Logistics

Testing & Diagnostics for Rail Transportation Technology

Case Study

An engineering and manufacturing firm for the rail industry designs test and diagnostic systems. Their products are used in a variety of test system integrations including those for motors, transformers, and compressors. The target customers for this firm range from public transportation integrators to municipalities to global rail technology providers. Traditionally, the company has used a variety of standard PCs combined with a series of I/O modules for monitoring and control within their diagnostic systems. One vendor’s PCs experienced repeated field failures when conditions were modified to match the likely environment of deployed motors and compressors. Another vendor’s solutions were too expensive for mass deployment.

Serial I/O Upgrades for Smart City Transportation

Case Study

Sealevel partners with a leading designer, OEM and integrator of payment and information solutions for public transportation systems. Their suite of products includes ticket vending machines, passenger analytics devices, revenue management systems and complete backend systems such as charging systems used in toll roads. The company’s systems are deployed in support of local and state government transportation agencies in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami.

As they began migrating the single-board computers (SBCs) in their ticket vending machines to an updated operating system, they needed a long-term solution to provide serial connectivity for peripheral devices. Additionally, they saw many regional transportation agencies upgrade their buses to include a more robust passenger analytics system and needed a reliable serial I/O solution to support these integrations.

Reducing the Regulatory Burden with IIoT

Article

The U.S. has an estimated 200,000 miles of pipelines carrying hazardous gases and liquids. A leak in that network, or a system failure after a natural disaster, could have catastrophic consequences for the surrounding area, so pipelines are subject to a very tight regulatory regime. A dedicated agency, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), generates reports based on large amounts of data gathered from private operators.

IoT makes it possible to gather this data and forward it electronically to regulatory bodies such as PHMSA. With small, low-energy sensors, it is feasible to monitor pressure throughout the pipeline, making it easy to identify potential leaks. More complex systems, such as small robots that can be sent through the pipeline to detect even the tiniest breaches in pipe integrity, are currently in development.

Tracking Temperature Zones for Cold Chain Transport

Case Study

Northern Blast Refrigeration is an independent cold chain storage and transportation contractor. They provide installation and repair services for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. Northern Blast Refrigeration supports many trucks in cooler regions that use cold plates instead of traditional mechanical cooling systems.

Based on new FSMA regulations, Northern Blast needed a cellular solution to remotely monitor and track multiple temperature zones inside trucks and trailers. In addition to FSMA compliance, Northern Blast wanted to ensure customer products were protected and that systems were running efficiently.