under control UniControls

undEr Control

UniControls, headquartered in Prague, supplies control systems and electronic equipment for the railway sector and industry applications. The company has just signed a framework contract with the Austrian Federal Railways for the delivery of energy meters, in line with its ambition to become a leading, internationally recognised supplier in its line of business. Romana Moares reports.

From its foundation in early 1991, UniControls has focused on providing comprehensive system solutions for the most demanding of customer requirements – first in the area of industrial automation, later in the railway sector. In the mid-1990s the company became a supplier of the Train Control and Monitoring System for the renovated trains of the Prague underground and continued to grow. The beginning of the new millennium was the time when UniControls managed to penetrate export markets on a larger scale, not only in Europe but also overseas.

“We have become a member of a number of international associations and co-created the new industry standards applied today in the railway sector,” says UniControls CEO Antonín Felber. “And we, of course, have continued to develop our products in line with these standards as well as with the latest trends.” This focus on innovation was internationally recognised in 2015, when UniControls was awarded the Ruban d‘Honneur prize as the most dynamic innovative company in Europe, within the European Business Awards.

The company has an in-house R&D facility and production sites in Prague and Zlin. It owns two major subsidiaries: UniControls–Tramex based in Blansko and ZPA Industry in Karlovy Vary. Overall, the company employs about 230 people.

Two pillars

As a result of its dynamic growth – not only organic but also by means of acquisitions – UniControls stands strong. Today it is recognised as one of important European suppliers of electronic devices and control systems to two core sectors: the rail vehicles (Train Control and Monitoring System, Passenger Information System, Telediagnostic System, Train Communication Network) and industrial applications (electrical assemblies, field instrumentation and control systems). UniControls continuously expands its product and service range. Its emphasis is on a high degree of reliability, long-term product availability and an innovative approach.

“In industry, it is, without a doubt, the gas sector that is the most important to us,” says Antonín Felber. “Our competence is very high in all areas of the gas sector, i.e. in transportation, storage as well as distribution.” He explains that one of the major projects the company has delivered has been the comprehensive automation of gas transportation in Slovakia. Another successful project (in the power sector) has been the delivery of control systems for the Počerady coal fired power plant. “All five active units with a total output of 1000 MW and a large number of auxiliary operations are now controlled by a system delivered by our subsidiary ZPA Industry,” says Mr Felber.

In the rail vehicle business, the company’s reach has long exceeded not only the Czech Republic, but also the EU. Today, passengers are carried by underground and railway carriages controlled by UniControls systems in Europe, Asia, America and (recently) in Africa.

The latest demonstration of the company’s international credibility was a contract with the Austrian ÖBB-INFRA AG (the national railway operator) for the supply of energy meters for their own product; the railpower box mini. The two companies signed, at the same time the letter of intent to collaboratee in the field of energy measurement system for traction vehicles in the European railway market. “Both of these agreements will strengthen the position of UniControls in the market for the measurement of electricity consumption of rail vehicles in the European Economic Area,” says Antonín Felber, chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of UniControls a.s.

Investing in safety and reliability

Investment in research and development is an on-going process at UniControls and a number of new development projects completed each year. “The cost of investment spent on research and development amounts, on average, to €700,000 per annum,” says the Mr. Felber.

In the past four years, R&D has focused primarily on the development of platforms for train control and information systems with Ethernetbased communication. These projects resulted in a new generation of UNITRACK TCMSe (Train Control and Monitoring System based on Ethernet) and a multi-media information system for passengers – UNITRACK OMTS (On-board Multimedia and Telematic System) – including PIS (passenger information system), MMS (multi-media system), PAS (public address system), CCTV and central monitoring in the form of a ground MOMA server.

“The most topical innovation project is the development of the SCU-300 (Safety Control Unit),” says Mr. Felber. “With this project the company is preparing to accommodate the growing demand for integrating those functions in trains which are safety-related and are, in line with safety standards, certified.”

Worldwide reach

UniControls exports its components and systems to several rail vehicle producers in western Europe (e.g. Alstom, CAF, etc.). Exports to the Asian markets have also increased recently, particularly to China and Japan, with Russia and the former Soviet Union countries remaining another important territory.

Both markets the company serves enjoy favourable development at the moment. The railway sector generally registers, across all continents, a trend for improved comfort and safety, increased speed, better information and multi-media entertainment, and in Europe for measuring traction energy consumption (UniControls has recently developed a product to meet this demand). Industry is growing also, with a myriad of new development and reconstruction projects. UniControls is ready to capitalise on these opportunities.

“With regard to the fact that today’s market demands larger amounts of data being transmitted more rapidly between carriages in train sets, we focus on Ethernet solutions – this really is our future,” concludes Mr Felber. “The demand is particularly apparent in the Chinese market but not only there. Just recently we signed a contract for the refurbishment of underground carriages in Tbilisi. There, our comprehensive Ethernet solution will be installed on underground carriages for the very first time.” n