Hitachi innovation a first for construction equipment industry
Japanese firm develops unique sensors that monitor quality of engine and hydraulic oil in excavators
EQUIPMENT manufacturers Hitachi have unveiled an industry-leading innovation as part of their ConSite remote fleet-monitoring system. The company says the new technology is the first of its kind in the construction equipment sector; it extracts data from two advanced sensors that monitor the quality of an excavator’s engine and hydraulic oil, 24h a day, seven days a week.
Designed to reduce the total cost of ownership, the new oil sensors will enhance customers’ experiences with their Hitachi equipment. Increased machine availability and reduced maintenance requirements – which will save owners time and money –are the key benefits of this monitoring feature.
The machine transmits sensor data on a daily basis to Hitachi’s remote fleet monitoring system. If the oil quality has deteriorated or it has become contaminated, the dealer will be notified via email/text and can take the next necessary actions.
For example, an oil sample can be taken and then sent to a laboratory. Here, a complete analysis is generated so that the exact cause is identified and the Hitachi dealer is able to fix any faults rapidly and conveniently on site.
The new sensors will also reduce maintenance costs by providing a more accurate estimation of when an oil change is required. This is more efficient than a fixed oil change interval and Hitachi customers can be sure of the reliability and maximum availability of their machine, thanks to the prevention of unscheduled downtime.
The oil sensors are currently installed in the ZX210-6 and ZX350-6 medium excavators, but there are plans for them to be roll out to other machines in the near future. A retrofit kit is also available from authorized Hitachi dealers for the previous generation ZX210-5 and ZX350-5 models.
‘We are delighted to be the first manufacturer to offer our customers this new technology,’ said Tom van Wijlandt, manager service business support for Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV.
‘We know that reliability and machine uptime are vital to our customers, and the new oil sensors will help to enhance this further. Combined with ConSite, this unique development will also continue to improve user experiences of Hitachi construction machinery.’
