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Development of a standardised EMU requirements specification for EN15380-5 transverse elements

Customer: Swiss Railway undertaking, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Summarise the current situation and clarify needs in one document
  • Concept development incl. review
  • Implementation in specification reviews (statement and walk-through / inspection)
  • Training and presentation of results

Our Approach

For the respective cross-sectional topics according to EN 15380-5, PROSE created one-pagers for the mutual understanding of the topics, which were reviewed together with the client’s technical experts.

Customer benefit

By creating the standard specifications, which define and describe the requirements regarding the cross-section elements, the customer has final procurement documents at train level. The customer was able to benefit from the comprehensive know-how of PROSE’s experts, who were able to comprehensively narrow down the complex topic of cross-section elements.

Setting the standards framework for maintenance

Customer: Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems, Switzerland and Rail Vision, Israel

Project tasks

  • Definition of requirements management
  • Creation of a standardisation framework
  • Delimitation of life cycle phase
  • Obsolescence management
  • RAMS & LCC Management

Our Approach

PROSE supports Knorr-Bremse and Rail Vision within their endeavor and defines the normative maintenance framework that builds the basis for a life cycle service contract upon installation of the electro-optic sensor systems.

Customer benefit

After prototype testing is successfully completed at the end of the first quarter of 2021, the partners will examine further business opportunities for integrating these systems into rail freight vehicles.

Procurement support for bulk freight wagon

Customer: Holcim Kies und Beton AG, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Feasibility studies
  • Workshops
  • Procurement specifications

Our Approach

PROSE supports Holcim in the complete procurement process. In particular, PROSE deals with railway-specific issues and risks.

Customer benefit

​Through Prose’s expertise and support in terms of feasibility in connection with railway-specific requirements, Holcim has verified procurement documents. With the developed basics, Holcim can request potential vehicle manufactures and has a suitable basis to evaluate the offers according to their requirements.

Car body (bodyshell) development

Customer: Vossloh Kiepe GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany

End customer: Public transport company of Wuppertal, Germany

Project tasks

  • Development of the mechanical vehicle modules, i.e. car body and bogie
  • Project management
  • Definition and supervision of component tests
  • Homologation support

Our Approach

PROSE was responsible for the complete engineering of the main mechanical modules of the vehicle, which were the car body and the bogie.

Customer benefit

Given that PROSE was in charge of the vehicle development, customer VKD, who previously had been a component supplier, was able to expand its portfolio to the delivery of complete vehicles to the end customer. The know how of PROSE’s engineers in the field of turnkey engineering of complete vehicles, which is based on many years of experience with light-weight construction, was a basic condition for the successful results.

Development and delivery of module test stands for railroad construction machines

Customer: Plasser & Theurer, Export von Bahnbaumaschinen, Gesellschaft m.b.H., Austria

Project tasks

  • Development, delivery and commissioning of test benches for vehicle modules for construction machinery (e.g. power pack, cabin)

Our Approach

For the specific implementation of the tests, PROSE developed suitable algorithms for an optimal test process. PROSE was responsible for the complete delivery of the test stand in the project, from the conception and construction to the delivery of the fully assembled test benches.

Customer benefit

Plasser&Theurer benefited from PROSE’s engineering experience during the project. By outsourcing the entire development and engineering project, the customer had the advantage of having fully designed and assembled test benches available by the time the first vehicle modules were completed. The commissioning of the test benches by PROSE ensured that the components to be pre-tested only had to be mounted and connected to the test frame, which significantly reduced the overall production and commissioning time.

 

Feasibility study on driverless train operation (DTO)

Customer: BLT Transport AG, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Overall observation of the market
  • Detailed description of the planned infrastructure
  • Analysis of standards, technology and safety
  • Conclusion of asset of proposed measures of realisation – in coordination with FOT

Our Approach

During the first phase, a market overview was carried out together with a detailed description of the planned infrastructure – which ensured the achievement of the range required. The next step was creating the additional depth required by using standard technology and safety analyses. After consolidation, various variants were developed and evaluated during the feasibility phase. In coordination with the Federal Office of Transport (FOT), the best variant was selected and subsequently specified by proposed implementation measures

Customer benefit

Thanks to PROSE’s structured approach, BLT received a well-founded result based on a diversified analysis. During the realisation of the project, BLT already received an overview of the current state of the art autonomous transport systems and of present projects. In the end PROSE developed a coordinated proposal for a step by step introduction of autonomous operation, as well as further steps required for implementation, which were coordinated with the FOT.

Expert assessment – Operation of UIC and AAR brake systems in the same train

Customer: Israel Railways Ltd., Israel

Project tasks

  • Analysis and comparison of the standards for UIC and AAR brake systems
  • Analysis and comparison of technical differences and operational characteristics of the two brake systems
  • Analysis of brake systems of the existing vehicles
  • Identification of technical and operational risks for the various train compositions

Our Approach

ISR commissioned PROSE with the preparation of an independent expert assessment to find out whether it is possible and safe to operate a train with different brake systems. The study focused on the analysis and comparison of the standards for UIC and AAR brake systems as well as on the technical differences and operational characteristics of the two brake systems. The brake systems of the existing vehicles were analysed, and the technical and operational risks for the various train compositions identified.

Customer benefit

ISR has now an independent expert assessment about the risks of operating trains that consist of AAR locomotives and UIC freight wagons. Moreover, PROSE listed the measures together with a suggested solution for the immediate reduction of the operational risks and for the long-term stable operation of trains which consist of both AAR and UIC rolling stock.

Cost Estimation for Object Controlling Software Development

Customer: SBB, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Analysis of the modular concept
  • Verification of the basis technology
  • Estimation of the development time
  • Estimation of the development efforts
  • Evaluation of risks

Our Approach

As part of the industry program SmartRail 4.0, SBB are developing a concept for a geometric ETCS interlocking system. The Object Controller is the connecting element between the existing interlocking system, the new generation of interlocking systems and the existing trackside assets. To be able to estimate the basis technology and the development time as well as the development effort, PROSE was commissioned to evaluate the existing concept documents and to create the evaluation documents.

PROSE put together a team of experienced vehicle maintenance experts. The work contents and processes were systematically analysed and proposals for adjustments and possible improvements were formulated. In a second phase, the identified areas were discussed in workshops with specialists from RAlpin and the maintenance service provider and the final formulation of the work contents and processes for the regulations were determined. The documents were revised by PROSE and a new revision was prepared for release.

Customer benefit

SBB already has experienced employees in the field of safety-related systems. But since the Object Controller was very important for the migration, and to assure a higher precision in the estimation of development effort and time, as well as to identify further possible risks, PROSE was contacted for a second opinion. PROSE has employees experienced in signalling and software development as well as safety-related issues. These experiences are combined in a wellversed team to the benefit of the customer.

Assessment of unusal rail damages

Customer: Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (BVB), Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Assessment on site: on site inspection of known danger spots, report and findings
  • Immediate assessment of the operational risk: findings, recommendations and room for maneuver
  • Management summary: short-term operational measures and long-term strategic scope
  • Preparation of the press release

Our Approach

On the advice of PROSE, BVB set up a working group on this subject and recommended a shortterm reduction in speed, and launched an investigation to understand the safety relevance of each problem identified. PROSE found no operational risk from the maintenance backlog for BVB during the maintenance of the vehicle fleet. As a result, an immediate shut-down of tram operation in Basel was averted.

Customer benefit

The causes of the unusual damage have already been solved since September 2018. After this, no more extraordinary damage has occurred to the tracks.

Gauging analysis

Project tasks

  • Gauging analysis of railway vehicles according to EN 15273
  • Gauging analysis of vehicles according to BOStrab
  • Calculation with special simulation programs cMotion or DIMA
  • Simulation of complex articulated vehicles, e.g. light rail vehicles
  • Consideration of national requirements (e.g. EBO resp. BOStrab in Germany or AB-EBV in Switzerland, etc.)
  • Consideration of requirements from network accesses (e.g. SBB I-20030 in Switzerland)
  • Gauging analysis of narrow-gauge vehicles according to AB-EBV
  • Analysis of special vehicles (e.g. suspended railways)

Our Approach

At first a verification concept is developed based on the customer’s specifications as well as requirements from infrastructure and standards. This can include the following, depending on the specific task:

  • Simple delta analysis (e.g. design adaptions or interoperability concerns)
  • Regular construction gauge calculation with static or kinematic methods
  • Calculation of gauging demand by means of accumulation of critical positions of the bogies in the track gauge, design tolerances, plays, etc. with distinction of random and non-random contributions
  • Simulations by means of the tool cMotion to model arbitrary vehicle configurations and track routing
  • Application of dynamic methods supported by simulations (e.g. swinging characteristics for suspended railways)
  • Development assisting analysis with continuous assessment and consulting
  • Validation via simulation or measurement (e.g. multi-body simulation or field test runs with attached blocks)
  • Compilation of input data, procedure and results to a report, ready to be submitted to Technical Authorities

Customer benefit

Due to the wide range of available methods and the long-standing expertise of the PROSE-experts arbitrary vehicles and requirements can be investigated. Potential problems will be anticipated and prevented. Manifested problems can be furthermore solved by experts of other disciplines. Additionally, a special focus on efficiency lies in our DNA as a service provider. Combined with a tailor-made concept for the customer and project this overall ensures that technical risks in development, homologation and operation as well as commercial overall efforts will be minimized.

Ad interim locomotive fleet manager

Customer: SBB Cargo, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • ​ECM Migration
  • ANSF Approval Re484
  • Re484 Analysis power converter, compressor, emergency stop
  • Planning R2 Re484
  • Planning R2 Re474
  • Midlife measures Re482
  • Technical Mentoring Obsolescence Manager: Competence Matrix ECM2
  • Leadership Coaching ECM2 Manager: White paper and concept for Life Extension Re620

Our Approach

In addition to ensuring operational safety within the framework of the ECM2 function compared to the upstream and downstream ECM functions, PROSE took care of the sustainable improvement of the availability of the new fleet. The integration of PROSE experts in technical questions considerably increased the expertise available on site.​

Customer benefit

With this ad interim solution, the customer SBB Cargo received a flexibly deployable expertise with broad technical support from PROSE, who quickly and filled this specific personnel assignment. In addition to the operational security function within the framework of ECM2, this solution provided increased benefits in terms of availability, development and regulations. In addition, PROSE led the newly appointed obsolescence manager in the establishment of the competence matrix of the ECM2 team for the auditcapable mapping of competence management within the framework of technical mentoring.

Leadership Coaching ECM2 Manager for life cycle extension locomotive Re620

Customer: SBB Cargo, Switzerland

Project tasks

  • Review of contents Re620
  • Technical Mentoring old Locomotives Fleet Manager
  • Leadership Coaching ECM2-Manager in Conceptualisation

Our approach

PROSE developed a three-stage concept as part of a professional coaching phase for the current ECM2 manager of SBB Cargo; taking into account the stabilisation of reliability and availability up to 2035 at the level of 2020 and the completion of revision R2 with a defined content, a planned annual mileage up to End of Life (EoL) of 120 thousand kilometres p.a. or 1.8 million km and a removal of the separation between light (SBB Cargo) and heavy maintenance (SBB-P, Bellinzona industrial plant), which had arisen as a result of the organisational split-up within the SBB Group.

Customer benefit

This concept gave SBB Cargo a sustainable opportunity to operate the strategically important Re6/6 fleet for a further fifteen years. The current ECM2 manager received management coaching at the appropriate level for the conception of a fifteen-year life extension for the Re620 (SLM) old locomotive from the 1970s.

 

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