Caterpillar is now offering a whole-machine telematic solution that helps original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) provide machine owners and operators with the ability to view critical data output in real-time and better understand — and make use of — their equipment's operation.

Leveraging the company's years of experience with asset health monitoring, customers using this technology can locate, track and manage all of their connected assets independently.

Able to be integrated with existing telematics regardless of brand, the engine-ready solution can help provide a clear picture of a machine's health by collecting all the machine data and displaying the results through an easy-to-read online dashboard, according to the manufacturer.

"Cat powered equipment operators have been using Cat telematics technology for years," Connected Services Strategy Manager Tom Nankervis said. "But it's always been offered as an aftermarket solution until now.

"Regardless if a machine manufacturer is using their own telematics solution or is looking to introduce a new one, our factory-fit telematics solution can give OEMs and their customers access to powerful information about their machine operation and other parameters. We want anyone who is using our solution to be able to take the right actions that will help them improve efficiency, prolong the life of the engine and lower operating costs."

Deciphering Details

Users of the offering are able to keep track of equipment location, uptime, fuel use, maintenance alerts and more. And all in one convenient online dashboard. They also can customize what data they want to see and schedule reports to share with teams.

"It's like having inside access and understanding of the inner workings of machines, and even entire fleets," Senior Digital Manager Jamaal Crayton explained. "Users can see in real-time if connected assets are underperforming. They can also compare uptime between machines, helping fleet owners understand which ones are crucial versus supplemental to their operation. And services can scale as needed so customers can choose the features they want to use."

Back in a Flash

Equipped with remote services capabilities, the engine-integrated telematics solution can help minimize downtime via remote troubleshooting that can run diagnostic testing and pinpoint potential issues while the machine is in operation. If a repair is required, an OEM or dealer technician would be alerted and be able to complete the repair correctly in a single visit.

"The remote capabilities are great for late-night operators like a customer of ours in Canada. They run their machines during the middle of the night, and are able to make repairs by analyzing data provided from our connectivity solution and perform any software updates at times it's convenient, like when a shift is over or a machine is done for the day," Nankervis said.

"At the end of the day," Crayton added. "We're reducing the guesswork used in understanding the most complex component of any machine — the engine and everything it powers. Because once you've done that, the rest seems to fall into place."

For more information, visit www.cat.com/en_US/by-industry/industrial-power/connectivity.html.

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