MFT REPORT 600,000 hrs The MTBF World Record DEUTA MFT Geode: the world leader in operating reliability With a world-record of more than 600,000 hours logged in service, the DEUTA MFT Geode displays set the current standard worldwide for reliability and availability. Today s economic challenges require best in class solutions, and the DEUTA MFT Geode provides higher equipment availability and significantly reduced lifecycle costs for railroad operators around the globe. The reliability and advanced technology of the DEUTA MFT Geode displays also ensure greater locomotive safety. What does this phenomenal success value mean? The potential for economic efficiency has improved substantially for manufacturers and operators. Specifically, for the operator, this means that operating costs are clearly reduced after the end of the warranty period. The extremely low failure rate during travel time along with the cost savings combine to produce a noticeably improved corporate image. The Transport Vision Company
Left: Powerful freight locomotive, DJ4, China. Right: DJ4 driver s desk with Deuta MFT display. World-record displays: MFT Geode World-record displays: MFT Geode The DEUTA MFT Geode s record for the MTBF value is an impressive benchmark which previously was considered impossible for displays in rail vehicles. Geode displays have been in operation since mid-2005 as a component of advanced train control technology solutions manufactured by New York Air Brake and other customers. Recently data was collected from the field, and the average observed rate of the population of fielded units reached an MTBF value of 600,000 hours. This is a key factor in favor of DEUTA MFT Geode displays for LCC considerations that demand highly reliable systems. The performance of the DEUTA MFT Geode is significant considering the environment in which it functions is very tough and in areas subject to extreme climatic conditions. Reliability in these conditions is critical. Displays provide the train driver with many types of information about controlling the train, as well as status. Commercial advantages for the customer At the end of the two year warranty period, the follow-up costs are documented and analyzed for another 4 years. Based on the assumed investment volume of 5 m euros, for new displays, this means after 6 years a savings potential of 250,000.00 euros in repair costs in comparison to standard displays. The expected follow-up costs in relation to total investment can thus be reduced by a factor of 7. This is a decisive argument in favour of DEUTA MFT Geode displays for LCC considerations in times of increasing international cost pressures among vehicle manufacturers. Every achievement deserves a reward! World record: the MFT achieves 600,000 h MTBF. That achievement deserves a medal. Congratulations! 600,000 hrs are really a world record! We are very proud of having a display like you on the driver s desk!
Delivered 1000 quantity MFT 3 / year 800 600 400 515 1062 Failure rate 18% predicted ( 120,000 hrs MTBF) Thou. hrs MTBF 800 400 Deuta MFT 1 400 Deuta MFT 3 600 200 198 2005 2006 2007 2.8% field-based, MTBF relevant repairs ( 600,000 hrs MTBF) Comparison predicted to real failure rate using Example MFT 3 Year 100 Commercially available display 60 MTBF comparison of different displays Device type The development steps to success The Road to Success In 1994, advances in technology began to offer new display options for drivers, with information about the vehicle, travel, and distance now being visualized flexibly and ergonomically through digital means. This was a beneficial advance, but still with its catches and hitches. The new displays were not able to achieve the higher availability and reliability values of the analog display units used until then, but the potential of the technology was recognized. DEUTA recognized early the potential of the display technology and avidly pursued its development and use, resulting in significant and continuing improvements in the device s functionality and quality to the point of the current MTBF world record. Meeting customer expectations Today, the multi-functional displays are used to display diagnostic data. In some countries, electronic systems with displays have replaced the printed timetable. The current travel data (ETCS) are now displayed in a safety relevant vehicle environment. After more than a decade of use and innovation in this technology, customer expectations have perceptibly risen, including: Ability to operate in extreme temperature ranges (full EN 50155 T3 range) Flexibility in interfaces (MVB, Profi bus, CANBus, RS485, USB, RS422, Ethernet) Delivery of MTBF values greater than 100,000 hours The MFT is thinking of all the money rail operators will save... Right! So many hours of reliable work despite heat, cold and non-stop vibration.
Success is our best incentive An outlook If one reviews the road map from 1994 to today, the DEUTA MFT Geode displays have made a quantum leap through continuous development and innovation: + Minimum MTBF value of 110,000 hours operating 16 hours/day + Robust housing with a high IP protection class + Low self-heating + High component integration + Extremely flat mounting dimensions + Double the product life-cycle + Platform for operating systems Linux, QNX, MS Dos and Windows + Variety of interfaces + Reduce use of risky components from other manufacturers, such as CPU-mainboards The experiences with the DEUTA MFT Geode display concept in the field are thoroughly positive and the demand for displays with a high degree of availability is growing, so DEUTA will continue to develop the MFT Geode display family. Quality, flexibility, ergonomics, costs where are we headed and in what areas can the most important advances be expected? Improving ergonomics The modern TFT technology will clearly improve the ergonomics of reading the displays. Contrast, reading angle, and background lighting are the focal points of future development. That is something to tell the operators. Be smart! Cut your costs with Deuta MFT Geode displays! Reducing costs, improving quality The electronic components will continue to become smaller and more powerful. This miniaturization leads, in turn, to a higher degree of integration, so that manufacturing also will be simplified. Continued standardization of the displays and the related reduction in device variants will lead to more efficient production processes and lower costs. Increasing flexibility By using highly integrated, embedded processors and chip sets, the interface varieties offered can be expanded to meet the specific needs of the individual customers. The goal is to configure the individual interfaces on-board or even on-chip, which provides flexibility and a reduction in components.
Milestones of DEUTA display development 2005 The MTBF world record concept Continuous optimization has led to today s high-performance and extraordinarily reliable MFT displays. In mid-2005, the housing protection class was improved; the displays are now very flat and are characterized by a high IP protection class. Based on the remarkable success of the first MFT Geode generation a whole new MFT Geode display family is being created. 1994 1997 2000 2002 2005 Before 1994 Analogue indicators are contained in single-unit housing MFA (modular drivers cab indicator) is the technology of the day. The first displays are largely monochromatic and based on microcontrollers. They emerged from industrial automation technology and were not yet capable of enduring the rough operating conditions on rail vehicles, especially extreme temperatures, shock, and vibration. 1994 The first step to reliable displays From 1994, DEUTA combines the X86 processor technology with an additional microcontroller to monitor operating conditions such as the ambient temperature. This was the first step to a higher degree of reliability and application flexibility. 1997 An advance in processing power As the first manufacturer of rail displays, DEUTA includes Intel Pentium processors from 1997 and achieves a clear increase in processing power. 2000 Flexibility versus reliability The displays for installation in rail vehicles are still modular in the form of plugin housing systems. This enabled the interfaces in the devices to be flexibly configured. But the concept required a large number of plug connections and led to large housing sizes and weights. 2002 The new generation: durable and fast As early as 2002-2003 DEUTA relied on the trend-setting MFT Geode displays. The single-board display used the embedded PC processor AMD Geode and long-term available components. In addition, DEUTA completely eliminated moving components such as fans or hard drives and no longer purchased risky components such as CPU mainboards from other manufacturers.
DEUTA-WERKE GmbH Paffrather Straße 140. D-51465 Bergisch Gladbach Fon +49 (0)22 02 958-100. Fax +49 (0)22 02 958-145 support@deuta.de. www.deuta.de... innovative solutions for the railway vehicles of the future. The Transport Vision Company