Semtech’s LoRa Technology Enables More Efficient Construction and Mining Machines

LoRa®-based sensors from MachineMax deploy in less than a minute and provide accurate data to prevent costly engine idling.

Semtech Corporation announced that MachineMax, a leading provider of smart solutions for fleet management, construction and mining applications, has integrated Semtech’s LoRa® devices and technology into a new smart construction machine usage tracking solution.

“With Semtech’s LoRa Technology, we were able to create simple, easy to deploy solutions which effectively monitor machine status from anywhere on a construction or mining site,” said Amit Rai, CEO at MachineMax.

“Real-time data from the sensors is presented to site managers, offering tangible insight into their fleet’s efficiency. Managers can use this data to identify problem areas at their site, and work to reduce machine idling, reducing fuel waste and maintenance costs.”

Machine idling, where a machine’s engine is running but the machine is not actively in use, accounts for an estimated 37% of the time a construction or mining machine is operating on average. Idling results in an increased amount of fuel waste and machine wear, without creating productive machine output. Previously, monitoring the usage status of a mining or construction fleet was accomplished manually, with site managers continually checking on the use status of machines, an expensive and time consuming task.

MachineMax developed a LoRa-based solution which can be easily deployed onto fleet machines in under a minute. The devices attach magnetically and gather real-time data on machine usage status, such as whether or not a machine is idle. With real-time data on when a machine is in use, site managers can make more efficient use of a machine’s time to prevent idling, reducing the amount of fuel used and prolonging machine life.

“LoRa Technology enables the capacity to track data and diagnostics across entire fleets, making it the ideal IoT technology for MachineMax’s solutions,” said Marc Pegulu, Vice President of IoT for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “MachineMax’s sensors easily deploy in less than a minute, requiring no external power source or additional infrastructure. LoRa-based devices offer real-time and reliable data communication, allowing the end users to analyze their usage trends and make the changes necessary to save money.”