AGRICULTURE CASE STUDY
Longer Service Intervals for Farm Machinery
See how a California mixed-crop farm used Tan Delta oil condition monitoring to extend machinery service intervals and reduce maintenance costs and oil consumption.
200 HOURS
Previous service interval
271 HOURS
Revised service interval
26% REDUCTION
Maintenance costs and oil consumption
THE OPERATION
A California Mixed-Crop Farm
The case study covers a 1,000-hectare mixed-crop farm in California, operating five tractors, two combine harvesters and other heavy machinery.
The farm needed to reduce maintenance costs and downtime while keeping its equipment reliable through demanding seasonal work.
THE CHALLENGE
Routine Servicing During Seasonal Work
Rigid time-based servicing led to usable oil being discarded, maintenance time being consumed and excessive machinery downtime.
With tight seasonal operating windows, the farm needed to reduce unnecessary servicing while maintaining reliability and identifying developing problems earlier.
THE SOLUTION
Condition-Based Farm Machinery Servicing
SENSE-3 kits were retrofitted to the machinery to provide real-time oil condition data. Readings were transmitted via WiFi or 4G, helping operators assess when servicing was needed.
Connected Machinery Monitoring
Sensors monitor individual engine, gearbox and hydraulic oil systems. The SENSE-3 gateway transmits condition data for operators to review remotely.
Condition-Based Servicing
Oil condition data helps operators plan servicing around actual machinery need. Abnormal changes can prompt earlier investigation and preventative maintenance.
THE OUTCOME
From 200 to 271 Hours Between Services
Using oil condition data to guide servicing, the farm increased the service interval from 200 to 271 hours. Tan Delta reports a 26% reduction in maintenance costs and oil consumption for this application.
The farm also reported fewer in-season breakdowns, with continuous monitoring supporting earlier investigation of abnormal changes and preventative maintenance.
Source: Tan Delta Systems’ published agriculture case study. Results relate to this application and will vary with equipment, operating conditions and maintenance practices.
LOCAL TAN DELTA SUPPORT
Discuss Your Farm Machinery Monitoring Requirements
Speak with Oreflow about monitoring your tractors, harvesters and supporting equipment. We can help assess your equipment, installation and data-access requirements to identify suitable Tan Delta monitoring options.