Malin USA has placed a new order from Xplore Technologies Corp for XSLATE R12 rugged tablet PCs to support the ongoing expansion of their highly remote workforce. The forklift service company first replaced their Netbooks with a previous generation of R12 tablets in 2014, and is now starting to upgrade to the new higher-performance XSLATE R12 model to facilitate a fully paperless maintenance operation.
As Xplore president and CEO Mark Holleran notes: “When Malin was first evaluating mobile computer options three years ago, they were looking for a reliable and lightweight rugged tablet that featured a True Serial port connection and the right ergonomics for all-day, in-hand use. Though one other competitor’s tablet made their short list, it proved completely incompatible with Malin’s industrial work environment and entire workflow structure during testing. The R12 was the only tablet that met every one of their expectations from the beginning.”
Now that Malin has transitioned to a fully paperless work environment, the highly reliable I/O and broadband connectivity, speed and storage capabilities of the new Xplore XSLATE R12 model have become even more essential to their forklift maintenance operations. Malin’s field technicians have always used the R12 rugged tablet to retrieve system data during forklift servicing activities by connecting the tablet to the forklift's vehicle manager via the R12 RS232 true serial port to update firmware and change settings, such as the speed regulator. The tablet is also used to retrieve diagnostic data, confirm parts availability in the inventory log and document all service actions in realtime.
Prior to deploying the R12, it would take forklift technicians 30 minutes to flash a BIOS on a forklift via Netbooks and a USB-to-serial adapter. Now, with the full computing capabilities of the Xplore rugged tablet and built-in RS232 port, Malin’s forklift technicians are able to flash the BIOS in 3 minutes. The time savings enable them to turnaround work orders much faster and increase their revenue opportunities. Plus, Xplore tablets work the minute that field technicians turn them on.
“The continuity between the R12 and XSLATE R12 platforms enables Malin to easily on-board new tablets, and new forklift technicians, without having to invest in new software, rework business processes or introduce new IT architecture to support multiple devices,” Holleran adds.
