How to Use Grade Control for Excavators — Volvo Dig Assist

Using Grade Control for Excavators with Volvo Dig Assist

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We’ve made Dig Assist Start, the basic package in our Dig Assist portfolio of apps, standard on new Volvo models ranging from EC220E to EC550E. It's designed for both novice and veteran operators, boasting an intuitive interface and a brief learning curve. This article aims to demonstrate how straightforward it is to use the full suite of Dig Assist apps and how it can significantly enhance your productivity.

In previous discussions, I’ve highlighted six ways to generate quick ROI with excavator machine controls. This series delves deeper into setting up common tasks to make excavation, trenching, and digging more efficient.

• Part 1 focuses on Dig Assist Start, emphasizing on leveling, sloping, and taking quick measurements.
• To learn how to follow a line or create excavation profiles from the cab, check out Part 2: In-Field Design.
• Part 3: Dig Assist Enhancements, reviews recent updates to the app that make it faster and easier to use.

How to Use Dig Assist Start

Dig Assist Start is standard on Volvo EC220E to EC550E models and optional on most other Volvo crawler and wheeled excavators. It includes three fundamental features:

1. Level
2. Slope
3. Quick Measure

With Dig Assist Start, simply touch the bucket to the ground and indicate how far down and at what angle you wish to dig. The screen will display your bucket's distance from the target depth, and a light bar will guide you towards achieving the desired depth.

You don’t need to watch the screen constantly; just glance at the light bar. Blue means keep digging, green indicates you’re on grade, and yellow/orange shows you need to back off because you've dug too deep. You can also enable an audio alert for grade confirmation. It's that easy.

If you want to perform more complex tasks, you can do so, and Parts 2 and 3 of this series will discuss some of these. For typical excavator operators, however, the program is nearly as simple as taking a photo with your phone. Here are a few real-world scenarios to illustrate how easy Dig Assist Start is to use:

First, select your quick coupler, measure your buckets, and store them in the system. Adding buckets and other attachments allows Dig Assist to provide accurate measurements. Once this information is entered and stored (which only takes minutes), you’re ready to start.

Digging a Trench with Slope: To dig a trench 10 feet deep at a 3-degree slope, follow these steps:

1. Touch the bucket teeth to the ground and hit “0.0” at the bottom right to establish your bench.
2. Select the depth by touching the dimension area and use the arrows or calculator icon to input 10 feet.
3. Touch the angle icon to add a 3-degree slope, or enter it as a percent gradient if preferred.
4. After inputting the depth and slope, the view returns to the main screen, showing how far you need to dig to reach your target. The light bar will guide you (blue = keep going, green = on target, yellow/orange = dug too far).

If a slope isn’t required, the “Level” feature allows you to maintain a consistent depth throughout the trench.

Quick Measure: This feature calculates the values of angle and/or distance using your bucket tip.

1. Set the bucket tooth at the starting point of your measurement.
2. Tap the ‘+’ symbol to start the measurement.
3. Move the bucket. The screen displays the distances and angles from the starting point to the current bucket position.
4. Tap the ‘X’ symbol to erase the measurement.

Quick Measure is useful for checking your work. For instance, to verify that a trench is 8 feet deep, tap your reference at ground level and then various points at the trench bottom to confirm the depth.

Dig Assist Start is also beneficial for other applications, such as surface mining, where removing a specific depth of material is required. Program the intended depth, and Dig Assist Start helps you achieve it accurately, allowing you to check your work with Quick Measure at the end of the job.

If you haven’t tried Dig Assist Start yet, give it a go. The features are simple to program, making them an invaluable tool for streamlining and accelerating your tasks. Additionally, it offers multiple views, such as Volvo Smart View, which provides a 360-degree bird’s-eye view to enhance jobsite safety.

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Be sure to check out Part 2, where additional features available with In-field Design are discussed. If you have questions about Dig Assist Start or the Volvo Co-pilot display, leave them in the comments below, and we’ll respond promptly.

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