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Improved monitoring and reporting mean better reliability
Virginia Beach, VA – March 19, 2008
– The GBS Group announces the award of a contract
to deliver engineering services and custom software applications for a new
locomotive health monitoring system for a national provider of passenger
rail services. The Maintenance Events Analysis Program (MEAP™) was
developed by The GBS Group as a comprehensive, end-to-end solution that
automatically extracts and analyzes faults and events from the operator’s
electric fleet equipment, then wirelessly transfers and reports critical
alerts within two minutes of discovery by the MEAP™ system. The improved
monitoring system allows crews, transportation, and mechanical personnel to
quickly learn of en route machinery faults so corrective action can take place
without unnecessary loss or interruption of passenger service.
MEAP™ systems use standard cellular communications and GPS modems to
provide real-time, continuous monitoring of embedded sensors on the rolling
stock equipment and immediately transfers critical maintenance events and
fault data wayside to speed diagnostics, promote faster repairs at station
stops, and increase overall train reliability and availability. The ultimate
benefit is an improved passenger experience for transit customers. GBS has
developed all necessary software including initial fault analysis “rule
sets,” data filters, and data extraction software necessary to acquire
and send relevant, timely information from operating equipment to maintenance
personnel. GBS has also provided all requested analysis and field engineering
services related to these faults to assist with the assessment of locomotive
conditions in revenue service.
One recent event shows just how effective this system can be: MEAP™ picked
up traction chain faults putting the locomotive at 50% power and in a degraded
mode condition. The rail operator’s power desk received the alerts immediately
and assigned a replacement locomotive to take the train south. This action
prevented en route termination or a potentially long delay at the next station
waiting for a locomotive if there had been no advance warning of problems.
“The ability to remotely monitor the health of a locomotive gives
transportation and mechanical personnel knowledge of train health in real-time.
That knowledge is vital to improving revenue service reliability,” said
Bob Golden, CEO of The GBS Group “Our client wants this real-time
information as well as training for mechanical maintenance personnel to improve
overall reliability for rolling stock equipment. This contract award illustrates
our clients confidence in The GBS Group. We will not let them down.”
The GBS Group was founded in December 2005 and is a small business
headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA. The company specializes in
providing senior-level engineering consulting and technical services
to commercial and government clients, including reliability centered
maintenance and root cause analysis. In addition, the firm provides
life-cycle support, information system integration, results-oriented
technology insertion, project management, software development, and
business and change management consulting services. GBS serves customers
in the rail transportation, US Navy, Missile Defence, and maritime
industries. GBS consultants work in Philadelphia PA, Washington, DC,
Charleston, SC, Virginia Beach, VA, Anaheim, CA, Huntsville, AL, Dallas,
TX, Wilminton DE, and Cherry Hill, NJ.
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