Digital precision is delivering an enhanced level of control across an ever-evolving range of machine and fleet operations, and Swedish manufacturer Epiroc is looking to keep operators up to speed with its HATCON (Hydraulic Attachment Tools Connectivity) solution, providing insight into the operations of attachment tools and helping operators to make informed decisions.
EEM was recently privy to a sneak preview of the HATCON device, which is available factory-mounted or as a retrofit kit for premium range breakers and drum cutters, ahead of its release to the wider market this year, with Epiroc advising it “enables next-level fleet management by monitoring operation hours, location and service intervals of your tools”.
“The data from HATCON provides a new level of control,” Epiroc advises. “Making sure the utilisation is evenly distributed, optimising transport and increasing uptime with pre-planned service stops has never been easier. With connected tools, efficiency and ultimately profitability will increase.”
HATCON Delivers Enhanced Control
Epiroc Australia Business Line Manager Hydraulic Attachment Tools Glenn Illingworth told EEM that the device is multipurpose and suitable for a variety of users, with itsrange of features delivering enhanced control and efficiency, security benefits and providing increased uptime by allowing for scheduled servicing.
All of this, of course, impacts the bottom line, and the HATCON device is decked out to boost productivity and deliver ongoing value over the longer term.
“It’s designed to be a GPS, so you can track it, it’s also an hour meter, a service indicator, and if someone tries to remove it, then the alarm goes off,” Glenn commented.
“It has a four-day and a two-day alarm for the battery, so if the battery’s starting to go flat you will get plenty of notice.
“It’s ideal for anyone – the dealers obviously can have the data, so they know the service intervals, the end-user gets to track their device, it may have saved them some insurance costs, but certainly they know where their device is, they know how much work it has done, and, of course, hire companies are probably the prime example.”
Glenn advised that the HATCON device is encased in protection and is water-proof, with it working in conjunction with Epiroc’s My Epiroc software platform, designed for the mining and infrastructure industries, which in addition to machine and fleet management and monitoring provides users a range of online services.
Data Insight: My Epiroc Keeps Operators Informed
Developed in conjunction with Epiroc customers, utilising customer feedback across different development stages, My Epiroc was released last year, with Epiroc describing it as “a platform developed to be a workflow optimisation partner, helping users keep track of productivity with relevant alerts and status updates,” with it facilitating the flow of real-time data.
Epiroc advises that by design My Epiroc delivers assistance by highlighting the things that require immediate attention, which assists users by allowing them to dedicate their time to getting things done, rather than “digging through excessive information that just gets in the way”.
A dashboard overview provides a quick rundown of what is happening, with an immediate status overview of machines provided, with users able to track a fleet status in real-time, while real-time notifications provide information on when an error has occurred or been fixed, with users able to manage fault reports and events within an organisation on the spot.
Among the platform’s features, Epiroc advises that My Epiroc provides remote guided support, helps users to find contacts and provides a transparent overview of all previously reported inquiries, with it “easy to manage tasks and actions related to the fleet in an efficient way and get the input needed in order to prepare for reporting”.
“Data is securely stored in an encrypted cloud environment, which customers can also utilise to upload their own relevant content to create a safe digital fleet library over time,” Epiroc advises.
Mobile access is a key feature of the platform – and, from office workers to operators and service technicians, users can access My Epiroc via both mobile smart devices and computers, with its mobile features allowing workers in the field to “manage their daily flows related to logging events, reporting fauls, managing service scheduling and parts ordering”.
“My Epiroc is another innovation that we’ve introduced, and we’ve done this right across the Epiroc product range,” Glenn explained.
“So, it includes all of our products, including mining products, and it’s a software package that you have the HATCON connected to, and it will give you access not only to all of your data, but it also gives you access to where our technical data is.
“It gives you all the machine statistics, as far as serial number, age and all that, and it also enables you to shop online, which is where you can place orders and get pricing on parts. The other benefit is that it will look after your whole fleet, so it doesn’t have to be our product, so you can have all of your attachments, all on the one database.”
Australian Hammer Supplies Hire: Hatcon To Assist With Servicing Mitchell Pennells, Australian Hammer Supplies Hire (AHS Hire) Managing Director, told EEM that the business, a division of Australian Hammer Supplies (AHS), hires out a range of different attachments, including hammers, augers, drum cutters, compactors, rock saws, pulverisers and shears.
Established in 1989, AHS is based in Ingleburn in Sydney’s south-west, with the familyowned- and-run construction and agricultural equipment company placing a strong emphasis on customer service and support.
“I started here with my dad, back when I worked for the AHS part of the business, and slowly got into attachment rentals, which then became a big business on its own, so that’s what I dedicate my time to these days,” Mitchell explained.
He said AHS Hire provides services for a variety of clients, large and small, catering to the varying requirements of industry.
“We provide services for a range of customers – from a big company, like a Moits, for example, we do a lot of work with them, to just a small guy, who might hire a little SB 102 for the day,” he explained.
“They can use what they need, when they need it, and not have money tied up in assets that they don’t use all of the time. They pick it up from us, or we deliver, and then drop it back when they are done.”
Mitchell described Epiroc’s HATCON as delivering a range of different insights into equipment operation, pointing to its capacity to keep AHS Hire up to date with the servicing requirements of its equipment.
“I think everyone has sort of been waiting for something like this for a long time,” he said. “All of our equipment is dry hire gear, so we don’t really know how long it has worked for, so this is going to keep an eye on our servicing, and make sure that we get to the attachments at the right time.
“It will make sure that our servicing tools are correct, and allow us to provide feedback to our customers on when it was last serviced, and what we did, and hours, and all that sort of thing, while also keeping an eye on where the gear is, and when it gets moved from job to job, we’ll know when that happens.”