Skip to main content

Cat partners with Uptake to cut downtime and parts costs

Caterpillar has made a minority investment, for an undisclosed sum, in Chicago-based technology company Uptake. The aim is to reduce machine downtime and maintenance costs for customers. Uptake, established by Groupon co-founder Brad Keywell, has built an analytics platform that will examine data captured from Caterpillar machinery around the world. The two companies will use this data for predictive diagnostics, to catch potential problems before they occur and to plan maintenance.
March 6, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
178 Caterpillar has made a minority investment, for an undisclosed sum, in Chicago-based technology company Uptake. The aim is to reduce machine downtime and maintenance costs for customers.

Uptake, established by Groupon co-founder Brad Keywell, has built an analytics platform that will examine data captured from Caterpillar machinery around the world.

The two companies will use this data for predictive diagnostics, to catch potential problems before they occur and to plan maintenance.

“Customers use our current technology for fleet monitoring and to track fuel efficiency, idle times, location and more,” said Doug Oberhelman, chairman and CEO of Caterpillar. “Our existing solutions are effective, but it’s time we take it to the next level. We want to empower our customers with the insight necessary to shift from a reactive ‘repair after failure’ mode to a proactive ‘repair before failure’ stance. The end result will be more efficient operations and increased fleet availability for our customers.”

Caterpillar plans to deploy the system over the next two years, making it available for both Cat and non-Cat branded machinery.

“Our platform takes massive data provided by sensors, combines it with data science to understand signals and patterns and deploys insights in real time that save money, optimize performance and prevent unplanned downtime,” said Keywell.


For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Advances in milling
    July 23, 2024
    Some major machine manufacturers have introduced improved milling equipment to the market - Mike Woof reports
  • Low temperature asphalt and aggregate options’
    February 7, 2014
    At what point does ‘some technology’ become ‘enough technology’? Less than four years ago industry publications were filled with a persistent message, the reluctance of UK based contractors to adopt machine control to the same extent as near European neighbours, particularly close ones such as Ireland and Holland. However from 2009 onwards we have seen a huge shift in demand for machine control as the success of high profile road and rail jobs such as the M25 widening scheme and Airdrie – Bathgate rail
  • Efficient, accurate asphalt compaction technology
    February 14, 2012
    The efficiency of asphalt compaction performance has improved immeasurably in recent years with the development of more effective equipment. Manufacturers have honed the designs of the machines, making them easier and more comfortable to operate, improving visibility and also tackling issues such as maintenance downtime by making the equipment more reliable and quicker to service. However one of the biggest advances in compaction performance has come not from the machines, but from the control and measur
  • Trimble’s vision of a far more efficient future
    July 5, 2021
    Trimble is offering a future with more efficient, optimised construction operations for faster project delivery