Rail profile – vehicle mounted solution
This product measures rail profile when mounted on a rail vehicle.
Rail profile or the shape of the rail does change over time. Predominantly the change is on the gauge side of the rail due to the interaction of the vehicle wheel. Therefore this is the half of the rail we are most interested in. However, in some circumstances there can be a flow of metal from the rail head to the field side of the rail or the rail section may have been transposed, in these cases the other half of the rail is important to. Alternatively the shape of the conductor rail may also be of interest.
How it works
Profiling is usually thought of as a contacting probe which is moved over the surface to measure the surface height or shape of the object. With an optical unit, it uses light instead of a physical probe, the light is split into two beams, and one beam is directed to the surface to be measured, the other to a reference mirror. The difference in reflections is used to recreate the shape.
Once the shape is captured, it is then compared to a template such that wear values can be calculated.
Key features
- Non contacting system
- Rail type identification
- Head and wear calculations
Benefits
- Highlight locations with wheel/rail interaction issues
- Optimise rail grinding planning
- Identification of turned rail locations to assist with replacement planning