The UniControls

UniControls signed a framework agreement concerning the supply of energy meters for the Austrian national railway transport company "ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG" for the period 2017-2019. At the same time the two firms entered into a cooperation agreement laying down cooperation in the area of the supply of energy meters for the RAIL POWERBOX system. "Both of these agreements will strengthen the position of UniControls in the market for measurement of electricity consumption of rail vehicles in the European Economic Area," said Antonín Felber, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of UniControls a.s. In 2009, UniControls was the first firm in the Czech Republic to start with traction energy measurement on driving rail vehicles for commercial measurement purposes. In October 2016, UniControls was awarded a contract from SŽDC (Czech Railway Infrastructure Administration) for the delivery of metering boxes intended for mobile measurement of the traction energy of electric locomotives. In the tender procedure organised by SŽDC, UniControls offered the new ELC-201/A switchboard with its inbuilt electrometer "ELM-201". This contract (already the second one) for the supply of metering switchboards for SŽDC, with a total number of 155 units delivered, will move UniControls to a leading position in the field of installation of energy meters on board trains on European railways. Energy meters produced by UniControls are designed especially for metering onboard electric traction vehicles. All can measure both DC and AC signals of any existing traction supply system (1.5kV DC, 3kV DC, 15kV/16.7 Hz, 25kV/50Hz). They are also suitable for multi-system locomotives using more than one electrification system. It is possible to measure active and reactive energy both consumed and generated, active and reactive power and instantaneous values of voltages and currents. The ELM-201 and the ELC-200 can wirelessly transmit the measured data over the GSM/GSM-R/UMTS and WiFi networks. An integrated GPS receiver adds position information to the load profiles and is used for time synchronization. The ELC-200 is housed in a robust metal case protecting the meter against possible external influences and unauthorized manipulation. A single HAN modular connector for all input signals, communication interfaces, antenna connectors and power supply is provided for convenience and fast installation. Easy accessible Ethernet and USB host ports with dust caps are provided for service purposes. Energy meters are certified in accordance with the latest EN 50463-2:2012 standard, meet the requirements for accuracy class 0.5R. All can be supplied with a calibration certificate enabling its use for billing purposes. The complete control and communication systems supplied by UniControls are used especially by rail vehicle manufacturers, railway carriers and industrial companies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as in other countries. Amongst major customers in the Czech Republic must be mentioned D, Metro/DPHMP (train control centre of all three lines of the Prague Metro system), SŽDC, as well as power engineering companies, such as EZ (control system of the Poerady power plant). Concerning Slovakia, e.g. Eustream (automation of the gas transit system in Slovakia) and Železniná spolonos Slovensko (Slovak railway passenger transport operator) are worth mentioning. Among leading foreign customers it is possible to find e.g. the Japanese-based company Toyo Denki (deliveries of the control and monitoring system for metro carriages in Chengdu, China), Chinese Transport University in Dalian (Metro systems in China, Turkey, India, Argentina and Ghana in Western Africa), the French-based company Alstom, state-owned transport operator in Finland and many others. UniControls has also put into operation the complete gas transmission automation system in Slovakia for Eustream.