Known for its GPS grade control systems for large equipment, Topcon has expanded into the compact arena with its new automatic 2D grade control for compact track loaders.
The 2D-MC system works with a box blade attachment and connects directly to the CTL’s in-cab controls. The exterior masts attached to the box blade work with a typical jobsite rotatary laser.
The operator sets the grade with a tablet mounted in the cab. The system uses a CAN bus connection. “It goes right into the brain of the equipment,” said Brandon Jaynes, company spokesman, at the Topcon booth at World of Concrete. “You can get this up and running in about 15 minutes. It’s an affordable cost of entry for midsize contractors who are looking to do more with what they have.”
{Related Content: Topcon’s MC-Mobile: Intuitive Software at Affordable Cost}
The 2D-MC system is compatible with major brands of compact track loaders that weigh at least 8,000 pounds. It can do finish grading for such things as house pads, drainage, roadside rights of way, slope work, sidewalk grading, road base replacement, parking lots, sports fields, landscaping, indoor work, concrete site prep.
It is designed for precision and increased efficiency. The operator no longer has to get in and out of the cab to make adjustments to the blade.
“Now they set that grade, go almost at full speed, depending on what they’re pushing through, and the grade that they ask the system to deliver is the grade that they get,” said Oscar Cantú, Topcon construction content manager.
