As humans, we all have a deep-seated desire for certainty and control. That is, the more in control we feel, the more efficacious we feel about achieving the outcomes we desire, and this sense of competence boosts well-being. That feeling can be stripped from a ready mix producer the second that a load of concrete leaves their plant. All control in their materials upon delivery is now in the hands of their driver and jobsite personnel. When there’s money on the line, the quality of your materials just isn’t something to gamble with.
COMMANDassurance takes that control that you thought that you lost and puts it right back into your hands. Insight into material science data brings peace of mind that the product you’ve made will be in specification by the time it makes it to your customer. The best part? Installation is easy! The system shares some of its hardware components with TrackIt, minimizing hardware to install and maintain on each vehicle. The data from the system is displayed to the driver in the cab on the TrackIt tablet, meaning no additional device needs to be installed inside of the cab.
COMMANDassurance requires only 5 hardware components:
- Probe
- Solar Panel
- Tablet in cab (that may already be present)
- External Display
- Sensor Link
Probe technology in the bed of the ready mix truck acts as a rolling lab that ensures materials meet all quality requirements and specifications at the time they are delivered to the jobsite by capturing real-time and historical data on the concrete properties of a load from the time of loading through placement. The probe integrates the data collected into other Command Alkon systems from Batch, to Dispatch, to Quality Control. Real-time notifications and displays indicate when the load is ready to leave the yard, when it is ready for discharge, how much water was added, and other key factors. This saves building contractors delivery costs by ensuring that less time is spent performing adjustments in transit and conducting tests while at the jobsite.
The external display provides volume, slump, temperature, water allowed to be added, drum RPM, and mix status. This information is available outside of the cab for inspectors, QC, 3rd party testing, and more. The internal display can also be removed from the cab easily to show to inspectors, QC, 3rd party testing, contractors, etc.
With this information being shown on the display board, orders can be proven that what was ordered is what has been delivered with appropriate documentation upon arrival. The net results of using the new information are that time is saved in the delivery cycle in getting the truck out of the plant faster after loading, as well as being able to begin pouring more quickly once they arrive on site. All of this occurs while providing a more consistent product to customers. More consistency and less standard deviation means that overdesigns could be reduced over time as confidence grows through the use of the system and observing quality improvements.
The probe is mounted on the hatch of the drum, and on the other side is a solar panel. The solar panel is completely rechargeable, provided you have enough sunlight. There is also a way to charge it without the solar power if there is an issue getting enough sunlight.
Want to know more about COMMANDassurance? Click here to get the goods!
