Your benefit
- Track geometry measurement without minimum speed in conformity with EN 13848
- Highly accurate measurement under real conditions (with real axle load)
- Planning certainty thanks to comprehensive track information
- Individual reports as a basis for decision-making
- Basis for predictive maintenance
- Can be used during regular train operation – no track possession necessary
- Less endangerment to persons
Inspection of the track geometry
Plasser InertialTrackGeometry measures the specified track geometry parameters from 0 km/h to maximum speed in accordance with EN 13848 and thus provides a complete record. This serves as proof of derailment protection and track geometry quality. The measuring system consists of an inertial measurement unit, optical sensors that reference the inertial measurement to the rails, and integrated GPS navigation for localization.
Outer track geometry: ReferencedTrackGeometry
By including fixed points in the maintenance process, the track remains in the desired position even after several maintenance cycles. The proven IMU-based track geometry measuring system calculates the track geometry between fixed points. Integrating fixed points enables verification of the absolute track geometry in space. With this data, a tamping machine can work according to the precision method, guided by fixed points. The labour-intensive and time-consuming manual work needed to calculate the absolute track geometry is a thing of the past. The fixed-point measuring system is essential to measuring the entire track infrastructure. This is particularly true of high-speed lines.
Checking the environment and the infrastructure
Plasser InfraScan uses a LiDAR scanner that is mounted on the front of the vehicle. The scanner measures the entire environment at a frequency of 250 revolutions per second and 7,200 measuring points per revolution. The following analyses are carried out automatically from the point cloud determined from this:
- Exceeding of the structure-gauge limits
- Ballast profile
- Distance to the adjacent track
- Distance to the trackside platform
- Geometry of the overhead contact line
GPR: safe rail system and multi-channel system
What happens below the sleeper? GPR enables a comprehensive, complete exploration of the superstructure. Using the non-contacting method, electromagnetic waves penetrate the track to a depth of 2.5 m, are reflected according to the subsoil conditions, and recorded in radargrams. This allows the detection of parameters such as mud spots, degree of fouling, and boundaries between ballast bed layers.
Monitoring of rail fastenings and sleeper condition
Different track components such as rails (incl. weld joints), rail fastenings, sleepers, and ballast are recorded using high-resolution cameras and analysed with artificial intelligence. The analysis provides information on visible anomalies such as missing fastenings, skid marks, rail surface defects, sleeper cracks, head checkings, etc. The number of cameras and their image frames can be chosen according to the customer-specific requirements.
Track surroundings from the driver's viewpoint
A camera records high-resolution images from the driving control station to enable a visual inspection of the tracks and the surroundings. These are automatically linked to railway information and the measuring data obtained. This way, the conditions around the superstructure can be examined precisely when analysing limit value exceedances of the measuring systems. In addition, lighting installations or infrared systems can be used for improved visibility in tunnels or at night.
