For mining equipment major Epiroc, telematics solutions mean both service for customers and opportunities for increased revenues. “If we fully used telematics as a tool to accelerate our sales of replacement parts, the development would be enormous”, says Oscar Lundhede, Product Manager Technology Products MRS at Epiroc. “All of our machines are equipped with telematics solutions and can thereby be monitored. Data from the machine is gathered, compared and communicated.”
Epiroc states: “This is good for the customer and for us. The customer has control over their fleet and can use the data to run the machines as efficiently as possible. We have control over the machines we have delivered and can alert the customer to when it is time for service or to change parts. It’s a win-win situation; machine downtime is minimised and we make money on replacement parts sales.”
Epiroc has been collaborating with TelliQ on telematics since 2003. Several of TelliQ’s telematics tools are in its machines and are also part of its own telematics solution, Certiq. “These are good products and the modules last a long time, even in the rough environments we use our machines in. Even the ‘box’ itself has to be certified, and TelliQ has helped us in this area as well,” Lundhede explains.
Lukas Ivarsson is TelliQ’s OEM business head: “Epiroc is an important customer who puts us to the test. We do a lot of work tailoring, for example the web interfaces, and work closely with Epiroc’s telematics team. The solutions are often satellite based since the technology needs to work both on the surface and underground. We deliver the knowledge Epiroc expects and needs for the optimal functioning of their machines around the globe.”
Telematics are gaining ground in Epiroc’s global market. The demand is increasing as customers are seeing the value of machines “talking”. Naturally, this means that the technical requirements of tools and solutions are greater. Telematics is a high-end area with products that must be able to speak all digital languages and be compatible with Bluetooth, WiFi and other wireless technology. TelliQ states: “We supply this technology in our machines, but the question is whether the customers utilise it. Not all do yet, and we need to increase understanding of the opportunities telematics offer for our customers and ourselves to fully benefit from its potential.”
Epiroc’s global customer base is currently at 450 customers and close to 1,200 machines. “The goal is for our sales organisation, in the course of a year, to reach all our customers and communicate the benefits of telematics,” says Lundhede. Through its telematics solutions, Epiroc collects the number of engine hours and pump hours from each machine. With this information as a basis, we can run campaigns on wear-and-tear parts, for example. “After six-seven years, that is, when the machine has reached its midlife point, we know that certain parts need to be replaced. Using this information, we can alert customers and offer replacement parts in good time before the work needs to be done.”
Some customers need more information than others. Half of Epiroc’s surface rigs are owned by sole proprietors. They need information on how their specific machine is performing. Companies with many machines need to be able to compare the machines with each other. Why is one machine performing better than another? Why does one machine have more downtime than another? These are some of the questions that telematics data can answer.
Epiroc concludes: “Telematics in monitoring and fleet management are invaluable for Epiroc and their customers. Inefficient and idle machines are costly. Our telematics provide the customer with tools for analysing the status of their fleet. This means that they can improve their process flows, which at the end of the day means that production is more cost-effective and profitable.”
