Headquartered in Ulricehamn, Sweden, BOTEK specialises in vehicle-mounted RFID bin management solutions that utilise the power of RFID to identify and track waste bin collections.
The waste management industry presents an extremely challenging environment for IT solutions. Devices used as part of Botek’s in-vehicle RFID bin management solutions must be able to operate in extreme weather/temperature conditions (as low as -39o), as well as survive regular knocks, drops, spills and constant vibrations.
“We’ve experimented with different laptops and tablets for our vehicle-mounted solutions over the years, and encountered all sorts of problems along the way,” says Martin Abelson of Botek. “Some provided good functionality but were expensive and broke too easily, while others offered better reliability but were cumbersome and built on technology that was five or six years out of date. We needed a device that offered the best of both worlds in terms of rugged reliability and powerful functionality, allowing our customers to operate as efficiently as possible, regardless of the working conditions faced.”
Getac’s F110 fully rugged tablet, Havis secure vehicle dock and Getac 11-16V, 22-32V DC vehicle adapter deliver the ultimate combination of rugged reliability, powerful functionality and intuitive usability. Furthermore, Getac’s short lead times means Botek can get new devices into the hands of customers quickly and efficiently, whenever required.
All Botek vehicle-mounted solutions are powered by a mobile IT device running the software and transmitting data between the vehicle and the waste removal service provider’s offices. When a bin is emptied, its RFID tag is read, with the weight of the refuse measured/logged, enabling service providers to accurately bill a municipality.
Botek has over 900 F110s in use today as part of its solutions, many of which have been in constant use since as far back as 2014. With device lifespans lasting as long as the refuse trucks they are installed in, return on investment (ROI) is extremely high for Botek and its customers, a win-win for both parties.
“Any device failure immediately takes a truck out of commission and if a customer’s collection rate drops below 97%, it quickly starts to cost them thousands of euros in lost revenue. The F110s we bought are still going strong today. This extremely low failure rate gives customers complete confidence. We’ve since bought hundreds more, and it’s now the only device we offer as part of our complete solution.”
In an industry like waste management, customers value reliability above all else. Come rain or shine, they just need things to work. Getac’s devices are unmatched in their ability to thrive where most others struggle to survive, delivering full ROI within less than a year. With Getac at the heart of our solution we sleep very well at night.
Martin Abelson, Botek
Botek develops, manufactures and supplies mobile weighing solutions for the waste management industry, along with systems for RFID-based collection recording and associated software solutions.
In 1978, Botek’s founder Bo Stålhandske installed the first on-board scale on a truck and the company has focussed on mobile weighing systems ever since. Today, Botek has about 30 dedicated employees across its software development, technical development and production departments.
Botek has two subsidiaries, Unisystem AB which develop scales for the marine industry and Elgab AB, which develop RFID technology.
The new F110 fully-rugged tablet offers an easy-to-carry profile, a comfortable touchscreen, and more power to run your general office and industry-specific applications with ease.
