Equipment fitted with tracking device

11th July 2014

By: Donna Slater

Features Deputy Editor and Chief Photographer

  

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A trailer tracking and monitoring solution will enable compressor owners and operators to manage their assets better, regardless of whether the assets are on site or rented out, reports asset management company QCIC.

QCIC director Brian McKenzie states that the company’s QIC-T12 is an ideal solution for assets that are connected to a 12 V to 24 V power source. However, the device also has a 3.8 Ah lithium- ion field-replaceable battery pack, which can provide 500 message cycles, giving three weeks of use when the device is set to report hourly.

The battery pack is sealed in a waterproof and dustproof container.

The device takes about three hours to reach full charge and its reporting intervals can be increased to provide detailed information when connected to a power source. When the device is disconnected, it automatically switches to power- saving mode, which reports at longer intervals, which, in turn, extends the life of the internal battery.

Further, to accommodate clients who do not have access to external power sources, QCIC provides its QIC-T7 rechargeable battery- operated system. This device reports the assets’ position every two hours, with a battery life span of five years. “By adjusting the report rate to a schedule of once a day, the battery could last up to seven years,” he says.

More Than Just Tracking
The QIC-T12 device also offers travel logging, with reports detailing the stops, starts distances and duration of trips; it also includes an accumulative odometer, speed and overspeed detection, and impact/crash sensing.

The device can also detect illegal use, with live updates on the status of the assets.

Moreover, engine hours can be logged and reported remotely, further aiding invoicing for compressor rental companies. Monitoring the engine hours can also assist in remote service scheduling of assets.

The device can be set to carry ten built-in geofences that function as an immediate alarm if triggered when assets are moved in or out of the predetermined geofenced areas, regardless of whether these areas are deemed safe or unsafe.

Once a geofence has been breached, the client will be notified through the software platform configurable in the warning box setup, or clients can choose to be notified with an SMS to their cellular phone.

“A client can also choose to contract the QCIC bureau to monitor the exceptions 24/7 at an additional monthly rate of R75 per device,” says McKenzie.

There is also an option to fit an audible alarm for notifications of geofence violations. “An audible alarm/buzzer could also be fitted to the QIC-T12 to warn the operators or drivers that they are entering a dangerous or restricted area,” he adds.

Lower Insurance Premiums
McKenzie tells Engineering News that clients can further benefit from using the QIC-T12 device through reduced insurance premiums.

“The QIC-T12 offers recovery of stolen assets,” he says, adding that the unit can be installed in a tamperproof enclosure for deployment in rugged and hostile environments or on the chassis or engine of the asset, owing to its IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating.

QCIC mobile installation teams install the QIC-T12 units in each of South Africa’s nine provinces, except the Northern Cape.

“There are similar devices available on the market; however, the QIC-T12 is the only local device of its kind that is fully remotely configurable with on-board intelligence and propriety scripting. As a result, market response has been excellent and I am optimistic about future growth,” McKenzie concludes.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

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