IRIS Technology develops bespoke solar powered
trailer tracking unit for Isotrack Ltd
Background
Isotrak Ltd is a systems integrator that provides turn-key fleet management solutions for a number of recognised brands including: Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer, Skanska Utilities, DHL, Royal Mail, and Robert Wiseman Dairies.
Their system management platform allows fleet managers to access positional, performance and location data in real-time via a secure web interface, thus helping them to maximise assets, lower operational costs and reduce their overall carbon footprint
The Problem
Fleet management companies generally have twice as many trailers to trucks at their disposal and while it is commonplace for trucks to have powered fleet management solutions installed, it is a real challenge to provide the same level of cover for non-powered assets such as trailers.
Fleet managers need to know the location and status of their trailers at all times to optimise load routing, reduce costs and improve service levels; something that can be extremely challenging as the vehicles are often on the road and stored in remote areas for long periods of time. These challenges are further accentuated when working with perishable goods or refrigerated products where time to delivery and location details are even more important.
The Opportunity
Existing trailer tracking devices were failing and Isotrak had experienced a number of hardware, functional, environmental and safety problems, including water ingress and battery function issues.
These problems were having a significant impact on the company's overall fleet tracking capabilities, which ultimately had a knock-on effect on their maintenance and support services.
In order to overcome these problems and maintain their high levels of customer care, Isotrak took the decision to seek an alternative supplier and approached IRIS Technology for the following reasons:
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The company's expertise in developing bespoke telematic solutions for a wide range of fleet
management and automotive applications |
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The company's long-standing experience of providing telematic systems for demanding environments
(oil, gas and offshore industries) where reliability, performance and safety is crucial |
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The company's ability to quickly adapt products and applications for niche requirements and seamlessly integrate them with existing software management platforms. |
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The Solution
The trailer tracking device developed for Isotrak is a self-contained unit that is powered solely by solar energy and relies on LiPO batteries power for backup purposes only.
The device is enclosed in a tough polycarbonate casing that is water resistant to IP67. It is structurally resilient and highly robust, enabling it to withstand extreme weather conditions such as high winds and heavy rainfall.
It is compact in design, measuring 460mm x 380mm x 60mm. It weighs is only 3.75kg and meets the mounting requirements of the majority of haulage companies.
The device also comprises a highly efficient internal power management system, enabling it to perform optimally even when sunlight is limited.
Other system features include:
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Transmission of positional data every five minutes from a moving vehicle, for up to 12 hours, over a
365-day period
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Transmission of positional data from a stationary vehicle every 6 hours |
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Detection of a journey end-point where the speed calculated is <= 2 KPH |
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GPRS communication |
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Optimised recharging and power storing facilities |
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Configurable data transmission frequencies |
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Five year operational shelf-life |
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Self-diagnostic system health checks |
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The Challenges
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To regularly transmit data without draining power supplies
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To develop a device that could still function even when sunlight was limited, depending on geographical
location and season |
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The need to store solar energy |
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The ability to support remote diagnostic capabilities for support purposes and software updates – it is
not always practical to bring trailers back to base to perform these tasks |
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The Results
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Optimised logistics - fleet managers have access to positional and status data in real-time and are able to use this information for advanced routing and scheduling delivery slots |
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Optimised productivity - retailers can backhaul more produce between distribution centre and outlets thus minimising the number of trucks running without full loads |
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Optimised security - retailers are provided with a complete audit trail for every journey, with key data transmissions being sent every few minutes |
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Improved profitability - by giving fleet managers greater control over individual assets and vehicle performance |
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The Future
All collected data is transmitted via GPRS or SMS to a centralised server where the information can be instantly accessed and analysed via a localised PC.
In order to give fleet management companies greater flexibility, and to enable other industry sectors to benefit from accurate trailer tracking, Iris Technology is currently making a number of software enhancements so that data can be accessed remotely via different protocols.
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