Plasser & Theurer: P&T Research: Smart Technologies

Forward-looking workspace design

New milestones in ergonomics and occupational safety for large machines: the development of the new Plasser AssemblyLiner 1020 is setting standards.

Smart technologies

Event-based cameras as the key to precise sleeper detection

Sleepers hidden under the ballast are a particular challenge when tamping. Event-based cameras could make machine operators’ work easier, protect sleepers from damage, and pave the way for fully automating the tamping process.

Smart technologies

Step by step to an automated tamping process

Increasing capacity utilization, shorter track possessions, and staff shortages require maintenance measures to be optimized. The automation of work processes is therefore becoming increasingly important. An essential basis for this is to divide complex processes into individual steps in order to identify key factors with an impact. This method has already proved itself in tamping.

Smart technologies

Machine data treasure hunt

The aim of predictive maintenance strategies is to estimate the optimum time for maintenance measures. With special machine construction, characterized by small production quantities, conventional statistical or AI-supported data analyses quickly reach their limits. What is needed is a concept that derives specific recommendations for action from the wealth of machine data.

Smart technologies

End-to-end process presented in Sweden

We as developers are very pleased and proud to see that our latest technologies are enthusiastically received by others. This was also the case in autumn 2022, when our test vehicle, a fully electric Unimat 09-4x4/4S E³, was able to demonstrate its capabilities under field conditions in Sweden as part of Shift2Rail.

Smart technologies

Revolutionary track inspection from the air

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones, have become an indispensable tool for a number of industries. Due to their ability to collect highly precise data and detailed images across large distances, UAS have revolutionised the inspection, inventorying, and digitalisation of railway infrastructure. Intelligent software processes the enormous quantities of data in the background and provides a robust basis for decisions.

Smart technologies

The tamping unit that understands the ballast

Just like the sense of touch enables humans to handle objects according to their texture, “sensing” tamping tines enable the machine to treat ballast in an optimum manner. But how do you teach a tamping machine a sense of touch?

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Blockchain for increased safety

Blockchain is known for being applied in the context of cryptocurrencies. Beyond that, “Distributed Ledger Technologies” that record transactions in a complete, correct, timely, and orderly manner offer other fascinating application scenarios.

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Deep learning units for the automatic turnout tamping assistant

Machines that attend school? What might sound like science fiction, has become a reality at Plasser & Theurer. Our development team is working on a 3D scan based sensor system, training it to take autonomous decisions. The method applied: deep learning.

Smart technologies

Function test well before applying the first weld seam

For testing the control system embedded in a machine, you need no longer wait for the machine to be built. Thanks to the Hardware in the Loop method, you can start with the first function tests directly after design is completed.

Smart technologies

How does a track maintenance machine think?

This question raises another question: “Is a track maintenance machine actually capable of thinking?” Yes, it is. Artificial Intelligence (AI) enables machines to learn from experience and adapt to new information and tasks. This requires machines to think autonomously. Artificial neural networks allow Plasser & Theurer machines to extract information and find generalised solutions.

Smart technologies

It started with the vision of an autonomous tamping machine

The turnout tamping assistance system “PlasserSmartTamping – The Assistant” by Plasser & Theurer helps the operator to manage the operational systems of the machine and represents a major step towards the automation of tamping machines.

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Digital Twin – The new world of track construction

In the age of 4.0, the digital transformation poses great challenges to the railway: both the users’ need for mobility and the operators’ opportunities to manage the track have changed. The digital revolution changes the order of things, requiring us to rethink and change the way we work.

Smart technologies

The Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking

As the world’s resources become scarcer and climate change poses an ever-increasing threat, the future of Europe lies in embracing sustainable development strategies and investing in sustainable solutions to meet its long-term challenges.

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Forward-looking work­space design

Event-based cameras as the key to precise sleeper de­tec­tion

Step by step to an auto­mated tamping process

Machine data treasure hunt

End-to-end process presented in Sweden

Re­volu­tionary track in­spec­tion from the air

The tamping unit that un­der­stands the ballast

Block­chain for in­creased safety

Deep learning units for the auto­matic turnout tamping as­sistant

Function test well before applying the first weld seam

How does a track main­ten­ance machine think?

It started with the vision of an autonomous tamping machine

Digital Twin – The new world of track con­struc­tion

The Shift2Rail Joint Un­der­taking

Forward-looking workspace design

Event-based cameras as the key to precise sleeper detection

Step by step to an automated tamping process

Revolutionary track inspection from the air

The tamping unit that understands the ballast

Blockchain for increased safety

Deep learning units for the automatic turnout tamping assistant

How does a track maintenance machine think?

Digital Twin – The new world of track construction

The Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking