When it comes to tamping the ballast bed, our aim is efficiency and sustainability. Homogenous compaction is not enough. Our aim is to compact the track ballast as much as possible, thereby ensuring a stable track geometry, anticipating settlements, and maintaining the target geometry in the long term. On top of it all, we offer the Dynamic Track Stabiliser: it anticipates initial settlements in a controlled manner, with spatial compaction making the track geometry last longer.

Combined with Dynamic Overlifting, we target the “track’s memory” to prevent faults from reoccurring.

On the basis of many years of experience, Plasser & Theurer has developed various lifting and lining units which fulfil both requirements and are well suited for specific operating conditions. 

ROLLER LIFTING AND LINING UNIT

This work unit is fitted with two lining rollers and two roller lifting clamps per rail, gripping the rail under the rail head. They lift and line in one operation.

COMBINED LIFTING AND LINING UNIT FOR TURNOUTS AND PLAIN TRACK

This work unit has lifting hooks and lining rollers. On request, it is possible to mount additional roller lifting clamps. Lifting and lining is performed in one operation. The lifting hooks can be applied either under the rail head or under the rail base. The entire work unit can also be displaced in longitudinal direction. This ensures that the work unit can be adapted to every situation during turnout maintenance, achieving an optimum lifting and lining process.

During track tamping, the combined levelling and alignment laser guides the tamping machine according to the precision method. Using this method, the laser beam is displayed on the laser receiver camera (at the tamping machine) and analysed according to its position.
The combined levelling and alignment laser also allows producing a particularly accurate turnout geometry. In doing so, the ideal geometric position of the turnout (in the through rail) is recorded along the laser reference line.

However, continuously working MULTI-sleeper tamping machines show their full potential not only in short track possessions during maintenance tamping. Machines in the X series also offer advantages when laying new track, for example, following extensive track rehabilitation. They are designed for high lifting and lining forces. As lifts take place in multiple work stages, this also means the machine’s increased output allows you to complete construction noticeably faster.

For quality reasons: MULTI-sleeper tamping units provide more uniform working action, which translates into higher maintenance quality. Owing to a longer frame, bending stress of the rails decreases. And the subframe bogie that fixes it in place prevents elastic rebound of the track after tamping, lining, and lifting.

Plasser & Theurer’s proven tamping technology can be used under almost all operating conditions. Sometimes there are sections of track with irregular, heterogeneous sleeper positioning. That is why Plasser & Theurer offers customised tamping units for different types of superstructure. Thanks to these special models with additional adjustment mechanisms, there is nothing you can’t handle.

For turnout tamping in the area of the long bearers, we offer an automatic, synchronous 3-rail lifting unit for the diverging rail. Using the lifting and lining unit, the track is raised synchronously. The length of the telescopic arm adapts automatically to the course of the rails as the machine moves forward. Particularly on heavy superstructures, the stresses on rail fastenings, rails, and sleepers are within the permissible range at all times. Equipping the work unit with a slewing limitation prevents infringement of the adjacent track clearance gauge during work.

The digital future of turnout tamping has begun. “PlasserSmartTamping - The Assistant” is a turnout tamping assistance system that has revolutionised automation in tamping machines. It simplifies tamping in turnouts and crossings, with no extra measuring run needed. Particularly in times where there is a dearth of experienced staff, the system gives infrastructure operators security.
70 years of experience in tamping technology feed into the digital tamping assistant.

The standard in user-friendliness and process reliability: the track-geometry guiding computer provides ultimate operating comfort. Equipped with the SmartALC, tamping machines can work according to the precision method or the compensation method. Operators can select one of four pre-defined user profiles provided by the SmartALC to ensure their needs are met perfectly. Using AutoSync, for example, the machine automatically detects track defects.