Article
Premiere at InnoTrans: New CALIPRI module for rail geometry measurement
The monitoring and maintenance of track systems is safety-relevant and is becoming increasingly important. In accordance with legal requirements, the actual condition of track systems must be regularly determined by convenient inspections. The new CALIPRI measurement module evaluates track gauge, superelevation and rail cant. Furthermore, it directly calculates the twist in order to detect irregularities on site and to initiate the necessary maintenance tasks directly. In combination with the Calipri measurement modules "Rail" and "Equivalent Conicity", the user receives information on track geometry, rail wear and equivalent conicity values with only two measurements.
The measurement is carried out with the non-contact Calipri sensor using advanced laser light section technology and a handy GRP lightweight supporting gage. For this purpose, the gage is placed on the track and aligned at an angle of 90°. This enables the sensor to measure the rail profiles without having to turn the gage. The patented Calipri measuring principle allows not only the recording of the rail head, but also the entire rail cross section. The measured parameters are displayed on the tablet PC and on the sensor itself and can be compared with reference values. A traffic light system is used to make limit violations easily identifiable. After the measuring process, the operator can decide directly, whether measures must be taken in order to correct the track.
This efficient way to check the condition of a track comes from the metrology specialist NEXTSENSE GmbH, which already offers numerous profile measurement modules for wheels, rails and switches for its Calipri measuring device. "Beside the wear analysis of rails and switches with Calipri, infrastructure companies can now evaluate also the geometric data of their tracks in just a matter of seconds. In the proven Calipri manner: With highly accurate data acquisition and flexible interfaces," says Clemens Gasser CEO of NEXTSENSE GmbH. The company based in Austria already has 1,300 Calipri systems in use worldwide in the railway industry, including Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, SBB and China Railways. Calipri profile measuring instruments are tested and approved in accordance with national and international standards. Gasser assures: "Approval from Deutsche Bahn is also planned for the new measurement module".
NEXTSENSE presents the new geometry module and numerous other product innovations from September 18th to 21st at InnoTrans 2018 in Berlin (Hall 23, Booth 515).