Festo AX Smartenance Software Improves HS2 Tunnelling Machine Maintenance for Herrenknecht

Festo AX Smartenance digital maintenance management software is improving the maintenance of seven Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines, which are being used to construct the High Speed Two (HS2) rail link between London and the Midlands.

Maintenance Challenges of Giant Tunnel Boring Machines

With lengths of up to 150 metres and diameters of up to 17 metres, these tunnel boring machines are true giants and consist of numerous hydraulic and electrical components. During the drilling process, they are exposed to extreme forces and wear, which means timely maintenance is critical to keep projects on schedule. Until now, Herrenknecht found that maintenance work often resulted in excessively long and expensive downtimes, and paper documentation was slow, laborious, and complex.

“We could not be satisfied with this and therefore looked for digital solutions that would optimally support our customers in maintenance and repair management,” explains Maximilian Vollmer, System Engineer IOT at Herrenknecht.

AX Smartenance Digital Maintenance Management

During their market research, the IT specialists at Herrenknecht came across AX Smartenance from Festo. This digital maintenance software for production managers and plant operators enables digital, paperless maintenance management. Maintenance tasks and plans can be flexibly created, duplicated, and then evaluated.

AX Smartenance is a cloud-based computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) that enables maintenance teams to record, track and manage all maintenance work in real time via mobile devices, eliminating paper-based work orders and significantly improving maintenance efficiency and data traceability.

Integration with Herrenknecht.Connected Platform

Crucially, Festo was able to integrate its AX Smartenance software into Herrenknecht’s existing digital portal. Herrenknecht.Connected allows customers to receive insights and data into almost all systems on the construction site, from tunnel boring machines to water treatment plants. It also delivers digital performance reports and insights into the cockpit monitors of the machine operators through web-based visualisations and analysis tools.

These digital tools allow construction site and project management to monitor all data relevant to tunnelling from any location and at any time. The successful integration of Festo AX Smartenance has improved rapid collaboration within the team and increased the efficiency of maintenance management. Only minor adjustments to the special features of the tunnel boring machines and the design of the Herrenknecht.Connected platforms were necessary.

Results: Transparent Monitoring and Rapid Response

The AX Smartenance CMMS is now responsible for the maintenance management of the tunnel boring machines and all other maintenance-relevant machines on a large construction site. The Herrenknecht.Connected platform offers location- and time-independent monitoring of all data relevant to tunnel construction and includes automated analysis functions, clear dashboards, and detailed evaluations of sensor data.

Thanks to the integrated AX Smartenance digital maintenance manager from Festo, transparent monitoring and rapid responses to problems relating to maintenance and servicing are now also possible. This reduces downtime, minimises the time required for maintenance work, and improves the overall operational efficiency of tunnelling projects.

The HS2 project is one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects. Phase One will provide high-speed rail services between London and Birmingham, with subsequent phases planned for extensions to Manchester and Leeds. Festo’s digital maintenance solution is playing a vital role in keeping this critical project on schedule and ensuring operational reliability.

Source: industryemea.com, Festo News, 2025