Skyjack Breaks Barriers Between Operators And Machines

Linamar Corporation’s (TSX:LNR) Skyjack division launched a digital product that directly links equipment operators to the machines they’re working on. ELEVATE Live provides access to critical machine information to operators including the machine’s current state of health, pre-use inspection guides, and familiarisation materials through a simple QR code. Putting this information into the operators’ hands gives them more resources than ever before and reduces the workload for rental companies.

“Until now, when operators needed information about the machine’s current state of health, they have limited options,” says David Swan, product manager of technology and innovation at Skyjack. “We’re providing instant access to data for the operator to help them better understand proper battery care, which ultimately saves rental companies money.”

Providing operators live data on machine health has always been a difficult task due to the complexity of providing login credentials to all the personnel on an often changing job site. ELEVATE Live provides immediate access to that data for the operator right at the machine and without the burden of password.

“A machine is on rent as much as 70-80% of the time,” Swan explains. “That means that giving operators the data and information at the machine to properly maintain it is key to rental companies achieving a lower cost of ownership.”

ELEVATE Live is available on all Skyjack equipment, whether or not ELEVATE telematics is installed. If a machine has ELEVATE telematics installed, the operator will see the machine’s state of health including a simple percentage of battery life, last charge date, and recommended charging action. This information is made available through ELEVATE’s new Battery Management System (BMS). On a combustion machine engine faults and daily usage metrics are displayed.

If a machine doesn’t have ELEVATE telematics installed, the operator still has access to:

• Operator manuals: standard paper copies are still on the machine, however a digital copy complete with a search function saves time searching for specific text on site;
• Familiarisation videos: brief visual overviews of the machine;
• Serialized machine information: specific information to the machine including parts manuals and specification sheets
• Emergency lowering procedures: how-to guide in case the operator or occupant is unable to bring the lift safely to ground level;
• Pre-use checklist: visual guides for pre-use inspection;
• Quickstart guide: a symbol-based, non-language specific overview of how to get started and best practices for use.

Skyjack included these materials into ELEVATE Live as a way to help rental companies and operators meet their obligations under the new ANSI standards.

Swan asserts that, “Making our support material more readily available to operators increases the probability that they’ll interact with our machines as recommended, thus supporting our safety initiatives, and our customers’ cost of ownership goals.”

This technology promotes improved battery behavior and provides operators with the power to make even more informed and safe decisions on job sites. ELEVATE Live breaks the barriers for operator engagement as there’s no app to download, no username or password to enter, and goes well beyond Skyjack’s website.