GKD Win Plantworx Innovation Award for SensorHeight&Slew System

GKD Technologies SensorHeight&Slew system has won a Bronze Award in the Plantworx Construction Exhibition Innovation Awards, in the Safety Category.

The awards were presented last night (21st March) following the CEA’s (Construction Equipment Association) annual conference, during a Gala Dinner, hosted by snooker legend, Steve Davis OBE. More than 150 guests attended the presentation, which took place at the Plantworx exhibition’s new home at the East of England Arena in Peterborough on the evening of 21st March 2019.
The innovation award judges, which included Nick Boyle, Technical Innovation Director, Balfour Beatty and Patrick Flannery, Managing Director, Flannery Plant Hire, said that they were particularly impressed with GKD’s SensorHeight&Slew’s simplicity of use, in comparison to alternative systems on the market.
GKD Technologies founder and CEO, Nick Ground said, “For sensor height and slew to be successful in the hire sector GKD had to design a system that would be an invisible helping hand for the machine operator, not a distraction. We believe this is reflected in the success of the product so far and will continue to be the driving force for innovation within GKD.”
GKD’s SensorHeight&Slew – the winning product.
Using proven technology and experience in the construction industry, GKD have developed a new, simplified safety system designed to support the company’s range of motion safety indicators.
GKD’s marketing director, Nigel Baseley said, “We have adapted our trusted and unique algorithms to provide a height and slew system combined into one slim lightweight display.
The UK construction market has increasing requirements for height and slew systems for excavators working on sites across the UK. Using close relationships with our customers, we identified a need for a small and simple system to keep our customers machines working safely in confined areas. The SensorHeight&Slew system uses reliable hardware platforms to support our in-house developed software.”
The system dynamically measures the realtime movement of the machine including the boom and slew positions, to ensure that pre-set limits are withstood. As a safety system the product uses a unique algorithm to slow the machine when approaching the limits to ensure chances of run through of the limit are negligible.”
SensorHeight&Slew is a fully adaptable system which can be configured to control only one function; height or slew, or both. There are further options to stop the machine on reaching limits as well as a travel inhibit feature. This feature stops the machine from travelling when a limit is set to ensure that the slew movements are not affecting the calculations.
Nigel added, “A simple to use display was chosen following feedback that alternative systems are over complicated and make a mountain out of a molehill. Easy to interpret graphics and basic buttons allow the operator to understand and utilise the system whilst continuing to do their day job effectively This product is truly innovative as it has used reliable and proven technology and turned it into a whole new product offering.”

What users of the product have said.
Chris Matthew, Flannery Plant Hire’s Strategic Manager, said, “Having looked at a variety of systems it was clear to us that the GKD system has been designed to support the wide variety of applications for excavators on today’s construction site. It is also, in our opinion, the most straight forward system for the operator, ultimately, we want to use an RCI that helps the operators stay safe and work with as much information as possible – but not so much that it becomes a distraction, the GKD system certainly delivers on these criteria.”
Chris added, “The system’s ability to record data is also very important for us, it allows us to monitor our operator’s performance and highlight any training needs. This ensures we are proactive with our operators and can also help to manage customer expectations onsite.”
Chris Gill, Head of Key Accounts at Lynch Plant Hire, said, “2019 is a big growth year for Lynch and we anticipate an investment of £50Million in new plant. Our investment in GKD products is approaching £1Million in the last 18-months.”
Chris added, “We also got customer and operator feedback who have used various systems and all the reports came back in favour of the GKD system for simplicity and reliability. Operators pointed out that with the GKD system – it only took one explanation on how to set the system up and they were up and running! Whereas competitors’ systems were complicated.
We have been training our staff, our service engineers, our operators and also our yard staff on GKD and the feedback has been really positive. We are also focusing on upskilling workers.”
Source: GKD Technologies Press