CMS.Rail Box: Continuous Infrastructure Monitoring During Regular Service Operations – Quick to Retrofit and Data-Based
What is CMS.Rail Box?
CMS.Rail Box is designed for local rail operators who want to systematically assess the condition of their rail network and prioritise maintenance measures more effectively. Vibration and impact data acquired during regular service operations are analysed, anomalous events are assessed and localised to specific track sections. The results are provided as condition and damage indications via the dashboard or interfaces, creating a reliable basis for maintenance planning.
Reliably assess track condition – despite limited resources
Local rail operators need to reliably assess the condition of their infrastructure and prioritise maintenance measures effectively. At the same time, additional manual inspections are resource-intensive and personnel resources are limited. If anomalies are detected too late, the risk of unplanned disruptions and short-notice maintenance measures increases.
Condition-based maintenance therefore requires reliable information on where track condition is changing and where closer inspection or action is needed – without having to integrate extensive additional measurement infrastructure into regular operations.
How CMS.Rail Box works
1. Collect data
Continuous acquisition of vibration and impact data using a sensor on the car body
2. Assess and localize anomalies
Assess, classify and localize anomalous events
3. Make maintenance needs visible
Visualization of track condition and prioritized maintenance needs in the dashboard
Easy retrofit without modifying the bogie
Retrofitting existing vehicles places particular demands on installation, approval and maintenance. CMS.Rail Box has therefore been designed so that the hardware can be installed flexibly in the car body. No modification of the bogie or other safety-critical vehicle components is required. This reduces the integration effort and allows the installation to be adapted to suitable positions on the specific vehicle. In particular, the data acquired during operation can be used to detect and localise the following anomalies in the rail network:
- Impact points
- Switch hotspots
- Rail corrugation & ripples
- Anomalous track sections
Pilot project – from initial setup to rollout
The process starts with a supported pilot project comprising several consecutive steps. Hardware and installation are provided free of charge during the pilot phase.
1. Setup
Selection of the pilot vehicle, installation of the hardware and clarification of interfaces.
2. Measurement operations
Continuous data acquisition and condition analysis during regular service operations.
3. Validation
Joint evaluation of the results with the maintenance team and comparison with reference data.
4. Business case
Assessment of benefits and cost-effectiveness, followed by a recommendation for continued operation and rollout.
Track condition and prioritized maintenance needs in the dashboard
The dashboard consolidates the analysed condition data and makes critical sections of the rail network transparent and traceable.
- Network map with localized hotspots
- Heat map of critical sections
- Trend of track condition over time
- List of classified anomalies
- Prioritization by urgency
- Data-protection-compliant event reporting without identifying individual journeys
- Integration of weather data
The advantages at a glance
Detect anomalies at an early stage
Continue using existing systems
Prioritize maintenance needs
Continuously acquire data
during regular service operations
Quick and easy to retrofit
Pilot and roll out step by step
“enableATO” research project
Autonomous monorail vehicle "MONOCAB" for rural areas
_____________
- CMS.Rail Box used during operation of the development vehicle
- Testing of additional monitoring, localization and ATO functions
- Researching the transfer to additional rail vehicles
FAQ
At the beginning, the pilot vehicle and installation position are defined, and interfaces and technical approval are clarified. The hardware is then installed and continuous data acquisition during regular service operations begins.
During the pilot project, data quality is continuously verified. The results are compared with reference data and jointly evaluated.
The analyzed condition information can be provided via the CMS.Rail dashboard or optionally connected to existing maintenance and ECM systems via interfaces.
Yes. The condition information can be provided via the CMS.Rail dashboard. Connection to existing systems is optional and can be implemented depending on the existing system environment.
By equipping additional vehicles, network coverage can be increased step by step. In this way, a pilot application can be expanded to additional vehicles and sections of the rail network.
Yes. Weather data can be included in the analysis and considered together with the acquired condition information.
CMS.Rail Box enables data-protection-compliant event reporting without identifying individual journeys.
Please contact us personally
________
Would you like to learn more about CMS.Rail? In a personal consultation, we will introduce you to the CMS.Rail solutions and discuss which one best fits your requirements.
EXPERT IN MARKET DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCT MANAGEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Extensive professional experience in international business development and sales
Responsible for the development of the Railway Solutions market segment with a focus on condition monitoring/predictive maintenance
Qualified wholesale and foreign trade specialist and certified sales director
Development of customised testing solutions for the rail transport as well as the aerospace industries
Nanostructure Technology (today's name: Quantum Engineering) at University of Würzburg
M. Sc.
Competence Network AI in SMEs "AI-HUB Northern Bavaria"
Real innovation requires not only knowledge, experience and creativity, but also a strong team and communication.
Because Wölfel is active across industries in the areas of expertise of vibrations, structural dynamics and acoustics, new challenges, customer requirements and knowledge transfers are constantly arising. This always opens up new use cases for the application of smart data-driven algorithms for us and our customers.
HEAD OF THE RAILSOLUTIONS BUSINESS UNIT
Holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from TU Darmstadt
Responsible for product development in Wölfel's Rail business
Extensive experience in methodology and software development
Comprehensive expertise in data analysis and the development of monitoring algorithms for industrial applications
Several years of experience in technical project management
EXPERT IN MARKET DEVELOPMENT, PRODUCT MANAGEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Extensive professional experience in international business development and sales
Responsible for the development of the Railway Solutions market segment with a focus on condition monitoring/predictive maintenance
Qualified wholesale and foreign trade specialist and certified sales director
Development of customised testing solutions for the rail transport as well as the aerospace industries
Nanostructure Technology (today's name: Quantum Engineering) at University of Würzburg
M. Sc.
Competence Network AI in SMEs "AI-HUB Northern Bavaria"
Real innovation requires not only knowledge, experience and creativity, but also a strong team and communication.
Because Wölfel is active across industries in the areas of expertise of vibrations, structural dynamics and acoustics, new challenges, customer requirements and knowledge transfers are constantly arising. This always opens up new use cases for the application of smart data-driven algorithms for us and our customers.
HEAD OF THE RAILSOLUTIONS BUSINESS UNIT
Holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from TU Darmstadt
Responsible for product development in Wölfel's Rail business
Extensive experience in methodology and software development
Comprehensive expertise in data analysis and the development of monitoring algorithms for industrial applications
Several years of experience in technical project management