High Tech Asset Management Helps Landfill Operate Efficiently

Published in:
Date: 9/1/2006
By: OEM DD

The Service Tracker Asset Management System, undergoing evaluation at a

major landfill in northeastern Ohio, generates accurate and timely data regarding

equipment use and personnel productivity. The data are an invaluable tool to

management in helping to track machine hours, manage crews, schedule

equipment maintenance and monitor fuel costs. In the future, the system may

also be used to manage capital assets and rental activity.

The site is a municipal solid waste landfill (some liquid waste is also accepted,

but solidified before processing) which accepts household, commercial and

industrial waste. The site occupies 1,072 acres, with 234 acres permitted for

waste disposal. The property was recently granted a land expansion, which will

add an estimated 15 years to the life of the landfill. From certain vantage points

on the mountain, one can look below to the surface level, where bulldozers,

graders and dump trucks prepare for the expansion.

The working face of the landfill, where newly arrived refuse is processed, is a

beehive of activity. A continuous procession of waste-hauling trucks, having made

its way up to the working face, has already weighed-in. It doesnt take long for the

trucks to discharge their loads and return to the weigh station, where they

weigh-out empty.

When new loads are received, bulldozers pile the refuse onto the working face,

which is traversed by 100,000-lb. compactors. Nearby, trucks hauling dirt dump

their loads to cover the previous working face or to create the dirt roads required

by an ever-shifting working face location. This goes on 24 hours, 6 days per week.

On Saturday afternoons, the working face is tarped until the landfill reopens.

On the way down from the working face, looking over the grassed-over, older

areas of the mountain of refuse, one notices an irregular array of pipes protruding

from the surface. These are gas collection points, embedded deep into the refuse

pile to collect methane. The landfill gas gathered at each collection point is piped

to a larger gas plant, also on-site. Through a subcontractor, the landfill gas is

eventually mixed with natural gas and used for heating.

High Tech Asset Management Helps Landfill Operate Efficiently

Monitoring Assets

A facility this size requires many large pieces of off-road equipment, and a system

of data gathering is needed to assure assets and operators work safely and at highest

efficiency, to schedule maintenance, to keep assets properly fueled, and to generate

operational data required by management.

After careful evaluation of several types of asset management systems, the company

selected the Service Tracker system manufactured by OEM Data Delivery. "The purpose

of the units was to better track equipment costs and, as we saw the opportunity, to

expand the program to track operating costs for labor as well," said the landfills

district manager. "The system gave us the opportunity to verify what employees had

been telling us about the utilization of our equipment on various projects. We were

able to see what time was dedicated to which tasks."

When the Service Tracker system was first introduced, "we started with six units to

get the OEM concept started," he adds. "There was some initial cultural resistance

by the workforce, but OEMs on-site training helped with employee buy-in. "What

will they (management) do with the information? was a question on everyones mind.

They have seen the benefits, though, and now the sentiment is, Do we need another

Service Tracker to gain better productivity in this or that area? By sharing operations

data from the jobsite, we gave them a stake in the success of the program."

The Service Tracker evaluation has been progressing for two years. "We are in the

final stages of the pilot phase - a beta site within the company, according to the

landfills district manager. "We now have the unique ability to track individual phases

of operation to the unit cost level. Using Service Tracker technology, the operator

can input the transition from one job function to another and use the live time clock

on the tracker to record that time."

The company's fleet manager for Northern Ohio Landfills and Transfer stations has

worked with heavy equipment for 24 years and has been active in the test program.

"We have always been involved with computerized maintenance programs, but we

wanted a more accurate, automated way of capturing and transmitting data, and

tracking service intervals," he said. "The OEM DD system eliminates the cost of a

clerical person to transfer the data, as well as the opportunity for human error."

The Maintenance Operation

High Tech Asset Management Helps Landfill Operate Efficiently

At this facility, the Fleet Manager and his crew are completing their evaluation of

the Service Tracker system. Their lead mechanic has maintained heavy equipment

for 40 years. Although actual maintenance is still scheduled by the companys

proprietary software, "weve evolved the system so we can do our daily maintenance

inspections with the Service Tracker data," according to the lead mechanic.

All key pieces of equipment at this site have Service Tracker modules installed.

The modules, each the size of a 3" x 5" file card, are wired to the vehicles ignition

systems, and are mounted on the cabs interior or exterior. At this landfill, 14

equipment units are outfitted with Service Trackers, including dump trucks,

bulldozers, compactors, wheel loaders, excavators, road graders and backhoes.

All are service-critical "front line" vehicles, except for the road grader and backhoe.

Service Trackers aboard these vehicles monitor operating hours; service intervals;

fuel and oil consumption; equipment inspections; non-compliant events that require

inspection, repair or shut-down; and operator tasks.

In addition to the landfill equipment routinely serviced at this site, equipment from

other Northern Ohio facilities requiring major overhaul or repairs is sent here for

repair. As work is completed, Service Tracker modules are installed for future

activation. To date, 30 modules have been installed on vehicles, though only

the ones at this site are currently "live."

"What we have is basically a construction site, and our equipment works under the

same harsh conditions. I think of it as reverse mining, said the Fleet Manager, whose

previous position was equipment management for a large surface mining operation.

PDAs, Modules, and JobPODS

As each shift reports for work, equipment operators and other designated personnel

take their Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) from their assigned slots in the lunchroom,

where they gave been charging during off shifts. Using personal IDs, they log onto the

PDAs, each of which is assigned to one employee. When they start up their equipment,

they wirelessly record the event onto the PDA from the Service Tracker module.

High Tech Asset Management Helps Landfill Operate Efficiently

Next, the operator "syncs up" with the Service Tracker module onboard the equipment

hes operating. The operator reviews a checklist on the PDA to view the operational

readiness of the equipment. If there are non-compliant factors, such as low fuel or other

fluids, a worn wiper motor, or burned-out headlight, these are noted electronically. The

checklist cycle is repeated pre and post-trip. Noncompliant events are recorded by

maintenance or service technicians using their PDAs.

The operator then proceeds to his first task, using the PDA to communicate with the

module whenever the task changes. For example, a dump truck operators first task

may be to haul cover dirt to the working face. When he dumps the load, he records

the event with his PDA and the Service Tracker module. If he retrieves a load of

auto fluff, that event is also recorded. On any day, an employee may operate

different equipment. Any change of equipment is recorded via the PDA.

At mid-shift, operators return to the lunchroom, where the OEM Data Delivery

JobPOD is stationed. The JobPOD is a paperless data collection and tracking system.

Independent of a companys existing computer network, the JobPOD is essentially a

specialized PC that facilitates PDA-to-PC data storage and transmittal.

Operators "hot sync" their PDAs to the JobPOD, downloading the days data by

wire through a USB port. The process is repeated at the end of the shift. At the end

of the day (or shift), accumulated data are sent via wireless Internet connection to

OEM Controls Connecticut headquarters, where the data are converted to bar

codes specific to each piece of equipment. Encrypted bar code data are then

sent back to the landfills management via e-mail, where they are scanned into

the company's proprietary equipment maintenance software program.

Controlling Fuel Costs

Given the high cost of fuel and other consumables, strict and accurate control is

important to a successful operation. Thats why the landfill has one person, the

fuel service technician responsible for all dispensing operations.

Tracking fuel and other vehicle fluids is an important specialized application of the

Service Tracker program. The fuel service technicians job is to make sure vehicles

are fueled, lubed and have sufficient hydraulic fluid. The on-site fueling and fluid area

is his home base, but if a piece of equipment cant come to him, he goes to it.

After filling fuel tanks and fluid reservoirs on the vehicles, the fuel service technician

records the transactions through Service Tracker with his PDA. Like the other operators,

he downloads the fluid data for each vehicle from his PDA to the JobPOD unit. Like the

time- and task-tracking asset data, the fluid data is converted to bar codes.

Combining the asset tracking data with the complementary fuel and fluid data helps

managers get an excellent read on unit job costs. For other companies, where many

individuals dispense fuel, the Service Tracker is a valuable tool for insuring that fuel

is not dispensed into unauthorized vehicles, and for flagging the event quickly if this

should occur.

Project Status

The landfill is serious about defining costs and knowing the productivity of labor

and capital assets. Thats why they sought a solution from OEM Data Delivery.

"We told them what we wanted and they adapted the technology to our requirements,"

according to the landfills district manager.

One of the hurdles that had to be overcome was converting raw Service Tracker

data into a form that could be integrated into the company's proprietary equipment

maintenance software. That having been solved through encrypted bar codes,

the ultimate objective is to take Service Tracker data and seamlessly introduce

it into the company's software.

"We are absolutely acquiring more accurate and timely data than we had before.

Also, we have eliminated the human error and labor costs associated with manually

inputting data," according to the fleet manager.

Of the Service Tracker evaluation process, he adds that the project began tentatively,

but that great performance strides have been made during the two years of testing

and evaluation. The Service Tracker folks were very cooperative in helping us

generate reports we could use with our proprietary maintenance system.

Conclusion

An operation as complex as the landfill in northeastern Ohio requires timely and

accurate data to run at optimum efficiency and profitability. Service Tracker has

proved to be a valuable tool for capturing and reporting critical data upon which

best-possible operating decisions can be made.

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