Strainlabs and RMD Strengthen Collaboration

In 2024, Strainlabs entered a technology partnership with Railway Metrics and Dynamics (RMD). The goal: to combine Strainlabs sensor technology with RMD’s real-time monitoring platform to create smarter maintenance solutions for the railway industry. That collaboration has now been further realized in a joint project with Väte Trafik and SSAB, where smart bolts and real-time monitoring have been installed on SM42 6Dg locomotives.

When Väte Trafik took over shunting operations for SSAB in Borlänge and Oxelösund, four modernized locomotives were prepared for service. To allow these locomotives to operate in mainline traffic, enhanced axle bearing monitoring was required where overheating is a well-known risk factor for derailments if left undetected. Instead of relying on fixed detector stations, sparsely placed across the rail network the decision was made to let the locomotives monitor their own critical components in real time.

Technology in Practice

The solution now in operation combines three central components:

• Smart bolts from Strainlabs: IoT-enabled bolts with built-in temperature sensors replace standard bolts in the axlebox housing, enabling continuous temperature monitoring.
• PMU units from RMD: Sensor data is transmitted wirelessly to Performance Monitoring Units onboard the locomotives. These also collect vibration and acceleration data for complete analysis.
• Cloud platform and app visualization: All data is transferred to RMD’s cloud service and made accessible via the MyTrain app – a simple and intuitive interface for drivers and maintenance teams.

Thanks to this solution, temperature increases can be detected in real time, no matter where the train is – so action can be taken before the issue becomes a safety risk.

Locomotive equipped with real-time monitoring system.

From Idea to Reality

The project was carried out during the first half of 2025 and is now in pilot operation. The system has been in operation since August, with remaining installations being carried out continuously, aiming to have all locomotives fully equipped by October.

Strainlabs contributed to the project with system integration, solution adaptation, and technical validation of the bolt-based monitoring setup in collaboration with RMD’s platform. Through close cooperation between technical teams, the operator, and the end customer, the installations were completed on schedule without compromising functionality or operational reliability.

Results and Benefits

By shifting from point-based inspection to continuous monitoring, several key benefits are achieved:

• Increased safety: Hotbox incidents can be detected and addressed before they escalate.
• Reduced downtime: Proactive maintenance reduces the risk of service disruptions and delays.
• Lower costs: Damage is avoided, maintenance can be planned, and insurance-related risks are reduced.
• Easy scalability: The solution can be applied to more locomotives and wagons with customer-specific thresholds and alarm settings.

At the same time, opportunities are being explored to integrate this type of technology into future insurance models, where improved monitoring could bring concrete financial incentives for operators.

A Partnership in Motion

This project was made possible by the already established collaboration between Strainlabs and RMD, where the combination of hardware-based sensor technology and an AI-driven platform has proven particularly effective. This is not a new partnership, but a deepening of an already strong relationship, now making a real-world impact on the tracks.

Strainlabs smart bolt solution has previously been used in other contexts, but the SSAB project demonstrates how it functions in full integration with PMU units and cloud-based visualization. A new step, built on a proven foundation.