In the world of heavy equipment, operators work long and hard hours. It’s important that companies know the status of their equipment to ensure that units stay ready to go and operators are safe.
One approach is employing a controller area network (CANbus), which provides a low-cost, durable network that enables communication between electronic control units. ECUs are devices or parts of a vehicle’s body that control a specific function.
CANbus can log hours, collect any errors or troubleshooting info, and provide ample feedback to the operator. Users can access information on when it’s time for a repair or simply look at how the system is operating in general.
Every major chassis manufacturer comes equipped with CANbus. For pumping equipment specifically, the cab and chassis can have numerous ECUs that work together, including the transmission and engine. CANbus provides one point-of-entry to communicate with the network of ECUs that enables central diagnostics, data logging and configuration.
According to Casey Meehan, a sales manager for Environmental Products Group, the top advantages of employing a CANbus network are the amount of information available, enhanced operator safety, reliability and the way ECUs are all interconnected and play off each other.
With Vactor, an added benefit is that Vactor equipment comes equipped with the Vactor IntuiTouch control system, which is fully integrated with CANbus. This brings owners detailed information that is logged, collected and funneled to the Vactor IntuiTouch screen, making it easily digestible for the operator. These diagnostics can improve operator safety by alerting the operator when there are any safety hazards or issues with the sewer cleaner module.
“From a safety standpoint, the benefit of having CANbus is that the network’s built-in detection capabilities will recognize when something is out of place like the engine failing or the operator has pressed the wrong button,” Meehan says. “Then it will log the error and notify the operator immediately, thus further preventing any harm to the operator
or equipment.”
