The maintenance provider Mantena is actively engaged in an exciting collaboration with the optimization group at the Research Council of Norway regarding system-based maintenance. The project has been named RailCBM and aims to enhance the company's expertise in condition estimation and condition prediction of components on rolling stock.
The three-year pioneering project is, among other things, relevant for the Øresund contract, where Mantena is the total supplier for the maintenance of trains operating in southern Sweden and the Øresund area.
Read more about the Øresund contract here:
Development of Prototype
System Engineer Petter Lefoka is responsible for the test and measurement systems at Mantena. He states that the project is an important part of the company's focus on the future of the railway.
– To take new steps in the maintenance of rolling stock, it is necessary to look at the systems behind it. Therefore, this is an important project not only for us, but for the entire industry. One of the main objectives is to develop a prototype for a condition-based maintenance program, known as the Condition Based Maintenance Program, hence the name Rail CBM. Another objective is the development of algorithms for estimating the condition of components in bogies.
– In the project, we collect data from several sources, including various measurement systems and the Dynamic Test Bench at the Grorud workshop. We are also working towards installing vibration sensors on trains in operation to test the algorithms on components in use. The vibration analyses enable us to review data from our machines to eliminate undesirable vibrations and temperatures.
Developing Collaboration
Daniel Palhazi Cuervo is a researcher at the Research Council of Norway. He praises the collaboration with Mantena.
– The Research Council of Norway has collaborated with the railway industry for a long time. We view condition-based maintenance as one of the most promising directions to pursue in research within this field, and we believe that further development of the technology can significantly reduce the need for maintenance while also making maintenance work more efficient. We are excited about our collaboration with Mantena in contributing to a better and more sustainable railway sector.