PJM And Voith Will Develop A Control System For CargoFlex Couplings

On 4 November 2021, PJ Monitoring (PJM) of Graz and Voith of Heidenheim agreed a collaboration over the next few years to develop a system that will enable automatic formation of a freight train from wagons fitted with automatic couplings and the safe remote uncoupling of wagons with an automatic couplings. This is aimed to provide more efficiency and safety for rail freight operations. PJM brings to the alliance its expertise as a leading developer and supplier of automation solutions for rail freight operations.

With its patented WaggonTracker monitoring system, the company is also a pioneer of digitalisation in this segment. WaggonTracker combines monitoring and automation, offering a robust overall system that provides fleet operators with important real-time information about their wagons and freight transport. This data can also be used to automate complex processes; for example, WaggonTracker also allows brake tests to be performed automatically. The platform has enabled numerous customers to significantly improve efficiency and achieve substantial cost savings.

The new system will be applied on Voith’s CargoFlex automatic freight coupling, which was developed earlier and has already demonstrated that it can improve the competitiveness of freight transport and strengthen the market position of fleet operators. For the new project, the two companies will pool their leading-edge capabilities in digitalisation, automation and automatic couplings. The objective is to provide customers with a system solution that allows the automated use of the CargoFlex couplings, with a focus on remote-controlled uncoupling processes.

In combination with the solutions developed by PJM, this is intended to form the basis for highly digitised logistics management. Alongside the technical challenges, the interoperability of the innovative system solution is a top priority for the development team and the key to marketing it on a broad basis. This is why the two companies aim to jointly manage the development of key components such as safety-related applications, communication tools or protocols. Moreover, it is planned to transfer the system into an industry platform during a subsequent project phase to make it available to other market participants.