Innovation and Experience
Our Contribution to Increase Safety
Wheels of vehicles running on rails are subject to high strain. Signs of wear becoming evident in unround forms, among others, are the consequence. Faults of this kind as well as the existence of flat spots, can develop very strong, momentary impacts in the normally homogeneous power transmission from the running wheels to the rails.
Possible effects are:
- Increased stress for vehicles and rails causing higher costs for maintenance
- Increased noise pollution and stress due to vibrations
- Reduced travelling comfort
- Consequential damage to vehicles and rails
- Derailments due to wheel damages
More Videos of our Systems:
Identifying Signs of Wear Due to High Stress
in a Safe and Reliable Way
The ATLAS system makes it possible to monitor the sets of running and driving wheels of railroad cars in an inexpensive, reliable and continuous way. By the application of strain gauges applied to the tracks, the forces transmitted from the wheel to the superstructure are measured.
During a train passage faulty wheels are localised and the corresponding data records are produced. By means of a data line, these records are transmitted to a control centre, where alarm messages with the data concerning the faulty wheels together with their corresponding position show up in less than a second. Apart from localising faulty wheels, the ATLAS system can also be used as dynamic track scale to record weight and load status during the passage.
Innovative Measuring Technology
The equipment, stationary installed in the track, is designed to monitor the smooth running of wheels; at the same time they may be used as dynamic rail scale. The principle of detecting flat spots is based on measurements that are taken simultaneously on all force bearing points by use of strain gauges.
The sum of all recorded forces is the Q-force. The dynamic effect of a wheel is recorded along the entire wheel rim. Separating the forces of adjacent wheels is done by nesting different measurement sections along the rail. This particular measuring method allows a considerable increase of safety and facilitates optimisation of wheel set maintenance.
Due to the fact that ATLAS is able to scan the ENTIRE WHEEL GIRTH, it is possible to detect all sorts of geometric faults which might develop. High-speed trains (ICE) going at speeds of more than 300km/h, but also freight trains going at much lower speeds can be measured.
ATLAS consists of five System Components
1. Force Measurement Sensors
The forces transmitted from the wheel into the rail are directly recorded by means of strain gauges. The force of the wheel imposed on the rail is measured directly using strain gauges. The rail deforming effect on the electric resistance of the devices is utilized for measurement.
2. Service & Communication Terminal (SCT)
The key component here is a powerful computer, which has been designed for extreme environmental conditions. All maintenance and test functions of the measurement system can be remotely conducted from the SCT. The acquired measurement values are archived automatically. By applying a special algorithm the obtained data are processed in such a way that the weight and the geometric wheel defects are evaluated and displayed for each wheel individually. The SCT also serves as the interface to higherlevel network structures (e.g. IP) and can be integrated into various topologies.
3. Central Monitoring and Control Unit (CMSAT )
The Central Monitoring and Control System is an optional unit which can be used to integrate several monitoring sites as well as other reporting systems. This unit has also been designed for straight forward integration into different network topologies and protocols. The system is optimised for multiprocessor-operation and availability is monitored by an integrated watchdog function.
4. Remote Service Terminal (RST)
All the maintenance and test functions of the ATLAS system can be carried out worldwide via a remote service function. This leads to further savings of operational costs.
5. SST Service Solutions
SST Signal & System Technik offers comprehensive services to monitor, configure and maintain client systems on request.
System Features
System Features
- Maintenance costs are reduced by early and pointed diagnoses of wheel sets
- Costs for servicing the tracks are reduced
- Running life of wheel bearings is increased
- Travelling comfort is increased
- Noise pollution is reduced
- Checking the load status (leaning loads / overloads)
- Optimal use of load capacities
- Prevention of derailments
- Continuous registration of the entire wheel girth
- Flexible network integration
- Safe data transmission
- Remote servicing concept
- Tamping is possible without de-installing the system
Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications
| max. number of axles: | 1000 |
| Speed scope: | 30 - 500 km/h for flat wheel detection and 5 - 500 km/h for dynamic scale |
| Temperature scope: | – 30 bis + 70°C. |
| Exactness of scales: | + / -3% |
| Weight measuring range: | 1t to 70t per wheel |
| Intervals for calibration: | once a year (recommended at present) |
| Length of measuring strip: | approx. 4.2 m, can be longer or shorter on demand |
| Max. wheel diametre: | all the usual wheel diametres can be recorded continuously |
| Min. axle distance: | 0,7 m |
| Train speed: | Train speed is determined with an exactness of 1.0 % |
| Technology applied: | direct force measurement by means of strain gauges |