Get FinancingKomatsu Reveals 35-Ton-Class Intelligent Machine Control Crawler Excavator
Komatsu’s fifth Intelligent Machine Control hydraulic excavator is here. The new PC290LCi-11 comes equipped with automated digging technologies first introduced on the company’s PC210LCi.
“The PC290LCi-11 is perfect for applications where the customer is looking for good stability and working range, while avoiding the transportation limits of larger-size-class excavators,” says Komatsu America tracked equipment senior product manager Andrew Earing.
The new 35-ton-class PC290LCi-11 fits between the 25-ton-class PC210LCi-11 and the 40-ton-class PC360LCi-11 in the smaller end of Komatsu’s IMC excavator lineup. They are joined by the larger 45-ton-class PC390LCi-11 and 50-ton-class PC490LCi -11.
“Dig Straight To Grade”
Komatsu’s Intelligent Machine Control, which debuted in April 2013, has been augmented and refined ever since. In 2017, for example, IMC-equipped excavators received new machine-control joysticks with switches for frequently used controls such as manual/semi-auto mode switching and design surface offset adjustment.
The integrated, semi-automatic IMC control system makes digging faster and more accurate, the company says, without the risk of over-excavation. It’s suitable for trenching, slope work, and high-production applications, according to Komatsu.
IMC uses 3D GNSS (global navigation satellite system) technology, integrated at the factory, to guide the dig. Unlike aftermarket alternatives, Komatsu says, IMC goes beyond just showing the operator where to dig and actually moves the excavator’s hydraulics to make it happen.
Stroke sensing hydraulic cylinders immediately show the operator their exact positions on the IMC’s 12.1-inch (307-millimeter) touchscreen display in contrast to delay-ridden third-party systems. The display also gives the operator a customizable 3D view of the machine and design surfaces, along with a compass arrow indicating the facing angle to help position the bucket edge square against the target surface.
Other novel features of the PC290LCi-11 include Auto Grade Assist and Minimum Distance Control to reduce over-digging, as well as Auto Stop Control to prevent damage to the design surface.
By The Numbers
The PC290LCi-11’s Komatsu SAA6D107E-3 engine is a Tier 4 final emissions-certified unit with 196 horsepower (146 kilowatts). The 6.69-liter, 6-cylinder motor uses DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) and a DPF (diesel particulate filter). Top speed for the machine is 3.4 mph (km/h).
The excavator’s operating weight is approximately 70,700 to 72,100 pounds (32.1 to 32.7 metric tons). It has a bucket capacity of 0.76 to 2.13 cubic yards (0.58 to 1.63 cubic meters). A 10-foot, 6-inch (3.2-meter) arm and a 20-foot, 2-inch (6.15-meter) boom are available.
Source: Komatsu
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