Overview of Project.

In 2001 Equipment Maintenance Innovators signed the first (and later a multi-year) contract to oversee a series of technology projects for fleet operations of the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. Technology projects currently in place are a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system for truck fleet data collection in Fairbanks, Alaska and a sophisticated wireless, web-based driver management system supporting fleet maintenance, transportation, pipeline safety and security throughout pipeline operations. Data collectors streamlining the meter read task and identifying client usage have also been installed on heavy equipment throughout the pipeline system.

A special "Thanks" to all my friends in Alaska . I cannot describe to you how good it feels to know that with your help I was instrumental in putting a piece of technology in place that has the potential to save companies in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska 80,000 gallons of diesel fuel worth an estimated $560K during a 10 hour shift!

Richard LeFrancois
EMI-Global

Some Background Information

The Technology:

Automatic Start/Stop by Temp-A-Start: this technology is a patented product that consists of a control module, sensors for oil temperature (actually looking at block temperature) and battery charge, a thermostat monitoring inside and outside ambient temperature (used to climate control the inside of a truck cab with sleeper) and a wiring harness.

In addition to the components mentioned above, a Temp-A-Start kit includes parts and pieces for interface to the brake system, a master relay, a hood tilt switch (safety issue), a starting buzzer (safety issue), a door decal (safety issue), a dash switch with decal, and enough wiring and loom to scare someone.

The only thing not included in a Temp-A-Start kit is a neutral safety switch for a manual transmission. Automatic Transmissions are a breeze since a neutral circuit is easy to locate.

As a safety feature Temp-A-Start allows you to activate the system, turn the ignition switch off, pull the key from the ignition and walk away. The technology takes over and if the transmission is placed in gear without the key, Temp-A-Start will sense this condition and shut the machine down. You then need the key to re-start.

Basically speaking, Temp-A-Start is monitoring oil temperature, battery condition and inside/outside ambient temperature (truck with sleeper) looking for conditions that trigger action based on the parameters set in the software. We call the software "Smart," in that is acts as traffic cop and takes action when a component is in violation of the pre-set parameters