FORTACO
Technology for sustainable heavy machinery lifecycle
FORTACO stands as the premier brand-independent strategic partner for the heavy off-highway equipment and marine industries. Its diverse offerings include technology, vehicle cabins, steel fabrications, and assemblies, with operations spanning multiple European and Asian business sites and technology hubs to effectively serve its global clientele.
Smart Steel represents a pioneering toolchain that leverages the Internet of Things and blockchain technologies to estimate and disseminate information regarding the residual value of steel components. This groundbreaking project received co-financing from the National Center for Research and Development.
At the core of the Smart Steel project lies the ambition to create a practical tool for accurately estimating the remaining lifespan of steel components. Embracing blockchain technology, the project ensures the authentication and decentralized sharing of data.
The primary objective behind this endeavor is to facilitate a revolutionary business model centered on prolonging the lifecycle of off-highway machinery, thereby championing a circular economy. This innovative solution delivers tangible value to OEMs, rental companies, and users aspiring to adopt an Equipment-as-a-Service (EaaS) business model.
Repeating after the project owner:
“Smart Steel is a response to the need for a reliable determination of the residual value of machinery in heavy industry. So far, this parameter has been determined based on simple premises, such as the age of the machine, external appearance, or current transaction prices. This led to inappropriate resale prices concerning the offered equipment, while the actual fatigue of the steel components was above any standard. Smart Steel ecosystem provides comprehensive information about the analyzed machine, not only by wear or usage but also monitoring the current technical condition, combustion, or just workload. It is the perfect tool to support fleet management.”
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Edge computing logic was implemented on the XT4Smart gateway using the XTrack SDK.
A custom-developed application calculated the strain of the material handling boom and predicted the most stressed point in its structure based on control system data (over CANopen) and strain sensors.
An IoT telemetry platform provided machine tracking and user management.
The XTrack back-end feeds Blockchain with data over REST API.
This project showcases a versatile system poised for swift implementation with new OEMs and material handling machines and equipment.