ZTR Control Systems

Founding

ZTR Control Systems is a privately held company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, with a second location in London, Ontario, Canada. ZTR has been providing monitoring and control systems for the railway and industrial off-road equipment markets since 1987.

History

ZTR Control Systems was initially established under the name TRAC Rail on October 28, 1987. Five former GM Diesel employees came up with an idea for a control and monitoring system to make locomotives run more cleanly and efficiently. [2] TRAC stands for Trip Recording and Control, which was exactly what the company's systems were originally intended to do.

The first test of a microprocessor-based retrofit control system was done on a Santa Fe SD40-2 in April 1988. During this test, the fundamental concepts of the controller were successfully proven. This led to the first installation, also with the Santa Fe Railroad, on a newly rebuilt SD40-2 in December 1988. After three months, the unit was released for full revenue service including a high priority intercontinental mail service with highly variable weather conditions. On one route the locomotive went from subzero blizzard conditions in the Rocky Mountains, to 50 degrees Celsius in an Arizona desert within a 24-hour period.

1989 marks the birth of the NEXSYS™ Control System. ZTR began a test by successfully installing a NEXSYS™ Control System on Santa Fe Unit #5032. This test resulted in the development of a tool called IDEAS (Integrated Diagnostic and Expert Analysis System) which allows users to troubleshoot and diagnose the failures on-site. It was an advanced concept for the time because the reports were in simple English, enabling anyone to diagnose and troubleshoot problems.

Despite this innovative approach, ZTR had difficulty breaking into the retrofit market. They had to find someone with a retrofit contract in place and sell them on the system. Ziegler, Inc., the Midwest Caterpillar dealer who established Generation II Locomotives (Gen II), focused on rebuilding locomotives with Caterpillar engines. Ziegler heard about the Santa Fe testing and approached ZTR to test the microprocessor controls on rebuilds for Burlington Northern Railroad.

The first test took place in the northern regions of Minnesota, and Ziegler was impressed with Gen II results. Gen II moved forward with a ZTR control system on the next 10 locomotives built for CP’s SOO Line.

During the installation of these control systems, ZTR introduced an automatic shutdown and restart system called SmartStart®. SmartStart® monitored for conditions during shutdown that allowed the locomotive to restart to get them back into specification – essentially a smart thinking system. With increased scrutiny, regulations,environmental concerns, and the desire of to both prevent waste and save money, a system like SmartStart® drew a lot of attention.

ZTR control systems were installed on different locomotives belonging to Burlington Northern, CP Rail-Soo Line, Wisconsin Central, Gateway Western, and Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway. A major selling point is fuel savings. The microprocessor-based locomotive control systems had an open architecture that could go far beyond just an automatic shutdown and restart capability. ZTR expanded SmartStart to include event recording, fan cycling and control, duty-cycle logging, kilowatt-hour recording and high-idle control. Additional features, added over time, include dynamic tag identification, cellular communications, maintenance flagging, health monitoring, and locomotive diagnostics.

1992 brought more change for ZTR: Ziegler, a Midwest Caterpillar dealer, utilized the expertise of ZTR Control Systems again, but this time in the remote monitoring and control of standby engine generators. In developing this system, ZTR created user-friendly graphic interface software, to replace hardware-based dials, meters, gauges, and buttons. Through the 1990s ZTR continued to expand its product and service offering.

In 1995 ZTR applied the first BOA™ (Bolt-on Adhesion) locomotive anti-wheel slip system to a CP GP9. This control product was used to improve the pulling power of a locomotive by detecting and correcting any slippage the metal wheels may have on the metal rails.

Drawing on its strengths in control systems, ZTR developed a product that focused directly on landfill gas recovery operations. In 1994, the monitoring and control of unmanned methane power generation sites was added to the ZTR Control Systems product and services. The systems are installed to monitor and control generating facilities located at landfill sites where methane gas served as the fuel for engine turning generators to generate electricity. The systems originally used a graphical user interface to display information being monitored at the site and alerted service personnel via pager, when any alarm conditions exited. With over a dozen installations across North America, these facilities provided a valuable source of green-friendly electricity to the communities in which they were located. These dangerous facilities could then be safely automated with minimal human intervention.

In 1995 ZTR applied the first BOA™ (Bolt-on Adhesion™) locomotive anti-wheel slip system to a CP GP9. This control product was used to improve the pulling power of a locomotive by detecting and correcting any slippage the metal wheels may have on metal rails.

The first large contract for the BOA™ system was TranzRail in New Zealand in 1997. This opportunity challenged and expanded the ZTR Control Systems product support into the global marketplace. Today, ZTR Control Systems provides control and monitoring system solutions to the global railway and power systems industries.

International Expansion

In 1998 ZTR embarked on a completely new track, leveraging product offerings by providing services to the customer that would allow them to make use of the mountain of information that the monitoring & control systems were able to collect.

By 2001 ZTR was organized into two divisions – Rail and Connected Asset. This provided the company better focus on each type of customer and handle the continued growth both in divisions.

In 2002, Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) attempted to lower their fuel consumption and reduce noise and air pollution by adding advanced technology to their locomotives. The technology involved an innovative combination of a Diesel-Driven Heating System (DDHS), which keeps engines block temperature above 100 degrees F and the batteries charged, and a ZTR SmartStart. BNSF claimed it could save up to 12 million gallons of fuel per year just by shutting down idling locomotives when the temperature dropped below 40 degrees F, and was looking to cut fuel consumption that year by 3% (about 38 million gallons). BNSF later planned to equip more locomotives with the DDHS/SmartStart® combination, which they described as "one useful arrow in the quiver that we use to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions."

In the industrial equipment market, ZTR was working to provide application solutions for landfill operators, waste water treatment facilities and distributed power generation equipment. Up to this point, ZTR had been providing these solutions almost solely through the Midwest Caterpillar Dealer (Ziegler, Inc), which led to a joint venture between ZTR and the Electric Power Division of Caterpillar® Inc. Through this relationship, ZTR created the PointGuard® brand of system monitoring and management solutions for North American CAT dealers and their customers.

Due to the unique operations and speed that the PointGuard® business needed to run, it was mutually determined that PointGuard needed to become independent of Cat® Power Systems, rather than a joint venture. In 2006, ZTR took over complete control and ownership and, with Cat® Power Systems continued endorsement, PointGuard was able to complete sales with almost every North American Caterpillar dealer.

By 2005, the ZTR Control Systems rail division created and launched the next generation of their control systems products known as NEXSYS™ II and SmartStart® II. These products provide railroads with advanced control systems for locomotive performance upgrades and idle reduction. The NEXSYS™ II even enabled the Belt Railway to increase the tonnage that locomotives could push over the hump to 16,000 tons. An increase of over 10% since the NEXSYS II was installed.

Until 2007, the ZTR Control Systems Connected Asset Division focused on providing wired and wireless remote monitoring solutions to the Power Generation Markets. In 2007 they expanded their focus to provide remote monitoring (telematic) solutions to the mobile and portable off-road industrial OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) markets. ZTR then introduced the next generation of telematics hardware—the M10G—with enhanced features that allow ZTR to continue to differentiate their solutions, including enhanced recording capabilities and a J1939 communication interface.

Recent Changes

In 2009, InReach®, the brand of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) focused remote asset monitoring solutions (telematics), was launched with the latest in end-to-end equipment monitoring capabilities. The InReach™ platform was also leveraged by the Rail Division with the release of the new SmartStart® SAVER™ system, which gave railroads the ability to remotely and automatically report on fuel and emissions savings, as well as lost savings opportunities.

In 2010 the M5G Telematics Control Unit was launched, targeting off-highway equipment fleets with a basic, low cost, run hours and location-based system. Continued development of the product portfolio included a number of satellite-based solutions.

In 2011 the Connected Asset Division of ZTR launched Near Me™, a Smart Phone app developed so customers can get up-to-date equipment information while they are on the move. It is available for iPhone® and Android™. Machine to machine is all about machines communicating with each other. ZTR also launched Machine2Business™ (M2B®), a methodology that lets machines communicate directly with people.

By the end of 2013 the Rail division launched the NEXSYS™ III-I™, Locomotive Battery Saver System™, ROVER™ Portable Remote Control Unit, KickStart™ Battery Assist, Locomotive Axle Generator, Diagnostic Display for GE locomotives, Locomotive Schematic Update Services, BOA™-WS, and Locomotive ELC products.

In 2013 the Connected Asset Division expanded into vertical markets beyond OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and power generation, these markets include Rental, Oil & Gas, Construction, Engine, and Locomotive monitoring.

In 2014 ZTR announced the new Dual-Mode M8HSBI, a feature rich, configurable unit for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or retrofit. The customer may choose to use Satellite or WiFi and switch if necessary. By blending satellite and WiFi services, customers can cost-effectively maximize coverage and flexibility. Dual mode is ideal for J19139 engines and equipment. It supports both mobile and stationary applications.

In October 2014, ZTR was awarded an important contract with DB Schenker Germany for 300+ SmartStart® Systems. ZTR supports the European rail freight industry by delivering innovative solutions for emissions reductions, fuel savings and tractive effort improvements. In 2014 alone, ZTR saw significant demand for solutions in Europe and the UK, as freight operators continued to look to modernize their fleets to reduce idle time, and improve locomotive reliability and availability, at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new.

2015 brought many exciting developments for ZTR. As interest in ZTR from the UK and Europe expanded, the company launched a new Rail office in Berlin, Germany in April 2015. This new office met the challenges of the European market and better supports ZTR customers in this region.

In May 2015, ZTR and its Connected Assets Division was recognized for 'Exceptional Service and Support' by the Association of Equipment Managers (AEMP). This solidified ZTR Control Systems as a leader in the movement to the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial internet with its unique approach to telematics solutions. AEMP serves those who manage and maintain heavy equipment. AEMP builds and maintains relationships among manufacturers, users, government agencies, educational institutions and others involved in the design and operation of equipment.

In June 2015, ZTR and its Connected Assets Division announced a significant milestone in the move towards the Internet of Things (IoT) with its relationship with United Rentals, one of the largest rental houses in the world. During that month, 60,000 telematics enabled pieces of rental equipment in their fleet and the number continues to grow. ZTR Controls Systems has enabled United Rentals in achieving this extraordinary milestone utilizing the robust ZTR ONEi3 Network offerings. United Rentals is a leader in the world of industrial equipment rental, management and servicing and is deploying advanced telematics to provide richer and more accurate fleet information into their core business systems.