When Trimble set out to create a new 3D Laser Scanner, they asked themselves some basic questions. Where is laser scanning going, how does the customer use laser scanning and what is most important to that customer? They interviewed over 550 people from pre-development through to field use. The end result is the X7.

But have they delivered the customer experience that they sought?

We caught up with Lee Husk, Director of Caerphilly based PDS Surveys, who recently trialled the X7 over two nights at Cardiff’s Central Station. He carried out all the work within tight four-hour time frames when the station was closed to the public. Following an induction to run over the scanner’s features with a KOREC consultant, Lee was able to carry out over 150 colourised, full dome scans to 2.5mm accuracy over a two-night period.  After the work, he shared four key observations with us:

To find out more, please contact your local KOREC Sales Consultant – we are hosting X7 days throughout the country during March/April.

The X7 was used for both internal and external scans

Barry Burrows didn’t need to demo the X7 to see the benefits – we spoke to the UK & Ireland’s first Trimble X7 High Speed Laser Scanner owner on his very modern buyer journey

Ever since he was a kid, Barry Burrows wanted to get his hands on the latest technological gadget – from computer consoles to tech toys, he’s always had a strong personal interest in new technology.

In the Consumer world that we live in, people have strong associations to brands and are looking for brands that they can identify with. Barry Burrows is one of these consumers, and as the owner of a survey company operating in a very competitive environment, he likes to associate himself with a name he can trust. From his choice of vehicle (Audi) to the equipment he uses to drive his business (Trimble), Barry explains the importance of choosing brands that are “Trusted today and built for tomorrow”.

When founding his own survey company,  Barry recognised the importance of choosing the correct equipment so that when he went on-site he could overcome any issues with confidence,  investing in Trimble kit such as the S6 (total station), R6 (GPS)  and the revolutionary SX10 (total station/laser scanner hybrid) just months after their release dates.

So, it should come as no surprise that the founder & owner of BB Surveys has become the first customer in the UK & Ireland to own an X7 – the latest laser scanning solution which Trimble launched to much fanfare at Intergeo (Europe’s largest trade fair for geoinformation) in October 2019.

What is perhaps surprising is that Barry hadn’t so much as touched an X7 before making his purchase;

“I watched a few product videos on YouTube, read some online reviews and after about 15 minutes I knew that this was the right kit for me and my business”

Having already utilised laser scanning in his business for several years, Barry knew the benefits that the technology offers – for him, that means using the Trimble X7 to quickly and accurately collect external building data. But with his previous non-Trimble scanner, Barry found that many hours were eaten up processing unwanted data;

“With that scanner the amount of data collected was huge – I would easily spend 6-8 hours back at the office just processing the data, a lot of which was only needed for registration and would then be discarded”

In fact, Barry estimated that around 80% of his collected data was unwanted. With their average survey job requiring around 160 scans, that’s a huge amount of unrequired data. BB Surveys undertake around 60-70 jobs per month – a huge workflow for a small, 5-person team. So, for Barry and his team, time really is of the essence.

Barry noticed that after introducing the SX10 into their workflows, scanning jobs take 50% less time that they used to with the non-Trimble kit. It’s this huge boost in time-saving that convinced him of the merits of the new X7 scanner. That, and the pure simplicity and ease of use of the kit;

“Another feature that sold it to me was the auto-registration. Being able to complete hundreds of separate scans and not have to worry about tying them all together afterwards is a huge plus for us”

In its first few days of use, Barry has already been putting the new kit through its paces. His son carries out the bulk of the scanning for the company, and Barry has been impressed with how quickly the workflow has been picked up, with minimal training;

“He scanned a pub over the weekend, taking around 70 scans of the building. With no additional registration or processing needed, it took around 30 minutes to download and check the data”

What’s also crucial to Barry and his team is having hardware they can trust. With time being such a critical factor to his business, downtime due to instrument malfunction is wasted money. Barry has used Trimble for almost 30 years, and indeed, is still using the same Trimble software package today that he purchased in 1991!

The relationship with KOREC is no less important. Having been a customer for the last 12 years, Barry cites the people within the business, backed-up by technical & support expertise, as having sustained and grown this relationship over more than a decade.

It’s this combination of proven Trimble technology, backed-up by KOREC’s technical & support expertise, that make for a winning combination.

If you’d like more information about the X7 just let us know by clicking here

Our thanks to Barry Burrows of BB Surveys for this article.

Barry Burrows on Linkedin

BB Surveys website

Our thanks to Andrew Plumb of Amey Consulting for the information in our latest case study, “Tackling a ‘Perfect Storm’ of monitoring challenges.

This story looks at how Andrew undertook the remote monitoring of a tunnel under restoration and construction activity just outside of Kings Cross.

Read the full story here.

There’s nothing we like more than hearing about technology delivering exactly what it’s designed for, so it’s particularly rewarding to hear that Trimble’s L2P (Locate to Protect) tracking and AllTrak software has again assisted a KOREC customer in the recovery of a stolen Trimble instrument.

Haygate Construction is a small, family owned setting out company run by Yuk Yen Li and his son Peter. They are therefore reliant on staying productive in the field, often visiting several sites in the Midlands in single day to give the builders the next day’s work.

On a recent Monday, Peter was working on a site directly next to Aldi in Wolverhampton. At around 10.00am, he finished his setting out duties, packed the instrument away in his pick-up, locked up and went to wash his hands. He returned 5 minutes later to find the window smashed and the boxed S7 total station gone.

He immediately reported the theft to the police and contacted KOREC to see if we could assist. By 11.15, KOREC was tracking the stolen unit with regular updates in the form of screen grabs from Google Earth being sent to Peter who followed the trail accompanied by three colleagues.

The unit was tracked around Wolverhampton via several industrial estates and a shopping centre before coming to rest in the town’s suburbs. Peter arrived at the scene at 12.40 and aware that stolen instruments are often left for up to 24 hours to check that they are not being tracked, felt it was safe to investigate further without confrontation.

The unit was found outside a commecial building and it was back on site within the hour. KOREC has arranged to get it fully checked although all reports are that it is working fine.

Downtime on site and loss of work was avoided as was a lengthy and potentially expensive insurance claim.

KOREC was delighted to help and we urge all those hit by instrument theft to inform both the police and the TSA at www.tsa-uk.org.uk/equipment-theft

Regular screen grabs of the S7’s ‘live’ position were sent to Peter

The latest issue of CES magazine features our very first case study on Trimble SiteVision. Gareth Price and Matt Blevins, both of O’Brien Contractors, explained to us how they’ve been putting their new SiteVision unit to good use on an enabling contract next to Dudley zoo.

Read the piece in CES here or download the KOREC casestudy here.

…and of course don’t forget, You can buy Trimble SiteVision online from KOREC here

The Parrot ANAFI is ten times quieter than the average drone which is just one of the reasons why it proved the pefect choice for a recent survey in a residential area with limited access. PDS Surveys Director, Lee Husk, worked hard to ensure that householders were not inconvenienced during this job and was kind enough to share the details with KOREC for our latest case study.

Read the full story here

Congratulations to Martin Riley, Managing Director of Landtech Surveys, who is one of the first KOREC customers to invest in Trimble’s R12 technology. As a sole proprietor, productivity on site is a key to the smooth running of his business and Martin has been putting his R12 to good use from day 1! Martin is also the winner of this month’s KOREC competition with his video of the R12 and has just received his KOREC goodie bag. He took a couple of minutes to tell us how he’s been getting on:

 “My clients appreciate that technology is constantly improving and evolving and when they see that I am prepared to invest in a new instrument like the Trimble R12 and bring it to their sites, they know that they are getting the very best results achievable.

The R12’s already proved itself on a recent gas pipe survey on a site in Yorkshire covered with mature trees. Having visited the site a couple of months earlier, I’d had to use a total station as well as my R10. When I revisited the site to finish the work, the R12 had no trouble tracking satellites in the same environment. In built up areas I know that I’m going to be more productive, work faster and be less inclined to have to get the total station out.  On another recent project in London where I was surveying in the street, I was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy the R12 was getting, even in heavily built up areas.

I also undertake a lot of survey work on behalf of environmental engineers which often sees me working under or amongst tree canopies. At times, I’ve struggled to gain lock with my Trimble R10, but not so with the R12, there is a noticeable improvement in accuracy and convergence times.

With the R12, I know I’ve always got a fighting chance!”

Learn about SketchUp components, and how to use them to apply attributes and materials for visualisation in Trimble SiteVision.

…and of course don’t forget, You can buy Trimble SiteVision online from KOREC here

or read our first SiteVision case study here.

We’ll be regularly posting all the useful stuff that you need to know about Trimble SiteVision including Trimble tips and advice, KOREC opinion, video examples, training, customer feedback and some good honest FAQ’s!

Click on any of the links below and of course, don’t forget that You can buy Trimble SiteVision online from KOREC here

Trimble SiteVision Essentials (1) –  Hardware set up (1) and getting your phone ready (video)

Trimble SiteVision Essentials (2) – What phone should you use with Trimble SiteVision

Trimble SiteVision Essentials (3) – Installing the SiteVision app on your Android phone

Trimble SiteVision Essentials (4) – Hardware setup (2) connecting to a mobile device and offset measurements (video)

Trimble SiteVision Essentials (5) – Preparing your data (1) Prepare thematic maps using Trimble Business Center

Trimble SiteVision Essentials (6) – Visualise a PDF Plan or Image

Trimble SiteVision Essentials (7) – Learn how to prepare and export a VCL

Trimble SiteVision Essentials (8) – Download and install the SiteVision AR Exporter Extension via the SketchUp Extension Warehouse

Trimble SiteVision Essentials (9) – Learning to use SketchUp components

Learn how to download and install the SiteVision AR Exporter Extension via the SketchUp Extension Warehouse for your version of SketchUp Pro.

…and of course don’t forget, You can buy Trimble SiteVision online from KOREC here

or read our first SiteVision case study here.