CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NOV 2018

MOBILE CRANES

The crane market has seemingly been reluctant to make the most of the technology. However, available industry data shows that there is a gradual uptake. Previously, only big players have implemented this technology. However, with the advances in telematics technology, crane companies, especially rental companies of all sizes, have also begun using it. While cost plays a big role in any organisation, the advantages of telematics – such as increased operational efficiency and profitability – are pushing firms to adopt the technology. Telemetry adoption While industry reports note that there has been a notable rise in the adoption of telematics among mobile crane operators globally in recent years, some crane manufacturers report that the uptake has been gradual. Manitowoc says the majority of its customers are still planning their fleet jobs without telematics. However, this is not an efficient, productive or profitable way to operate a jobsite. “We have been offering our telematics system called CraneSTAR for almost 10 years now. We also offer customers the ability to use their own systems on our machines. However, we have not seen a notable rise in this area,” says Andreas Cremer, global product director – All Terrain Cranes at Manitowoc Cranes. When it comes to the adoption of Manitowoc’s CraneStar, product manager John Bair says the main driver is to know where the equipment is. “Some companies are using communication tools in combination to inform operators about the next job. In addition, telematics can help owners monitor their fleets by providing data monitoring, which improves profitability by helping users monitor critical data and recognise operational trends,” says Bair. This, in turn, helps them make more efficient decisions on how they manage their fleets. Additionally, built-in diagnostic tools can be used to assist with troubleshooting, as well keeping up to date with routine maintenance. Liebherr also makes use of this technology on its mobile cranes, but Wolfgang Beringer, sales promotion, Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH, tells Capital Equipment News that the OEM does not offer its own system. “Liebherr can supply an electronic interface for telemetry data on the LTM 1250-5.1, for instance. This was launched at bauma 2016. Most Liebherr mobile and crawler cranes have been equipped with an independent interface for recording telemetry data since 2018,” says Beringer. Beringer adds that one of the major

Manitowoc has been offering its telematics system called CraneSTAR for almost 10 years now.

“Current telemetry data is saved on a local storage medium. This means there are no monthly operating costs for the online provision of the data,” explains Beringer. “The telemetry data is made available online. Depending on the manufacturer, the data can be displayed on a website or transferred to a data management system.” The FMS standard does not contain any data of the superstructure. Liebherr additionally provides the crane operation data at the FMS interface for evaluation. The telemetry service provider can implement this information in his software. Addressing challenges Fleet owners expect to gather data on their machines from their telematics, but traditionally one of the major concerns has been the fact that it has not always been easy to make sense of it and use it in a meaningful way. However, Bair says, within the past 18 months, Manitowoc launched a new, intuitive and user-friendly website that is available to all of its CraneSTAR users. “With the website, the fleet owner gets a graphical display of lift details as well as the fuel level, pressures and temperatures,” says Bair. Owners can also easily get feedback on function times, as well as set up reports that can be automatically generated and emailed to them at their required intervals – whether it’s a daily or weekly report. It’s also easy to set up reminders of when the next routine maintenance will be required. Another key challenge as far as telematics platforms are concerned is that OEMs have always offered systems that can only work on their own products. This is a key challenge for fleet owners that run multiple brands in one stable. “This is correct and therefore we allow customers to use their own systems on our cranes and we allow certain data, like fuel level and operating hours, to be accessed,” concludes Cremer. b

benefits of this is that systems from various telemetry service providers can process the data it supplies. The interface corresponds to the established FMS standard, which was developed by leading European commercial vehicle manufactures and is based on the SAE J1939 protocol. This means it will be possible to integrate the latest mobile crane generation into the customer’s existing FMS system without any problem. “The benefits for crane owners are, in general: recording and visualisation of crane data such as localisation, operating condition, mileage, downtimes and lots more. On mobile cranes, the interface is located in the driver´s cab and on crawler cranes in the switch cabinet of the crane cab,” explains Beringer. Systems in detail Manitowoc’s CraneSTAR is integrated into the crane architecture. It offers GPS tracking. Data submission is handled either by Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or – if there is no network available – via satellite. “CraneSTAR allows GPS positioning of equipment, including features like geo fencing. In addition, CraneSTAR submits machine information, such as fuel status, oil temperatures, engine rpm and lift data, among others, but also warnings, for example, in case of overload conditions,” says Cremer, adding that all of this allows for closer monitoring of equipment, which ensures the cranes are utilised more efficiently and providing a better return on investment to the owner. With Liebherr’s FMS interface, connection of various end devices is possible. Benefits abound, and include, future-proof / prepared for future requirements; free choice of telemetry service provider; easy integration into an existing FMS system; manipulation security; capture of crane data; clear visualisation of data; and connection of various end devices possible.

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