29. Jun 2020

Predictive Maintenance

Deutsche Bahn (DB) equips turnouts with sensor technology from Pan Dacom Direkt

In order to detect defects at an early stage, Deutsche Bahn (DB) is relying on the powerful sensor technology of Pan Dacom Direkt as part of its predictive maintenance project. Throughout Germany, turnouts can thus report their condition to the maintenance company 24/7 in digital form. In this way, more than 28,000 turnouts are equipped with sensors from Pan Dacom Direkt, and 3,600 defects have already been detected and rectified.

Thanks to the so-called turnout ECG, which sits on the power cables of the turnout drive motors, the current is measured inductively. Deviations from the motor's normal energy consumption are thus reported directly to a central app, which enables preventive maintenance to be initiated.

A further component of the predictive maintenance project is the digital monitoring of 18,000 point heating systems. This is to be completed by the end of 2020. The monitoring of the switch material and its location will complete the overall project in 2021.

Under the motto "strong rail", DB is investing 66 million euros in the digitalization of track and switch monitoring. The lead companies in the predictive maintenance project are DB Netz AG and DB Engineering & Consulting (DB E&C). A press article on the project can be found at: www.deutschebahn.com/de/presse

Contact Person
Christian Baumeister
Director International Sales
+49 6103 834 83 333