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zentrak Track and Rail Monitoring

By monitoring rail movements, rail breaks or changes in temperatures impending failures are detected at an early stage, and sustainable measures can be initiated even before rail operations are negatively impacted.

With our intelligent system zentrak, we record the condition of your infrastructure permanently, which enables you to remotely monitor rail movements and changes in temperature. This can have a significant impact on the operability of the track, installed assets and rail expansion joints.

zentrak TRM offers the possibility to detect arising problems at an early stage. For maximum safety and availability.

How does track and rail monitoring work?

Sensors continuously record vertical and lateral movements, rail breaks, as well as temperature differences and transmit the collected data to a server. The measured values obtained in this way provide valuable information both for the reliability of track systems and for the structural integrity of bridges, and thus allow a comprehensive longterm analysis as a basis for efficient maintenance. The data is evaluated and compared with corresponding reference data. Impending failures are detected at an early stage, even before rail operations are negatively impacted. As a result, you reduce failures and derailments, and simultaneously increase safety.

No matter what rail transport or application area – TRM can be used by all railways:

Rail expansion condition monitoring – RECM

The Rail Expansion Device (RED) accommodates the longitudinal movements of the primary bridge structure arising from superimposed loads, weather conditions, temperature change and the action of the RED itself.

Long bridges naturally require large expansion joints, because the larger the structure, the greater the expansion. A Rail Expansion Device allows the switch and stock rail to move longitudinally freely one part relative to the other. They expand and contract normally. RED’s are one of the most critical system components in a bridge superstructure. In order to detect problems at an early stage and to make the tracks safer, RECM monitors the following points:

Benefits - RECM

  • We integrate all collected data into the software platform zentrak. In the platform all RED’s and the related information are clearly visualized. In addition, alerts and prognoses are displayed so that you are informed of potential problems at an early stage. This will reduce breakdowns and shutdown times.

  • All modules are clearly displayed on the RED within zentrak RECM and can thus be assigned to the respective area of the RED at a glance. 

  • Rail expansion devices are structural components and therefore subject to wear and tear which will need maintenance during the service life of the bridge. A Rail Expansion Condition Monitoring system is able to predict the remaining service life of expansion joints based on monitoring data.