Growing awareness of the benefits of visibility in rail transport have prompted two significant developments resting on industry-leading software
Nexxiot and Intermodal Telematics (IMT), two of the leading developers and suppliers of software and systems for tracking and monitoring unaccompanied goods in transit, have both recently announced major projects in the rail sector. Both initiatives seek to drive forward digitalisation in rail transport, in order to both improve efficiency in carrying capacity and customer service and to provide shippers with greater visibility of their consignments.
Nexxiot has teamed up with Knorr-Bremse to launch a suite of smart products and associated cloud services that will be rolled out this year for outfitting and retrofitting of both passenger and freight trains. Key projects are already underway with customers in the UK and US, Knorr-Bremse reports. The Germany-based company, originally specialising in braking systems but now offering a wider range of other systems for rail and commercial vehicles, sees the application of digitalised systems as the key to achieving market growth.
“The rail industry is asking for solutions that will enhance cost efficiency, operational efficiency and reliability. Digitalisation and data management technologies offer enormous opportunities in this respect,” says Dr Nicolas Lange, member of Knorr-Bremse’s executive board. “With the smart solutions we’re presenting with Nexxiot, we’re creating a new level of connectivity for our braking and other systems that will help our customers to improve the productivity, availability and punctuality of their rail services.”
Stefan Kalmund, CEO of Nexxiot, adds: “Our partnership will help the industry to achieve the levels of efficiency and reliability that are already taken for granted in other transportation segments. As a key technology partner, Nexxiot is proud to be accompanying global market leader Knorr-Bremse on this pioneering journey.”
THREE PILLARS
The partners have combined Knorr-Bremse’s systems expertise with Nexxiot’s proven competence in IoT. The innovative workflow, which involves collecting operating data, transferring it to the cloud and turning it into useful knowledge, is based on three products:
- Knorr-Bremse Node: The adapter is connected to the control units of systems such as braking, entrance, climate control and coupling systems, where it gathers data on parameters such as noise, geolocation, temperature, energy consumption, and shocks or vibrations. Each Knorr-Bremse Node then sends the data by Bluetooth to the second new piece of hardware, the Knorr-Bremse Hub.
- Knorr-Bremse Hub: The Hub aggregates the data streams from the Nodes attached to the various system controllers and sends them to the Nexxiot Cloud via the cellular network (in the future, via the rail vehicle’s own bus). Thus the Knorr-Bremse Hub acts as the gateway between data nodes and the cloud.
- Cloud services: Artificial intelligence and algorithms are used to analyse the data streams and turn them into specific insights. Customers can call up information on the location, condition, performance, maintenance requirements and potentially imminent malfunctions of vehicle systems and components via user-friendly dashboards, allowing them to more efficiently plan the operation and management of their train fleets.
“In less than 18 months, our focused collaboration with Nexxiot has seen the development of market-ready products for outfitting new train fleets and retrofitting existing fleets,” explains Dr Maximilian Eichhorn, vice-president of digital products at Knorr-Bremse. “Among other things, we’ll be able to leverage the potential of real-time operating data to make precise statements about the condition, performance and maintenance requirements of our systems. This means more trains on tracks and fewer trains in workshops – a major benefit for our customers.”
That collaboration began in May 2022, when Knorr-Bremse invested some €60m to acquire a strategic minority stake in Nexxiot.
READY TO ROLL
Knorr-Bremse sees the large number of its systems already installed worldwide as offering “huge business potential”. More than 130,000 units of its CubeControl brake control system are currently in operation, as well as more than 100,000 climate control systems produced by its Merak brand. A significant proportion of these systems can be upgraded with the new digital solutions.
Knorr-Bremse will start rolling out the products in 2024, creating the basis for a range of digital business models. Alongside the Knorr-Bremse Node and Knorr-Bremse Hub hardware, customers will benefit from scalable data services enabled by the Nexxiot Cloud ecosystem. These will be provided via subscription models (software as a service) charging a monthly fee, or via pay-per-use models.
The new technology is already being used in several customer projects involving predictive maintenance. Examples include the data interface between hardware and the Nexxiot Cloud, currently in use by rail freight operator VTG in the UK. Starting in 2024, 50 freight cars will be equipped with the technology. New York Air Brake (NYAB), Knorr-Bremse’s rail freight subsidiary in the US, has partnered with local customers to install Knorr-Bremse Nodes in brake control systems on freight trains, enabling them to communicate with pre-installed Nexxiot technology. These projects underscore both the innovative character and market maturity of the solutions, customised versions of which will be available this year.
WABTEC AND IMT
Also looking at the US market is IMT, which has teamed up with Wabtec Corporation to offer a wide-ranging telematics solution to the rail sector in North America and certain other heavy freight markets. Wabtec’s new railcar telematics platform will deliver real-time information to railcar and tank container owners and operators, allowing them to turn rail cargo into smart, connected assets. The service will include sensors, gateways, wireless communications and analytics. The technology will be offered for retrofit on existing fleets and also will make Wabtec’s current railcar components smarter by integrating solutions right from production.
The new offering will include a comprehensive suite of solutions that track real-time location and monitor key attributes such as handbrakes, hatches, doors, and loaded/unloaded status for railcars, as well as cargo temperature and pressure for tank containers.
“The rail industry is on the verge of a new era where the use of real-time data about the status and condition of cargo will be transformative to the customer experience and supply chain efficiency,” says Nalin Jain, group president of digital intelligence at Wabtec. “Telematics builds on Wabtec’s rich history serving the freight car markets with next-generation solutions. Our innovative solutions will improve shipment visibility, increase on-time performance, and expand asset utilisation to make shipping freight by rail more competitive.”
“This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Intermodal Telematics, as we join forces with the industry powerhouse to deliver cutting-edge telematics solutions,” adds Dethmer Drenth, founder and managing director of IMT. “By combining Wabtec’s extensive market expertise with our innovative technology, we will provide Wabtec’s customers with not just data, but with actionable intelligence in order to revolutionise the rail industry’s approach to monitoring, efficiency and safety. This collaboration leads us into a future where predictive analytics and machine learning will redefine the dynamics of rail operations.“
source: https://hcblive.com/digitalisation-catch-that-train/
