Springfield, Va., December 15, 2021
VALE S.A. (Vale) recently contracted ENSCO Rail to provide a suite of track inspection systems and software that will support the company’s goal of making operations safer and more efficient throughout the Vale rail network.
Over the next 12 months, ENSCO Rail will deliver:
- An ENSCO designed, manufactured, and installed Autonomous Track Geometry Measurement System (ATGMS) on a Vale locomotive. The ATGMS will provide VALE with automated exception identification and reporting to Vale maintenance personnel.
- An ENSCO designed, manufactured, and installed Vehicle/Track Interaction (V/TI) Monitor on a second locomotive. The V/TI will measure ride quality; wheel/rail impacts, such as battered and broken joints; and short-chord track surface conditions, such as mud spots and pumping joints.
- ENSCO’s Automated Maintenance Advisor (AMA) software package that will process the data from the ATGMS and V/TI in order to recommend maintenance tasks to Vale to maintain their rail network.
This suite of products will enable Vale to execute autonomous inspections of Vale’s vast rail network, providing operational awareness to maintenance decision-makers, using actionable data. The product will simplify the implementation of cost-effective maintenance and railway standards compliance.
“ENSCO is excited about this new partnership with Vale,” says ENSCO President Boris Nejikovsky. “This is an outstanding opportunity to collaborate with one of the country's largest companies and to provide solutions that will improve safety, efficiency and effectiveness for the Vale rail network in the short and long terms.”
About VALE S.A.
VALE S.A. ranks among the world's largest mining companies with the top nickel production worldwide. In 2020 it was also recognized as the most significant iron ore producer across the globe. Its operations abroad cover approximately 30 countries with a shared mission to transform natural resources into prosperity and sustainable development. Vale's global strategy includes logistics – railways, ports, terminals, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and energy. Each year, Vale moves about 1.6 million passengers on the Vitoria-Minas and Carajás rail lines and operates a railroad network of approximately 2,000 km (1,250 mi).
About ENSCO Rail
ENSCO’s Rail Division is recognized globally as a leading provider of railway infrastructure inspection technology. Our products and services are provided to governments and railways in more than 12 countries on five continents. The work ENSCO does helps to prevent train derailments which can have serious impacts on human life, the environment and the economy. ENSCO Rail is part of the greater Surface Transportation Group (STG) within ENSCO, Inc. Learn more about ENSCO Rail.
