Track 1 Session 10

9:10 to 10:10 a.m. Friday April 9, 2010

Methodology for Proactive Maintenance: Improving Reliability and Safety Through Advanced Wheelset Maintenance in the Rail Industry

A train wheel may appear at first to be a basic component of modern day metros, trams and high speed trains, but its reliability is essential to the safety of up to hundreds of passengers onboard. As a result, wheel inspections and preventive maintenance activities are carried out at frequent intervals (as often as every two weeks) to ensure high safety levels. Associated costs are considerably high, and the demand for increased train reliability and availability is a constant pressure for maintenance organizations. This presentation introduces a methodology for proactive maintenance activities, with the particular goal of increasing product engineering knowledge and investing that knowledge in all stages of the product life cycle. Case studies, which make use of tailor-made hardware and software systems, are shown in which proactive maintenance has led to significant increases in train reliability and safety.

Key Words: Proactive Maintenance, Condition Monitoring, Data Management, FRACAS, Knowledge Creation and Management, System Diagnostics, Operational Reliability and Availability

Tim Smith

NEM Solutions

Spain