Maintenance & Modernisation

The aim of a FRACAS system (Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System) is to quickly and flexibly inform the persons responsible for operational safety, the maintenance team and, in general, all those involved in the system of any faults or defects detected during the operation and maintenance of the system and their possible causes.

This is done through the continuous monitoring of operational behaviour, the early detection and elimination of weak points and errors, the optimisation of the overall system (production quality, error revelation, etc.) and the validation of system requirements. If necessary, measures are initiated and their effectiveness is verified on an ongoing basis.

Enotrac supports customers in defining and introducing the FRACAS process as well as in collecting and securing the necessary basic data. With suitable analysis procedures, diagnostic and operational data can be interpreted and visualisations and evaluations can be created. System requirements are also validated as part of the FRACAS process. This includes the definition and specification of RAM key figures as well as their recording and evaluation. In addition, the Enotrac experts can verify whether the implemented optimisation measures are effective, identifying and eliminating weak points in the process.

Enotrac offers to their customers professional support in the preparation and assessment of condition analyses. There are many aspects to the assessment of serviceability and the fulfilment of current requirements. On the technical side, the operator receives safety-relevant information on the ageing and wear of a system through appropriate measurements. Conformity with regulations and standards, i.e. the state of the art, is another subject of analysis.

A condition analysis also provides important added value for the company from a commercial point of view. As well as the asset value and residual value, the depreciation and remaining useful life of the asset and its components can be determined. These factors also include obsolescence, i.e. the unavailability of replacement material which might be needed for corrective or preventive maintenance, but which can no longer be obtained from the supplier or from the warehouse. Using this information, the remaining service life of a system can be determined and any renewal and maintenance expenditure can be planned.

Enotrac has extensive background knowledge in the preparation of these important condition analyses. Expert opinions and recommendations for the further use or renewal of assets and for subsequent planning allow customers to make informed decisions with confidence. Customers also often want to obtain a second opinion from an expert before making their procurement decisions. Enotrac can provide this second opinion based on its extensive experience using condition analyses.

“Mid-life refurbishments” are an interesting way of increasing the service life, availability, safety and comfort of rail vehicles. They are thus an attractive, sustainable alternative to new procurements. In the course of such refurbishments, defective parts are renewed, obsolete components or systems are replaced and new customer requirements and/or normative specifications are implemented.

Enotrac uses its comprehensive and detailed state-of-the-art knowledge of vehicle technology to manage and coordinate maintenance and modernisation projects. With their technical expertise, the Enotrac experts provide support throughout the entire project life cycle, from the initial inventory and clarification of requirements to the detailed engineering and re-registration of modernised vehicles.

With life cycle costing (LCC), the development of a product is considered over the entire product life cycle.

Enotrac prepares LCC analyses for both new constructions and conversions. Within the scope of these analyses, the decisive cost drivers are identified and their influence on the total costs is determined by means of sensitivity analyses. TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) models are used to optimise operating and maintenance costs.

Enotrac also supports clients in the evaluation of offers with regard to LCC and, within the framework of procurement procedures, prepares the necessary specifications for suppliers withs regards to LCC costs and RAM key figures.

Maintenance and repair are decisive factors in ensuring the overall safety of rail transport, which is why there are extensive associated legal regulations.

Enotrac supports and advises companies that want to align their maintenance management system for rolling stock with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2019/779 (ECM Regulation). The existing processes with all tasks, competences and responsibilities, the maintenance regulations with associated documents as well as the training level of all employees concerned are taken into account in doing so.

With regard to compliance with the ECM regulation, the Enotrac experts identify existing gaps and develop proposals for implementation. The aim is for the company to be certified as an ECM or to receive an appropriate declaration of conformity once the proposals have been implemented.

Economy and efficiency, the fulfilment of regulatory provisions such as the ECM Regulation, requirements for occupational safety and technical requirements are important framework conditions to ensure the maintenance of rolling stock.

Enotrac supports customers in optimising existing maintenance concepts and processes. The focus is on analysing processes and developing proposals for optimisation.

In addition to the actual processes in ECM management, maintenance development, fleet management and maintenance provision, interfaces within companies are also considered. These include materials and logistics, procurement processes, make-or-buy decisions, finance and value flows, order time recording and lean management.

Predictive maintenance allows railway operators to optimise operating and maintenance costs of large-scale investments. The basis of predictive maintenance is the analysis of operating data, diagnostic data and maintenance information using evaluation software and algorithms.

Enotrac maintains partnerships with specialised IT companies for predictive maintenance projects. These companies provide expertise in software and systems engineering with comprehensive methodological knowledge from embedded systems to cloud computing. Enotrac contributes many years of practical experience in the technology and maintenance processes of railway vehicles to these partnerships. Solutions are created that allow the customer to introduce and apply predictive maintenance for critical components, taking into account economic efficiency and practicality.

It is often possible to improve maintenance processes solely on the basis of existing diagnostic or process data, for example through automatic detection and alarming by means of a defect detection tool. Enotrac therefore always strives for a step-by-step approach in order to quickly achieve improvements in maintenance. The customer and their processes can be better integrated in this way.