Sensors & Applications Tracks & Rail Traffic More Precision

Integrated measurement in railcars and wagons Monitoring of wheel tires & brakes Maintenance Inspection of tracks & rails

Guaranteeing the safety and stability when transporting passengers and goods on rails is critical. Increased utilization of rail networks and higher speeds of modern trains cause high loads on the rail tracks. The condition of the tracks must be inspected regularly in order to prevent costly incidents. Micro-Epsilon offers extensive knowledge for measurement tasks in the railway industry. Integrated in the train, in the measurement wagon, in test systems and measuring machines, the sensors are used in a variety of ways. In addition to their ease of integration, the sensors are characterized by...

Integrated measurement in railcars and wagons

Measuring the tilt angle in passenger trains Vibration measurement in trains Inductive EDS displacement sensors are integrated in high-speed trains to determine the inclination of the coach body required for cornering. This data is passed on to the control units in the following wagons, which tilt the coach body accordingly to compensate for the resulting lateral acceleration. When taking a bend, the coach body of the vehicle is tilted towards the inside of the bend with the help of hydraulic cylinders. The inclination is controlled by an induSENSOR EDS sensor. This reduces the effect of lateral...

Integrated measurement in railcars and wagons

Measuring the bearing gap in axle bearings In high-speed trains, the oil gap in axle bearings is permanently checked. The oil film in the lubricating gap prevents direct contact between the bearing surface and the shaft. The improved sliding properties of the bearing increase the turbine’s effectiveness while prolonging its service life. eddyNCDT eddy current displacement sensors are used to monitor the bearing gap. Integrated into the control system, they acquire the measured values during operation. Thanks to their robust design, the sensors can be used at oil pressures of up to 2 bar and at...

Test benches for wheel tires and brakes

Inspecting the ovality of wheel sets Axle measuring machines are used to check the ovality or diameter of wheels, bearings and gears. These are equipped with 4 optoCONTROL laser micrometers that measure on the rotating axle. Thanks to their high accuracy, ovality or diameter can be determined extremely precisely. As the measuring distances are variable, micrometers can also be used for large object diameters. Measuring the profile of wheel tires in the test bench Sensor: optoNCDT / scanCONTROL Wheel wear on rail vehicles caused by high mileage affects safety and driving characteristics and generates...

Inspection of the combustion chamber in a diesel locomotive Detection of the lift height in lifting platforms For the inspection of diesel locomotives, regular inspection of the combustion chamber and documentation are required. Inadequate quality inspection or failures such as faulty valve seats or defective running surfaces can cause serious malfunctions of the engine and thus locomotive failures. The inspection is often performed in confined spaces and without direct power connection. For this reason, Eltrotec video endoscopes are used. These video endoscopes are lightweight, mobile and work...

Inspection of tracks & rails With laser sensors from Micro-Epsilon, we determine cross and longitudinal profiles of rails, groove geometries and track gauges in day and night operation. Measurements are made at speeds of up to 80 km / h and under adverse conditions with grinding dust and vibrations. Vossloh Rail Services GmbH has used robust and precise sensors from Micro-Epsilon for many years. We particularly appreciate the technical support in our long-term cooperation as well as the good support of the office and field service. Dr. Konstantin von Diest, Technical Manager, Vossloh Rail Services...

Profile measurement of mounted tram rails Increasing utilization of trams causes increased wear on the rails. In order to document the rail wear, measurement wagons equipped with laser scanners are used to detect, automatically evaluate and analyze the profile data. Laser profile scanners from Micro-Epsilon detect the rail cross-section without contact and therefore offer a reproducible and time-saving supplement to visual inspection. A link between the wear points and the map network enables the targeted repair of defects. Sensor: scanCONTROL Measuring the wear of the rail head The wear of the...

Inspection of tracks & rails

Diameter inspection of overhead lines Especially in the case of high-speed trains, preventive inspection of overhead lines is important in order to ensure that the lines are passable. optoCONTROL laser micrometers are used to enable reliable diameter testing. These are installed on a maintenance locomotive and are guided over a frame to the overhead line during the journey. The high accuracy of the micrometers enables high precision wear measurements. Sensor: optoCONTROL 2520 Conductor rail wear and gauge measurement For the inspection of conductor rails, a measurement wagon is used which contains...

Inspection of tracks & rails

Deformation measurement of concrete joints and railway sleepers The load on rails and sleepers is very high, especially in highly frequented curves. Magneto-inductive displacement sensors are used to test the movement and deformation of concrete sleepers in curves. The sensors are fixed in the subsoil and measure to a magnet which is applied to the concrete joint or sleeper. Thanks to their robust design, the sensors are ideal for outdoor use and provide long-term stable measurement results that allow statements to be made about deformation. Sensor: mainSENSOR Planarity inspection of rails optoCONTROL...

Inspection of tracks & rails

Welding of rail sections Inspection of the rail profile during grinding and milling Track-bound welding robots are used for maintenance and for the construction of new railway lines. Thanks to the high degree of automation, the robots achieve rail welds of consistently high quality. To align the rail ends, scanCONTROL laser scanners are used in combination with the 3D Profile Unit. Several laser scanners capture the rail profile, which is converted into a common coordinate system by the 3D Profile Unit. This is how a composite 2D profile or a composite 3D point cloud can be generated. Rail milling...