Automatic Dimensional Inspection System of Railcar Wheelset for Condition Monitoring

The wheelset is the most crucial component for the safe running of railcars. The geometry of the wheelset, which determines the safety of railways, must be maintained by conducting routine inspection. To improve the efficiency of inspection, manual inspection, which requires a huge workforce, must be replaced with an automated inspection system. This study presents the investigation result of an automatic inspection system for condition monitoring of wheelsets. As important wheelset parameters, we focus on the wheel back-to-back distance and wheel tread profile. We conduct experiments using laser sensors to obtain automatic measurements with high accuracy, and confirm its feasibility. In addition, experiments is performed on an actual wheelset under static conditions.