IRJ at IAF 2025: Visitors to Robel Rail Automation’s outdoor display at IAF have the opportunity to see Rospect, the supplier’s new automated measuring and inspection car, which is running up and down a short section of track.
The 2.3m-long vehicle is initially available for two-person operation with a view to conversion to remote control and eventually full automation. It is electrically-powered using two 2.3kW batteries and can operate at up to 30km/h, providing operators with a real-time update of infrastructure condition via a screen positioned within the vehicle that displays data recorded and aggregated by the Ronnected cloud computing platform.
This data is collected using ultrasonic measuring equipment and the Rail Surface Crack Measurement tool supplied by Vogel & Plötscher. This system inspects the area immediately below the rail surface to a depth of 7mm to identify damage including rolling contact fatigue, head checks and squats, metal loss and pitting.
Robotic repair
Other highlights at Robel include the defect repair Robot, which is designed to repair plain line and switch and crossing defects within an hour all using a fully automated process.
The equipment is positioned on a standard 60ft wagon, a model of which is on the Robel stand at IAF. A 20ft section of the wagon is taken up by the hybrid power source comprising a battery and a generator. The generator is available for use during reloading and at peak capacity. The 40ft automation box contains the robotics unit, which is mounted on an extendable rig with wheels that sit on the track at the repair site.
The robotics unit itself contains two heads which work together to both assess and repair the defect. Using a Lidar scanner, the scanning unit determines the extent of the damage, providing a fully digitised record of the condition of the railhead to the control team. The second treatment unit performs the required weld and milling action to reprofile the rail surface, all according to the data provided. The scanning unit then performs another scan of the reprofiled rail to confirm that the work has been conducted correctly. The system is compatible with various rail types and profiles.
