Telematics
The data excavator
- July 8, 2022
Increases efficiency and productivity, reduces costs
The Challenge
How can construction equipment help us to manage business more efficiently?
The excavator is out on a job, breaking rocks in the hot sun. Nothing can go wrong. Or can it? Does the operator know how to use it properly? Is it idling, wasting fuel unnecessarily, pushing up emissions? Is it even where it is meant to be? At a time when the construction industry faces rising costs and strict emissions regulations, these are legitimate questions for equipment owners, contractors and operators. These are questions that determine performance, efficiency and profits. The answers are in the machines themselves and there is a way to get them: telematics.
What are the benefits of the Kubota Tracking System?
- Kubota Tracking System keeps users informed about the U50-5, U56-5, KX060-5, KX080-4a2 and the KX042 excavator
- The portal can be accessed via a PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone
- Enhances security via GPS tracking
- Geofencing allows users to designate specific areas for each machine
The Solution
The science of long-distance data
In a typical telematics scenario, a device is placed on a machine to gather data about the way it functions. The data is then sent to a computer in real time. The data is processed, stored and presented to interested persons on various devices such as tablets or smartphones. Telematics has become commonplace in many industries; most people experience it consciously in their own cars or when they track a delivery in the post.
Telematics in the construction industry
This is valuable information: facts like where an excavator is, who is using it, how long it is being used for, or how much fuel it is consuming. The information is not only important for a plant hire firm but also for contractors. It tells the owner whether the equipment is being used correctly and when it needs maintenance. It tells the contractor whether they are using what they pay for and quantify emissions produced by the engines.
The Kubota Tracking System
Compared to the transport industry, construction has been slow to adopt telematics, but we don’t have to wait any longer. The Kubota Tracking System portal is now available as standard on all Kubota KX080-4a2 excavators and will expand throughout the range in the future. It allows fleet managers to monitor their equipment remotely, providing real-time performance and location data directly to a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone.
Efficient fleet management
The Kubota Tracking System lets users plan fleet movements and get real-time information on every machine. It thereby helps a manager stay informed about operating conditions, alert status, location and maintenance control. Money can be saved by preventing small issues turning into larger ones. Ensuring that carbon emissions are controlled lowers the carbon footprint of the project.
More productivity and less downtime
Telematics offers a constant analysis of performance parameters such as machine work rate, operating times, actual operation, occupancy rate, idling time, diesel particulate filter regeneration history, water and oil temperatures, and fuel consumption. This data lets the manager know if something is not working as it should so that it can be promptly remedied without causing further downtime. The data is also helpful for the maintenance experts.
Another level of security
Machinery theft has always been an issue in the building trade. Telematics now offers an extra level of protection by offering a real-time GPS location for every piece of equipment. The Kubota Tracking System also enables geofencing, which means the user can set an authorised working area on a map and gets an alert as soon as a machine wanders outside the virtual fence. The faster the theft is reported, the faster the excavator can be retrieved.
See the Kubota Tracking System at work
The People
“As costs in other areas of construction rise, we are trying to develop new ways to help Kubota machine users understand where savings can be made and efficiency increased.”
Shin Kamada, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Business Unit CE Europe, Kubota Holdings Europe B.V.
“Our Kubota Tracking System, that’s being launched on the KX080-4a2 initially, ensures operators can access all the data from their machines at the touch of a button, allowing them to make informed decisions. This includes considerations around servicing times and fleet movement, alongside additional benefits such as increased visibility of machines that helps with security.”
“Having access to all this real-time data provides the opportunity for Kubota excavator owners to really streamline their processes and adapt fluidly to any and all situations,” concludes Shin.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
The Kubota Tracking System contributes to the UN Sustainability Development Goals of energy efficiency, promoting industry and innovation, and supporting sustainable cities.
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