Train washing station: predictive maintenance

The train washing facility of the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL) is the most modern in Europe today. It cleans local and long-distance trains every day in its 200 metre wash hall, which uses a sophisticated system.
In order to be able to wash different train lengths efficiently in the large hall, the 200 metres are divided into 66-metre-long segments where washing trolleys are available. There are four washing trolleys on each side of a train, which travel along the 66-metre long sections of the train and thus clean the entire length.

At the heart of this process are energy chains that enable the washing trolleys to move. These have the task of safely guiding the large number of hoses and cables for energy, data, compressed air, water and cleaning agents.
The system must function reliably in high humidity, wet conditions and when using chemical cleaning agents.
The high load was evident in the previous energy chains of a competitor, which repeatedly caused interruptions in the operating process as they partially jumped up or otherwise failed. This was particularly problematic as the washing system is operated autonomously and a failure of an energy chain system could bring the entire washing process to a standstill. The necessary repair work was time-consuming and sometimes had to be carried out at night and at weekends. If the energy chain failed, the possibility of a rail vehicle becoming trapped in the wash bay could not be ruled out, which could mean the cancellation of several train journeys.

The train company CFL realised that it needed an energy chain system that not only works reliably, but also ensures predictive operation without surprises.
The answer was found in polymer energy chains designed for long travels, which are equipped with intelligent sensors for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.

The condition monitoring (i.Sense EC.P) enables permanent monitoring of the e-chain solution by measuring the push and pull forces. If, for example, the chain falls out of the guide trough or jumps up, the technology registers this, stops the system and can thus prevent an expensive total loss.
The system is also equipped with sensors for predictive maintenance (i.Cee). Taking into account condition monitoring data such as temperature, travel speed or distance travelled, this gives the operator an estimate of the system's service life and provides maintenance and inspection instructions.
The interaction between i.Sense EC.P and i.Cee not only allows the operator to avoid total damage, but also to know exactly when damage will occur and how to avoid it. Unforeseen operational failures are therefore a thing of the past.