Prolec, a UK-based manufacturer of productivity and safety systems for construction plant, is now in a position to supply its widely-respected, industry-leading product portfolio into the Middle East market through its local sister company Strainstall Middle East.

Prolec’s products are already in use in the Middle East and are currently working on high-profile projects including the New Doha International Airport and Dragon Island. Prolec’s product portfolio has evolved over the last two decades to offer a wide range of solutions for a variety of construction plant. Included in this range are:
• Liftwatch 5, Prolec’s market-leading rated capacity indicator (RCI) that optimises the safe lifting capacity of an excavator, allowing it to be used safely as a mobile crane;
• Weighloader, an onboard weighing system for loading shovels and telescopic handlers that allows real-time on-board dynamic weighing of bucket loads;
• Weighloader ADT (articulated dump trucks), an onboard weighing system for articulated dump trucks.
• Motion control systems that allow plant to work in confined or restricted spaces.
• Excavator machine control which gives high productivity benefits in earthmoving operations, whether they be land or marine based (see image).
Prolec is expecting a high level of demand for its excavator machine control systems, which help increase efficiency significantly in applications that require complex excavation work to be performed accurately. The most basic of these products is the 2D system Digmaster, which provides the plant operator with a graphical representation of the bucket relative to the target depth via the in-cab display. The 3D systems Digmaster Pro and pcX-3D show the tool position and the position of the plant in relation to its environment, in a number of operator selectable views. Both Digmaster Pro and pcX-3D are compatible with all major brands RTK GPS and - when combined with Prolec’s precision angle sensors - are able to provide accuracies in excess of +/-20 mm at the tool. According to a spokesman for Prolec, the benefits of these systems include:
• Getting the excavation right the first time, reducing the need for rework due to over or under digging.
• Reduced surveying costs - staking out is significantly reduced;
• Reduced requirements for highly-skilled operators;.
• Longer working hours are achievable, as the operator can see the task in hand on the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and so is able to work in reduced visibility. This can be especially valuable where long-reach equipment is being used or the bucket is excavating underwater.
• Improved site safety due to less personnel being required around the heavy plant.
• Reduced transportation and material overage costs is achieved by removing the right amount of spoil from the site and replacing it with only what is necessary.
All these factors combined can lead to efficiency improvements of up to 30 per cent, he says.
Prolec’s machine control systems have been used in a wide range of applications, including general ground works and site preparation, road construction, dredging, and in the case of pcX-3D, drilling and piling.
“One of the major advantages of pcX-3D systems is that in addition to showing the operator what he is doing, the information relating to work performed is actually recorded. The recorded data can be downloaded from the system in a number of file formats in the same way that the original DTM can be uploaded, providing an electronic record which can be used by surveyors and project managers,” the spokesman says.
 Through Strainstall, Prolec will be able to offer the same high level of service that it does in its core markets of Europe, he adds.
 Prolec sales director Gary Escott says: “We are clearly excited about the opportunity of working in such a dynamic and vibrant market. It is however important that customers in the region receive the same levels of support and service that our existing customers have come to expect. Our colleagues at Strainstall Middle East in Dubai have already been successful in the region and we are confident by working with them that an outstanding level of customer support and satisfaction will be achieved.”
 Strainstall Middle East general manager Mike Shaw adds: “Prolec offers an outstanding range of industry-leading products and the company is highly respected and competitive in the markets in which it operates. The Prolec range will be an excellent complement to the other products and services we offer already. We are looking forward to being able to bring the benefits of Prolec product portfolio to new and existing customers alike.”
“Combining the local strengths of Strainstall Middle East with the outstanding Prolec portfolio will allow us to build on the success we have already achieved in the region. This move also illustrates our long-term commitment to our operations in the region,” says  Strainstall group managing director Chris Caws.