Unique finds at MOBA – the ‚Super-Level‘

by mklingenhagenAbout MOBA, BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

Unique finds at MOBA – the ‚Super-Level‘

Within 45 years of MOBA history there are quite some systems that have either accumulated over the years or find their way back to us in a number of ways.

So it came, that lately we received this great piece from the mid-80s – and it is still working! The ‘Super-Level’ is an electronic spirit level, which has been built upon an individual request by one customer. By that time, the electronic spirit level could not be bought commercially yet. For this reason, we produced a small amount of 100 pieces.

It was used in road construction to determine the grade of the paved asphalt. The exact value was then shown on its display. Some of the technical specifications were a capacitive liquid sensor and a 9volt block battery as the power supply.

When it comes to the production of technologies for the construction sector, it has always been important to adapt it to special conditions. Exposed to extreme heats, for example, it was essential to use the right sensor and material. For this reason, the scale is made out of wood to protect the sensor from the heat rising from the hot asphalt when freshly laid.

This electronic spirit scale is just an example of how MOBA products have always been adapted to the surrounding they are exposed to. In 45 years of constant feedback from the market, a certain know-how has established itself that is invaluable for us today.

Do you happen to have a MOBA system still in use that we might not even produce anymore? Tell us about your finds! We look forward to see one or another treasure from the very beginning again!

BIM – Building Information Modeling

by Thomas BraunBlog, Road ConstructionPosted on Comments are Disabled

BIM - Building Information Modeling

What is BIM?

Building information modeling (BIM) is an ongoing process to generate, monitor and save physical and functional data for construction sites and building sites. Building information models (BIMs) are files (often but not always in exclusive formats and containing proprietary data) which can be extracted, exchanged or networked to support decision-making regarding a building or other built asset. Design and construction of roads and railways includes most often needs and work tasks to fit geometrically bridges into the roads. Compared to the traditional methods, BIM based modelling and construction process offer new advanced possibilities for this fitting work. Current BIM software is used by individuals, businesses and government agencies who plan, design, construct, operate and maintain diverse physical infrastructures, such as water, refuse, electricity, gas, communication utilities, roads, bridges, ports, tunnels, etc..

The simple process below describes the steps how BIM support in the building process – Model based Construction Process

What is the main benefit of BIM?

BIM means that you not only capture reality but also maintain control of the data which improves the collaboration of divers entities involved in the construction process. BIM supports in looking at a project from the big picture but at the same time allows to dive into detail. The BIM toolset helps automate clash detection of elements such as electrical conduit or ductwork that run into a beam. By modeling all of these things first, clashes are discovered early, and costly on-site issues can be reduced. The digital model also ensures a perfect fit of elements that are manufactured off-site, allowing these components to be easily bolted into place rather than created on-site. The advantage of prior simulation process saves money, time and resources.

Below you can see an example of the evolvement of data in the finish construction process. While in 1970 all drawings were still paper based – 35 years later 3D is the state of the Art for large scale construction development nationwide.

BIM founder and specialist Petteri Palviainen stipulates that “(…) it is just a matter of time until other countries will follow to use BIM as a mandatory tool in building and construction processes”

Watch this space – The next BIM article will show BIM advancements in other countries such as Vietnam and give a deeper insight how BIM is connected to open source data management programs such as “Infrakit” as well as give a major focus on machine control aspects of BIM.

Credit to: Petteri Palviainen Heikkilä, R., University of Oulu, Finnalnd), Modeling versus Data Management https://www.autodesk.com/redshift/building-information-modeling-top-10-benefits-of-bim/

Turning data into information

by Thomas BraunBlog, Road ConstructionPosted on Comments are Disabled

Turning data into information

Last week, I wrote an article and used the phrase “turning data into information”. I stopped and realized that on an intuitive level I knew what this phrase meant, but I started thinking what actually distinct data from information?

After a quick Google search, I realized that the term ‘information’ is differently defined and used across different disciplines like computer sciences, linguistics, biology, history, or theology. After some more re-search I found a communications engineering-heavy definition of information, which helped me to see the difference between data and information.

Please be aware that this definition of information is created by a creationist to prove that there is no evolution. As critics have pointed out, transforming this communications engineering definition of information into the area of biology and evolution is an attribution error. I also struggle to follow the reasoning that there is no evolution (based on this information definition). However, this is not a blog about beliefs and I found it helpful to understand the difference between data and information.

Basically, there are five levels, which I want to briefly introduce.

Statistics

The statistics of an information interprets the descriptive part based on quantitative measures. For example, questions around count and composition of characters, frequency of character combinations and so on are answered. It relays heavily on the mathematical theory of sets.

Syntax

The syntax of an information summarizes all structural features. This level does not look at content or meaning, but focuses on sign systems, which are used to code the information. It also includes formal and informal rules about possible combinations of characters and strings (of characters). Additionally, morphology, phonetics and vocabulary are looked at. If all aspects are given, it is called a language. Even though there a lot of different languages all of them have sign systems and agreed-on rules.

Only through language it is possible to transmit and store information. Actually, sender and receiver of an information (humans, animals and technical systems) need to know the aspect of syntax if they want to understand the information.

Semantic

The semantic of an information describes the meaning. Meaning is basically the invariance of the information. Even if the statistics and syntax of an information changes, the meaning stays the same. For example, if you encode an information into a natural language, a blueprint or programming language, the meaning stays the same.

Pragmatism

The pragmatism of an information focuses on the aspect that information transfer always includes the sender’s intention to produce some result from the receiver. The sender might openly formulate his intention, but it might also be implicit within the message.

Apobetics

Apobetics describes the result or purpose of the information itself. Each information contains a purpose or objective of the sender. For example, the sentence ‘buy our great new product for only $10!’ requires the receiver to go to the store (action part, pragmatism), while the intended purpose is that the receiver of the information buys the product.

Data vs Information

With this definition, I think the differences between data and information become more evident. Data and information have both statistics and syntax in common. Both can be statistically analysed and there must be syntax so that the receiver and sender of data and information can understand each other. Even semantic is common for data and information. Data can be represented in a lot of different format; the data stay the same. For instance, a height deviation during the paving process might be shown as number on a screen, but also as a blinking arrow. It is still the same data.

However, if we get to the aspects of pragmatism and apobetics, it becomes evident, how data are turned into information. For example, current engine data from a ship in an ocean most likely does not create any kind of action from you as the receiver (the pragmatism aspect). You also do not care about the purpose of the message. However, if you get engine data from your machine on a jobsite, this turns into information. If you see unusual data, you start actions to figure out what is wrong with the engine by remotely connecting to the machine or calling the operator (the pragmatism aspect). The overlaying purpose of the information is to avoid unexpected downtime.

And what has this to do with the job site?

This might all sound rather theoretical, but there is a good take away from this reflection on data and information for me. If you a use a control system for a construction machine or a telematics systems, which can provide heaps of data, make sure that only the data are shown and used, on which you need to act on and which help you to solve a higher purpose. Then you turned data into information. Otherwise it is just data clutter.

What do you think? Did I miss important aspects which turn data into information? I am keen to hear from you.

Developed and developing countries – different requirements for machines and machine control systems

by mklingenhagenBlog, Road ConstructionPosted on Comments are Disabled

Developed and developing countries – different requirements for machines and machine control systems

All over the world, road building machines and machine control systems are working in different projects. That can be the construction of a completely new road or the renovation of an old road.

For all these projects machines as well as machine control systems have to be robust, work precisely and reliably.

The difference, however, can be huge, depending on which country a machine is working. While in developed countries the most important factors are reliability, precision and the latest technologies and flexibility; in developing countries robustness, easy operation and cheapness are the main factors.

In developed countries reliability is very important because the planning of road construction projects is very strict, that means there are no buffers in timelines. The whole chain from asphalt plant over truck planning, asphalt laying up to compaction is jam-packed and if only one single machine is not working properly or a machine breaks down, the whole chain stands still and the complete process is postponed. That, in turn, means the project can’t be finished on time and often the company has to pay penalty payments for the delay. Penalty payments or on the other side bonus payments for imprecise or on the other hand extremely precise work are the reasons why precision also plays an important role. And for precise work, machine control systems with the latest technologies are essential, as a machine works much more precisely with an appropriate machine control system. When companies in developed countries acquire such systems, one decisive factor is the flexibility of a system. That means that for example a control system for a paver can work with different sensors, accordingly to the requirements of different projects, like MOBA-matic with its different sensors and possible combinations.

In comparison to developed countries, in developing countries it is in most cases important to have a machine and a machine control system that is very robust because the circumstances are often rough. For example, extreme heat or dust demand a lot from machine and control system. It is also important that the operation is simple, so that also unskilled workers can work with it without time-consuming instructions. Also, the equipment must not be too expensive, that is why often machines like pavers are reused in developing countries after being taken out of service after having already worked seven until ten years in developed countries. The machines are often getting refurbished and modified with MOBA systems.

Asphalt compositions for different application scenarios

by mklingenhagenBlog, Road ConstructionPosted on Comments are Disabled

Asphalt compositions for different application scenarios – a brief overview

Asphalt is the key material for road construction. It is, however, as versatile as there are use cases for paved roads. There is not one universal recipe for each application. It is rather the composition of components, which defines the physical properties of a road.

Asphalt consists of aggregate and bitumen. The choice of binder type and quantity as well the type of aggregation play an important role in the right composition. Depending on that, asphalt has different cavities. Consequently, different compositions lead to different properties of the asphalt. Dependent on the road requirements, the right choice thus needs to be made regarding the composition of materials. Here an example of how the right composition cancels noise:

The asphalt mix types below describe the recipe of the optimum noise absorption, permeable and porous mastic asphalt.
– The asphalt concrete (AC 8 D) has a uniform grain size distribution and has relatively few cavities
– Due to the high binder contents, the Stone mastic Asphalt (SMA 8) has a relatively low void content.
– By contrast, in the case of cast asphalt (MA 8 n), the space between the coarse grain structure is almost completely filled by its high mortar content.
– The Open pored asphalt (PA 11) is formed by pronounced cavities, as a grain size distribution is present.
– With open poreded cast asphalt (PMA 5), a special cavity structure is achieved by a failure grain in the area of fine aggregate.
– In the noise-optimised asphalt surface (AC 5 D Loa), the special surface texture is achieved by a continuous particle size distribution and a reduced binder content.

Job Story – Big Sonic Ski 4 Sensors

by mklingenhagenBlog, Road ConstructionPosted on Comments are Disabled

Job Story - Big Sonic Ski 4 Sensors

On April 2, 2018, the technical team of MOBA TECMASERM carried out the installation of a new Big Sonic Ski 4 Sensors system.

On this occasion, it was carried out in a Vögele Super 1900-3i paver, leaving the system fully integrated and working perfectly thanks to its universal installation in any type and brand of paver.

The project consisted of the conditioning and improvement of accesses to the CM-420 road in the town of Alcázar de San Juan from Manzanares in its section from pk.12 to pk. 23. This Work belongs to the Board of Communities of Castilla La Mancha being the contractor Alvac S.A. (Pavalco), which relied again on the MOBA systems to carry out the execution of this important project.

Undoubtedly, the project was a new opportunity for the Big Sonic Ski 4 Sensors system to display all its qualities, since we were facing a section with great irregularities in the surface, and in which thanks to its extension of up to 13 meters and its four sensors optimized the accuracy of the results and a better verifiable planimetry was achieved during the asphalting. The installation of four sensors was fundamental since thanks to this irregularities were detected that appeared at a regular distance of five to seven meters and that can not be detected by fewer sensors.

At MOBA we are aware of the virtues and great advantages of our systems, but also that without companies with great professionals and committed to the application of good practices in asphalt, it would not be possible to carry out the work. For this reason we must highlight the enormous professionalism and commitment with the good work that the workers and personnel of the company Alvac S.A (Pavalco) showed throughout the execution of the work.

From start to end – the “life” of a product

by mklingenhagenBlog, Road ConstructionPosted on Comments are Disabled

From start to end – the “life” of a product

In the last years, product lifecycle management, the integration of all information during a product’s lifecycle has become more and more important. That opens the question, what exactly is the lifecycle of a product?

The product lifecycle describes the different stages of a product from the market entrance until degeneration.

First one is the market introduction. Typical for this stage is that a company wants to build awareness for its new product. Launching a new product means the company has to spend a lot of money: cost for development, research and marketing are very high. At this stage, the market decides if the product is accepted. Then sales increases. The competition is still low.

The next phase is the growth stage, which might already generate a net profit if sales and profit grow rapidly. Production numbers rise and unit costs decrease. So the profit margins increase. The company yet has high costs as marketing has to be intensified to reach the maximum potential and to gain higher market shares.

The third one, the maturity stage is characterized by a strong product, which is now established in the market. Sales and profit still rise and then reach the maximum. During this stage, competition grows as other, similar products are introduced to the market. The company has to invest in marketing and product improvements to assert itself against competitors. The company tries to hold the market share and has to increase productivity to gain profit, as the price is under pressure because of the competitors.

The product reaches the stage of saturation, which is characterized by falling sales and profits, high competition and relaunches or variations of the product to extend the lifecycle.

From MOBA-Matic-I to the MOBA-matic-II
In the decline stage, the market share shrinks, either due to competing products or due to saturation, which means all potential customers already bought the product. The company can still profit from the product by less-expensive production or by other markets, but sales drop rapidly and at last the product is eliminated.
From MOBA-Matic-I to the MOBA-matic-II

Source: Anand Subramaniam

The lifetime of a product lifecycle varies from product to product and sometimes the stages cannot clearly be differentiated. While some products stay in the market, especially brands in the consumer market, for example food brands, others are eliminated rapidly, for example fashion. Customers and competition as well as other factors like economy, laws, sales strategy and others have great influence on the product lifecycle.

Key Account Manager (m/w/d) Waste Management & Wägetechnik

by Thomas BraunJobsPosted on Comments are Disabled

Key Account Manager (m/w/d) Waste Management & Wägetechnik

Become a part of the technical future!

Ihr Arbeitgeber

MOBA Mobile Automation AG ist ein führender Anbieter von innovativen Lösungen im Bereich mobiler Wägetechnik sowie von Erkennungssystemen. Angeboten werden Komplettsysteme aus Hard- und Software sowie Cloud-Lösungen. Wir unterstützen unsere Kunden dabei, ihre Prozesse zu optimieren und nachhaltige Lösungen zu implementieren.

I love working at MOBA inspirational quote…

Ihre Tätigkeiten

  • Identifikation und Akquisition von Key Accounts in der Waste- und Wägetechnikbranche
  • Pflege und Ausbau bestehender Kundenbeziehungen durch regelmäßige Kommunikation und Betreuung
  • Entwicklung und Umsetzung von individuellen Vertriebsstrategien und Lösungen für Kunden
  • Marktanalysen und Identifizierung von Markttrends sowie Wettbewerbsanalysen
  • Teilnahme an Messen, Veranstaltungen sowie Networking-Events zur Förderung der Unternehmenspräsenz und Lead-Generierung

Das bringen Sie mit

  • Abgeschlossenes Studium oder eine vergleichbare Ausbildung im Bereich Wirtschaft, Technik oder ähnlichem
  • Mehrjährige Berufserfahrung im Vertrieb, idealerweise im Umfeld Waste- oder Wägetechnik
  • Nachgewiesene Erfolge im Key Account Management und im Aufbau langfristiger Kundenbeziehungen mit OEMs
  • Technisches Verständnis sowie die Fähigkeit, komplexe technische Zusammenhänge verständlich zu kommunizieren
  • Ausgeprägte Kommunikations- und Verhandlungsfähigkeiten
  • Reisebereitschaft sowie verhandlungsfähige Deutschkenntnisse
  • Eigeninitiative, Teamfähigkeit und ein hohes Maß an Selbstorganisation

Das können Sie erwarten

  • Eine neu geschaffene verantwortungsvolle, vielseitige und herausfordernde Aufgabe in einem innovativen Umfeld mit vielseitigen Entwicklungs- und Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten
  • Ein hochmotiviertes und sympathisches Team
  • Privatnutzung Ihres Firmenfahrzeuges
  • Flexible Arbeitszeitmodelle sind bei uns selbstverständlich
  • Attraktive Zusatzleistungen wie z.B. ein breites Spektrum an Gesundheits- und Sportaktivitäten sowie JobRad

Apply now

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Katharina Root-Hoinkis

HR Manager

MOBA Drilling 3D System installed in Germany

by Alexander WahlmannBlog, Earthmoving, EarthmovingPosted on Comments are Disabled

MOBA Drilling 3D System installed in Germany

We are proud to announce that we have successfully installed the first MOBA XSite APP drilling system. This system is a combination of MDS 2000 (2D) and Xsite APP (3D).A random position has been recorded on Test Day 1 and saved to the System. The position has been recovered on Test Day 2 with no problem. The MOBA development and end customer are very satisfied with the result.

THE TEST

The team chose a random starting point with the drilling machine and marked this point in the system and on the actual ground. To test the system abilities, the machine and all moving parts had to alter their position. On day two, the team was able to only use XSite APP to find the same point on the ground with only minimal and acceptable deviation.

The picture below shows Mister Hiltenkamp (product manager of MOBA Drilling) and Ville Junno (Service manager from NOVATRON) after the successful installation.

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Currently MOBA is one of only few manufacturer that offer a 3D Drilling system where the antennas are not suited on the drill head but on the back of the machine. This way, the hazard of damage and accuracy problem due to vibration are reduced to a minimum. In addition, the GPS signal is accurate even if the drill bit is tilted.

We are proud to announce that any customer with existing MOBA MDS 2000 system can updgarde to Xsite APP with no issues. Again, MOBA has managed to introduce another system that works with just 2D but is easily upgradable to 3D. Please see below a first screenshot of the XSite App: