Smart Component Technologies: Smart Washer Augmentation

道岔在轨道之间移动列车;组件包括道岔轨道、伸缩杆（SB）和道岔电机。道岔的完整性至关重要;在英国最繁忙的线路上，每天有超过100列列车通过道岔（参考A）。道岔故障是英国脱轨的第三大原因（参考文献B）。波特斯巴和Grayrigg事故的原因都是螺栓的缺失/故障。Smart Component Technologies Ltd与Network Rail合作开发了一种“SmartWasher”（SW），用于在实时安装和日常维护过程中测量开关紧固件的夹紧力。在伦敦地铁的试验证实了SW通过报告夹紧力的变化来检测松动/丢失螺栓的能力。该软件还能够提供远程定期数据和警报，如果夹紧力恶化。在伦敦地铁试验期间，要求增加SW测量移动部件动态的能力。因此，SCT提出了一个价值166，054英镑的概念验证项目，以评估扩展使用动态SW的潜力，以解决一系列问题，包括整个道岔资产的远程状态监测，以及轨道基床稳定性，包括空隙和轨道几何形状/倾斜度。通过将升级的SW（“SW 3”）连接到开关组件，它将在三维中对开关运动的动态响应进行采样，从而能够获得“正常”开关运动的轨迹。通过远程状态监控和云数据存储设施，SW 3向用户通知交换机的完整性。由于SW 3允许趋势分析，它提高了铁路网络的预测性维护能力和安全性，从而节省了成本，并满足了Network Rail在成本效益监测方面的创新目标。作为一种平台技术，SW 3在其他更广泛的应用中得到了应用，例如自动扶梯维护和管道阀门。

A switch moves trains between tracks; components include switch rails, stretcher bars (SBs)& a switch motor. SBs keep the rails a set distance apart & ensure both rails move together.Switch integrity is vital; on the UK’s busiest lines >100 trains will pass over a switch eachday (Ref A). Switch failure is the 3rd biggest cause of UK derailments (Ref B). Missing/faultybolts were the cause of both Potters Bar & Grayrigg incidents.In conjunction with Network Rail, Smart Component Technologies Ltd developed a “SmartWasher” (SW) to measure the clamp-force of switch fasteners during real-time installation &routine maintenance. Trials at London Underground confirm the SW’s ability to detectloose/missing bolts by reporting changes in clamp-force. The SW is also capable of providingremote periodic data & alerts should the clamp-force deteriorate. It also safeguards againsthuman error during manual inspection.During London Underground trials it was requested that capacity to measure the dynamics ofmoving components by the SW was added. Thus, SCT propose a £166,054 Proof of Conceptproject to evaluate the potential to extend the use of a dynamic SW to address a range ofissues including the remote condition monitoring of the entire switch asset but also track bedstability including voids & track geometry/inclination. With the upgraded SW (‘SW3’)attached to switch components, it will sample the dynamic response of the movement of theswitch, in three dimensions, enabling a trace of ‘normal’ switch movement to be gained. Viathe remote condition monitoring & cloud data storage facility, SW3 informs users of theintegrity of the switch. As SW3 permits trend analysis, it improves predictive maintenancecapability & safety of rail networks, leading to cost savings, & meeting Network Rail’s goalfor innovation in cost-effective monitoring.As a platform technology, SW3 has use in other wider applications such as escalatormaintenance, & on pipework valves.