time calculating coordinates for the foundation on site.

The company have since gone on to use machine control across their projects, discovering time and cost savings on drainage runs, cut and fill operations, and roads. For roads, there is no requirement for an engineer to visit site to set up profiles, or for a groundworker to use a traveller to construct the road. Weeks are saved on cut and fill operations, as there is no requirement to profile the ground, use travellers, no remediation and no risk of finished levels being incorrect. With the introduction of machine control, Tough Construction were able to complete a 50,000m cut and fill operation 2 months ahead of schedule, with no additional labour.

So, when using machine control, you can spend less time on the job itself, increasing your productivity, and reducing your costs, and less time with the engine running or idle. That can mean a huge decrease in fuel consumption and therefore lower carbon emissions.

How much? We’ve done the maths on that using some figures we’ve sourced from our own telematics on our hire fleet, so you can get a rough example.

For one day, an 8T excavator worked for 7 hours and 50 minutes. It spent 6 hours and 21 minutes working and 1 hour and 29 minutes idle. It used 43 litres of fuel, at a rate of 5.48 litres per hour, which resulted in 114.7kgs of carbon emissions. Now, if you saved 4 hours of work on this particular excavator, you would be looking at saving approximately 21.5 litres of fuel, resulting in saving 57.35 kgs of carbon emissions on average.

Of course, we know that fuel consumption varies drastically from machine to machine, so we’ve looked at an example of a very high utilisation rate too. We found that an 8T excavator that spent 11 hours and 3 minutes working, 1 hour and 6 minutes of which were idle, it used 89 litres of fuel and resulted in 237.4kgs of carbon emissions. 4 hours saved on that machine would be a total of 84kgs of carbon emissions on average.

And there are further benefits. As the operator is working accurately, it also has an extra advantage for the environment – we don’t over-excavate. This means less material waste, less likelihood of ground destabilisation and a reduced need for compaction works, and it’s safer as there’s a lower risk of falling material. The removal of engineers and groundworkers on the site or around the machine also allows for a higher level of worker safety.

What’s more, it’s all digital. Machine control interacts with your plans and is part of your connected site, so you can ensure that all your personnel are working to the same plans, with the latest updated information, and you can track progress. Link that with telematics and you can see your exact idle time fuel consumption, working time fuel consumption and fuel efficiency, and be able to analyse how your operators are working for maximum effectiveness.

It’s clear that the industry is taking the environmental impact of our live sites seriously. Machine control is already being implemented by small and large companies alike, being mandated on larger projects and included in tender bids. So, why not start to make the change today and implement machine control across your projects?

How Sunbelt Rentals can help

So, what is the process when you begin your digital transformation journey to machine control?

First, you’ll have an initial consultation with our experts which involves discussions around the hardware, software and data handling you will need. They’ll talk to you about your office to field and field t office process and develop solutions designed to work with your existing workflows. Our team will also ensure that any further services such as training are included in the discussion. We will then make you a recommendation with a quote and agree this with you.

The next step depends on our agreement. If you need model conversion, site localisation and base station setup, we’ll ensure that the work is done so that upon delivery and installation you are ready to go.

Any training, for either your engineers or your plant operators, can be done before installation, or at any point throughout the process. Courses include GNSS and Coordinate Systems, Data Management, and Machine Control simulator training.

We also offer Machine control data management and remote support throughout should you need it, with a dedicated helpline for our support team.

Once your project is complete, our team will uninstall the machine control equipment and remove it from site.

For more information on what we’ve mentioned in this blog, see these pages online:

• Machine Control Solutions
• Machine Control Hire Kit
• HVO Fuel Solutions
• Plant Safety Equipment
• Plant Hire Including Electric Plant
• About Command Centre

*based on 36 ton excavator figures from https://www.ardenthire.com/img/img-uploads//FINAL_Co2_Offset_2020.pdf