Rail wheel inspection time reduced by 97.5%

DMPS tip measurement station

By developing an advanced rail-cutter measurement solution, Camberley-based Bowers Group — collaborating with its distributor H Roberts — has enabled bespoke machinery manufacturer DPMS to reduce the time required to inspect rail-milling cutters by 97.5%. Andrew Yarrow of DPMS said: “We believe our insert measurement system can transform rail maintenance globally. Collaborating with Bowers Group has been instrumental in achieving our goals of functionality and accuracy.

“Rail operators work tirelessly to maintain and upgrade track infrastructure to ensure smooth operation. A key aspect of this is the milling process, where train-mounted rotating cutters with carbide inserts remove irregularities and defects from rail surfaces, enhancing train performance and safety.

“However, consistent monitoring and maintenance are essential for effective rail machining, but environmental challenges away from maintenance centres can complicate the process, with inaccurate measurement of the milling cutters leading to uneven rail surfaces, affecting train stability and comfort, and causing excessive wear and tear on both the cutter and the rail.”

DPMS developed an insert-measuring station that allows for synchronised inspection of both the left and right milling cutters and is tailored to lift them ‘from the track’ and relocate them into a mobile unit. Once the cutters are positioned on a jig and firmly fixed in place within the unit, a frame containing five reader heads is moved to a reading position.

The cutters wheels are rotated via a motor, allowing the reader heads — incorporating Sylvac P5i inductive probes — to capture data on each cutter and transmit it to a laptop running Sylvac’s Sylcom data acquisition software. Bowers Group developed a customised reporting program, using Sylcom, that allows data to be exported to Excel spreadsheet software for fast and accurate report generation.

This process removes the need for manual measurement input and drastically reduces the measuring time for both left-hand and right-hand milling cutters, with inspection time falling from over 1hr to just 90sec.