Caterpillar connected fleet
Digital discoveries have made it easier to communicate, do work, and access information.
Real-time data gives Caterpillar customers convenient access to information that can help them keep their Cat assets running with maximum productivity and minimum downtime, said the firm.
“Most new Cat machines and engines, and much of our older fleet, have the potential to collect and transmit data,” said Dan Reaume, digital senior analytics manager at Caterpillar.
But the number and types of sensors on their machines and engines, he said, vary by asset type and model. For example, their smallest machines and engines generally have fewer, less complex sensors than their largest mining machines.
And what does the data tell?
“We classify machine and engine data into two broad buckets. The first group is like warning lights on a car dashboard; the second is more like actual readouts of a car’s current tire pressure or battery voltage,” said Reaume.
The first category might include fuel burn, GPS data, and fault codes.
Advanced analytics allows them to use simplified data – such as fault codes – to help predict maintenance issues and degraded performance. But the actionability and accuracy of predictions may not be as great as with richer data sources.
The second type of data is richer and more complex.
It usually involves samples of sensor readings taken once per second, or more often, he said. Right now, they collect this data mostly from mining and larger construction equipment.
“Once we collect data, we can identify patterns. For example, the data might tell us that when the operator applies the brakes, the pressure doesn’t recover as quickly as expected,” said Reaume.
In that case, Caterpillar would recommend an inspection to see if there’s a leak in the system. If that turns out to be the case, a customer can get the repair taken care of before it becomes a more significant problem.
Regardless of data complexity, identifying patterns like this helps detect conditions that might not be otherwise apparent, he said.
“I think of data as the new DNA,” said Reaume.
