In the IoT sector in particular, requirements are often highly customized. PI Electronics AG enables you to have your IoT device manufactured entirely according to your specifications. As an example, see our sensors for polygon detection in rail vehicles below.
Polygon Detection
A frequently occurring problem in rail vehicles is polygon formation. Due to uneven wear, the round wheels become squared. In addition to damage to the infrastructure and the vehicle, this often causes noise complaints from customers, as the noise level outside as well as inside the vehicle can increase enormously.
PI Electronics AG has therefore developed a Polygon early-warning system in collaboration with the Zurich Public Transport Authority (VBZ), which is now being successfully used in nearly 100 tram sets.
Build
The system consists of specifically developed sensors that record the vibrations per chassis and transmit them to a railway compatible industrial PC in the tram. This evaluates the data and sends it to an external server.
The major advantage: The system issues a warning before excessive polygon formation occurs, thereby preventing damage and noise complaints.
The compact sensor, which is located above the chassis, detects the vertical accelerations. The in-house developed sensor technology is housed in an IP65-protected enclosure and fully complies with the railroad standard.
Case size: 71 x 43 x 28 mm
With lugs: 92 x 43 x 28 mm
Weight: < 70 g
Real-time state analysis via web visualization
The measured accelerations are linked to the vehicle's GPS data. The resulting data set enables extensive analyses of the wheels and the railway network.
The example below shows the vibration data of a tram line shown in color on a map. Many other types of representation are possible.
On the first set of wheels, most of the dots are green. This indicates low vibration, meaning the wheel is in good condition.
In the second chassis, some measured values show increased vibration. This is a clear indication of the onset of polygon formation.
The sensor on the third chassis detects a clear polygon formation. The wheels should be serviced.