Tracking train wheels with ease

My car is twenty years old this year. That means it has its issues, but it also means there’s not much in terms of warning-lights or software that tells me when something isn’t right. Tyre pressure, for instance, is something I have to check manually fairly often. A screen that tells you whether a brake-light is faulty, or exactly how much pressure is in each tyre is a luxury I do not have. For train wheel maintenance, Hexagon has released a new such luxury (sort of).

CALIPRI X is Hexagon’s new automated, permanently installed optical scanning system for inspecting train wheelsets. Designed with no moving parts and with 24/7 operation in mind, it reduces not only cost and effort in inspecting wheelsets, but also drastically reduces the time needed for these inspections.

Conventionally, inspection of wheelsets has to be done manually, which is expensive, laborious and takes a lot of time. The addition of CALIPRI Predictor, Hexagon’s cloud-storage tool for analysis, means that maintenance needs can be pre-emptively estimated.

“We’ve really pushed back the boundaries with this integrated solution,” says Peter Lehofer, CALIPRI Product Manager at Hexagon. “It’s a genuine market first that meets rail industry needs for fully automated wheelset measurement without the sacrifices of precision and reproducibility that are commonly seen in products available today. The combination of highly accurate and reliable data, ease of use and the analytics provided by CALIPRI Predictor will save our customers a lot of money and bring peace of mind as they maintain their rolling stock over its lifecycle.”

Rather than lifting train cars off the tracks, or using handheld scanners to inspect wheels manually, CALIPRI X simplifies the process greatly. The system is mounted on the existing tracks; a train drives slowly over the sensor unit with laser and camera modules, which automatically measure the wheels. Data is collected on the “wheel profile, diameter, back-to-back distance, equivalent conicity, camber and wheel toe,” all to the European standard EN 15313.

Data feedback is instant and is stored and analysed automatically to assess the wear of the wheels. This allows an estimate on the future condition of wheels and therefore allows maintenance to be scheduled for the right moment.

CALIPRI X has no moving parts, which gives it the robustness needed for the railroad environment. It can operate in all seasons and any weather conditions thanks to temperature compensation technology. The unobstructive design means it can be installed almost anywhere, though it’s specifically meant to be installed in areas where trains frequently pass at low speed, such as at depots, where it can collect extensive data at no extra cost.

After all, if I’m already filling up for petrol, I may as well check my tyre pressure.