1 million RFID tags: Barcotec makes ÖBB trains even safer

ÖBB-Technische Services

Location

Austria

Technologies used

RFID

Devices used

Mobile Computers

1 million RFID tags: Barcotec makes ÖBB trains even safer

ÖBB-Technische Services GmbH marks 1 million train components across Austria with RF-ID tags from Barcotec. In order to further increase safety standards in rail transport or to optimise maintenance and documentation of individual components in the workshops, ÖBB-Technische Services GmbH relies on the marking of safety-relevant components with RF-ID tags and mobile data capture devices from Barcotec in a revolutionary large-scale project.

With this project, ÖBB-Technische Services is a pioneer, as it is the first in Europe to label such components nationwide. A total of 1 million components are to be labelled - the first goal is to capture all wheel sets by the end of the year.

This means that the components are clearly marked, identifiable and securely archived throughout their entire lifecycle. The marking method was chosen in order to achieve the highest possible exclusion of human errors and thus a general reduction of errors.

At the push of a button, the robust mobile data acquisition device from Barcotec can provide information about what happened to the component and when, which processing steps it has undergone and who carried them out.

Thanks to this predictive maintenance, 4 potential sources of error are eliminated at a stroke.

Components such as brakes, wheel sets, chassis, etc. are prioritised in order to store safety-relevant information: RF-ID tags no larger than a 2-euro coin are riveted directly onto the individual components or attached with a two-component adhesive.

Safety is a prerequisite in rail transport and therefore also has absolute priority for us. We are continuously working on improvements in all areas and are guided by current and well-founded methods and products.

DI Andreas Zwerger, Managing Director of ÖBB-Technische Services

The ÖBB-TS employees have responded very positively to the Barcotec solution for component serialisation. Thanks to the contactless capture, documentation is complete, and thanks to digital checklists, work steps are processed safely and quickly. Another positive effect of the project is the increase in efficiency, as the order processing has been simplified.

The application of the tags is not only characterised by easy handling, but also by numerous tests to ensure that they can withstand extreme temperatures as well as dirt and acid for decades and still remain digitally readable.

In addition, a data matrix code and a combination of numbers in plain text are attached to the tag so that a plausibility check can be carried out on site.

By using the GS1 number logic, it can be ensured that the serial number is unique worldwide. Throughout Europe, all other railway operators can also work with this system.

Every day, the Austrian Federal Railways transport about 1.3 million people and about 300,000 tons of goods on a 4,826 km long rail network. Every 12 seconds, an ÖBB train departs; at peak times, up to 570 trains are on the network at the same time.

On some stretches, the trains reach top speeds of up to 230 km/h. Safety is the top priority. Safety is the top priority here.