Train maintenance
required information. But this is already being rewarded with operational benefits. In full operating mode Taffs operates a shadow system which records every step the controller goes through while responding to an incident. Over time, this will allow FCC to review which steps in the process are statistically more effective in solving defects, allowing them to be brought forward to speed up the process. The logging system also allows the performance of the controller to be evaluated. Because all incident data is recorded, depot staff can filter information on defects according a variety of parameters including train, route, and date, showing the steps taken and decisions made by controllers. “Taffs was conceived as a self- learning diagnostics tool that allows us to look at all the faults that have been fixed, the step at which they have been fixed, and optimise the fault tree accordingly,” says Long. “The more it’s used the more efficient it becomes, which means what is currently step 10 in a particular fault tree could become step 6 or step 1 in the future.” As soon as the controller enters Taffs, a clock appears on the screen which shows the operator they have five
minutes to identify the defect before making a decision on whether the train should be removed from service. The use of this function depends on the traffic situation, and the controller may allow more time for fault-finding during quieter periods.
Help from staff
FCC was keen to include fleet management staff in the development of Taffs. “As an engineering controller based in the depot you do not see the bigger picture of what is occurring on the main line, so we wanted the ability for a service delivery centre controller to remotely monitor the situation in the control centre away from the depot,” says Taffs. This means service delivery centre controllers with access to Taffs receive an alert when engineering controllers open a new fault tree and a further message when that fault has been dealt with. “The system will really take off when we start to measure ourselves on delay-per-incident performance, which it was really designed for,” says Long. “We estimate Taffs will reduce total delay minutes by about 5%, or 4900 minutes per year, and during 2012 it helped us to reduce delay minutes
attributable to train faults by 46%.” Long adds that the data coming from
Taffs reports could ultimately drive reliability modifications in the fleet, and the technology could have other asset management applications beyond fleet support in the longer-term. Taffs has been optimised for portable devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, to allow use anywhere on the FCC route with a 3G connection to obtain required information on site. Currently the system is being enhanced so that anyone without a personal login to Taffs can have procedures sent to their portable devices by the controllers. Long says the system offers numerous benefits to depot staff. “Anything documented in our SMS could run on Taffs and it means you don’t have to remember anything, it’s all there,” says Long. “The biggest issue we have is convincing people to use it. If you have engineers who’ve been on the railway for a long time, often they know exactly what to do to fix a fault. What we want to get across is that we’ve put logical steps that tell us statistically where the fault is most likely to be, so we can reach the fault more quickly. We are working to embed Taffs into our engineering processes, but it takes time.” IRJ
Bogie Changing System
RAIL DEPOT AND WORKSHOP
EQUIPMENT • Railcar Lifting Jacks • Bogie Changing Systems • Bogie Test Machines • Under Car Handling • Maintenance Machines • Workshop Equipment
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Davy Industrial Park Prince of Wales Road Sheffield S9 4EX
info@mechan.co.uk
www.mechan.co.uk +44 (0)114 257 0563
40 IRJ January 2013
Railcar Lifting Jacks
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