Pandrol continues to invest in developing technology to support contractor teams on track and rail operations to deliver the highest quality welding service. This is consistent with the move toward Industry 4.0 that is a focus right across industrial manufacturing and in the Aluminothermic welding sector. The latest development in this area is the release of a new app, known as Pandrol Connect, specifically for aluminothermic welding, which enables live data capture, saves time and improves traceability.
Pandrol Connect is aligned to Industry 4.0 because it supports internet-connected manufacturing systems to improve efficiency and optimize operations. The app goes a long way towards enhancing traceability in terms of identifying defective welds and for gathering, trending and spotting anomalies in data about weld performance.
Pandrol started work on developing the welding app back in 2016, the objective of which was to develop an open platform which would facilitate the recording and transmission of the data between all welding parties, including railway authorities, welding companies and welding kit suppliers. This platform was accessible via a modest subscription at a fraction of the cost of developing and maintaining their own platform.
The app comes in three modules; a mobile version to record data on site for welders and controllers, an online monitoring app to record data and an online administration tool to set the app while in use, according to local standards. All data is hosted in the cloud for easy sharing. The mobile app can be connected to preheating equipment (high flow preheater, preheating controller) to increase documentation.
As an open platform, Pandrol Connect facilitates the recording and transmission of the data between all parties involved in the rail operation. All data from the App is stored in the cloud for easy sharing, which means information can be transmitted to contractors and the network automatically.
The benefits:
- Saves time — no paper work
- Flexible and ergonomic
- Data can be downloaded by technicians out on location
- Ability to share data between all parties — for example, welding company’s contractor network
- No capital outlay
- App is customizable to each country’s needs
The app has been utilized for the past two years by Pandrol’s welding services teams and contractors in both France and the UK.
