Existing means of rail maintenance is ineffective at providing early warning signs of structural weakness and component failure. These assets include tracks, rolling stock, and other equipment to maximize availability. For instance, train-mounted cameras can only examine damaged tracks after the fact. Periodic inspections are thus inadequate at addressing the need for preventative maintenance and mitigating catastrophic failures.

 

The burden on operational safety could reduce significantly by using an automated monitoring system that diagnoses and reports rail conditions in real-time. Construction defects, such as in the loosening of the track beds, would be informed by the system to the administrators for targeted maintenance. Likewise, any structural fatigue and its effects, such as hairline cracks of the steel rail, can be detected and mitigated.

 

Predictive maintenance solutions can capture sensor data in real time and integrate with those from visual inspections, manual measurements, cameras, and more.    Overall, the major advantages of the Smart Rail technology include:

• Improved visibility into asset health

• Lower costs of unscheduled maintenance

• Better forecasts on parts and labor

• Increased warranty recoveries

• Faster diagnostics of root failure

• Reduced unplanned equipment downtime