New remote radio control systems enable data trending of key engine and safety parameters on Corus T

A fleet of diesel locomotives at Corus Group

The installation of the new systems is being carried out jointly by CNES’ Electrical & Process Control Workshops and Teesside Cast Products’ (TCP) Locomotive Repair Workshop. The equipment supplier, Hima-Sella, assisted in the installation work on the first locomotive – Corus will complete the other 15 locomotives itself.

Chris Burnett, manufacturing engineer at CNES’ Electrical & Process Control Workshops at Teesside, comments: “We are responsible for project managing the upgrade work. Three locomotives have already been commissioned safely and are now in full operation. The upgrades will enable us to look at data trends, which will help us improve preventative maintenance and the overall safety of the locomotives. We can log multiple signals, including brake pressure, engine speed, road speed, throttle power, air reservoir pressure, emergency stop, passive stop and lone worker/man-down alarms.”

The data logging system, which is incorporated into the radio control system, uses a global positioning system (GPS) to provide regular, real time updates for date and time. The system is not a true GPS, but there are plans to incorporate full global positioning capability in the near future, which will enable each locomotive to be tracked around the Teesside site, improving logistics at the site.

The new radio control systems meet the latest European safety standards (EN50239) for radio controlled locomotives and have additional safety features such as ‘standstill detection’ and ‘overspeed prevention’, providing automatic controlled braking. 

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Editor’s Notes:

Corus Northern Engineering Services (CNES) is an engineering support organisation with bases in Teesside, Scunthorpe and Rotherham. Part of the Corus Group Plc, the company utilises a ‘toolbox’ of techniques to help customers of all sizes and from every industry sector, maintain their output, efficiency and profitability, by providing a detailed and accurate assessment of their plant assets. CNES uses a range of non-intrusive techniques, including acoustic monitoring; thermographic imaging; vibration monitoring; laser alignment; lubricant technology; and remote visual inspection. CNES also offers structural design, project management, training, electrical and process control, as well as machining, fitting and weld reclamation services.

Corus is Europe's second largest steel producer with revenues of £9.7 billion and crude steel production of 18.2 million tonnes in 2006, primarily in the UK and the Netherlands. Combining international expertise with local customer service, the Corus brand represents quality and strength, providing innovative solutions to the construction, automotive, packaging, mechanical engineering and other markets worldwide. Corus is a subsidiary of Tata Steel, the world's fifth largest and second most global steel producer.  With a combined presence in nearly 50 countries, Tata Steel including Corus has 84,000 employees across five continents and a pro forma crude steel production of 27 million tonnes in 2007.

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