EXHIBITOR PROFILE HILTI
Make tracks for Hilti
Hilti will launch a new system for tracking and managing all the equipment in a hirer’s fleet at the Show.
Rather than a specific new power tool or accessory, the highlight of Hilti’s stand will be a system it has developed specially for tracking and managing items in a hirer’s fleet inventory. Interestingly, it is designed so that it can be used on virtually all kinds of equipment, not just Hilti products, but also on other items ranging from hand tools and ladders, to mixers and compact plant.
“The main reason for developing the system was the number of requests we received from hirers,” said Walid Hussain, National Tool Hire Manager (UK) for Hilti (Gt. Britain) Ltd. “Many of them have previously visited our facility in Glasgow where our tools are serviced and repaired. When an item is received, it is scanned on the workbench and information stored in a special tag on the tool is displayed on a screen, such as its service history, ownership details and other data. Hirers told us they would benefit from having something similar, so we set about developing a system that met the industry’s specific requirements.”
The result, which is being officially launched in the UK at the Show, is called ON!Track, and comprises robust tags that are used in tandem with either a barcode reader or an RFID (radio frequency identification) scanner. While similar hardware exists, Hilti says it has typically proved not to be robust enough for hire industry usage, having been designed for use with items like medical apparatus and IT equipment. The tags developed by Hilti are available in three sizes, and have undergone rigorous long-term testing and are also shaped for easy installation inside tools or on the body of larger machinery.
“A problem for many hirers is that they rely on paper-based systems or methods that require extensive manual input. It takes time to place a code or engrave identification markings on every item in a fleet, and they can be removed or scratched off. Manual methods
31
are also vulnerable to operator error and abuse. ON!Track is a permanent system for managing and tracking equipment. It can be used with a conventional barcode reader, or with a robust RFID scanner that Hilti has developed. The scanner can read tags over a distance of up to 1.5m, so an entire batch of equipment can be processed in one go.”
The data obtained can be transferred to a hirer’s existing software system, or processed using a program that Hilti is offering. Information can also be stored on dedicated space via the Internet for safe backup.
Tags can help prevent theft of cordless tool chargers and batteries.
“The fact that the smaller tags can be fitted to items like cordless batteries brings other benefits,” said Walid Hussain. “As with any other fleet items, when a tool and battery are scanned before they go out on hire, their identity is instantly captured, together with who it is has been assigned to. This avoids the risk of the customer trying to return the product with a faulty battery of their
own, which they have swapped over. Other data like Health & Safety information and future service schedules can be logged by the system, and it also simplifies equipment audits, which can be undertaken simply by scanning a batch of items in one operation, recording the data automatically. This is a task that can take days if done manually.”
Hilti has already demonstrated the new system to a number of hirers and the feedback is said to have been enthusiastic. Visitors to the Show will be able to see it for themselves, and there will be opportunities to get hands-on with the equipment in a variety of practical displays on the manufacturer’s stand to explain how it works and to give more details of the benefits it can deliver.
• 0800 886 100
www.hilti.co.uk
SEE US
ON STAND
B60
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116