K-Tec Earthmovers has centered on making its scrapers smarter for a while now, and a brand new telematics system is meant to enhance scraper operations, add effectivity and improve productiveness on pull-pan machines.

“Historically, the pull-pan scraper has been a utilitarian towed-unit attachment. . . Ok-Tec has spent years of analysis and growth in refining the optimum earthmoving scraper,” mentioned Shane Kroeker, Ok-Tec director of strategic initiatives.

Cloud-based telematics
Over a number of years Ok-Tec has labored on growing and testing the telematics system on its scrapers, Kroeker mentioned. The cloud-based system beams data from the jobsite to a software program dashboard that permits homeowners to evaluate knowledge and make higher enterprise choices.

“Along with the proprietary software program developed, a {hardware} package can be built-in with Ok-Tec’s scraper and onboard laptop and monitor show tools,” Kroeker described. The {hardware} package features a “black field” transmitting by way of mobile networks, a shark-fin antenna for telecommunications and a wiring bundle to attach {hardware} to the cab. Obtainable in each direct-mount scrapers and people designed to be used with ADTs, the corporate is making ready a retrofit package for older fashions. 

As soon as put in, Ok-Tec scraper telematics provide advantages to everybody from the operator to service technicians and the again workplace. Operators obtain real-time suggestions on an in-cab show to assist them optimize load rely and payload capability, whereas on the service aspect cell message notifications can alert technicians when upkeep must be completed, or when there are fault codes reported. Reminders pop up to make sure that scheduled upkeep like greasing, tire stress checks and leading edge inspection is finished on the correct intervals.

“Web site supervisors might view jobsite cycle time and cargo time efficiency, with common hauling pace and distances, on a pill within the consolation of their pickup as one profit to make sure a clean and productive operation,” Kroeker mentioned. “Enterprise homeowners can profit by calculating their value of transferring materials from the workplace, whereas defending their funding with anti-theft GPS monitoring on scrapers throughout varied jobsites.”

Scaling on the transfer
Growing a system that integrates into the corporate’s pull-pan scrapers has confirmed a problem for Ok-Tec, and there have been loads of changes alongside the best way. One space that bought a re-evaluation alongside the best way because of  suggestions from prospects was the power to scale on the transfer, Kroeker mentioned.

“We acknowledged that it was vital to have scaling-on-the-go performance, as an alternative of getting the operator cease their machine to get a scale worth for the load,” Kroeker described. “As a way to get easy and correct dynamic scaling outputs we needed to develop a fancy algorithm in studying and analyzing the hydraulic stress of the machine and calculate it towards a particular correction issue for every mannequin of scraper we manufacture. This resulted in a considerable quantity of discipline trials and knowledge cross-checking evaluation to make sure that our accuracy is appropriate for the contractors’ necessities.”

Because the system was launched at CONEXPO 2020, there was a gentle stream of curiosity in beta testing of the system, in addition to within the retrofit package, Kroeker mentioned. The expansion of telematics in development use is such that Ok-Tec expects it to be high of thoughts for contractors shopping for earthmoving tools within the close to future, Kroeker mentioned.

“Ok-Tec is satisfied that this telematics system shall be a recreation changer for earthmoving operations with regard to every day productiveness and effectivity, as operators shall be competitively motivated to grow to be the highest fleet performer,” he mentioned. “Moreover, with the user-friendliness of the service alerts, preventive upkeep will maximize machine uptime to guard the funding within the tools.”