SmartGrade technology can be installed as a factory option on G-Series motor graders. Mastless Topcon 3D integrated grade control can also be retrofit with a field kit. SmartGrade is already available on Deere dozers.
SmartGrade eliminates external masts and cables from the moldboard, preventing possible theft or damage. This also removes the need to climb on the machine every day and install blade-mounted sensors and components, reducing setup time and complexity. By removing the masts and leveraging position sensing, the operator can now run without limitation, using all of the machine functions, such as blade pitch, circle side-shift, and circle rotate.
Watch this customer testimonial from Deere.
The grade system interface is built into the Grade Pro (GP) controls available in the fingertip or dual joystick design.
An all new Automation Suite is included with SmartGrade and is available as an option on all GP graders, helping operators in daily production by reducing the number of controls needed to perform common tasks. The suite includes auto-articulation, blade flip, and operator-selectable machine presets.
Auto-articulation combines front steering and rear articulation. Blade flip enables the operator to automatically rotate the blade to a set position without holding the control at the end of a pass. Machine preset allows the operator to activate multiple functions, such as Return-to-Straight, by pressing a single. Up to three positions can be stored in the monitor.
“SmartGrade graders are the latest in a long line of technologies Deere has developed to help customers become more efficient and automate some of the controls for one of the most sophisticated pieces of equipment on the job site,” said Sean Mairet, grade control product marketing manager, John Deere WorkSight.
Below is a promotional video from Deere.
