Solar - a new sun on the weighing horizon
31 October 2001 14:53
As a weighing specialist, Pfister Waagen GmbH, Augsburg (Germany) wish to present his latest development: SOLAR - "the sleeper with a mind of its own".
Solar is not only extremly low-cost, it also offers a series of economical benefits. This weighing system sets a new standard in the dynamic weighing of (coupled) rail vehicles. The modular design features a series of individual sleepers that, depending on the requirements, are arranged "in series" (a typical arrangement being 7 measuring sleepers). These are connected by a high-precision measuring amplifier. On the basis of this ingenious design, wheel, axle and bogie-wise weighing may be performed to calculate the waggon and the total train weight. Due to these properties, Solar is ideally suited for load monitoring, safety weighing and track section class monitoring.
The assignement of the waggon weights to the weighed waggons is performed to a precision class of 0,5 to OIML R106, regardless of the direction of travel. Furthermore, Solar detects and subtracts weights of the traction vehicles within the string of waggons, irrespective of their position.
The sleeper "with a mind of its own" consists of sheet steel structure with the dimensions of a conventional concrete sleeper. Special flexible ring load cells and the necessary load absorption elements are located on it. This arrangement is, to a major extent, impervious to soiling, water and snow. Reverse current check measures are featured and track indicator systems are not affected.
Solar is embedded without a foundation in the existing ballast. The influence of ballast movements is however eliminated to a large extent by the implementation of additional lateral force sensors that establish and evaluate any weighing down of the measuring sleepers. The measuring electronics are linked to a standard PC via a interference-resistant optical fibre. The latter evaluates and displays the weighing data via verifiable pfister software. Pfister combines this new measuring sleeper with a proven, sophisticated rail vehicle management system (MVO, on the basis of WIN-NT) to assure easy and comprehensive operation.
In-motion weighing assures increased productivity and efficiency. In a nutshell, Solar units the benefits of maintenance-free, proven longterm operation with a high degree of precision in the recording of wheel, waggon and train loads.
For more information on this company:
Pfister Waagen Bilanciai - Static and Dynamic Railway Scales and Test Systems
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