Wheel Condition Monitor (WCM)
FEATURES
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Serves as a wayside concentrator integrating in-motion weighing, load pattern
analysis, wheel defect classification, automatic vehicle identification,
hot-box, bogie geometry, wheel profiles and lateral vehicle tracking. Can issue
composite alarms in near real-time.
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Hybrid system of accelerometers and strain gauges to provide both static and
dynamic data essential for true analysis.
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Compact Sensor Array (total length less than 18 feet) requires
no modification of track or structure
(i.e. no welding, sleeper repositioning, etc).
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Array can be installed or removed under normal traffic conditions, in less than
1 day.
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In-Motion weighing accuracy of +/-2% independent of speed up to 130km/h.(82
mph)
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Wheel defect accuracy repeatable to +/-10% independent of load and speed. This
means the system gives the same alarm whether the defective wheel is heavily or
lightly loaded and regardless of whether it is travelling at 50km/h or 130km/h.
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100% wheel circumference coverage. Defect classification including spalls,
shells, skids and OOR plus multiple defects on a single wheel.
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Load balance and distribution at axle, bogie, carriage and train levels linked
to user-defined alarms and automatic report generation.
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Evaluates total damage potential of a wheel - not just the 'biggest' impact.
Carriage level analysis to assess the risk of individual vehicles. Capable of
forecasting wheel maintenance at the carriage level one to two months prior to
an alarm.
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Modeling. All original data is retained within the database. User based alarm
criteria include a feature to enable a user to "teach" the system and reprocess
historical data to determine the effectiveness of a change and the operational
impact of that change before implementing it.
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User-specified, 3-level alarm criteria including combinations of defect type
and severity, overload, over-speed, vehicle type and loading patterns.
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System outputs include a SCADA interface, PC sound, system generated exception
reports and redirection of that train's information to a nominated workstation
on the LAN.
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Support for LAN/WAN, dialup, cellular and internet connections including
automatic file transfer and SNMP management.
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User definable system output to external systems via file transfer.
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Armored cables, full transient isolation, single point earth, gold connectors,
-40C to +70C operational temperature range on all track mounted equipment. Low
power consumption and solar power capable.
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HDLC data-link option for high throughput with no loss or corruption of data
even with extended breaks or noisy connections. Local secure memory stores
20,000 axles in the event of a communications outage.
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Multiple systems can be clustered and grouped into almost any configuration.
