Pentalym Rail:
Solutions for Modern Rail Operations
Pentalym Rail offers advanced RFID-based automatic equipment identification (AEI) solutions that seamlessly integrate with existing transport industry systems. Our comprehensive platform provides real-time visibility and tracking for rail assets, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs across the rail and intermodal transportation sectors.
Product Features
AEI Multiprotocol RFID Readers
Support for ISO 10374, AS 7503, and TransCore tag standards in a single reader unit ensures broad compatibility.
Real-Time Train Tracking
Instant identification and location updates for railcars, locomotives, and intermodal containers provide unparalleled visibility.
Cloud-Based Data Portal
A secure web interface allows access to tracking data, comprehensive reports, and advanced analytics from any location.
Seamless System Integration
Our solutions offer plug-and-play compatibility, easily integrating with existing rail management and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
Automated Billing & Reporting
Captured data flows directly into billing workflows, with flexible export options for CSV and Excel reports to streamline operations.
Ruggedized Hardware
Industrial-grade readers are built to endure the harsh conditions of rail yard environments and extreme weather, ensuring reliable performance.
Data Capture Capabilities
Pentalym Rail's advanced RFID system excels in comprehensive data capture, providing an unparalleled level of detail and accuracy for all rail operations. From real-time movement detection to rich data integration, our platform ensures every piece of information is collected, processed, and made actionable, transforming raw data into strategic insights.
Trackside RFID Reading
Our robust trackside RFID readers efficiently scan existing AEI/ATA tags on locomotives and wagons, supporting multiprotocol standards (ISO 10374, AS 7503, TransCore). This ensures broad compatibility whether deploying Pentalym/ARA trackside boxes or integrating with existing reader infrastructure.
Movement Detection & Classification
The system accurately detects the direction of travel (forward / reverse) and classifies various movements including arrivals, departures, shunting, transfers, and stops/restarts. It automatically groups raw reads into precise train movements, effectively solving complex shunting and reversing scenarios.
Wheel / Direction Sensors
Additional track sensors are integrated to provide critical data such as direction confirmation, precise speed calculation (independent of GPS), and enhanced grouping for superior event detection, contributing to a higher fidelity of operational data.
Enriched Train Records
Consist data from various sources (email, PDF, CSV) is ingested and merged with RFID reads to create a single, comprehensive train record. This record includes vital information like operator, vehicle type and number, number of locos and wagons, commodity, origin, destination, plant, and tonnage (when provided).
Inspector / Visualizer Tool
A powerful visualization tool allows users to inspect train movements and tag reads over time. It displays speed, movement type, duration on site/loop, and highlights low-quality, missing tags, or anomalies, enabling proactive problem-solving.
Live Data & History
Pentalym Rail provides a real-time view of trains detected at each reader location. Users can perform historical searches and playback of movements, as well as calculate the duration between inbound and outbound scans to understand time spent in a loop or on site.
Alerts & Exception Handling
The system is configured to identify and flag suspect or missing RFID tags and potential issues in movements or consists. This capability can be extended to flag overloaded wagons when combined with weighbridge data, ensuring safety and compliance.
Integration Capabilities
Our cloud-based platform eliminates the need for on-premise software. It supports data export (e.g., CSV) for manual or batch use and offers robust APIs/connectors for seamless integration with SAP/ERP systems, port billing/revenue systems, and other operational databases.
Weighbridge/Load-Cell Integration
Combine weighbridge and load-cell data directly with enriched train records. This integration supports automated overload detection and alerts, providing a comprehensive wagon-level weight history and audit trail for compliance and operational efficiency.
Complementary to GPS/Telemetry
Pentalym Rail works in synergy with GPS and brake monitoring or other onboard telemetry systems. It provides infrastructure-side, high-fidelity movement and consist context without duplicating locomotive-based functions, offering a more complete operational picture.
Scalability Across Sites
The same proven pattern used at complex sites like the Inner Harbour loop can be replicated. Our goal is to standardize and "digitize" multiple sites, including ports, industrial rail users, and rail providers, ensuring consistent and efficient operations across an entire network.
Data Capture Capabilities
Pentalym RFID readers can extract a wealth of information from existing RFID tags, enabling detailed asset tracking and management without requiring additional tag installations. This comprehensive data capture provides the foundation for advanced analytics and operational improvements.
Equipment Information
- Equipment type (car, locomotive, etc.)
- Reporting Mark (owner's initials)
- Side identification (left or right)
Technical Specifications
- Length measurements
- Number of axles
- Bearing type
Advanced Capabilities
- Additional equipment-specific parameters
- Custom data field support
- Historical tracking information
This detailed information enables rail operators to maintain accurate asset inventories, streamline maintenance scheduling, and optimize operational planning based on the exact composition and characteristics of their rolling stock.
RFID Technology Integration
Pentalym's solutions integrate seamlessly with existing RFID-based systems currently deployed throughout the transport industry. Our technology is compatible with established standards including the ISO 10374 container identification standard and AS 7503 for Australian rail applications, ensuring interoperability across diverse rail environments.
With over 10 million RFID tags already fitted throughout the rail and intermodal industry, Pentalym provides a robust way to read transportation tags mounted on railcars and locomotives. Our multiprotocol rail readers are designed to support the latest AEI technology while maintaining backward compatibility with legacy systems.
Integration
Works with existing RFID infrastructure to minimize implementation costs
Multi-Standard Support
Compatible with TransCore tags and major industry standards
Future-Proof Technology
Designed for compatibility with both current and emerging AEI technologies
Strategic Deployment of RFID Readers
Pentalym's RFID reading capabilities are maximized through strategic placement of readers at critical points throughout the rail network. Our system architecture allows for comprehensive coverage at key operational locations, creating a network of data collection points that provide real-time visibility into rail operations.
Railroad Interchange Points
Track rolling stock as it moves between different rail networks, providing seamless visibility across organizational boundaries and enhancing interoperability between rail operators.
Maintenance Facilities
Monitor assets entering and exiting maintenance areas, automatically capturing data for maintenance records and enabling condition-based maintenance scheduling.
Yards and Track Lanes
Maintain real-time inventory of all assets within yard facilities, improving yard operations and reducing the time needed to locate specific rolling stock.
Comprehensive Rail Management Software
Pentalym's rail management software platform provides a complete solution for freight management, offering real-time visibility and reliable tracking of rail wagons to drive operational efficiencies and cost reductions.
Real-Time Visibility
Track rolling stock location and status across the entire rail network
Performance Analysis
Visualize historical data to identify trends and improvement opportunities
Bottleneck Identification
Analyze customer accounts to locate supply chain inefficiencies
Auditing Capabilities
Verify freight details from the asset level to ensure accurate billing
Data Visualization and Analytics
Pentalym's advanced analytics capabilities transform raw RFID data into actionable business intelligence. The platform visualizes historical freight data and provides comprehensive performance analysis across customer accounts, helping identify supply chain bottlenecks and optimization opportunities.
Historical Data Analysis
Access comprehensive historical records of asset movements, maintenance activities, and operational metrics. Identify patterns and trends to inform strategic decision-making and long-term planning initiatives.
- Time-based performance tracking
- Seasonal variation analysis
- Year-over-year comparisons
Customer Account Analytics
Analyze performance metrics across different customer accounts to identify high-performing relationships and areas for improvement. Gain insights into customer-specific operational patterns to enhance service delivery.
- Account-specific metrics
- Service level agreement tracking
- Performance benchmarking
The solution enables operators to audit freight details at the asset level, ensuring that shipments are correctly billed through the Pentalym Rail module and providing a comprehensive audit trail for all transactions.
Expert Support
Pentalym's dedicated team ensures seamless integration of RFID technology into existing rail operations.
Our specialists work alongside your team to optimize system performance and maximize ROI.
Assessment
Evaluate infrastructure and identify optimal reader locations.
Deployment
Install hardware and integrate with existing operational systems.
Training
Provide comprehensive staff training on system operation.
Ongoing Support
Deliver continuous technical assistance and software updates.
Implementation
At Pentalym, we provide RFID solutions tailored to the rail industry's unique needs. Our experts ensure seamless integration with your operations.
Assessment & Planning
Our experts conduct a thorough analysis of your current operations, identifying key integration points and optimization opportunities to create a customized implementation plan.
Implementation & Integration
Skilled technicians deploy hardware and software components according to the established plan, ensuring proper calibration and seamless integration with existing systems.
Training & Ongoing Support
Comprehensive training for operations staff and ongoing technical support ensure maximum value from your Pentalym Rail solution throughout its lifecycle.
Our commitment extends beyond implementation, with dedicated ongoing support to ensure your rail RFID system continues to deliver optimal performance and adapts to your evolving operational needs.
Shunting – key points
- System automatically groups reads into real trains, even when there is:
- Shunting, reversing, splitting, or re‑joining trains
- Long pauses or back‑and‑forth moves
- Classifies movement types such as:
- Arrivals, departures, shunting, transfers, yard movements
- Solves the “wagons in vs wagons out” problem by:
- Accurately counting how many wagons enter vs leave
- Highlighting wagons left behind or unexpected movements
- Reduces manual reporting of shunting outcomes and improves reconciliation.
Wheel / direction sensors – key points
- Track‑mounted wheel/direction sensors:
- Confirm direction of travel (forward vs reverse)
- Capture movement patterns that raw RFID alone can’t reliably infer
- Used together with RFID to:
- Improve train grouping accuracy under complex shunting
- Calculate speed without needing GPS
- Support detection of stops, restarts, and short shunts
- Provide a richer data set that underpins:
- Accurate movement classification
- Reliable duration on site / in loop calculations.
Harness the potential of cutting-edge RFID-based automatic equipment identification (AEI) to accurately monitor rail cars and their contents.
Industry-Leading RFID Solutions
Pentalym delivers cutting-edge rail tracking technology with unmatched accuracy and reliability.
Transform your rail operations with our end-to-end RFID ecosystem designed specifically for the challenges of modern railway environments.
