ZF introduces connect@rail for the Turkish railway sector
30/10/2023
ZF is further strengthening its position in Turkey’s railway business with a new customer project for its digital condition monitoring (CM) system connect@rail. Completing a successful trial phase with a low-floor tram for city transport operator UlasimPark in Kocaeli, Turkey, the system also showcases ZF’s ever-increasing digital competencies. As a comprehensive sensor- and cloud-based solution, connect@rail enables precise rail infrastructure and monitoring of driveline components. This facilitates predictive maintenance and increases the safety, reliability and efficiency of the train network.
Kocaeli, a province east of Turkey’s megacity Istanbul, is a bustling centre of commerce and industry. Its metropolitan area is home to 1.9 million people, many of whom depend on the city’s public transport. Safe and reliable service is a must, which is why local operator UlasimPark is currently trialling ZF’s innovative CM system connect@rail in its public transport network. Installed in a low-floor Panorama Tramvay by manufacturer Durmaray, the scope of the cooperation will include the detection of potential faults on the wheels, the driveline and even the track itself. This is the first time ZF’s connect@rail CM system will be used in Turkey.
Selim Aydınlıoğlu, Managing Director of ZF Türkiye, said about the cooperation: “We have found a great and trusted partner in UlasimPark. Together, we will bring more efficiency, safety and reliability into Turkey’s railway network.”
Yıldıray Hava, Head of Vehicle Maintenance and Workshop at UlasimPark, said: “In use since October 2022, the prototype tram completed more than 4700 journeys in real-life day-to-day operation. This system will support the workshop team in terms of maintenance costs and time management. Predictive maintenance will enable us to detect potential damage at an early stage and thus make more accurate decisions. We congratulate ZF on this innovative approach and are pleased to have been able to test the system.”
ZF has worked with UlasimPark before back in 2016, when the company outfitted an identical vehicle with its hypoid bevel gearbox back. The product’s outstanding quality and reliability made it easy for the Turkish fleet operator to extend the partnership with the technology specialist from Germany. This evolving cooperation is also a showcase for ZF’s expanding digital competencies, which further strengthens the company’s key role in supporting the railway sector. ZF is also currently in talks with other operators interested in connect@rail.
ZF’s Infrastructure and Driveline Monitoring System consists of four main components: Heavy Duty TAGs, VCU Pro Onboard Units, connectivity to the ZF Cloud and a customisable digital dashboard for data visualisation. The TAGs, wireless Bluetooth sensors, are installed on the vehicle’s wheelset bearing cover or the bogie, where they record acceleration data. This information is then aggregated in on-board gateway units before being sent to the ZF Cloud for analysing. The analysed data is then visualised within a virtual dashboard that can be customised to the specifics of ZF’s client.
ZF’s intelligent algorithms can extrapolate potential damages from almost imperceptible abnormalities in acceleration recorded while the vehicle is in operation. In this way, the system is able to detect flat spots and thread wear on the wheels and even (being linked with the global positioning system (GPS)) faults in the infrastructure, ie the track itself, with pinpoint accuracy.
This allows operators to carry out predictive and condition-based maintenance planning. Unforeseen downtime is minimised, while safety and efficiency, both of the vehicle and the network operation, is increased. Furthermore, riding the train will be more pleasant for passengers, as this type of damage usually results in more noise, vibration and harshness in the cabin.
