Several other areas where GPS can be efficiently used are perhaps not as well known. Aquila Mining Systems, a subsidiary of Caterpillar, offers the DM series of products for GPS-guided drilling and blasting. Quarry communication technology is also being aided by GPS technology. The active system lets the base station PC call the vehicle and see its location on a real-time basis. The base station PC can also call all the vehicles in the fleet to download position data, including speed, stops and location, which the computer will store and display.
Tire manufacturers know one of the easiest ways to maintain tire life is through proper inflation.
That is why through the use of technology, manufacturers are developing tracking software to minimize downtime and maximize tire life. The system searches for tires by serial number or brand, rotates tires between vehicles, color-codes tires for wear status and compiles reports at the push of a button. MEMS is a four-component system featuring tire tags, a receiver, an interface with the mine management system and a handheld unit. Goodyear offers two systems to aid a company in its tire program. One is an intelligent tire system that will help operators control tire costs and significantly lower downtime, and the other is a fleet tire management system.