Stockholm, June 12, 2024: Swedish Strainlabs has qualified for Vossloh connect, a global platform for solutions contributing to the digital transformation of the railway industry. Strainlabs has developed smart bolts enabling remote digital monitoring of critical infrastructure and has already garnered significant interest from about ten train operators and authorities managing railway infrastructure.
Vossloh is a leading global supplier of railway infrastructure, and Vossloh connect is an initiative gathering the world’s most interesting solutions for the essential digitalization of the railway sector. The objective is to facilitate for train operators and infrastructure managers around the world in finding digital solutions in one place that increase the reliability of train systems, enhance the utilization of existing tracks, reduce the risk of accidents, and streamline maintenance work.
Strainlabs’ solution for digital monitoring of critical bolts has, after an extensive qualification process, been selected as one of the ten solutions represented on Vossloh connect.
- “This is a significant step for us and a recognition of our technology. Vossloh connect is a creative solution from a leading player, functioning as a one-stop shop where various types of digital solutions are made available. Being included in this platform is important and honorable,” says Csaba Madru, CEO and co-founder of Strainlabs.
Strainlabs’ solution functions as digital monitoring of for example switches, which are still manually controlled with the same practices used in the 1800s. A large portion of the traffic disruptions affecting railway traffic today are caused by switch failures, issues that could have been prevented with Strainlabs’ technology.
With Strainlabs’ solution, applications such as railway switches can be reviewed digitally and remotely. Since the process is automatic, the railway section does not need to be closed for inspection, which enables higher track availability.
Strainlabs offers smart bolts that regularly send out signals with information about their condition. The signals are gathered in a cloud solution, Strainlabs Analytics, where the information is analyzed. The setup allows simultaneous monitoring of thousands of critical bolts, and bolted switches that need to be monitored.
Each individual bolt is equipped with a sensor that continuously sends data including preload, temperature, RSSI (information about signal strength), and battery status. If something does not align with the standard values, the system alerts which specific bolt or group of bolts that needs to be addressed. For example, if bolts are becoming loose, overheating, or if there is another problem. This way, operational stops and breakdowns can be avoided. Furthermore, maintenance work is optimized as bolts and switches no longer require manual inspections.
Strainlabs has recently expanded its product range with new bolt sizes M22, M24, and M27. The standard range now includes sizes from M10 to M27, catering to a broad spectrum of industrial applications.
- “For us, this initiative is already proving to be a success. We are engaged in discussions with around ten parties who have shown significant interest. We have in-depth conversations with various stakeholders across the Nordics, and we have two test projects currently installed – one of which is operating under harsh winter conditions,” says Csaba Madru.
Csaba Madru, CEO and Co-Founder of Strainlabs, holding the demo equipment used to demonstrate Strainlabs’ solution for digital and remote inspection of bolted applications.
For more information, please contact:
Csaba Madru
CEO and co-founder, Strainlabs
csaba.madru@strainlabs.com
+46 73 595 30 82
