Keeping efficiency and productivity high

Of course, the app is attached to another device he bought at the same time, so he could use it, his Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Stephen explained how he was using the app to support the business at a recent visit to a site near Brackley, where he was working
on hire to South Midlands Plant on a Lagan Homes housing development.

Stephen: “Ever since setting up my business six years ago and seeing an Engcon unit in action on YouTube, I have been fascinated in tiltrotators. So, when I bought my Hyundai HX140 in 2017 and started to diversify from landscaping to general groundworks, I was keen to learn more.

“After attending an Engcon Dig Day in Kettering in April 2019, I was able to try the EC219 and EC226 systems on several machines, opting to buy the EC219 with EC-Oil shortly after. Having used the various attachments at the event, I added a grading
bucket, forks, a grading beam and three various sized buckets to the order, as well as purchasing a new Samsung phone for the app.

“The reason I wanted to make sure I could have access to the app was to make the most of the customisation offered by Engcon. Having been an operator for decades, I am very particular about how I use a machine and attachments. Sharing this machine
with my son, who is also an operator, meant that our different ways of working would lead to settings being changed back and forward each time. With the app, I could prevent this happening by adding him as a user. This means that we can now set up our individual profiles and also use the app to swipe between different attachment settings.

“For example, when I am changing buckets, I have named each one in the app, which displays the images related to it. So once I add an attachment using the app it recognises my settings and I can also change the speed for tilt and rotation, depending on the task. Coupled with the EC-Oil quick hitch, this makes any task quicker to set up and increases my efficiency. This is because I don’t lose time getting out of the cab
and I now change attachments more often doing it at least 10 times a day.”

Another benefit of the app is the ability to access remote support via mobile GPS data. This recently proved to have a major impact on Stephen’s efficiency and productivity onsite. This was because he had a problem with a roller on his joystick control, which
prevented him from rotating the tiltrotator. Thanks to the app, instead of calling out a technician, Stephen connected his machine with Engcon technical specialist, Tim Leach, who solved the problem in less than 20 minutes.

Stephen: “Having already had some great service from Engcon in the past, when I had the roller issue it just proved how important the remote dial-in service is to owner operators like myself. This is because I get paid by the day, so without the app I would have potentially lost two days work.”

When asked about the impact the Engcon system has had on his business, Stephen explained that the day before the visit, he had trimmed nearly 60 metres of road in an hour and a half, a task that would normally take him 6 hours. He also explained that thanks to his active camera system on his Hyundai HX140, that alerts him of any obstacles or people in this dig zone, he now feels much safer.

Stephen “In addition to safe operation, as an owner of the machine I am also conscious of the maintenance and running costs, particularly fuel burn. With 4000 hours on the machine, which is now 3.5 years old, since having the tiltrotator I have changed how I
work, making the Engcon unit and hydraulics do the movements, instead of the tracks. This is delivering a significant saving in track wear, as well as fuel, so my overall cost of ownership is less, which adds to my bottom line.”