The era of smart axle boxes: How built-in sensors achieve 3-week fault warning

On the big stage of railway transportation, ensuring the safe and efficient operation of trains has always been the core task. The wave of science and technology is rolling forward, constantly promoting innovation in the railway industry. Against this background, smart axle box technology is like a bright new star, making a shining debut. The built-in temperature, vibration, and load three-parameter monitoring system has brought revolutionary changes to railway maintenance, which can achieve a 3-week early warning of faults, greatly improving the reliability and safety of railway transportation.

Three-parameter monitoring system: the “guardian” of railway safety

The temperature, vibration, and load three-parameter monitoring system built into the smart axle box is like three keen “sentinels”, always paying attention to the operating status of the axle box.

Temperature monitoring is an important part of the system. During the operation of the axle box, heat is generated due to friction and other factors. If the temperature rises abnormally, it may mean that the bearing is worn, poorly lubricated, and other problems. The built-in temperature sensor can measure the axle box temperature in real time and accurately and transmit the data to the monitoring center. Once the temperature exceeds the set safety threshold, the system will sound an alarm to remind maintenance personnel to check in on time.

Vibration monitoring is also indispensable. During the driving process of the train, the axle box will be affected by various forces and vibrate. Normal vibration frequency and amplitude are within a certain range, but when the axle box fails, the vibration characteristics will change. Vibration sensors can capture these subtle changes. By analyzing the vibration data, it can determine whether the bearing has cracks, roller damage and other problems, providing an important basis for fault diagnosis.

Load monitoring focuses on the weight borne by the axle box. When the train travels on different sections, the load will be different. Excessive load will cause additional pressure on the axle box and accelerate its wear. Load sensors can monitor the load of the axle box in real-time, help maintenance personnel understand the operation of the train, arrange transportation tasks reasonably, and avoid damage to the axle box due to overloading.

German DB Railway: Successful practice of predictive maintenance

German DB Railway is a leader in the global railway industry and is at the forefront of the application of intelligent axle box technology. DB Railway introduced a predictive maintenance mode based on a three-parameter monitoring system and achieved remarkable results.

On DB Railway’s trains, each axle box is equipped with a built-in sensor to collect temperature, vibration, load and other data in real-time. These data are transmitted to DB Railway’s central monitoring platform via a wireless network. Using advanced data analysis algorithms, the system can evaluate and predict the operating status of the axle box in real-time.

For example, in one monitoring, the system found that the temperature of a certain axle box of a certain train had a trend of gradually increasing, and the vibration data was also abnormal. After analysis, the system predicted that the axle box might fail in 3 weeks. After receiving the early warning information, the German Railways maintenance team acted decisively and carried out a detailed inspection and targeted repair operations on the axle box in advance. This timely action successfully nipped the fault in the bud and effectively ensured the normal and orderly operation of the train.

By implementing the predictive maintenance mode, DB Railway not only improved the reliability and safety of the train but also reduced maintenance costs. Traditional regular maintenance methods often cause problems of over-maintenance or under-maintenance, while predictive maintenance can perform precise maintenance according to the actual operating status of the axle box, improve maintenance efficiency, and extend the service life of the axle box.

The temperature, vibration, and load three-parameter monitoring system built into the intelligent axle box has brought a new maintenance concept to railway transportation. The successful practice of DB Railway in Germany shows that this technology can effectively achieve early warning of faults and improve the safety and reliability of railway transportation. With the continuous development of technology, intelligent axle box technology will be more widely used in the global railway industry, providing safer and more efficient services for people’s travel and freight transportation.

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Luoyang Fonyo Heavy Industries Co., Ltd,founded in 1998,is a manufacturer in cast railway parts.Our factory covers an area of 72,600㎡, with more than 300 employees, 32 technicians, including 5 senior engineers, 11 assistant engineers, and 16 technicians.Our production capacity is 30,000 tons per year. Currently, we mainly produce casting, machining, and assembly for locomotive,railcar,high-speed trains, mining equipment,wind power,etc.Our products have been exported to Russia, the United States, Germany, Argentina, Japan, France, South Africa,Italy and other countries.
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