Material handling equipment manufacturers are managing multiple wide-reaching trends.

The expansion of lithium-ion and other advanced battery technologies has pushed forward more electrified models. And while it is a long-term view, parts of the industry – particularly within distribution centers – continue to envision an autonomous workplace. However, the trend which may help create the backbone of that self-driving experience is the continued expansion of telematics and machine data – which are helping provide operators, owners, and OEMs a better picture of their material handling assets.

Equipment Location and Status

Particularly with rental firms, the primary use of telematics remains the GPS location tracking of equipment, allowing them to fulfill their fleet management needs and continually monitor their equipment. The next phase of that operational evolution is to use that location data – along with potential beacon technology – for alert operators when they are leaving or entering a designated zone – whether due to a change in terrain, a height or weight restriction, or due to heavy pedestrian activity. As more and more material handling equipment is electrified, these systems can also report on battery health and charge levels on a regular basis. This type of information can be used to help better understand equipment usage. Data from the telematics device and vehicle bus can also be used to help manage equipment usage and potential maintenance needs. The most obvious of these types of programs is tracking hours of usage to ensure vehicles receive timely oil and fluid changes and other required steps.

SOURCE Materials Handling World Magazine

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