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Rail & Heavy Machinery

Rail Industry and Heavy Machinery

We have a wide range of Physical and Electrical Sensors, Electrical Circuit Interfaces, Instrumentation and Data Acquisition for the Rail Industry and Rotating Machinery.

  • Development & Certification Testing
  • Sensing Components; Speed, Pressure, Acceleration, Angle, Position, Vibration, Distance, Force, Torque, …
  • Test benches, Structural Testing Rigs & Railway Track Monitoring
  • Operation Monitoring & Maintenance Tools
  • High Voltage and Current Transducers for Rolling Stock and Traction Power Substations
  • Voltage Presence Devices (VPD) for detection of min/max voltage with relay output 
  • Rolling Stock speed sensor output duplication capability ( to SIL3 )

Rail Vehicle, Traction Power Substation and Trackside Measurements

             High Voltage Measurements – up to 4800 V AC/DC                  High Current Measurements - up to 20,000 A


Acoustic and Vibration Measurements
with Bandwidths from 1 Hz up to 48.6 kHz (-3 dB)

 

Aero-Dynamic Pressure Testing – individual
Pressure Sensors and multi-port Pressure Scanning

 

Telemetry for sensors on rotating shafts and machinery - Torque, Temperature, Vibration, ...

 

Communication Bus interfaces to other devices for synchronized Data Collection:

  • CAN bus, IPT.COM, EtherCAT, MVB (Multi-Vehicle Bus) and Programmable module for customized interfaces

ECU protocols in available:

  • J1939, CCP, KWP 2000, XCP, Diag on CAN, GMLAN, OBD, UDS

Passenger Ride Comfort Testing according to industrial standards, UIC 513, EN 12299 and JIS E4023

Vibration Sensors from DC to 10kHz and Seat Tri-axial Accelerometers

https://www.absolutegauge.com/product/vm-bodywhole-body-vibration-measurement-software/?tab=3 

Wheel Force Measurement in Rail Applications

Every train ride depends on a critical but hidden factor: the forces where the wheel meets the rail. These forces influence safety, passenger comfort, and maintenance costs. Without the right tools, they remain invisible. With modern measurement systems, they can be captured, analyzed, and used to improve performance across the entire rail industry.

 

Why It Matters

When rail operators understand the exact loads at the wheel–rail interface, they gain a solid foundation for better decisions. Wheel force data helps:

  • Approve new vehicles according to standards such as EN 14363
  • Monitor fleet condition and prevent costly downtime
  • Optimize designs to reduce track wear and extend component life
  • Improve ride comfort and operational safety

This data turns what used to be guesswork into reliable insight.

How It Works

Strain Gauge Technology

Tiny strain gauges applied directly to the wheel detect the smallest deformations caused by passing forces. These sensors convert physical strain into electrical signals that represent vertical loads, lateral forces, and bending moments. Even under heavy loads, vibration, or changing weather, the gauges deliver stable and accurate results.

Wireless Telemetry

Because the wheelset is constantly rotating, the measurement signals are transmitted wirelessly. The imc MTP-NT telemetry system digitizes the signals close to the sensor and sends them to a stationary receiver. This ensures noise-free, real-time transmission, even in harsh rail environments with strong electromagnetic interference. Features include:

  • Bandwidth up to 24 kHz
  • Contactless power supply via induction or battery support
  • High transmission stability for in-service and test bench applications

Data Acquisition and Processing

The signals are collected and processed by the imc CRONOSflex modular DAQ system. It calculates forces and moments instantly, making results available in real time. Engineers can view immediate values during test runs, check compliance with standards, and perform online vibration and frequency analyses. The modular architecture allows easy expansion with acceleration, temperature, or displacement sensors, creating a complete view of wheel and track behavior.

Benefits for Operators and Engineers

  • Real-time insights into wheel–rail contact forces
  • High accuracy and long-term stability under real operating conditions
  • Contactless, low-maintenance data transmission
  • Scalable setup for both field tests and lab simulations
  • Improved safety, reduced wear, and shorter testing cycles

By making the invisible forces visible, wheel force measurement helps rail operators and manufacturers design better vehicles, extend service life, and keep passengers safe and comfortable.

Facility Testing Instrumentation

Facility Testing that utilizes similar Hardware and Software to that of the vehicle Data Acquisition, providing Correlated Data between the Field Data collected and the Facility Data collected. The same input amplifiers, filters and sample rates on the Hardware and the same data processing and data analysis Software.

Examples of the Facility Testing:

  • Climatic Testing of HVAC in Climatic Chambers
  • Aero-Dynamics Wind Tunnels
  • Braking Systems Dynamometers
  • Tilt Systems Test Rigs
  • Engine Test Cells
  • System Endurance Test Rigs
  • Structural Strength Load Testing and Fatigue Life Testing

Climatic Chambers and Wind Tunnel
Sensors and Instrumentation

 

Hardware & Software for Graphical Display, Data Storage
Data Analysis and Report Generation

 

Gas, Diesel and Turbine Engine Testing, Sensors, Instrumentation and Controls

Strain Gauge Measurement capabilities on Rail Cars, Bogie and Tracks

 

Speed or Frequency Signal Isolation and Duplication

Safety-related signals from existing circuits can be duplicated without interaction and can be transmitted to another subsystem.  The absence of interaction is designed to be functionally safe and achieves SIL 3.

              

Pulse frequency measurement of speed sensors and rotary encoders for safe detection of the speed with galvanic isolation and conversion into standard signals, measuring ranges: 0 … 500 Hz to 0 … 20 kHz.

Closed Loop Control of Loading Actuators – Single and Multi-channel, Control Logic illustration shown:

  • Synchronized Multi-channel Control with Ramp, Sine, etc. transition
  • PID and Velocity parameters
  • Alarms and Exceptions to supervise the test sequence
  • Control functionality such as Variable Execution Rate, Soft Start, Fade in & out, Conditional Hold, etc.

 

Structural Monitoring of Track and Bridge Loading as well as equipment durability

 

Voltage & Current Measurements - new housing, specifically designed for rolling stock

Electric as well as diesel-electric locomotives and multiple units (EMU/ DEMU) require multifold monitoring and control of electric energy. Voltage and current sensors used for this purpose need to meet the special demands posed by railway operations.

Of particular concern are fire and smoke protection, electrical safety, as well as robustness towards extreme environmental conditions, mechanical stress and EMI influences.

  • 4800 V AC/DC protection up to PD3,
  • 16 kV AC test voltage
  • Voltage measurement up to 4800 V with calibrated switching of measuring ranges
  • Overload-protected current mea­surement via shunt resistor from amps to kiloamps
  • Low measurement error < 0.1 % meas.val. + 0.1 % f.s.
  • Floating output signal, selectable: 0/4 ... (±) 20 mA, 0 ... (±) 10 V, optionally 0/4 ... (±)10 V, and additional monitoring output
  • Integrated broad-range power sup­ply (16.8) 24 ... 230 (253) V AC/DC

The P50000 transducer series was specifically designed for applications on locomotives and multiple units for short circuit recognition, monitoring and control of traction motors and converters, auxiliary converters, accu­mulator batteries and others. A brand new feature is the flexibility provided by switchable measuring ranges and an integrated broad-range power supply.

Comprehensive certifications and con­formity with railway standards make the devices the ideal choice for railway applications.