Sophisticated soil compaction technology

First published at CONEXPO-CON/AGG - March 12, 2020

Caterpillar has developed the Cat Command for Compaction system, featuring new automation tools that enhance operator assistance and help contractors deliver high quality working.

Caterpillar is making the system available on certain machines in the firm’s soil compaction range, initially in North America but also in Europe shortly, with other markets following in due course.

The package offers a semi-automatic compaction tool, using a touchscreen in the cab for control. When using the system, the operator first drives the machine around the working area to map the boundaries of the ground to be compacted and then enters the required compaction parameters using the touchscreen.

The operator can then put the machine in the auto setting and the system will control the drive, steering and vibration parameters as the compactor moves around the preset working area. The system also saves information from jobs carried out previously, which can be accessed through the touchscreen.

For safety, an integrated object detection system alerts the operator if an object is in the way. To optimise quality, the operator can switch the exciter system off when passing over ground that cannot be compacted using vibration, and then re-engage the automatic control system once the area has been passed.

According to the firm, automating the compaction process helps provide optimum working and delivers consistent results, even if the operator is inexperienced. It claims the new Command for Compaction package maximises quality by maintaining a constant speed, with consistent and accurate overlap.

The system helps boost productivity as the machine only carries out the passes required to bring a surface to specification. As a result, the company claims that its system allows contractors to deliver compaction to specification reliably.

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