Baldwin & Francis (B&F) has now completed the first site installation and commissioning of new Insulation Monitoring Devices (IMD) on the UK rail network in the Midlands.
As part of a critical infrastructure upgrade, the IMDs from B&F will help to improve the rail network around the Commonwealth Games area in the Midlands by detecting where there are problems on the line. The first IMD was installed at Wolverhampton Principal Supply Point (PSP), for Parts and Drawings Database (PADS) trial purposes with a further 19 sites to follow.
Several PSPs, ASPs (Auxiliary Supply Points) and FSPs (Functional Supply Points) in the area will all be fitted with the compact IMD upgrade solution from Baldwin and Francis, working closely with Network Rail and Amey. The IMD can be installed on operational infrastructure with very little interference to the existing PSP/ASP + FSP operation thus allowing for quick replacement or upgrade to be undertaken.
IMD upgrade
This IMD upgrade solution from B&F consists of an insulation monitor which measures insulation resistance and leakage capacitances and combines with a channel insulation fault locator to display which feeder has an insulation fault. A data logger is also used for real time data acquisition, data storage, 3G/4G communications and GPS location services.
The new Insulation Monitoring Device system is specifically designed for rail applications and is fully integrated into the existing alarm and reporting infrastructure. It allows for live reporting and investigation works of the locally connected feeder network.
Trained and certified trackside installation team for the rail networks
The IMD installation work was carried out by B&Fs fully trained and certified inhouse OEM installation team. B&F’s rail trackside service team has full PTS / OLEC / DCCR / CII qualifications to allow full support of any rail trackside service activities including any out of hours possessions or white periods.
About Baldwin and Francis
In Sheffield, UK, B&F designs and manufactures high quality certified products and develops custom engineered solutions for the rail networks, and for other industries. We supply and install products globally.
Baldwin & Francis is part of the iDESo Group, headquartered in Sheffield, with all its incredible industrial heritage and skills.
