Autolectron, a local manufacturer that designs, supplies and services the mining industry with its vehicle monitoring systems, will introduce the latest model of its engine monitoring system – AMS 3000 – at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

The new model, which is entering production in September, will be capable of logging even more information than the current models, which include AMS 50, AMS 250 and AMS 2000.

AMS 2000 monitors up to eight inputs on top of the standard features such as the logging of engine hours, revolutions per minute (rpm) and battery voltage. The AMS 2000 measures the oil pressure against the rpm range, which means the higher the rpm, the higher the shutdown pressure point. All inputs are configurable to different mobile equipment specifications.

The AMS 2000 on-board hardware is capable of logging the last 1 000 events with a date and time stamp on each event. The AMS has a trend data graph where the last four working hours can be analysed on the AMS events software programme.

The AMS 3000 will also collect information such as fuel burn, engine load and throttle position.

Autolectron, which manufacturers its products locally, has grown from a company offering only engine protection to a business that also collects valuable data from mobile equipment, such as driver information, driver licence control and expiry, engine, transmission and hydraulic system temperatures and pressures, start and stop times and extensive idle times.

“In modern machines, it is of the utmost importance to collect data from mobile equipment at a central point where it can be stored in a database to create standard reports over the entire fleet,” Autolectron member Pieter Steenkamp says.

The Sumacs fleet control system, which Autolectron developed together with its software partners, extends the collection of data to the computers of an engineering manager or technician, with daily reports on the basis of problematic machines and driver identification (ID) expiration. The driver ID data assists the engineering manager with legal control of drivers through a software programme where records are kept of all driver licences and their expiry dates. Emails can be configured to warn supervisors a month in advance of all licences.

“Mobile equipment protection and illegal buddy starting is eliminated with our concept,” says Steenkamp.

Autolectron’s system offers a variety of options, including engine protection, biometric driver ID control, driver interface for live speed monitoring, electronic prestart inspections and fault reporting. Control room messages can be configured according to mobile equipment type and group.

The biometric driver ID modules are capable of controlling 72 licence types and have three expiry dates that can be set to requirements. Steenkamp explains that the first expiry date, for instance, can be licence type expiry, the second can be for medical expiry and the third for induction expiry. “If any of these dates expire, the driver will not be allowed to start the mobile equipment. With this module and his software ID programme, we have a record of all licences programmed including their expiry dates. This legal responsibility of driver control is made easy for engineering and mining managers,” he states.

Autolectron has clients across South Africa and neighbouring countries, with most of the role-players in the local mining industry using its products.

“We are looking to expand our markets into Africa and other countries as our products are proven to be reliable and good value for money. To give an example, we did an analysis at one of our major clients and have since proven to save them more than R400 000 a month with our mobile equipment monitor systems. These savings come from stopping or controlling equipment when abnormal temperatures or loss of pressures occur, and by using the software programme we prewarn the relevant technical personnel of mobile equipment working within 5% of the preset temperature or pressure limits with our near-trip report,” says Steenkamp.

Hall 5 Stand A14