Siemens and SKF have signed a partnership agreement that will focus on improving train operators’ asset management efficiencies. The partnership will see the implementation of SKF’s Insight Rail condition-based maintenance solution in combination with Siemens’ Railigent Application Suite that is linked with the Internet of Things operating system MindSphere.

The cooperation, which leverages the resources of SKF’s digitalization initiative, will facilitate online monitoring of several important train components such as wheelset bearings and wheels. The goal of this project is to help customers anticipate issues with individual components and enable them to schedule maintenance only when it is required, using a single monitoring system.

SKF Insight Rail is SKF’s first fully wireless, condition-based monitoring system for railway rolling stock operators. The solution provides local measurement, data analysis and display of actionable information via an intuitive app. Railigent is a Siemens cloud-based Application Suite that provides a single interface for data collected from many different infrastructure and vehicle system components. Dubbed the “Internet of Trains”, Railigent gives operators the tools required to increase train availability by leveraging the power of the Industrial Internet Of Things.