Working without excavation damage thanks to digital surveying and 3D GPS machine control

Public space is getting busier and busier. Also underground. As a contractor in, for example, the cable and pipeline market, it is therefore crucial that you work efficiently and carefully in order to prevent excavation damage - and thus inconvenience to the surroundings. By measuring yourself digitally with marXact's UNI-Complete package, you remain in full control at every project location. 

"And our UNI-Machine 3D GPS machine control system is also coming to market soon," said Tommy van der Heijden, co-founder of marXact. "With that, anyone can dig with centimeter accuracy."

Easy localization reduces risk

"With our user-friendly measurement software from the UNI-Complete package, including our own KLIC viewer, we display the necessary information about cables and pipes on the map in UNI-Connect. This makes it easy to locate each cable by plotting with GPS, makes it easier to dig trial trenches and significantly reduces the risks of excavation damage," says Tommy. "In addition, users immediately comply with the recently required directive to view KLIC data digitally at excavation sites AND the risk of excavation damage is significantly reduced." Tommy emphasizes its simplicity. "With our equipment it is possible for any excavator who can operate a smartphone to map the current situation and then measure the cable centimeter-accurately in the correct location, without the need for a surveyor. That saves costs and time." Another advantage is that the generated measured data is immediately available digitally in the cloud, after which an AutoCAD delivery drawing of the cable can be generated in the office that can be provided to the network operator, so that the cable can be put into use quickly. 

Independent of surveyor

"First of all, let it be said that we have enormous respect for surveyors, who with their enormous amount of knowledge and know-how can apply their expertise perfectly in complex situations. But because good professionals are scarce and as a contractor in the cable and pipeline market you don't want to be dependent on others, we offer this solution." The price indication for the UNI-Connect measuring set is around 5,000 euros. "So price-wise interesting, but another important advantage is the user-friendliness. Field workers can do much more than they think and so the specialized surveyor can be deployed where they are needed most." Tommy explains that marXact's software and hardware is really tailored to the user in the field. "We listen to what they need and incorporate that into the development and production of our solutions."

Extending simplicity to excavators

The same goes for the UNI-Machine, which marXact is developing together with Nijhuis Engineering Dronten. "We want to extend both simplicity and interesting pricing to excavators, so we joined forces and created a strong and user-friendly solution. The UNI-Machine is a 3D GPS machine control system with which, after measuring quickly and efficiently using UNI-Connect, excavation work can be carried out with centimetre precision. It will soon be on the market for a price between 15,000 and 20,000 euros, depending on the configuration of the machine. This makes it very interesting for contractors in the cable and pipeline market, but also for landscapers, gardeners, landscape architects, medium to large earth movers and, for example, smaller machines." The UNI-Machine is currently still under development, but the beta version is already running on several machines throughout the Netherlands. "We do this to optimize the functions based on feedback from the professionals in the field. After all, they are the ones who have to work with it every day." In addition to the new UNI-Machine, marXact will introduce the UNI-GR2 GPS measuring stick in September. "The successor to the UNI-GR1, which BAM, Baas, A.Hak, VS Hanab and many others already frequently work with for measuring home connections to electricity, water, gas and media. The UNI-GR2 has a longer battery life and good 4G connectivity but above all an improved GNSS chip so you have an even faster fix," Tommy says in conclusion.