Bobcat Advanced Selectable Auxiliary Control System for Mini-Excavators Wins Samoter 2020 Innovation Award

The Bobcat Advanced Selectable Auxiliary Control (A-SAC) System developed for the company’s R-Series mini-excavators from 2-4 tonne has won a ‘Technical Innovation Award’ from the jury for the Samoter Innovation Awards 2020. The award was presented at a ceremony that took place on Thursday 23 January 2020 during the Samoter B2Press dinner, at the Hotel Due Torri in the old town of Verona in Italy.

The Innovation Awards are part of the activities accompanying the Samoter 2020 exhibition, which will take place in Verona from 20-25 March 2020. The A-SAC System will be exhibited on the indoor Bobcat stand as well as in the outside demonstration area at the show and is one of many new developments from Bobcat being presented at this edition of the triennial Samoter international fair.

Customization of Auxiliary Control Patterns on Bobcat Excavators

Bobcat introduced the company’s original Selectable Auxiliary Control (SAC) system with the launch of the R-Series mini-excavators in 2018. The SAC system is a unique solution developed by Bobcat that enables operators to customize control patterns of auxiliary hydraulic circuits on Bobcat excavators, depending on their set-up preferences for using hydraulic attachments.

As shown in the accompanying pictures below, the SAC system is operated by using the push buttons conveniently located on top of each of the joysticks in the excavators. Used in combination with the SAC switch on the control panel, the operator can select one of seven pre-set control pattern combinations that allow them to keep their hands on the joysticks when carrying out their work. This leads to higher productivity and saves time and money that would otherwise be lost through having to get used to new working modes or machine customization.

A-SAC - Advanced Selectable Auxiliary Control

“We developed the A-SAC system to further enhance the original SAC functionality by allowing the operator to adjust the speed of each function. Using the A-SAC system, the operator can easily customize the settings for up to seven different attachments or applications. This improves performance and precision when using specific attachments,” explains Robert Husar, the product line manager for mini-excavators at Bobcat, commenting on this OEM industry unique functionality for compact equipment.

The A-SAC system will be available as an optional feature for current and future Bobcat R-series excavators and is also retrofittable on all Bobcat R-Series excavators from 2-4 tonne.

An example of the use of the A-SAC system

For sorting grapple operations, for example, the operator can choose to have tilt (AUX4) and rotate (AUX2) functions combined on the left hand joystick, with the opening/closing function (AUX1) remaining independent on the right hand joystick. With the A-SAC system, the operator can adjust the speed of each of these functions individually to suit particular jobs or their skill levels. When moving on to a different job with the same attachment, the operator can easily switch to a different setting that they will have predefined with the A-SAC system.

Taking performance and innovation to new levels, the R-Series mini-excavators from 2-4 tonne comprise five compact excavator models – the E26, E27z, E27, E34 and E35z – offering a best-in-class mix of excellent visibility, high digging forces, superb stability and smooth controllability of working functions complemented by low weights for easy transportation. Excellent machine fit and finish plus their ground-breaking design features make the Bobcat R-Series unique on the market.

The new excavators introduce many state-of-the-art features and offer enhanced levels of quality and robustness. They utilize newly developed flexible machine platforms that allow different configurations of models and specifications to suit a wide range of applications and customer needs. In addition, while taking engineering and productivity to another level, the development team for the new machines has ensured they offer greatly enhanced operator comfort and functionality and the best fit for key applications.