Ground Support Worldwide - 16

Photo courtesy of Avro GSE

COVER STORY

view on a unit's usage. Installed on both
motorized and non-motorized equipment,
telemetry can be used to identify possible
mechanical issues, help control damage and
reduce poor operating methods, explains
Ward, noting TCR partners with Targa
Telematics for motorized GSE and with
Sensolus for non-motorized units.
Officials at Avro GSE, which produces
the Avro Tracker telematics system, note
historical maintenance records, idle runtime and other equipment details are valuable to track, too.
"You have real-time data on the hours of
your machine. You can feed that into your
equipment maintenance program, so your
program is pulling the machines in when
they need to come in," Cockburn says. "That's
the bigger challenge. Because they can check
all sorts of data when it's in the shop. But if it
doesn't need to be in the shop, that's waste."
Once data is harvested from the telemetry
units, the information can be utilized by
maintenance software.
"Using a system to track preventative
maintenance schedules and completion
performance is critical to a successful

16 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE

maintenance program as it ensures accurate
tracking of all maintenance performed. This
data can also be accessed to review trends
and performance," says Kor of Global, a
PrimeFlight company, noting there are
many Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) systems on the
market today for the GSE industry.
Tronair is preparing to launch EBIS 5.0,
in April. The latest update to the company's GSE-specific software platform will
be available for web browsers, iOS and
Android, and incorporates more than
100,000 assets in over 600 airports for its
3,000-plus users.
In addition to assisting best practices,
EBIS 5.0 integrates supply chain and
uses telemetry data along with de-identified industry data to perform predictive
analytics.
"Our typical return on investment just
by having a world-class maintenance program is a pretty phenomenal," explains Rick
Agnor, director of business development at
EBIS by Tronair. "You're designing out your
failures, maximizing your equipment and
reducing your cost.

MARCH 2020

"You can schedule your maintenance
based on real-time info," Agnor continues.
"What we found with telemetry, it's so much
more accurate than doing some sort of calendar-based maintenance, where you really
don't know the exact mileage or hours on
that engine.
"This is a lot more focused."
Agnor says GSE maintenance providers
can also use other data, such as conveyor
run-time on a belt-loader, to trigger maintenance events - offering more flexibility to
track PM requirements.
Maintenance software can also assist
with parts procurement. EBIS 5.0, for
example has integrated the supply chain
with NAPA and Sage Parts allowing for
real time parts information and ordering.
"That's pretty much an arm of your
purchasing. They handle procurement,
stocking all the parts and you pay for the
parts at the point-of-sale. It gets you out
of the inventory business," Agnor explains,
adding required parts are usually on site
or nearby, and suppliers can utilize commercial aircraft to get products to their
destination quickly.

Ground Support Worldwide

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