Doosan expand Smart Solutions Powered by Innovation

Latest developments and a glimpse of what customers can expect to see from Doosan in the future

UNDER the theme of ‘Powered by Innovation’, Doosan Infracore Europe have announced a number of new developments that not only add to the company’s current Smart Solutions portfolio for the Doosan range of construction, quarrying and mining equipment, but also give a preview of what will be coming from the company in the future.

They include a new strategic partnership with Palantir Technologies, an American big data unicorn (a term for a start-up company with a current valuation of US$1 billion or more). This is the first partnership of its type in Korea and forms part of the company’s efforts to provide new products and services by converging ICT technologies such as big data and the Internet of Things (IoT).

The service programmes within Doosan Smart Solutions also aim to maximize operating efficiency by creating a smart work environment and, as part of this, Doosan have launched a new mobile app for Apple and Android devices for their successful DoosanCONNECT fleet- and asset-management system, which now covers more than 70,000 of Doosan’s machines worldwide. Further support is provided by a package programme of regular maintenance and extended warranty designed by Doosan and carried out by the service teams at Doosan dealers.

To meet increasing demand for the increased efficiency offered by machine-guidance systems on excavators, Doosan Smart solutions is now offering new Leica, Trimble and Xsite Ready Kits for Doosan wheeled and crawler excavators from 14 to 30 tonnes. Doosan’s Smart Solutions already provide factory-installed options for the increased flexibility offered by SVAB/Steelwrist tiltrotator systems for the Doosan wheeled excavator range. 

In a glimpse of the future at Bauma 2019, Doosan achieved an industry first with a demonstration of long-distance remote control of machines using the new 5G telecommunications platform, and also previewed the company’s ConceptX, which will provide a complete suite of solutions for site automation, including fuel-cell drones and autonomous vehicles.

Charlie Park, chief executive officer of Doosan Infracore Europe, said: ‘The construction, quarrying and mining industries are becoming increasingly digitalized. We want to stay ahead by investing heavily in new technology for our product development, which includes investing in our drone solutions and automated machine control.

‘We are also partnered with many big solution providers such as Trimble, Leica, Moba (Novatron) and now Palantir. We want to be known as the most technology-friendly brand in our markets.’

In what was one of the highlights of the Bauma 2019 exhibition in Munich, Germany, Doosan were the first manufacturer to use 5G technology for worldwide ‘TeleOperation’ of construction machines.

Doosan have coined the term TeleOperation to describe the operation of construction equipment from a remote station, and at Bauma, remote really meant remote – operating a 40-tonne Doosan DX380LC-5 crawler excavator located over 8,500km away in Incheon, South Korea, from an operator’s booth on Doosan’s Bauma stand.

Another eye-catching feature of Doosan’s stand at Bauma was a video demonstration of Doosan Mobility Innovation’s drones for monitoring and analysing machine performance and wider operation efficiency on construction, mine and quarry sites.

Later this year, Doosan are looking to demonstrate ConceptX, their wide-ranging digital technology development for construction and quarrying machines. Mr Park explained: ‘It will be an event in South Korea and we are aiming to stage it in November. It will show customers, dealers and the market in general where Doosan are going with their product development and will include our complete suite of solutions: control centres, cloud-based systems, digitalized machines, autonomous driving and our drones.’

The new pre-installed Leica, Trimble and Xsite Ready Kits can now be ordered direct from the factory through Doosan Smart Solutions for use with Leica, Trimble and Xsite 2D and 3D machine-guidance systems. Doosan also offer factory-installed SVAB/Steelwrist options for the company’s DX140W-5, DX160W-5, DX165W-5 and DX170W-5 wheeled excavators.

As well as the standard functionality offered by the DoosanCONNECT system, the mobile app offers new functions, such as: directions to machines; call service, whereby the app connects the customer directly with the Doosan dealer’s service operation; and a ‘chat’ option, to send messages to the service provider.

DoosanCARE is described as a unique and direct customer care programme offering ‘Total Solutions’ that are essential to customers’ business development, leading to long-lasting partnership and shared growth. Among the benefits provided by this proactive customer solution is a focus on improving machine productivity, increasing machine lifetime and planning service support on the customer side.

Mr Park continued: ‘Our growth strategy is focused on having a more diverse product and aftermarket services offer. We want to differentiate from others with our higher level of product support and services. To do that, we are creating additional product offerings and improving our servicing capability, through DoosanCARE and our replacement parts availability. Additional products will include new, special-application machines, such as demolition excavators and material handlers, and increased attachment options, such as tiltrotators.’