NEWS REPORT
13
FEBRUARY 2014
ACT
Link-Belt, A1A
partner on Link-Belt
telematics system
L
ink-Belt has
partnered with A1A
Software to offer
telematics technology for
Link-Belt cranes equipped
with the Link-Belt Pulse
operating system. The new
technology, known as Link-
Belt Pulse Telematics Unit,
(PTU) will be launched and
demonstrated at the Link-Belt
and A1A Software booths at
ConExpo 2014, March 4-8 in
Las Vegas.
The new Link-Belt
telematics system will be able
to monitor all of a crane’s
operations, providing upper
and lower engine information,
diagnostics, GPS location
and crane faults, according
to Bruce Kabalen, Link-Belt’s
manager of marketing and
technical communications.
“The new system will be
tied in with the Link-Belt
Pulse total crane operating
system to help keep track of
how the crane is operating,”
Kabalen said. “The telematics
unit will communicate with
A1A’s computer server and
can display all the information
collected on the A1A
iCraneTrax.com website,
an equipment and business
management application.”
iCraneTrax, (iCT) can
control contact and sales
management (CRM),
dispatch, fleet management,
documentation management,
certification management and
invoicing, plus a multitude of
data related to the operation of
the crane.
Owner decides
The new system brings
benefits to Link-Belt crane
owners, especially those who
are concerned about OEMs
accessing the information
collected by the telematics
system, Kabalen said.
Link-Belt wanted to go with
a solution where the crane
owner could decide if, when
and what they wanted to
share with Link-Belt or our
distributors,” said Kabalen.
“Link-Belt chose to have all
data on A1A’s server to send
a clear signal to crane owners
that their serial-number based
crane data is in their control.”
Link-Belt also realized that
some customers own cranes
manufactured by other OEMs
and wanted to go with a
solution that would be open to
all other manufactured cranes,
according to Tawnia Weiss,
president of A1A Software.
“With this communication
between the telematics units
and iCT, owners and managers
can make a better and more
informed decision when it
comes to owning, operating,
maintaining and/or selling
the crane,” Weiss said. “Link-
Belt’s distributors are key
winners in this new system
as well, because as rental fleet
owners they can benefit right
along with the end user, not
to mention their customer’s
ability to share some or all
data with their distributor.”
The information on the
crane is web-based and easy to
access, Kabalen said.
“Many other OEMS are
master keepers of all data and
parsing what they see fit,” he
said. “Link-Belt has a different
approach. The portal portion
for the information collected
will be run through A1A.
Link-Belt can be ‘shared’
into the customer’s data with
a push of a button, either
for a snapshot in time or on
a longer duration, but not
permanent and not without
customers’ approval.”
When a customer buys a new
Link-Belt crane, iCT will be
offered free for a year, much
like car dealers cover initial
costs for such services as
OnStar or satellite radio.
Weiss said the Link-Belt
PTU offers more than most
telematics systems, and the
ability of the crane owner to
access data regarding the crane
is long term. Information will
be stored indefinitely on A1A’s
servers.
“So the user can look at
what the crane did six months
ago, a year ago, and it’s all
tied in with the maintenance
schedule and the actual jobs
the crane has done,” said
Weiss. “The information is
so specific that an owner can
track how a crane performed
running in hot or cold
temperatures. The owner can
determine maintenance needs
based on historical data.
Generally, with other systems,
telematics information is
stored for a short period of
time and then it rewrites itself.
We will store this information
indefinitely.”
More data points
Link-Belt and A1A have
engineered a telematics system
that adds value to the crane
and the owner, Kabalen said.
Similar systems track 10 to 15
data points on a smaller crane
and up to 50 to 60 data points
on larger units. For Link-Belt
cranes, 150 to 200 data points
will be tracked.
“By implementing this
system, we are putting a
communication device in all
of our cranes,” Kabalen said.
“It opens the door for many
more opportunities, such
as remote diagnostics and
service intervention. It’s a
huge deal.”
■
Link-Belt’s Pulse
Telematics Unit
will be launched
at ConExpo.
Link-Belt wanted to offer a telematics system that would allow crane
owners to be able to make a better and more informed decision when
it comes to owning, operating, maintaining and/or selling a crane.
What’s new
at ConExpo
2014?
Coverage in February
ACT
centers on new launches
of cranes, transport
equipment,
rigging gear and
other related
services. See
page 44 for
details.
