Firstly – a lesson in etymology: Instrumentel is a portmanteau word of “Instrument Telemetry” – and reflects that Telemetry is the collection of measurements or other data at remote or inaccessible points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment for monitoring. The word is derived from Greek the roots tele, “remote”, and metron, “measure”.
Which is perfect for describing the innovations Instrumentel brings to the rail industry. Asset management and condition monitoring of materials on the railway – and which is a hugely important part of the future of the rail industry. And a technology that is transforming how the railways function.
Instrumentel was formed out of Leeds University to take to market miniature sensors that were incredibly robust – they are used to measure what happens at the heart of explosions, and also in F1 engines to monitor and measure millions of samples per second to enable the manipulation of the engine to deliver peak performance. But not just the sensors – Instrumentel also design the systems that analyse the data and transform it into real-time actionable information.
Unipart began working with Instrumentel in 2015 when they developed their Door Diagnostic Unit (DDU) for train rolling stock. Door failures are hugely costly both in impacts on the timetable and on passenger satisfaction – causing delay minutes leading to fines.
The DDU, as an example of Instrumentel’s wider range of solutions, which monitors and ‘learns’ normal door operation and then can recognise – before it’s visible to the eye – off-target performance and impending failure, meaning that targeted (rather than reactive) maintenance can solve the problem before it impacts on performance.
And that concept – which we are in the process of replicating across hundreds of different assets – that led us to acquire Instrumentel and will lead to the Condition Based Supply Chain. A Supply Chain that responds to early asset data analysis to trigger the delivery – and installation – of the replacement asset before it fails. And with our manufacturing capabilities and links to the supply base, we can often service and repair the original asset, thereby contributing to the reuse of materials, rather than scrapping, adding huge value.
So, when you want to understand what your assets are doing, think of Instrument Telemetry – and Instrumentel.
For more information on Instrumentel visit their website.
For more information on the Condition Based Supply Chain, read our white paper.
Increased Innovation, Improved Performance, Reduced Risk, Increased Safety, Optimised Cost, Increased Digital