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Tracks & Rail traffic

Increased utilization of rail networks and higher speeds of modern trains cause high loads on the railway vehicles and rail tracks. In order to increase operational safety in passenger and freight transport and to plan maintenance intervals in advance, inspections must be carried out on a regular basis. Therefore, Micro-Epsilon offers a wide range of precise sensors. In addition to their ease of integration, the sensors are characterized by high precision and robust designs. They are used, for example, for measurements on tracks, wheelsets and overhead lines. In addition, Micro-Epsilon offers sensors that are integrated directly into locomotives and railcars in order to monitor inclination and vibration.

Measuring the distance from tunnels & bridges

In order to check the structural geometry of bridges and tunnels, these are regularly inspected by maintenance trains. The latter are equipped with optoNCDT ILR series laser time-of-flight sensors. These sensors detect the vertical distance from…

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Distance measurement tunnels and bridges

Distance control in magnetic railways

In contrast to conventional railways, in magnetic railways the drive is not installed in the vehicle but in the track. In the Transrapid, wheels and rails of the conventional railway are replaced by a non-contact electromagnetic carrying, guiding…

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Distance control for magnetic railways

Automatic inspection of jammed brakes

In order to test brake systems of wagons and railcars, test benches are used where infrared pyrometers or thermal imaging cameras are installed. These temperature measuring devices detect the passing train and measure laterally on the brake…

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Inspection of stuck brakes of wagons and railcars

Automated measurement of railway fishplates

The company Mills CNC is a supplier of machine tools. They use MicroEpsilon laser sensors for the automatic inspection of large, hot-rolled railway fishplates made of steel. These fishplates join two rails together and must be as straight and…

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Automated measurement of railway fishplates

Inspection of the combustion chamber in a diesel locomotive

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…

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Inspection and combustion chamber control of diesel locomotives

Diameter inspection of overhead lines

Especially in the case of high-speed railway lines, preventive inspection of the overhead lines is important in order to ensure that the lines are passable. optoCONTROL laser micrometers are used to enable reliable wear inspection. These are…

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Diameter inspection of overhead lines

Planarity inspection of rails

optoCONTROL laser micrometers are used to selectively check railway tracks for flatness and deflection. These are integrated in a test trolley and detect the track at three points with high accuracy, regardless of the condition of the track…

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Planarity inspection of rails

Detection of the lift height in lifting platforms

During maintenance and servicing, it is often necessary to lift entire trains. Synchronous heavy-duty lifting systems are used for this purpose. In order to synchronize the lifting height of the individual columns, optoNCDT ILR laser…

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Lifting height detection in lifting platforms

Position control of the hydrodynamic coupling

An inductive EDS displacement sensor is used for stroke measurement of hydraulic cylinders in diesel-hydraulic drives. The inductive long-stroke sensor monitors the unintended traction of the locomotive and is thus a safety-relevant component in…

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Position control hydrodynamic coupling

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…

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Inspection of oil gap in axle bearings in high-speed trains

Measuring the tilt angle in passenger 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…

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Measurement of inclination angle in passenger trains

Optical measurement of drive shaft, brake disc and wheel tires

Tread surfaces of wheel tires are exposed to enormous loads. In order to determine the overall condition, to detect defects and to take timely repair measures, the wheel discs must be inspected regularly. The wheel sets are first tested in…

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Optical measurement of drive shaft, brake disc and wheel tires

Profile measurement and distance control during forging of wheel tires

Blue laser scanners from Micro-Epsilon are used to monitor the dimensional accuracy of wheel tires during forging. Conventional laser scanners reach their limits with red-hot glowing steel, as its radiation intensity is too high for the sensor…

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Profile measurement and distance control during forging of wheel tires

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 scanCONTROL laser scanners are used to detect, automatically evaluate and analyse the profile data. Laser…

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Profile measurement for mounted tram rails

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…

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Testing ovality of wheelsets

Inspection of the rail profile during grinding and milling

Rail milling trains are used for repair work on tracks. In order to detect the rail profile before and after the milling head, scanCONTROL laser profile sensors are used immediately before and after the grinding wheel. The target and actual…

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Testing rail profile during grinding and milling

Measuring the profile of wheel tires in the test bench

Wheel wear on rail vehicles caused by high mileage affects safety and driving characteristics and generates high maintenance costs. Laser sensors from Micro-Epsilon, which are integrated in a test bench in the track bed, are used to preventively…

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Measuring the profile of wheel tires in the test bench

Rail measurement in high speed grinding

The Vossloh company is a global leader in the field of rail technology. One of its business units focuses on maintaining the value of the infrastructure, which also includes the maintenance of rails. For this purpose, Vossloh uses, among other…

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Rail measurement in high speed grinding

Rail alignment for welding of rail sections

Track-bound welding robots are used for maintenance and for the construction of new tracks. Thanks to the high degree of automation, the robots achieve rail welds of consistently high quality. scanCONTROL laser profile sensors are used to align…

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Rails alignment for welding of rail sections

Vibration measurement in trains

Wear and tear in the wheelset and bogie can cause natural vibrations that can be felt in the passenger area. Acceleration sensors from Micro-Epsilon are used to record these vibrations.Inertial sensors detect the vibration at various points in…

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Vibration measurement in trains

Monitoring the lathe

When turning the wheel tires, laser triangulation sensors monitor the distance to the rotating wheel tire. This means that the ablation is detected with high precision. High-performance sensors detect the dimensional accuracy of the wheel tires…

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Monitoring lathe

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 foundations and…

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Deformation measurement of concrete joints and railway sleepers

Measuring the wear of high-speed railway lines

In order to detect the wear on high-speed railway lines, special measurement wagons inspect the tracks. The measurement wagon contains two optoNCDT 1900 laser displacement sensors. These measure the distance to the track at a high measuring rate.…

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Wear measurement high speed railway lines

Measuring the wear of the rail head

The wear of the rail head is an important parameter in the reliable assessment of the condition of the tracks. In order to check the profile of the rail head, scanCONTROL laser profile scanners are used, which are integrated in measurement…

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Wear measurement rail head

Conductor rail wear and gauge measurement

For the inspection of conductor rails, a measurement wagon is used which contains a total of six scanCONTROL laser profile scanners. These scanners detect the profile of the conductor rails from below, above and from the side. The large measuring…

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Conductor rail wear and gauge measurement