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DN SITE CHECK FOR ANY FLEET

19th April 1986, Page 39
19th April 1986
Page 39
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Page 39, 19th April 1986 — DN SITE CHECK FOR ANY FLEET
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Several makers now tailor on-site fuel dispensing and monitoring systems for smaller fleets, and they must make economic sense, reports Bryan Jarvis

Manufacturers' efforts to make ncles more fuel efficient, and !.rators' efforts, too, can be negated lax, manually controlled, on-site fuel pensing and monitoring.

Sinai' fleet operators may be winced that the cost of any form of omated, inherently more secure sysn can only be justified in much bigger !ts, but in many cases that need not so.

several suppliers now have systems ored for smaller fleets. Often the ital cost of these can be amortised in ich less than two years through fuel astage" savings. They must make Ind economic sense, even if the relief m the chore of manually calculating 1 consumption counts for nothing. An operator of a fleet of any size will find with currently available on-site fuel monitoring systems, as with so many other pieces of equipment, that the time spent in shopping around for the best combination of price and specification is well worthwhile.

Centaur Electronics says that its new Watchdog Super II security management system (suitable for diesel, petrol, and other liquid fuels) is "designed especially for the smaller transport enterprises and is flexible, modular, tough and efficient." The latest Watchdog system operates up to four pumps simultaneously. Every transaction is printer recorded and the standard unit accommodates up to 100 vehicles.

The parent company of Centaur, the Rigby Group, says it is developing two new options for Watchdog which are ex pected to become available "by early summer". These are described as "a remote, invisible mileage recording system and an ultra-sound vehicle recognition device". Centaur is keeping details of both these up its sleeve for the time being.

The firm has been making fuel security management systems for ten years and among its customers are BRS, Wimpey, Tetley Walker and the Post Office. Centaur Electronics, Rigby Group, Hilton Square, Pendlebury, Manchester.

• Permex introduced its first Fleetguard, microprocessor-based fuel monitoring system six years ago, at a time when most competitive systems were of the type with banks of electromagnetic counters housed in large cabinets. Permex says that while the basic design of its system is the same now as it was in 1980, several improvements have been made in the software to give more flexibility.

A typical weekly report produced by the Fleetguard system can include the amount of fuel drawn by each vehicle, distance covered, fuel consumption, the cost of the fuel used, registration number, driver's name, and amount of engine oil drawn, all printed on an A4, 80-column printer or transmitted direct to a fleet management computer.

There is a wide choice of validation means by which the pump can be unlocked and the motor started to enable fuel only to be drawn by authorised persons. These can be vehicle recognition, token recognition, or personal identification code for example, or even a combination of these. In the event of a power loss, the system's memory stays intact for up to three months.

A new Fleetguard system, designated the Fuel Check 4000, goes on sale later this year. Permex says that this will have an improved form of vehicle recognition and -easier interfacing to customers' own computers".

Software Control of Stockport developed the software for the Fuel Check 4000 system. This company says that its objective was to improve security while reducing the amount of data required from the driver. Two electronic modules are used, one to "recognise" the driver and one to recognise the vehicle. Vehicle identification is provided by an AVR (automatic vehicle recognition) number plate. The driver identifies himself by holding his PAC (proximity access control) token within 100mm of the reader on the pump, which unlocks the pump.

For a smaller operator who is looking for a less sophisticated, and less expensive fuel monitoring system, Permex still has one which uses electromagnetic counters. This is called the Fleetguard Tote. The system comprises a pump top or wall-mounted cabinet with banks of electromagnetic counters and a key reader unit. The pump register is fitted with an electronic pulse transmitter, pulses from which are recorded automatically on the counter selected by the driver's key.

Permex, Lodge Road, Hendon, London NW4.

• Transflo offers a wide range of fuel monitoring and management equipment for any size of fleet, that restricts the drawing of fuel to authorised drivers and /or vehicles. It can be used for diesel, petrol, or lpg and can also be used to dispense oil.

There are currently four drivers and /or vehicle identification systems. One which is said to be both secure yet simple to use is the Vehicle Data Transponder.

This is fitted near the tank filler neck and transmits information via an infra-red beam from the vehicle to the pump nozzle, allowing the driver to fill up. Currently fitted to more than 20,000 vehicles in the UK, the Vehicle Data Socket is secure and suitable for any size of fleet. It is currently used by 100 of British Gas depots for its fleet refuelling. The driver simply inserts a plug into the pump controller to activate the pump.

Where vehicle authorisation is more important than a detailed record, Transflo's identifying key fob is an easy-to-use low-cost option, while the Vehicle Data Pad uses a magnetic coupling between the vehicle and pump to allow fuel to be drawn.

Pump controllers can be tailored to an operator's needs and may either be dedicated to one pump, can switch between several pumps or operate them simultaneously.

An economy version is offered which is a single-pump installation containing the entire control apparatus in one cabinet.

Detailed management information produced by Transflo's Master Controller on a print-out can, if required, be fed directly through a Modem link to a microcomputer as input to a comprehensive management system.

Transflo Instruments, Loose Road, Maidstone, Kent.

• Tr-Scan has been marketing fuel management systems at home and abroad for seven years.

Its most popular version is the Maximiser, which is suitable for use by a small single-site haulier or large fleet user. As well as monitoring fuel stocks it provides a 24-hour self-service dispensing system than can be activated by a coded key (unique to the System). This will identify the correct grade of fuel, vehicle number, group or fleet number and provide additional data where shift drivers are used. Once the driver has punched in his odometer reading Maximiser will provid management with fuel consumption, in metric or imperial figures. Should a "ke be lost, a lock-out feature will isolate it to prevent unauthorised issues being made.

Tri-Scan also offers the use of a mag netically coded plate attached to the vehicle instead of the driver having a key. To operate it the driver uses a reader-head which is connected to the pump via a wander lead.

An IBM-compatible system called Sp temiser has recently been introduced LI Tr-Scan which uses a central computer to control the use of up to 16 island ter minals each with three pumps.

In conjunction with the Maximiser equipment, it forms a broad managemer controlling system for nationwide authot ties such as electricity boards, ambulant or police forces.

Tr-Scan, Throstle Street, Blackburn, Lancashire.

0) Some other suppliers of fuel monitoring systems: Fuel Monitoring Systems, 73 Weir Road, London Monitronics Systems, 95-97 Locks Hill, Frome, Somerset FP and T Installations, 13 Lower Cherwell Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire Petromatic Securi-Key, Kelgray House, Sandy Lane, Crawley, West Sussex Springfield Controls, Bridge Works, Stafford Road, Wolverhampton EW Taylor Fuel Control, Cambridge Road, Harlow, Essex Timeplan, Britannia House, 67 Old Woking Road, West Byfleet, Weybridge, Surrey

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