Case study

Hydrema

Hydrema looks to the cloud to keep maintenance schedules on track.

  • CUSTOMER

    HYDREMA

  • Solution

    Global Connectivity

  • Industry

    Earth-moving equipment

50%reduction in downtime25%efficiency increase40%reduction of overdue maintenance tasks
The Challenge

Compliance with maintenance schedules was less than perfect.

Hydrema’s advanced earthmoving equipment has a scheduled maintenance plan to ensure they are in top working order. The challenge is to make sure that these maintenance periods are observed. Previously, there was no way to know if maintenance was necessary until a machine operator received a message on his machine’s display. That system relied on machine operators to complete maintenance tasks quickly, but in reality, they could simply ignore this message and often did. There was no way of knowing which machines had skipped routine maintenance tasks until they arrived at an authorized workshop.

The Solution

Global Connectivity digitizes maintenance alerts, tracking, and documentation.

Hydrema looked for a way to collect and log maintenance information for full transparency of the entire Hydrema Fleet’s service status. The Global Connectivity solution enables Hydrema to perform digital maintenance management, documenting everything in the cloud. This digitalized maintenance task workflow is designed to optimize the service process, allowing Hydrema to proactively identify maintenance tasks and reduce the number of assets that are ‘run to failure,’ effectively reducing downtime and damage to equipment.

The vehicle owner always has direct access to the service status. It also shows whether he can carry out this service himself or be carried out directly by an authorized service center. Imagine a service has been performed by the machine owner or by an authorized dealer. In that case, there are no additional steps needed to document the maintenance performed because it is tracked digitally. This workflow means there is no additional training necessary and no potential for workers to forget log maintenance. With Global Connectivity, the machine takes care of logging into the cloud. Every user authorized to view the maintenance task can immediately see which of his machines will soon need a service or is already overdue.

Reporting is another invaluable aspect of Hydrema’s telematics solution. Machine productivity (e.g., material moved / trips per hour) and fuel consumption reports (e.g., how many idle hours or high revs when working with backhoe or excavator) are just two examples of the insights that can be captured to help Hydrema and machine owners understand how well machines are performing on the job.

Lastly, telematics also gives Hydrema the option to easily and remotely update machine software whenever necessary.

The Result

Increased efficiency onsite and in the maintenance department

Hydrema reduced the number of overdue service cases by 40% through the digitalization of maintenance management. Significantly fewer maintenances are skipped due to unavoidable transparency and the continual updating of information directly from machines.  

With information about current and past Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and sensor data, Hydrema Service Technicians can perform the right maintenance and have advanced knowledge of the machine before it arrives at the workshop, saving time and increasing efficiency. By reducing long-term repair costs, every machine’s total cost of ownership is also reduced.

The new system also enables Hydrema to plan its service technicians’ deployment better. For example, all machines that are due or soon to be expected for service in a region can be selected and then visited by a technician on a planned route. This possibility saves Hydrema travel costs and increases productivity. The vehicle owner also benefits from the telematics solution as the machines can be serviced at optimal times.

Maintenance needs can also be predicted with the use of various onboard sensors. This can help reduce breakdowns from critical failures. Hydrema service technicians can diagnose the problem remotely in the event of a machine breakdown, allowing them to source necessary replacement parts before a service visit.  The ability to perform diagnostics ahead of time and then prepare accordingly creates a much higher probability that the machine will be fixed in one trip. Besides, analyzing breakdowns can provide valuable input to preventative maintenance algorithms to further reduce machine downtime risk.

By analyzing the collected data, the owner and operator can optimize both the machine's operational and financial control. Furthermore, the Hydrema Telematics system can help plan service efficiently and diagnose problems by displaying alarm codes. Other vital data from the machine on the online portal, so the Hydrema service-team can diagnose faults rapidly and precisely.

Lars B. Kristensen
Project Manager Heavy Products

About Hydrema

Hydrema from Denmark is a modern, international group of companies developing, manufacturing, and markets high-technology earth-moving equipment and mine clearing vehicles.

Learn more about Hydrema Telematics