AUTOMATED RAIL-BASED WHEEL GAUGE

INCREASED LOADS, HIGHER SPEEDS, AND A MORE EFFICIENT USE OF THE NATION'S FLEET OF LOCOMOTIVES AND FREIGHT CARS IS PUTTING INCREASED STRESS ON RAILROAD WHEELS. ALSO, A REDUCED WORKFORCE COMBINED WITH MORE RESTRICTED SIGHT LINES AND FEWER OPPORTUNITIES FOR WHEEL INSPECTION ARE REDUCING THE QUALITY OF THE INSPECTIONS THAT DO TAKE PLACE. MANY RAILROADS HAVE RESPONDED BY DEVELOPING OR PURCHASING PRODUCTS THAT PERFORM ISOLATED ASPECTS OF THE ENTIRE WHEEL INSPECTION PROCESS. HOWEVER, THESE EXISTING PRODUCTS ARE NOT A COMPREHENSIVE ALTERNATIVE TO CURRENT PRACTICES; FOR EXAMPLE, WHEEL PROFILE MEASUREMENTS ARE NOT PROVIDED AT ALL. IEM WILL SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BY TESTING THE CAPABILITIES OF DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS USING IEM'S UNIQUE SIMULATOR. THIS UNIQUE COST-EFFECTIVE APPROACH WILL SIMULATE WHEEL RAIL INTERACTIONS AND WILL HELP US PRODUCE DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS AND A PRELIMINARY FEASIBLE DESIGN OF AN INNOVATIVE AUTOMATIC COMPREHENSIVE WHEEL INSPECTION AND MEASUREMENT SYSTEM (AWMS). THE AWMS DESIGN WOULD UTILIZE INNOVATIVE STATE-OF-THE-ART SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES TO PROVIDE ALL THE NECESSARY MEASUREMENTS. THE AWMS WILL BENEFIT THE RAILWAYS BY AUTOMATICALLY INSPECTING AND MEASURING THE WHEELS.