Application of Inclinometer on Excavator for Chassis Leveling and Excavation Depth Measurement Contr

Excavator is an earthmoving machine that uses a bucket to excavate materials above or below the surface of the carrier into the transport vehicle or to the stockyard. Along with the rapid development of global infrastructure, excavators have been widely used in many countries. As the use of excavator is very extensive, it has become one of the most important construction machinery in engineering construction.

I. Great Importance of Using Inclinometer on Excavator

The working environment of the excavator is complex and variable, so it is especially important to ensure its working efficiency and safety during operation on site. Excavators often need to excavate at a construction site with a certain slope, which poses a severe test for the safety of their drivers and machinery. Therefore, it is necessary to apply the inclinometer to perform real-time inclination measurement and monitoring of its body and arm during the excavator process, so as to improve construction efficiency and safety.

II. Application of Inclinometer on Excavator for Chassis Leveling

The digging force of the excavator has a direct relationship with the adhesion coefficient between the ground and the track. If the digging force exceeds the limited value, in the case of backhoe, the excavator will slide forward, which is very dangerous. Meanwhile, due to the gravity of the excavator itself and the consequent reduction in the adhesion coefficient, the digging force will be correspondingly reduced. The static inclination sensor mounted on the excavator chassis can measure the horizontal inclination of the body and transmit the data to the control system, thereby judging the actual magnitude of the digging force at the angle, and avoiding excessive digging force and leading forward, which effectively prevents the safety accident from happening. When the slope is too large, it may lead to rollover. However, by comparing the data measured by digital inclinometer with the dangerous value, it can directly alarm to prevent dangerous accidents.

III. Application of Inclinometer on Excavator for Excavation Depth Measurement Control

The excavation depth measurement of excavator is achieved via measuring the pitch angle of the mechanical arm and various parts of the bucket. Then the excavation depth data can be obtained through a certain mathematical calculation method. Usually, it requires to measure the angle data of three points including two mechanical arms and one bucket. Since the excavator's arms and buckets have a fixed size, and they are controlled by the hydraulic system of the excavator, so the height of the bucket can be calculated by a simple mathematical method:

• H'' = H- (L2Xsinθ2-L1Xsinθ1)

• H means the height of big arm end above the ground

• L2 stands for the fixed length of small arm

• L1 stands for the fixed length of big arm

The real-time angles of θ1 and θ2 can be respectively measured by a dynamic inclinometer sensor. The real-time pitch angle θ3 of the bucket can be measured using a dynamic inclinometer mounted on the bucket. The real-time excavation depth of the bucket (relative to the ground on which the body is located) can be obtained using the formula L3Xsinθ3-H''.

IV. Successful Application of SST810 Inclinometers on HITACHI Excavator in China

The SST810 gyroscope inclinometer and SST20 low-cost static inclinometer, which are developed by Vigor Technology, can be seamlessly embedded into the excavator's central control system through the CAN interface, enabling the operator to grasp the excavator's body level and excavation depth in real time. It ensures the safety of the operator and greatly improves the efficiency of on-site construction.

Recently, one of our Chinese customers send us some on-site photos. Based on customer feedback, Vigor Technology SST810 dynamic inclinometers are installed on the small arm, big arm and bucket of HITACHI excavator for real-time excavation depth measurement. After installing SST810 inclinometers on the excavator, the safety performance and operational accuracy of the excavator have been greatly improved.