News
24-Oct-2011: CAT, RCA and HSRCA information updates
The CAT, RCA and HSRCA information pages have been updated with all the latest information and news about those products.
27-Sep-2011: MSRCA Information Update
The MSRCA information page has been updated. Click here for the latest information on our hi-rail based system for corrugation and roughness measurement.
31-Jul-2011: RailMeasurement in China
During July, Bonanza Rail Technology Co Ltd (BRT) became the agent for RailMeasurement Ltd in China. A CAT has been supplied to Beijing Metro (BJ MTR), who also use RML’s RCAs on their rail grinding trains. Dr Grassie of RML gave a presentation on this equipment and on rail corrugation more generally to representatives of BJ MTR, to local railway construction and design companies and to staff of Beijing Jiaotong University in July. Please contact Stuart Grassie at RailMeasurement Ltd (stuart.grassie@railmeasurement.com) or Hugo Zhang at BRT directly for more information (hugo@brailtec.com).
20-Jun-2011: Measuring squats and studs
In June 2011, Dr Grassie presented a paper at the International Heavy Haul Conference in Calgary on so-called “squat” and “stud” type rail defects. A PDF of the presentation can be found here. Page 17 of the presentation shows measurements of the irregularities presented by “stud” defects on both rails. Although the MSRCA was designed to measure corrugation, we have submitted a proposal to identify the location and quantify the severity of discrete irregularities such as squats and studs, which are prevalent in some locations on some types of track. Two papers on these defects by Dr Grassie and his co-authors have been accepted for publication by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and should appear early in 2012.
13-May-2011: Measuring microns at 50km/h
In May 2011, comprehensive testing was undertaken of RML’s hi-rail based MSRCA corrugation system, which is designed to measure corrugation to an accuracy of microns at speeds of up to 50km/h. Correlation of MSRCA at 50km/h with CAT measurements (moving average of RMS amplitude in 30-100mm wavelength range, percentage exceedence graph and one-third-octave spectra) over 500m of rail is shown below. Correlation is very impressive.
03-May-2011: RailMeasurement increases awareness of wheel/rail noise, roughness and corrugation
In May 2011, Dr Grassie was a member of a panel on wheel/rail noise at the Rail Transit seminar organised by ARM Corporation in Chicago. His presentation on wheel/rail noise, rail grinding, measurement and specifications can be found here. This contains several sets of measurements of rail corrugation and acoustic roughness made with RML’s CAT and RCA on different types of track worldwide, before and after reprofiling.
14-Mar-2011: CAT Update
During the first part of 2011 RailMeasurement Ltd (RML) have modified the latest CAT 3 to include a telescopic stabilising pole to accommodate different gauges. Software has been updated to improve identification of areas that require reprofiling.
28-Feb-2011: RCA mounted on Japanese rail grinder
During February 2011, RML installed an RCA on a Harsco rail grinder operated by Sumitomo Metal Technology Inc (SMT) in Japan. SMT are RML’s agents in Japan and had previously used a corrugation system of their own design. SMT were very impressed by the RCA’s performance and by its ability to measure not only short wavelength corrugation but also corrugation of over 1m wavelength. Henceforth SMT will use RML equipment on the rail grinders that they operate and supply unless the client wishes otherwise.
24-Jan-2011: Stuart Grassie presents on rail corrugation and wheel/rail noise
In January 2011, Dr Grassie gave a presentation on rail corrugation and wheel/rail noise to the TRB Annual Conference in Washington, DC. The presentation is available here. This contains excellent measurements from colleagues worldwide using RML equipment, including RCA measurements on p22 showing not only how corrugation is reduced during grinding to a level of less than 4 microns RMS but also that such minute levels can be measured reliably using RML equipment during the reprofiling operation itself and from a grinding train. CAT measurements made by colleagues at SWJTU in Chengdu (page 21) show how quickly corrugation develops again at this site. Measurements of corrugation and ground-borne noise, made by colleagues at London Underground, are also included that show how a reduction in low frequency noise correlates with the reduction in longer wavelength corrugation resulting from reprofiling.
21-Sep-2010: RailMeasurement introduces the Medium Speed Rail Corrugation analyser (MSRCA)
The MSRCA is a corrugation measurement system designed to be fitted on a hi-rail vehicle. Running at speeds up to 40kph, the system provides measurement capabilities suitable for grinding surveys and similar. A data sheet is available on our download page.