Improving the corrective maintenance of an electronic system for trains

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to improve the availability of the trains managed by an electronic communications system. This is an important point because for a train controlled by a system like this, a failure in a critical component can cause the train to become inoperable. Design/methodology/approach - A functional network was developed for the communication systems of trains. The network makes it clear how the product works and it helps to easily track a failure in the system. A functional study was also carried out. Finally, based on the functional network and the functional study a tool was built for the improvement of the corrective maintenance. Findings - A new tool has been developed for communications systems for trains which simplifies and optimizes the corrective maintenance. It could also be used with other systems or equipment. It is especially useful for complex products where preventive maintenance is difficult to apply. Practical implications - The availability of trains in service should be as close to 100 per cent as possible. Manufacturers of these systems are required to establish adequate maintenance criteria in order to care for the financial health of railway companies. FAM has been designed to help the maintenance team carry out the corrective maintenance of a communications system for trains, however it is a common tool that could be useful for the maintenance of other complex systems. Originality/value - The developed tool makes repairs easier and speeds the maintenance process improving the availability and savings costs. In addition it could be used as a generator of information and be useful for the development of new designs.