RIFTEK

Scientific and production company RIFTEK EUROPE specialises in the development and fabrication of optoelectronic instruments for measuring geometrical quantities. The company offers integrated solutions for control and automation problems, from sensing devices to multifunctional rail and wheel measuring and control systems.

RIFTEK’s basic product line includes:

Sensors:

• Laser Triangulation Sensors
• 2D Laser Scanners
• Absolute Linear Position Sensors
• 1D Optical Micrometers
• 2D Optical Micrometers
• Speed and Length Sensors

Instruments:

• 3D Laser Scanning Systems
• Special Measurement Instruments
• Laser Systems for Inner Diameter Measurement
• Laser Seam Tracking System for Welding Automation

Measurement instruments for railway transport

RIFTEK specialises in products for the railway industry, including:

• Wheel diameter measuring gauge
• Railway wheel profile gauge
• Back-to-back distance measuring gauge
• Disk brakes profile gauge
• Rail profile measurement gauge
• Automated systems for wheelsets geometry control
• Laser systems for power rail position dynamic control
• Real time wheels geometry measurement system
• Equivalent conicity calculation program
• Android Mobile Application for wheelset parameter measurement

Real time wheel geometry measurement system for the railway sector

The 3DWheel system is designed for contactless, automatic measurement of geometrical parameters of railway wheels and uses a combination of 2D laser scanners, which are mounted wayside in the track area. The system can be easily installed at any type of rail infrastructure.

The system uses a combination of ten (fourteen for tramways carriages) RIFTEK special 2D laser scanners, RF627 Series mounted wayside in the track area (five/seven pieces for each track side) and calibrated into one common coordinate system. The measurement cycle starts when an inductive sensor detects a wheel. While the wheel passes through the system of synchronised 2D laser scanners, its profile is taken at many sections.

Rail wheel diameter measuring gauge

The electronic gauge is designed for measuring wheel rolling circle diameter.

Measurements are made directly from rolling stock without wheel set roll-out. The measurement of the diameter is performed according to the ‘three points’ technique, without complete wheel coverage.

The IDK gauge contains a numeric display to show the value of the wheel diameter. Additionally, the IDK-BT gauge additionally contains Bluetooth interface to transfer results into the wheel-set wear database management system.

The measurement method is based on the diameter calculation using the known length of the segment chord (the distance between the ball bearings centres), which is obtained when placing the gauge onto the wheel.

Railway wheel profile gauge

The laser wheel profilometer is employed for measuring geometrical parameters of the wheel flange (thickness, slope and height) and tire thickness, taking a full profile of the wheel roll surface.

The Triangulation Laser Module placed inside the profilometer casing performs linear scanning of the wheel surface. Measurement results (geometric parameters and profile of the surface) are displayed on the PDA, can be saved in the PDA memory, and transferred to the PC database.

The device is supplied with a database and software package for wheel set wear data storage and processing.

An operator mounts the laser scanning module onto the wheel to be measured. Having received a command from PDA or PC, the laser module performs a non-contact scanning of the wheel surface.

Back-to-back distance measuring gauge for railway applications

The electronic gauge is designed for measuring back-to-back distances of railway, metro, and tram wheels during wheel set checkups, examinations, repairs and formation. Measurements are made directly on the rolling stock, without wheel set roll-out.

Railway disk brakes profile gauge

A PDA based handheld instrument is employed for laser scanning and measuring brake disks wear parameters. An operator mounts the laser scanning module onto the disk to be measured. Having received a command from PDA or PC, the laser module performs a non-contact scan of the disk surface.

Rail profile measurement gauge

The portable laser rail profilometer (PRP) is designed for the non-contact registration of cross-sections of the railhead acting face.

The main functions of the PRP are:

• Obtaining information about the cross-section profile of the working railhead surface
• Full profile scanning and analysing the railhead acting face
• Visualisation of the combined graphical images of the actual and new cross-sections

Laser systems for power rail position dynamic control

The system is intended for the contactless control of displacement dynamics of power rails.

The operation principle is based on the control of power rail position using triangulation sensors placed under the rail.

Android mobile application for wheelset parameter measurements

RIFTEK’s Android App is designed to work with hand-held devices for wheelsets parameter measurement. By installing the program on a phone or tablet, users can work with IKP-5, IDK, and IMR, without PDA or with both PDA and the phone.

Some of the software’s new features include:

• The ability to send measurements results by email
• Wi-Fi connection with PC instead of cable
• Calibration of IKP directly from the phone

Railway equivalent conicity calculation program

Equivalent conicity is a parameter that is used when investigating the dynamic interaction between railway vehicles and tracks. The parameter describes the behaviour of the contact between wheels and rails for straight and large radius parts of the track.

The program calculates the following parameters:

• Contact points position
• Rolling radius difference depending on displacement of wheel set
• Contact angles and their difference depending on displacement of wheel set
• Equivalent conicity

The program can use data from the Railway wheel profile gauge IKP-5, the Rail profile measurement gauge PRP, or other any sources. The only requirement is the description of the real wheels and rail profiles presented in tabular form.