CHALLENGE:
To respond to the needs of its clients, forestry machinery manufacturer Foretmat decided to incorporate production into its activities. To meet this challenge, it needed to equip its machines with the best hydraulic and electronic systems.
SOLUTION:
To achieve this, Foretmat called on RGDH, a technical integration specialist that it commissioned to select the best solutions and components. Furthermore, in working with RGDH, Foretmat benefited from a wider partnership with global conglomerate, Parker Hannifin. The specialist also suggested that Foretmat equip its machines with IQAN technology.
BENEFITS:
The collaboration allowed Foretmat to accelerate the development of its electro-hydraulic systems based on IQAN technology by Parker. In addition to the systems’ efficient control and safety features, the IoT solution also allows Foretmat to follow the movements and functional states of its machines in real time.
MANUFACTURES INNOVATIVE FORESTRY MACHINERY WITH A TAILOR-MADE SERVICE
To meet its challenges in manufacturing forestry machinery, the Savoy-based company Foretmat called upon systems integrator RGDH, a partner of Parker Hannifin. The objective was to develop high-performing, innovative and connected electro-hydraulic systems based on Parker’s IQAN technology and integrate them into its vehicles.
Forestry machines are like no other vehicles. These impressive machines, weighing several tons, go back and forth among the trees and perform their task with the utmost precision. This scenario poses numerous mechanical and hydraulic problems. The machines require the highest-quality components to ensure maximum reliability and safety.
François Lacroix is thoroughly aware of these challenges. A former technical director for a forestry machinery manufacturer, he branched out on his own around ten years ago to create Foretmat, a business that imported machinery from Canada and the United States.
The only problem was that the
vehicles were not adapted to
French forests. The company
based in Novalaise in the Savoy
region of France therefore had to
adapt them as much as possible
to meet the needs of each
customer. Their customizations
were not always supported by
the manufacturers, however.
Consequently, François Lacroix
decided two years ago to embark
on a venture to manufacture his
own machines. This ambitious
project meant that the company of
ten needed to engage a technical
expert in the field of hydraulics and
electronics—enter RGDH, based in
Melun in the French department of
Seine-et-Marne.
RGDH is a specialist in embedded
hydraulic and electronic solutions,
and in the integration of IoT
systems. The company has also
been a partner of the global
specialist in motion and control,
Parker Hannifin, for over thirty
years. All of which could not fail to
support Foretmat in producing
and assembling its own machines,
as demonstrated by the cable
skidder example.
The production floor at Foretmat
comprises machining tools as well
as welding and assembly
machinery. Each element was
designed by the head of the
company himself, François Lacroix,
but he needed a partner to help
him select, adjust and finish the
components.
“Our mission is to find solutions
that are customized and adapted
to each requirement,” explains
Philippe Novier, Director at RGDH.
Parker components are already
very prevalent in the forestry
industry, particularly in Sweden and
Canada, and demonstrate
excellent maneuverability just like in
the woodworking professions,
where it is important to perform
simultaneous movements that are
independent of one another. In other
words, Parker components provide
excellent load distribution.”
The systems also impressed
François Lacroix, who recalls
working with RGDH “since 2013,
back when we were doing
machine conversions, then again
when we started to make our
own machines.”
Another problem for Foretmat was
the electronics. In the forestry
sector, as in many industrial
sectors, safety and control are just
as important as the level of
performance. Tested to the limit,
Parker electronic components are
responsible for controlling the
hydrostatic transmission, the crane
and winch distributors, the
high-precision output controller
and the FS controller (equipped
with safety function), which enables
the components to meet the
requirements of the ISO 13849
standard in relation to machine
safety.
This is why RGDH guided Foretmat
towards IQAN and Parker Mobile
IoT system solution by Parker.
The solution is easy to install in
comparison to other IoT solutions
on the market. In addition to its
efficiency and high precision, it
meets higher levels of safety
and performance than standard
controllers.
IoT, short for “internet of things”
(or industrial objects in this case),
is a major technological
advancement. The challenge is
based on achieving quick and easy
integration. The goal is to make the
system user-friendly for both the
manufacturer and its customers
who use it.
This is why RGDH
decided to rely on a turnkey
solution that also enables the
Savoyard company to implement
an IoT solution on a mobile machine
without having to deal with any
other players on the project.
The IQAN system by Parker, which
has been in operation on Foretmat’s
forestry machine since last spring,
is equipped controllers that are
quick and easy to program. During
development, the application
code can be simulated with IQAN
software tools.
“The aim is to respond to the
demands of a mobile machine by
connecting the sensors to the
CAN bus in order to gather all the
information coming from the engine,
from its speed and oil level to its
temperature over time…,” Grégory
Cormier, Project Engineer at Parker
Hannifin and Head of Electronic
Applications, points out.
All the information is then collected
by IoT system. This enables the
machine’s monitoring and projected
maintenance to be expanded upon,
simulated and improved.
Afterward, the data is gathered together and
sent to the cloud. This simple
feedback system enables alerts
to be sent via SMS. Above all, it
enables machine functionality to
be adjusted remotely to carry out
maintenance on machines that
are often situated in hard-to-reach
places, for example.
Moreover, IQANrun is a readyto-
use service tool, which can
be used to view settings and
diagnostic information. A data
sampling function brings together,
for example, the pressure peaks
and numerous statistics on the
functional state of the machine.
“The distinctive feature of forestry
machines lies in the investment they
represent for their users,” François
Lacroix adds. The owners expect
a lot from their vehicles, their return
on investment and their reliability.
This is why the IoT solution by
Parker Hannifin offers the
advantage of being able to
monitor your machine at any time
from wherever you are, to gather
all your information on the Parker
cloud, to locate your vehicle on
the map, and to know its exact
movements.”
The partnership between these
two parties is well established.
The French subsidiary of Parker
Hannifin approached RGDH as early
as 1994 on account of its expertise
in integrating hydraulic and electronic
solutions in embedded applications.
The well-rounded partnership is
based on two very different types
of business. On the one hand, a
global corporation that never stops
innovating, and on the other, a
responsive SMB that is close to
its clients and gifted with technical
expertise. This expertise allows it
to quickly respond to each client’s
issues and to provide a tailor-made
service. This is especially the case
when it comes to the internet of
things (IoT), an area in which Parker
continues to go from strength
to strength.