Leica Geosystems is opting for the PS236 fully rugged PDA from Getac to allow its customers to reap the benefits of reduced manpower whilst realising significant cost savings.
The company’s range of surveying products are used on construction sites across the world and trusted by professionals to help them capture, model, analyse, visualise and present spatial information.
Getac’s PS236 fully rugged PDA is being used with the Leica iCON software solution together with the Leica iCON robot 50 total station. The system offers operators the scalability of being able to change the top of the unit for a long range Bluetooth module and antenna, thanks to proprietary Getac technology FlexiConn.
FlexiConn enables operators to use the PS236 to control the Leica iCON robot 50 over 350 metres away, making the solution suitable for both large and small building sites.
Leica Geosystems’ new software includes an easy to use interface and full construction terminology, making it straightforward for construction workers to navigate, and making data capture and control simplicity itself, regardless of the operating conditions.
“These devices play a central role in all site activities and perform a number of functions so it’s vital that they continue to deliver, no matter the environment,” explains Ernst Steiger, a Foreman at construction company, Morant.
Steiger also wasn’t sure that one small device could deliver all of the communications and data capture necessary. Previously, his staff needed to carry several devices to perform multiple tasks.
The Getac PS236 delivers a lightweight solution that offers reliable Bluetooth or WLAN connection, in a device able to withstand the tough environment of a typical construction site.
The ranges that are generally offered by a regular Bluetooth connection are not sufficient enough to satisfy the needs of construction sites and that was what drove Leica Geosystems to look for a solution that offered a greater range but delivered the same simplicity as the regularly available Bluetooth or WLAN connection.
The Getac PS236 delivers exactly the long range answer that the company was looking for and with this, Leica Geosystems is able to offer its customers a complete communications solution, which also provides an extended range beyond the typical distances that are standard in other controller devices today.
By offering a fully scalable solution with the advanced software from Leica Geosystems, construction site surveyors are now able to complete a variety of tasks on their own and achieve more accurate results in less working time.
“The new device is incredibly helpful. In the past, two or even three workers were needed to do stake-outs on the construction site. Today, this can be done individually, saving both time and manpower and increasing efficiency,” explained Phillip Boesch, Civil Engineer for construction company Implenia.
Leica Geosystems wanted to offer an easy and lightweight solution, so everything is built into the system, on both the PS236 and the total station.
The big benefit to Leica Geosystems’ customers is the scalability of the different communication modes available with the Getac device.
This allows them to run the equipment in one mode and jump to a higher range module later on, without having to swap to a different piece of kit. This is achieved simply by changing the cap on the top of the controller.
Leica Geosystems has close to 200 years of developing pioneering solutions to help measure the world, and those who use Leica products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver and superior customer support. The Getac PS236 has a less than 2% failure rate per annum, reducing support and servicing costs for Leica Geosystems.
“The tools our customers use simply have to deliver, so if it’s dirty, if it needs to operate reliably in the wet, and if the operator is not handling it with care, then the solution has to be very tough and very rugged,” explains Thomas Ammann, a Leica Geosystems Certified Partner. “The Getac device not only looks very rugged, it has already proven itself in these exacting circumstances.”
For more information on the PS236 visit http://www.getac.co.uk
For further information on Leica Geosystems visit http://www.leica-geosystems.co.uk
