No Compatibility and Site Constraints: FJD G31 PRO Supports Swing Boom for Smart Construction

As cities develop rapidly, construction sites are becoming more diverse and complicated than before. Whether it's narrow alleys, trenches for pipes, city parks, or fixing up old parts of towns, today's digging jobs need machines that can move very flexibly and dig with great accuracy. To handle these challenges, the "swing boom" becomes critical for digging machines. This new arm setup lets the machine move more easily and fit better into small or irregularly shaped areas.

As a pioneer in smart digital construction technology, FJD recently carried out tests in different places of China, and its FJD G31 PRO 3D Excavator Guidance System worked perfectly with machines that have a swing boom. The system shows great performance in making hard digging jobs easy and smooth. In this blog, we'll explain why using swing booms is so helpful and share the details of how we tested the G31 PRO with swing booms.

What Is a Swing Boom?

The swing boom, also known as the offset boom, is a pivotal attachment installed on an excavator's main boom. It enables the boom to swing left or right at a certain angle without rotating the entire machine, greatly increasing operational flexibility.

A typical swing boom system consists of the following components:

Rotary joint structure: A pivot joint connecting the swing boom to the machine.
Offset cylinder: A hydraulic actuator that enables controlled side-to-side movement of the boom.
Electronic or mechanical limit system: Ensure the swing motion stays within a safe range.

When the operator enables the swing function, the boom swings sideways from the rotary joint structure. This means the bucket can reach a bigger area without moving the whole excavator. It lets the machine dig effectively even when the digging spot is not directly in front of it, enabling efficient "off-center" digging.

This ability greatly improves how much work can be done, especially in small or oddly shaped areas. For projects working on narrow alleys, digging next to walls, or working in city gardens, regular booms might not be able to reach, but the swing boom makes it possible.

Swing Boom Excavators Become a Trend

The benefits of swing booms are both clear and compelling. First, they make machines much better at working in tight spots. For example, in narrow spaces between two walls, along roads, or next to fences, the excavator can still dig easily as long as the machine itself can fit – sometimes even in a space as narrow as one lane.

Second, swing booms are very useful for jobs that need high accuracy. Projects like putting in city pipes, shaping landscapes, or rebuilding city areas often need very straight digging or digging right next to edges. Using a regular boom for these jobs is either too hard or takes too long. But with a swing boom, digging becomes much more natural and smooth. This means less moving the machine around and a better overall work process.

Another benefit that construction teams often talk about is that swing booms make jobs easier and simpler to do. Tasks that used to need experienced operators constantly moving the machine can now be done by regular crews with much less effort. This not only reduces mistakes but also helps save money on labor costs.

FJD G31 PRO: Passed Swing Boom Control Testing

While a swing boom makes an excavator much more flexible, it also makes the control systems, especially smart guidance systems, much harder to design. Many guidance systems today either don't fully work with swing booms or only work with them a little bit. This is because when the boom can swing sideways, the way the system understands shapes and calculates positions needs to be completely changed. If the system can't accurately know the swing angle of the boom, then the digging won't be as precise.

FJD saw this challenge coming early on. In early 2025, FJD started working on new ways for its machine control system to understand and adapt to swing booms. This included many tests, first with computer models and then on real construction sites in different cities across China. For the tests, FJD used the FJD G31 PRO 3D Excavator Guidance System with a small excavator that had a swing boom, and put it through all kinds of digging tasks.

The results were very good. The system fully understood when the swing boom changed its angle and used that information right away to figure out where the bucket was in space. While working, the lines on the screen stayed steady and smooth, and there was almost no delay in what the system showed.

The operators on site said the system was "very easy to understand and didn't need any new learning." Even better, the system stayed very stable even when working continuously and changing angles a lot. It didn't shake or show any strange movements. This means the FJD G31 PRO has truly reached a new level of controlfor multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) excavation structures.

Beyond Technology: FJD Smart Systems for More Advanced Structures

Even though the swing boom itself isn't new, its full potential hasn't been used much because smart control systems couldn't keep up with it. This meant its true value wasn't being unlocked.

The fact that the FJD G31 PRO now works perfectly with the swing boom shows something important: the FJD system can not only understand regular machine setups but also handle more complex and flexible machine combinations. Whether it's swing booms, special tilting buckets, or other advanced tools that might come out in the future, the FJD system keeps getting better and is ready for future challenges.

For construction teams, the successful test indicates that they can select any machine structures that work best for their job without having to worry if the guidance system will work with them. They can confidently use the FJD 3D guidance system in different work conditions. They no longer have to "check the weather or the site" to decide if they can even use the system.

Taking Full Control with the Swing Boom

The swing boom truly lets excavators dig and work sideways, and the FJD G31 PRO makes this ability even smarter and smoother than before. The test is more than just technical success; it's a big step for FJD in making smart construction easier and more flexible.

Looking ahead, FJD will keep exploring smart ways to control even more complex machines and work in tougher conditions. FJD also invites more construction teams and partners to work with us by testing and improving our systems. This will help smart digital construction reach every job site.

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