John Deere has a new agreement. Image: John Deere
John Deere has revealed a new partnership with a leading technology company to bolster its offering for quarry customers.
Technology is the way of the future in the quarrying industry.
Companies are increasingly investing in research and development in their technology, offering technology-based services and services to ensure customers are at the forefront of their respective industries.
John Deere has revealed a new partnership with Leica Geosystems to enhance its offering to the heavy construction and quarrying industries.
John Deere’s senior product manager for grade management, Mark Colvin told Quarry the partnership with bring new technologies and services to construction professionals.
“Working with Leica Geosystems is a tremendous opportunity,” Colvin said.
“(Leica’s) advanced technology solutions, paired with the power and performance of the John Deere construction equipment line-up, makes for a highly productive, efficient and seamless jobsite for our customers.”
Leica Geosystems, which is part of Hexagon, has more than 200 years of history and has made its name in positioning technology, sensors, and software services.
The company has worked across a wide range of sectors including construction, mining, and infrastructure with its product offering.
According to the two companies, their combined technology offering will deliver solutions to improve productivity and reduce material costs and the number of passes required.
The partnership will see Leica Geosystems’ technology, software, and services available for customers to purchase on select John Deere construction equipment.
The technology will be available with John Deere’s SmartGrade platform. The SmartGrade technology is a fully integrated 3D mastless machine control system which was released in 2019.
The company’s SmartGrade machines are fully calibrated at the factory and have no external masts, cables or GNSS receivers to install or remove, which means John Deere machines are ready for work.
The removal of the external technology means operators can spend more time on their passes and grading without the need to mount and calibrate equipment, which eliminates downtime.
The SmartGrade system has an easy-to-use automation suite which operators can access to streamline common tasks to enhance productivity. The machine presets feature enables the operator to access multiple machine functions, features, and positions from one button.
The auto-articulation feature enables operators to combine front and rear steering. The auto-pass feature is one of the company’s newest additions to the automation suite.
It is used at the start and end of grading passes and enables operators to streamline their input. The technology has been a popular addition to John Deere’s motor grader and dozer line-up.
“The availability of SmartGrade with Leica’s solutions allows John Deere and our dealers to participate and support various jobsites while meeting the technology needs of our customers,” Colvin said.
It comes on the back of recent data which indicates customers are increasingly investing in technology for their businesses.
A McKinsey report, From start-up to scale-up: Accelerating growth in construction technology, showed that the construction industry – alongside architecture and engineering – has spent an estimated $50 billion in technology between 2020 to 2022. The estimated expenditure is 85 per cent higher than in the preceding three years.
Most respondents to the McKinsey survey indicated they expected to see similar expenditure in 2023 and in the future.
Leica Geosystems vice president for heavy construction in United States and Canada Troy Dahlin said the partnership was a strong combination of manufacturing expertise and technology.
“We are thrilled to be working with John Deere, a company that shares a similar culture and commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction,” he said.
“Together, we will bring new levels of accuracy, productivity, and accelerate the implementation of safe and sustainable workflows to the construction industry.
“This is helping our customers succeed in today’s competitive marketplace and enhancing their resilience for tomorrow.”
To see what automation upgrades are available for John Deere motor graders, contact a John Deere dealer. •
For more information, visit deere.com.au
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