Once rail vehicles have driven over countless kilometers, the result is the inevitable wear of wheels and brakes. Without an ongoing check, the worst case scenario is a derailing of the train. One of the most innovative devices for the improvement of safety-relevant wear parameters, the Calipri Wheel, was developed by the Austrian measuring technology company NextSense. The gauge features a very high accuracy with the simplest operation. So the Calipri Wheel carried a lot of conviction with Deutsche Bahn (DB AG), who concluded a framework agreement for this device with NextSense, dated July 4, 2011. The way is now clear for a country-wide deployment in Germany.

Prior to the conclusion of the contract, the accredited calibration laboratory of DB in Chemnitz put the measurement system, based on laser technology, through the acid test. Both the measurement accuracy and various factors of influence were systematically collected and analyzed for the worldwide one-of-a-kind hand-held measurement device, which works entirely in a non-contact way. The contact-free mode of operation delivers values that are significantly better reproducible in comparison to conventional measurement methods using contact—even in the constrained space under the vehicle in a service workshop. The intelligent software of the measurement device reduces the influence of the user to a minimum—an essential requirement for the measurement of safety-relevant components in railway technology.

By dint of the framework agreement, all DB companies (S-Bahn, long-distance rail traffic, service workshops, etc.) are able now to procure the approved modules without any difficulty. Alongside the Wheel Profile measurement module, these include the module for the measurement of the brake disc, the wheel clearance, the wheel thickness and the wheel diameter. All measurements are conveniently carried out by one and the same device. The Calipri Wheel was able to record initial successful deployments already for the Berlin S-Bahn and for a number of DFB Regio workshops.

NextSense Mess- und Prüfsysteme GmbH
NextSense is a high-tech start-up company providing innovative solutions for measuring and checking technology in the rapidly expanding market for optical sensors. The company develops, produces and markets mobile, laser-based profile-measuring devices as well as specific system solutions for customers from various sectors. In addition to the numerous renowned companies in the railroad-traffic and railway supply sectors (DB, ÖBB, SBB, Siemens, Stadler, Alstom, etc.), NextSense’s customer portfolio includes automotive and steel companies such as Daimler, Magna-Steyr or voestalpine. Certified in accordance with ISO-9001:2008, the company is a spin-off of a well-known, large-scale Austrian research organization and currently employs 19 staff members at its site in Graz.