The RailServices Roadshow Truck: the modern trade show booth on wheels rolls into town.

A trade show booth on wheels

On a rainy morning in Graz, Austria, in front of the historic Remise 1 – a tram depot for the city’s public transport authority Graz Linien – the RailServices Roadshow Truck stands in all its glory: a large, gleaming white vehicle with a glass superstructure and a stand-up table at the entrance. The first guests among the 800-strong workforce at Graz Linien start to wander in. Mainly experts from the workshop, they are especially interested in finding out more about new ideas on the aftermarket. They climb the four metal steps and find themselves in a surprisingly large, welcoming space – a modern trade show booth on wheels. A wealth of Knorr-Bremse expertise awaits them inside in the shape of three experienced sales specialists, ready to explain all the displays and answer any questions, however detailed. Wolfgang Duchkowitsch and Christian Kahl from Austria are joined by Markus Schumann from Munich; the Head of Value Added Services is in charge of organizing the roadshow.

Markus Schumann also inducts his local on-site colleagues, who support and accompany the roadshow team in the various countries, in how to present the displays. One of their tasks is to demonstrate the "IFE necktie". Christian Kahl holds the end of a necktie between the rubber door seals of an IFE door as it is closing. Red warning lamps immediately flash and the doors reopen. "We are installing this sensitive protection device to improve safety as we refit Vienna’s metro trains. It can detect even the thinnest dog leash," explains Kahl. The visitors laugh at the vivid tie demonstration and ask about technical details of the door drive – their interest is piqued.

In-depth exchange between experts

A hydraulic brake for light rail cars is the next conversation topic. The experts discuss the finer points of the refurbishment process, choices of materials, everyday challenges and their solutions. Engelbert Pachler from the Austrian public transport authority Graz Linien is full of praise for this form of personal contact. "We stay in touch regularly and exchange ideas and experiences about all sorts of things – needle bearings, weather-related wear, brake calipers." Wolfgang Duchkowitsch is well aware that workshops prefer to do their own repairs in many situations, "but there are some things that we as the manufacturer can assist with particularly well, based on our extensive experience and knowledge."

The truck brings the diversity of service solutions to life

The European roadshow tour certainly showcases what Knorr-Bremse RailServices does best. "Our aim is to get closer to our customers and present our service portfolio to them directly," says Mario Beinert, Vice President RailServices. His main focus is on rail operators, taking in not only the major players like DB (Deutsche Bahn), ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen), and SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer français), but also the many hundred smaller rail companies. "Many of these smaller companies do not have such a close relationship with us and see us primarily as a brake manufacturer. Often they are not aware of the huge scope of our products and services," explains Markus Schumann. "So customers tend to be well informed about brake system modernization and industrial refurbishment. In the Roadshow Truck, we bring them up to speed on our tailored service packages and digital products as well." The truck brings service solutions to life and illustrates their diversity. "We can do so much more for our customers than simply supply spare parts," agrees Mario Beinert. Considerable added value lies in the greater vehicle availability and reduced life cycle costs. "That makes life easier for the rail operators, freeing them up to focus on their business."

Virtual Reality – a virtual journey to the service center

A virtual tour of the service center in Berlin, made possible by a VR headset, presents the refurbishment process in precise detail. Christian Paier from Graz Linien puts on the VR headset and turns his head to and fro, reacting with oohs and aahs. "Really impressive!" Christian Kahl nods in satisfaction as he recalls the complex process of filming the video in Berlin, involving a battery of 360-degree cameras. And the effort was worthwhile. "The whole subject of maintenance involves so much more than what we do at the service center. It's also about the whole parts logistics system, which supplies parts kits that are specifically tailored to individual customers' needs."

The Field Service also supplies tailored products, as Gerd Hofinger from the Austrian rail company ÖBB is currently discovering on one of the wall screens. "Service issues are my daily bread," says the brake component maintenance manager. "I'm thoroughly satisfied with the technical support from RailServices, but I'm also delighted to be introduced to new ideas."

Condition-based maintenance with iCOM, the digital platform 4.0

On the interactive screen of the iCOM digital platform, visitors can learn in detail about its various use cases. "One area of application is iCOM Monitor. We use it to analyze data from a host of subsystems as a basis for developing predictive and condition-based maintenance services," explains Markus Schumann. Visitors are interested in how even older devices from different brands can supply data to the system. “Our ultimate aim with iCOM is to create a depot management system that sends diagnosis reports to the customer's SAP system as open tasks."

Customers who have visited the Roadshow Truck so far are excited about the mobile booth concept and its demonstration possibilities. The RailServices Roadshow Truck will now spend two years driving across Europe, bringing detailed information on new Knorr-Bremse service solutions right to customers' doorsteps.