The Komatsu Komtrax System

Keeping track of equipment in the field is a difficult but very necessary part of your job. Whether you are providing service and maintenance for the customers who’ve purchased equipment in your territory, or you are managing a fleet of rental machines, you need to know where that equipment is and what it’s doing.

The Challenge of Managing Machines

Critical service opportunities can come and go and you won’t know they’ve been missed until the next time you see the equipment. Even when you do know that service is due, your service vehicles can waste valuable time searching for machines in the field. When repairs are needed, your customers expect accurate ETA’s for your service crews, even if they’re not sure precisely where the equipment is.

For rental fleets, the need to know the location and status of your equipment is vital to running an efficient operation. Scheduling pickups, drop-offs, and service depends on knowing where the equipment needs to be and when.

You know the service hour meter reading when the equipment goes out and when it comes back, but while it’s out there, you can only guess. And nothing is more frustrating than being unable to locate your equipment

when you need to. It’s almost always a simple miscommunication between the renter and you. But when it’s not, you could have a long search ahead.

GPS Satellite Provides positioning information to the Komtrax unit in the field

The Komatsu Komtrax system is a revolutionary new way for you to monitor the equipment in your territory. It begins with a multifunctional transmitting unit installed on each machine. Through a system of GPS and telecommunication satellites, you can now pinpoint the precise location of any of those pieces of equipment, and get real-time service hour meter readings from them with Internet Explorer® over any Internet connection.

The system includes powerful management software designed especially for the construction industry. With the appropriate maps installed, the Komtrax system can accurately display the equipment’s relative position in your neighborhood, or across the globe. In addition to monitoring equipment right from your desktop, you can collect trending information for the operating patterns of your customers. You can also specify options, such as how often the system updates the positioning and service hour meter information.

The hardware components of the Komtrax system are built to withstand the harshest construction environments. Tested extensively in working conditions around the world, the units include such reliability features as an automatic wake-up function that keeps transmitting even when the machine’s engine is not running. The system will soon be available as a factory-installed option or as an easy-to-install retro fit package.

It’s been designed to grow with the capabilities of the Komtrax system. As more features become available, you will be better prepared for future enhancements.

Knowing where your customer’s equipment is and what its service hour meter reading is brings a new level of efficiency, productivity and service to your company. You can tell at a glance what and where your customers are operating. Knowing when your customers are approaching important service intervals, you can proactively suggest maintenance, and then schedule the service at their convenience according to the operation trends you collected. With the GPS locating capability, your technicians will know precisely where to find the equipment, saving time and money.

When rental equipment is out in the field, you can instantly tell if your equipment is being used where it is supposed to be, and track the service hour meter readings to determine if the hours in the rental contract are being exceeded. Back at the office, the Komtrax system makes scheduling of rentals much easier. Equipment drop-offs, pickups, and service can be planned efficiently when you know where to send your trucks ahead of time. 

Maintenance of the equipment can be performed during periods of inactivity, which you can determine through the trending features of the system. With worldwide GPS coverage, any machines that are lost or stolen can quickly be located, making recovery much easier, saving your equipment and your time. The Komtrax system also contains a remote engine cut off function that prohibits starting the engine for additional vandalism and theft protection.

The Future

There are many exciting and productive features planned for the Komtrax system. A service truck package will be available that will equip your service fleet with the same GPS locating ability, as well as several other important features. Service technicians will be able to track the position of the equipment they are searching for right from their vehicles. They will be able to indicate their progress on the job as they travel to the site, and while they work on the equipment. With this information constantly being updated, you will be able to provide precise ETA’s for service or maintenance work to your customers.

Expanded telemetry from the equipment in the field is also in the works. The machines will transmit many important system readings, including engine speed, fuel levels, oil pressure, battery voltage, operation mode, and more. Any error codes that the machine might report will be visible on your system, allowing you to remotely diagnose the equipment or give your service technicians critical information (such as what parts or specialized tools to bring) to prepare them for performing any repairs.

What Now?

This exciting new technology is available now. The Komatsu Komtrax system is already being introduced to machines across the country. Contact Komatsu today and find out about this powerful new management tool that will boost your levels of productivity and service.

• Locate machines instantly through GPS system 
• Get real-time service hour meter readings 
• Know in advance when maintenance is due 
• Plan maintenance by customers’ usage patterns 
• Schedule equipment usage more effectively
• Track lost or stolen equipment
• Expanded functionality planned for the future

The Komtrax system hardware can be removed from any piece of equipment and installed on another. Additionally, equipment outfitted with the Komtrax system will see an increase in resale value. A continually updated operation history makes a very attractive feature when the time comes to sell equipment. And as the Komtrax system becomes the standard, customers will request used equipment with the hardware already in place.