As you know, we are working on making our Dino mobile bulk truck loader ‘smart’. We equip the Dino with sensors for example to be able to predict when maintenance is necessary. To prevent us having to invent the wheel again ourselves, for this we work with a partner who shares our vision and already has a lot of experience in this area: UVS Industry Solutions. Eveliene Langedijk, Director of the company, explains why it was decided to develop the Dino 4.0.
UVS Industry Solutions was set up in 2001 and focuses on cost-saving maintenance. An important part of this is to predict when maintenance is necessary, preventive maintenance. To date this has mainly been done based on averages: a bearing is usually due for replacement after X number of operating hours. “A logical next step is to equip machines with sensors that measure when a bearing actually needs replacing”, explains Langedijk.
Saving costs with Smart Industry
Many companies therefore found using Smart Industry was another way of making further cost savings. “Smart Industry is not an aim in itself. The ultimate aim is cost saving and a better service to the client and technology is a means of doing this”, says Langedijk.
Ambassador
Because UVS Industry Solutions soon saw the endless possibilities in this area, the company became an ambassador for Smart Industry in the Netherlands. This means that the company is very busy with all sorts of innovative technological developments such as vision systems, GPS & RFID within production environments and industry. “The intention is to look further. What more is possible and how do we translate that into something our clients can use?” explains Langedijk.
Pioneers among themselves
At a meeting about Smart Industry Langedijk got into conversation with our director Perry Verberne. “It seemed a good match. Van Beek has long been toying with the question of how to apply Smart Industry and we soon agreed that the Dino is particularly suitable for this.”
Smart Industry is customised too
For every machine Langedijk takes a good look at where is the best place to fix the sensors. “This involves a lot of questions. What exactly do you want to measure? What is the machine used for and what forces are exerted on it? What is an optimum position for the sensors? They must not of course get in the way. You also want as few sensors as possible because otherwise the whole machine is full of them.”
Better service and better Dino
This contributes to a better customer service and an improved Dino. Services are limited to a minimum because they will only be carried out when it is really necessary. Parts are replaced just in time.
Big data
At the same time, Van Beek can collect data on how the Dinos perform in the field and respond to this. Who knows an electric motor seems to be able to tackle the transport of a particular product much more easily than was assumed to date and future Dinos can be equipped for the same application with a lighter and cheaper motor. Perhaps it appears that operators turn off the Dino much too often with the emergency stop instead of in the normal way, then we can point this out to extend its life.
“This is also a process of awareness-raising”, says Langedijk. “Meanwhile more and more companies understand that in the end this gives a machine that is better tailored to the wishes of the client.”
