ISO 12511:1997

Earth-moving machinery - Hour meters

Engins de terrassement — Enregistreurs horaires

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 10-Dec-1997
• ICS: 39.040.99 - Other time-measuring instruments
• ICS: 53.100 - Earth-moving machinery
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 127/SC 3 - Machine characteristics, electrical and electronic systems, operation and maintenance
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 127/SC 3 - Machine characteristics, electrical and electronic systems, operation and maintenance
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Start Date: 20-Mar-2025
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2025

Relations

• Amended By: ISO 12511:1997/Amd 1:2021 - Earth-moving machinery - Hour meters - Amendment 1
• Effective Date: 25-Apr-2020

Overview

ISO 12511:1997 is an international standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that defines specifications for hour meters used in earth-moving machinery. Designed by technical committees specializing in earth-moving equipment, this standard establishes the requirements for devices that measure the operational time of engine-powered machines, ensuring consistency, reliability, and accuracy across the industry. Although the standard applies to earth-moving machinery as defined in ISO 6165, it does not mandate the installation of hour meters on all machines.

Key Topics

• Purpose and Scope
  ISO 12511:1997 specifies the functional and technical criteria for hour meters that track the total operating time of earth-moving machinery engines. It focuses on ensuring these meters measure true engine running hours without weighting for engine speed.

• Technical Requirements

  • Operation Activation: The hour meter must activate when the engine starts and deactivate upon engine stop.
  • Voltage Compatibility: Designed to operate on 12 V systems (9 V to 16 V d.c.) and 24 V systems (18 V to 32 V d.c.) to accommodate different machinery power configurations.
  • Temperature Range: Components should reliably function between –40 °C and +85 °C; those installed on engines must withstand up to +165 °C.
  • Accuracy: Hour meters need to maintain an accuracy within ±2% across temperatures ranging from –20 °C to +60 °C.

• Readout and Durability
  The meter shall provide either analog or digital readout displays, capable of registering operational hours from 0 to at least 9,999.9 hours. The system must be housed in a location that is both readily visible and resistant to tampering or unauthorized disconnection, ensuring data integrity through special maintenance tools if disconnection is necessary.

• Environmental Resistance
  The hour meter must be able to perform accurately under normal working conditions including vibrations, shocks, and exposure commonly experienced by earth-moving machinery.

Applications

ISO 12511:1997 applies directly to manufacturers, maintenance personnel, and operators of earth-moving machinery such as excavators, bulldozers, loaders, and graders. The standard:

• Facilitates consistent tracking of machinery usage, which aids in scheduling regular maintenance and managing machine life cycles more effectively.
• Enhances equipment management for rental companies, construction firms, and fleet operators by providing reliable operational hour data for billing and utilization analysis.
• Supports regulatory compliance and warranty validation by documenting accurate machine operation times.
• Improves machine resale value by offering verifiable usage records through tamper-resistant hour meters.

Related Standards

• ISO 6165:1997 – This standard defines the basic types and vocabulary of earth-moving machinery, providing foundational terminology referenced in ISO 12511.
• Other standards developed by ISO Technical Committee ISO/TC 127, which focus on earth-moving machinery safety, operation, and maintenance, support a comprehensive quality framework for equipment management and usage.

Practical Value

Implementing hour meters compliant with ISO 12511:1997 ensures reliable performance measurement of earth-moving machinery usage. This leads to optimized maintenance schedules, reduced downtime, enhanced safety, and better asset management. By adhering to the standard, manufacturers and operators benefit from equipment with verified operational tracking-critical in improving productivity and reducing service costs across construction and mining industries.

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Keywords: ISO 12511, earth-moving machinery, hour meters, equipment maintenance, operational time tracking, machine usage monitoring, construction equipment standards, ISO earth-moving standards, hour meter specifications.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 12511
First edition
1997-12-15
Earth-moving machinery — Hour meters
Engins de terrassement — Enregistreurs horaires
A
Reference number
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide
federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of
preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which
a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented
on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-
governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO
collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are
circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an International
Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting
a vote.
International Standard ISO 12511 was prepared by Technical Committee
ISO/TC 127, Earth-moving machinery, Subcommittee SC 3, Operation and
maintenance.
©  ISO 1997
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced
or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and
microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
International Organization for Standardization
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Genève 20 • Switzerland
Internet [e-mail]
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Printed in Switzerland
ii
©
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD  ISO ISO 12511:1997(E)
Earth-moving machinery — Hour meters
1  Scope
This International Standard specifies the meters used to measure the amount of time an earth-moving machine has
been operated.
It is applicable to earth-moving machinery as defined in ISO 6165, but does not mandate the use of hour meters on
any earth-moving machine.
2  Normative reference
The following standard contains provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this
International Stand
...