Digitalisation and Design
BHP has partnered with Willow to implement a digital twin of its heavy haul network in Western Australia.
Digital twins transforming heavy haul freight in Australia The concept of digital twins is not new, but now – in an Australian first – it’s gone from just a buzzword to reality, with the application being used for BHP’s heavy haul freight in WA’s Pilbara. The demands on rail are great, with rail owners needing to have their finger on the pulse across a complex array of data and market forces. As expectations increase, there is pressure on owners to take advantage of new technologies, to ensure infrastructure networks can perform at their full potential. But with new forms of automation and mechanisation come added complexity, with millions of new connected devices added to infrastructure networks every day. There’s an abundance of data that rail owners are required to manage, from train
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cycle times to the effects of speed restrictions and understanding where the root cause defects are coming from within rolling stock and the track infrastructure. However, much of this information exists in independent systems creating siloed data that is not easily shared – a major pain point. It can be the norm for most rail owners to be dealing with multiple separate enterprisegrade software systems for asset management and maintenance. Each comes with its own interface and data protocol. In this environment, decision-makers are left to connect the dots on their own, often making
critical judgements based on incomplete information and manual reports. Improving network availability and cycle time throughout networks is a key imperative, especially for heavy haul owners. To make operations more flexible to respond to market demands, owners need accurate, real-time performance insights, so they can identify and resolve, for example, speed restrictions and defects quickly. Enter WillowTwin for Rail, a powerful software platform developed from deep knowledge in operating and maintaining railway networks.
