- Smart Oil Plug proven to increase rail maintenance efficiency and reduce vehicle downtime
- Wireless, sensor-based solution enables real-time monitoring and analysis of gearbox health in driven railway applications
- The sensors have been installed in 12 gearboxes and are now sending acceleration data, temperatures and oil debris
ZF Aftermarket’s latest offering for the rail industry, Smart Oil Plug, is enabling real-time monitoring and analysis of gearbox health and behaviour in railway vehicles.
Smart Oil Plug, a wireless, sensor-based solution developed alongside industrial data experts Transmission Dynamics, is part of ZF’s connect@rail portfolio, which offers comprehensive data and insights into the performance and health of railway vehicles and infrastructure, and they are already helping to improve maintenance and reduce downtime.
The sensors were installed in Ireland on several gearboxes in partnership with both Train owners and the operators, and are now sending acceleration data, temperatures and oil debris. Comparisons can be made between the different Smart Oil Plugs on various parameters to indicate outlier gearboxes.
One outlier gearbox has been identified due to the higher-than-average Risk Management Solution (RMS) acceleration values seen. It is believed that this is caused by amplitude modulation, though the exact source of modulation cannot yet be determined, since there are two possible sources with frequencies close to the modulation frequency.
It is believed there may be a fault linked to either the rotation frequency of the axle, possibly due to eccentricity or the NJ2312 bearing set of the gearbox on which Smart Oil Plug 69 is installed has a fault.
An outlier acceleration file was seen from Smart Oil Plug 74, which otherwise has shown acceleration values within a similar range to other gearboxes.
The main frequency component was the Helical gear tooth contact frequency, but the reason for the outlier is unknown. This gearbox will be monitored further by the sensor for any other outliers and automatic alarms are active to indicate any exceedance of certain acceleration-based thresholds to identify these outliers at an early stage.
The temperature values show differences between each gearbox but are not yet significant. These differences will also continue to be monitored for possible variations over time.
As a global technology leader, ZF offers a wide range of connectivity solutions enabling the Next Generation of Mobility. These solutions range from automated mobility concepts, cloud-based applications for fleets through to an open transaction network for vehicles and service providers.
Marco Neubold, Head of Business Line Industrial Aftermarket explains: “Smart Oil Plug is set to be a game changer for global train operators in the coming years. Market data shows that the rail sector is expected to grow significantly over the next few years. This, combined with an increasing emphasis on greener, more efficient solutions where downtime is a serious and costly concern, means the rail aftermarket stakeholders will reap significant benefits from this product offer.”
Already used by some of the largest railway companies, this innovative product is easy to use and simple to install under expert supervision. It offers a holistic view of gearbox health through real-time wireless remote condition monitoring.
Already transforming maintenance practices, it consists of a single on-board transceiver – which contains a SIM card – and a Smart Oil Plug which replaces the original oil plug within the gearbox. It can be seamlessly adapted to any rail application.
Accurate data measurements are taken for temperature, oil debris, and vibration. This information is transmitted via Bluetooth to a transceiver and then to the cloud for analysis.
Automated reporting with text message or email alerts is generated for exceptions. It also provides early detection of a host of issues to help minimise unplanned down time and allow maintenance to be arranged at a time to suit the operator.
Following the signing of a strategic contract between ZF and Transmission Dynamics, the Smart Oil Plug is integrated into ZF’s comprehensive connect@rail condition monitoring platform by transmitting data to the telematics gateway.
connect@rail offers digital solutions for the railway industry that enable remote monitoring and predictive maintenance of fleets and rail infrastructure. Using advanced sensor technology and cloud-based data analysis tools, efficiency, reliability, and safety in rail transportation are thus further increased.
This innovative product by the Group’s Aftermarket Division can help rail sector operators optimise uptime for most driven applications.
ZF estimates that the product could apply to a growing global population of driven railway applications, increasing from approximately 300,000 currently to over 340,000 by 2027.
During the pilot phase – carried out by ZF since 2021 – rail providers achieved an average of 30 percent reduction in maintenance budgets by using the Smart Oil Plug.
