Bergmann

The compact dumpers from family-owned Bergmann reach customers in Europe, Australia, South America, and North America. Especially with the market expansion to the US, Canada, and Mexico and large numbers of machines being delivered there, the German company wanted to provide professional and efficient diagnostic and maintenance capabilities that weren’t dependent on a machine’s location. 

Bergmann needed to view all relevant machine data from one remote location and automate maintenance scheduling and customer communication. Bergmann decided on a broader implementation of its Danfoss-compliant PLUS+1 integrated telematics solution to help it meet its service goals. 

Initially, Bergmann was only interested in a solution that enabled service over the air; however, it quickly became apparent that the company could achieve more advantages with the right partner.  

Proemion and Bergmann worked on a solution that met the client’s requirements. Bergmann decided to equip every vehicle shipped to North America with a telematics control unit (TCU). A solution the general importer in the US fully supported as telematics has long been available and standardized in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Telematics gives Bergmann the ability to diagnose problems with machines remotely and to gain critical insight into the use of machines under warranty. It is rolling out paperless service records with the ‘b.Connect’ portal for documented maintenance and historical documentation of machine behavior dealers and Bergmann Rental Park operations. Plans for a mobile app for the maintenance portal are also in the works to make it easier for technicians to access the information they need from anywhere.  

Now, every Bergmann customer can get precise machine data, resolution for service events, and extended support. With customizable reports, complex problems can be recorded quickly and printed out to show the performance of each machine. A reliable maintenance overview also reports on the exact maintenance status of each machine.

With the PLUS+1® version of the CANlink mobile TCU, Bergmann technicians can directly access the vehicles' drive systems and provide a first-class service—from the manufacturer—to keep downtime as low as possible all over the world.

24/7 service and minimal downtime speak for themselves: Bergmann's ‘b.Connect’ telematics solution has paid off. The solution is not only successful in North America; customers from Europe, Australia, and parts of South America now also rely on it as well.

Digital machine monitoring has opened up more opportunities for Bergmann to offer remote service offerings. For example, customers see the required spare parts for the required maintenance directly in the telematics portal and get linked to the right product on Bergmann’s spare parts portal ‘b.Parts.’ Another use case is the interface between the telematics and the Bergmann service portal, ‘b.Support.’ With one click, customers can import machine errors or problems directly to the ‘b.Support’ interface of the service department for assistance.

Service times have been reduced through extensive pre-planning. In the past, a technician often had to make two trips to solve a problem. With the help of telematics, it’s possible to analyze the fault at the desk in many cases. Also, onsite service can be planned and executed more efficiently or is no longer necessary in some cases, such as for machine software updates. Thanks to the bi-directionality of the telematics devices, the technicians are able to not only access but also send information. Software updates can be offered safely and efficiently via remote over-the-air updates. Where otherwise, a service technician had to travel to the worksite to perform the service update on-site, this visit can now be omitted entirely. The reduction of travel is not only easy on the wallet but also on the environment. New insight into machines under warranty also helps Bergmann manage after-sales costs.   

The individual reports have also been a positive aspect of Bergmann's telematics solution. It has never been easier to track how many machine trips are made per hour or how much material they move within a specific time. The transparency delivered by telematics offers the machine user and the valuable manufacturer insights that were previously impossible to access.

Bergmann’s R&D team benefits, too, as it develops new electric vehicles. With telematics, they can see how these machines are working in the field to optimize new models and functionality before they are introduced to the market.

Bergmann Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG is a family-run company in Meppen, Germany. Since its founding in 1960, material handling vehicles, or dumpers for short, have become the company's core competency. In addition to several series models, special attention is also paid to special vehicles of all types. Whether it be in track construction, pipeline construction, or municipal applications: Bergmann convinces through quality without compromise.