VLT Carioca joins our movement!
VLT Carioca, Rio de Janeiro’s light rail operator, has made a huge commitment to the ‘Repair, Don’t Waste’ ethos by investing in specialist test and measurement equipment provided by ABI Electronics. With this investment, VLT is securing a future that is immune to component obsolescence, and costly machine downtime whilst taking huge steps towards net-zero targets.
VLT engineers and technicians currently have recently been trained in how to utilise and optimise every function of their specialist test equipment BoardMaster by our partners in Brazil, RCBI Instruments. Our movement is highly focused on the proper education and training of repair technicians to ensure their work is effective and of professional quality. And it is easy to say that VLT appreciates this thorough approach to training, as stated by senior engineer Claudio Marins;
“In my view, the ABI BoardMaster exceeds expectations. I am satisfied with the acquisition as it is an excellent piece of equipment and with good management, it is certainly possible to obtain great results.”
– Claudio Marins, Electronic service engineer, VLT Carioca.
At ‘Repair, Don’t Waste’ we are unbelievably excited to learn of what repair success stories will come out of VLT Carioca, especially with such a positive attitude at their helm. The scope of the repairs that VLT will be able to provide over the coming months and years using the BoardMaster is immeasurable, due to the BoardMaster’s versatile applications. VLT’s engineers will be able to provide repair and maintenance services to numerous Alstom CITADIS vehicles that have been in operation since 2016, alongside thousands of sub-assemblies and circuits within Rio de Janeiro’s light rail system.
These expectations of VLT’s future repair successes are not unfounded. In 2018, Irish Rail invested in their own specialist test equipment to support its electronic repair facilities. Prior to their investment, Irish Rail had significant problems with faulty trains being put out of service for up to 9 months whilst waiting for repair, which inspired them to start repairing circuit boards on a rudimentary basis. With the addition of ABI’s test and repair systems, Irish Rail soon found that even before they completed their specialist training, the boards they had repaired had saved the company 20,000 euros. Their facility manager Ray Holden had this to say about the BoardMaster;
“The more research I did into ABI’s range, the more possibilities it presented. Can it do this…can it do that…? We intend on using the BoardMaster and RevEng as an integral part of all our repairs.”
– Irish Rail’s electronic repair facility manager, Ray Holden.
Our movement is not solely limited to one area of industry. The successes of the repair mindset in the rail sector are just one story of how specialist test and repair equipment in revolutionising heavy industry from the inside out. ‘Repair, Don’t Waste’ has converts in the aerospace, military, and manufacturing industries, with companies such as onsemi, Lockheed Martin, and NASA embracing our movement and investing in their future. We are proud to welcome VLT Carioca to our long line of rail #RepairHeroes and we are excited to see what the future holds for further #RepairDontWaste and rail partnerships.
