Paid Access Control System

[P1X3]

I am looking for a forklift access control system that would let the forklift run for the time it was paid for. Can be pretty simple as jumping on a forklift, swiping a card, selecting time and magically forklift ignition is enabled. The closest I have come to is forklift control systems that don't involve any kind of payment.

Maybe someone has working on something similar and can share experience.

[aroby]

Sounds rather dangerous.  What happens if the timer expires as the forklift is raising or lowering a load?  Maybe a better business model would be more suitable.

[SL4P]

Yep, Sorry - fundamentally flawed.

What if you're travelling with a load off the ground... power is cut, and the load over balances?  Oops.
Maybe I could suggest a tamper-proof timer and alert (buzzer/light) that warns (loudly) when the lease has expired.

The proposal may have merit, but the method needs more thought.

[P1X3]

Hopefully there is something that will alarm or shutdown gracefully when time ran off. 
Forklift was just an example of how the system that I am looking for could work.

It could be something simple as payment terminal that activates a relay or completes the circuit. Kinda like air pump stations for pumping air into tires. It is simple as a plank right? Add time based on amount of coins inserted and keep relay that enables the pump closed until timer ran off.

[SL4P]

So pitch the target application, and we may be able to help identify a strategy!

[Ian.M]

If it involves charging for the use of self-propelled construction plant or hoisting machinery, most national health and safety authorities will require you to restrict usage to fully trained operators. 

If you've already got to manually check their certification, simply take a deposit, record the hour meter reading before and after and bill for hours run.  However  you will find that canny users will shut off the engine whenever they pause for any reason which will put a heck of a lot of extra wear on it, so you might do better to simply charge for elapsed time. 

It could be automated by fitting each machine with an electronic keycard reader instead of the ignition switch and having a machine that takes the user's credit card, checks that user is registered as trained and authorised, then releases the keycard.   When the keycard is returned, it checks the machine is in its parking bay by RFID tag on the machine, checks hours used recorded on the keycard, bills accordingly and prints the receipt.

[amyk]

You could put the forklift's key in a captive keyswitch connected to a timer and payment system, and charge for the time the key has been out of the switch; the user turns the key on the payment system to remove it, which starts the timer. Then the user can go drive the forklift for as long as is required, and once done returns the key to the payment system and turns it to the captive position to stop the timer. The user is then charged for the time used.

[marshallh]

The typical way with farmers timesharing equipment was to write down the hour counter reading in a notebook and pay for maintenance proportioned to time used. This assumes mostly honest people though.

[SeanB]

Already common as a loan risk reducer, used to track a vehicle which has a loan or a purchase agreement, where the lender sees the vehicle buyer as high risk, or on rental vehicles.  Connected in the vehicle, and can give location and speed, and can be remotely disabled if there is a payment issue. The disable however only will occur if the vehicle is stopped and the engine is not over idle. Can be done even if the vehicle is turned off, though does not work long after the battery is disconnected as it only has a small internal backup battery.

[G7PSK]

When I hire plant they take a credit card number despite having account the item is booked out for so many days if its not taken back on time or rebooked they charge extra if its a large iten the plant hire company delivered they come and collect if they don't come I phone and tell them its off hire. Seems to work fine like that no need for swipe cards or anything fancy.

[lapm]

In my country there are companies that rent you forklift for example... by week/month/year, how ever you need it. But there's no electronic time controls, becouse they might create some interesting danger situations...

[AndyC_772]

But there's no electronic time controls, becouse they might create some interesting danger situations...

I think that's been pretty much established already. Besides, it's rarely possible to know in advance exactly how long a job will take to complete, so much better to take a deposit for the machine and then bill for the time actually used once it's returned.

Personally I'd just rent the machine out by the day and not bother with complex electronics - but if there really has to be some gadget attached to the machine to record actual usage, I'd use a logger with a DataKey and fit it in the ignition system in place of the regular key switch.