Hitachi’s sophisticated fleet management system offers efficiency

The firm says it has developed an industry-leading innovation as part of its ConSite remote fleet monitoring package. The system extracts data from two sensors that monitor the quality of an excavator’s engine and hydraulic oil around the clock and is designed to increase machine availability and reduce the total cost of ownership. The new oil sensors can reduce maintenance requirements, saving time and money for machine owners. The system transmits sensor data on a daily basis to Hitachi’s remote fleet monitoring package. If the oil quality has deteriorated or the oil has become contaminated, the dealer can be notified by email or text and can take the necessary actions. Oil samples can be taken and then sent to a laboratory. From this, a complete analysis is generated so that the exact cause is identified. The dealer can then fix any faults quickly and conveniently on site.

According to Hitachi, the new oil sensors will reduce maintenance costs by providing a more accurate estimation of when an oil change is required and this system is said to be more efficient than a fixed oil change interval.

The oil sensors are being installed in the ZX210-6 and ZX350-6 medium excavators first, but Hitachi will roll them out to other models in the near future. A retrofit kit is also available from authorised Hitachi dealers for the previous generation ZX210-5 and ZX350-5 models.