Going Digital with Construction Processes

by Frank SchneeBlog, Road ConstructionPosted on Comments are Disabled

Going Digital with Construction Processes

Construction processes are now more efficient and modern than ever. However, many problems still exist for project managers such as delays, cost increases, insufficient coordination between different subsections and parties involved, or fluctuations in quality. In addition to these “traditional” problems, there are other requirements are seeing a higher impact during recent years: sustainability, environmental aspects, energy efficiency, and lifecycles.   

To overcome all these challenges, it’s very important to use all available tools to further improve efficiency and achieve consistently high-quality results. And there are indeed modern tools help to overcome various obstacles and achieve better results than ever.
But what does this look like in the construction world? To start, it includes the use of digital advices and programs in both the office and the machinery itself. More and more construction machines are equipped with state-of-the-art control systems that precisely control the construction process. Going digital also offers great potential for fleet management, predictive maintenance, and optimization of the organization of business and project processes and the data analysis.

MOBA’s 3D excavator systems, Xsite Pro

Another example of going digital is Building Information Modeling, or BIM, which is a method of planning, execution, and management for building construction, no matter if houses, roads or other buildings are present. It is based on 3D models and offers information and tools for an efficient working process for all parties such as architects, engineers, and construction companies. If machines are equipped with the corresponding control systems, for example MOBA’s 3D excavator systems, the data model can be transferred directly to the machine in real time.
Using BIM offers many advantages, for example better data quality, as all data is based on a joint base, which gets synchronized continually. This data can then be used and shared by all the teams involved on a project, greatly improving the project work flow.

MOBA’s 3D asphalt pavers systems

The key advantage by using a digital solution, is the whole working process can save time and money as the planning and implementation is made more efficient and centralized. And who wouldn’t like a well-organized project?
For many companies, it can be hard to consider digital solutions because there isn’t enough information, or a lack of expertise. That’s why it’s important to partner with a company that knows and understands both the construction process and how to adequately implement digital solutions. Don’t let manual processes be the norm, it’s time to go digital.

It’s all about Quality – also in After Sales

by Frank SchneeBlog, Road ConstructionPosted on Comments are Disabled

It’s all about Quality – also in After Sales

Quality – that is what our whole industry aims at. And not only producing companies, but also service companies are focused on high quality as customers pay more and more attention to get high quality products and services. And of course that also counts for after sales because a successful post-sale means satisfied customers. And satisfied customers are loyal customers who also recommend a product or a company to others.

The service quality in after sales involves three main items:
  • 1. Service environment
  • 2. Service processes
  • 3. Service staff
For the first item, service environment, the location, buildings, and things like opening times are important from a customer’s view.

MOBA Headquarters

The service process means the reliability, for example to stick to appointments, and the precision of a job execution. Staff, the third item, should be competent and attentive. Whenever a company wants to improve it’s after sales quality, all three items should be checked. The second item, service processes, offers highest potential for improving service quality. In most cases these can be optimized. First, all single steps and processes have to be documented to get a detailed overview of the whole service and support processes. Quality standards have to be defined and have to be abided by.
Potential for optimization applies to the whole process: from diagnostic up to repair. Mainly customers criticize a lack of transparent processing. So a dialogue oriented diagnosis could help to involve the customer better. The handling and organization should work efficiently and trouble-free. Repair times, staff, availability of spare parts and tools for example, have to be coordinated by a resource planning system. Also the tools have to be thoroughly chosen and regularly checked.
Another important opportunity is to use innovative solutions like online diagnostics or remote support, as well as the online availability of all data, so that each staff member can always access all actual data and information.

First-class service directly on the construction site

Also the follow up offers potential optimization: For example, service staff that explains the invoice, a complaint management system, and a fast processing of reclamations.
Service marketing also has potential for professional improvement. Contacts to existing customers are often uncoordinated and flexible appointments are not possible. But that is exactly what customers wish – flexible appointments, fast handling and personal, individual contacts. This can often be improved by implementing a CRM system with a detailed customer database. Also a service hotline and thorough resource planning can improve service.
If you look at point three, service staff, it is important to offer them technical training to secure and upgrade their expertise and qualifications. But communication training is equally important to professionalize all processes and customer contacts from the first contact or appointment up to the handover.
So in the end, a perfect interaction of all three items is important to achieve a higher quality post-sales standard which is very essential in winning over customers.

Machine Safety – Crucial for Mobile Automation

by Frank SchneeBlog, Crane & LifterPosted on Comments are Disabled

Machine Safety – Crucial for Mobile Automation

Machine Safety is the primary concern when a machine is partially or fully automated. The demand for safety especially counts for mobile machines because people are directly working on and with these machines. One example is the crane and lifter market. It becomes more and more crucial to correspond to strict rules with any machine, as human lives may be in danger if a machine fails.

In Europe, EN ISO 13849-1 is the corresponding norm for machine safety, precisely describing the requirements for the design and integration of safety-related parts of control systems using programmable electronic systems. So it is a measure of the reliability of safety-related functions.The norm was released in 2007, when it replaced norm EN 954-1 and the latest review of EN ISO 13849-1 was in 2015.

It refers to the system architecture and analyses the reliability of hardware as well as software routines of the system. It applies to safety-related parts of control systems for machines, no matter what technology and energy are used (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, etc.). According to this standard, different PL (Performance Levels) represent the functional safety category. There are two different types of performance levels:
The performance level required (PLr) and the achieved performance level (PL). The first one is determined by estimating the criteria severity of injury, frequency and exposure to hazard and the possibility of avoiding the hazard. There are two categories of the severity of injury: S1 and S2. S1 stands for slight injuries, S2 for severe injuries and death.
The frequency and/or exposure to hazard is also categorized: F1 stands for seldom to less often and/or short exposure time, while F2 stands for frequent to continuous and/or long exposure time. P1 and P2 are the categories for the possibility of avoiding a hazard or limiting harm. P1 means that it is possible under specific conditions, while P2 means it is scarcely possible. The achieved performance level (PL) is not dependent on the hazard situation, but on the construction of the control system or the safety components.
You have five different categories, from PLa up to PLe, which is the highest level. The PL level is determined by various parameters: Safety category, MTTFd, DC and CCF.The first parameter is the Safety Category of the system, depending on the architecture and the behavior in error. The different levels are B, 1, 2, 3, 4. This is the primary parameter and states the action of the control system or the safety-related parts of it in case of a fault.
Another criterion is Mean Time to Dangerous Failure (MTTFd) of the safety-related system or parts of it. The three levels are high (30 to 100 years), middle (10 to 30 years) and low (3 to 10 years). The Diagnostic Coverage (DC) degree of the system is the third parameter. It is a measure of the effectiveness of the diagnostics. The four different levels are high (≥99%), middle (90-99%), low (60-90%) not existent (<60%).
And the Common Cause Failures (CCF), which describes the reliability of the whole safety-related system in terms of common cause failures. It is differentiated into ≥65 points and when the achieved PL has been determined, it has to be checked if it matches to the PLr. That means PL must be higher or equal to PLr, otherwise the control system/ machine is not allowed to work.