Forbes Shire Council, in the central west of NSW, has been a pioneer among local government in the state in its use of GPS-based surveying and machine control systems – a move it has found has paid off in terms of efficiency and speed of works. Based around the town of Forbes, located about 400 km west of Sydney, the shire services a population of just over 9,000 people. Over the past five or six years, it has pioneered the use of GPS-based systems among NSW councils for its survey works, and as a result of the efficiencies and successes it achieved, has since moved into machine control systems for its road construction equipment. According to design engineer
While there has been plenty of attention in recent years on the productivity and performance advantages of the latest precision machine control technology in “high-end” construction projects and on large machinery, there are also huge benefits for smaller machines such as tractors and skidsteers. These cover applications as diverse as house pads, general earthworks, sports grounds and industrial construction. For the past 20 years, Aptella has been tailoring solutions for these smaller machines to meet the needs of customers around Australia. One such innovation is a “laser-tractor” system for small agricultural tractors, incorporating Topcon machine-mounted lasers, custom-fit hydraulics and electrics, and a specially designed blade to enable precision grading on a small scale. “Initially we manufactured a single
