Control Measurement Systems has been specialized for more than 30 years in the design and manufacture of non-destructive control products. The company develops common Foucault and ultrasonic systems, and combines these two control methods on complete inspection benches.
The company has been working for several years on an innovative rail control system consisting of rotating sensors. On paper the principle is simple: two probes are arranged on either side of the course. They are rotated at very high speeds at the top of the rail tread to detect possible surface/fatigue defects.
For nearly three years, the company has been interested in the mechanical and technical improvement of the device. An electronic distance clearing system was designed to free itself from the positional variations between the rail and the CF. Control Measurement Systems probe also worked on the device's calibration ease so that it could inform the operator about the depth of the defects found on the rails. The robustness of the system is one of the key elements that the company has focused on since the device in action is subject to many wearable factors such as dust, friction, humidity, cold, etc.
When defects are identified, the control system then sends the information to the supervision of the train, which operates a rail grinding device. The rails are again checked by successive passes to ensure that the defects have been eliminated by the grinding operation. This device is renewed as many times as necessary.
The accreditation issued by Deutsche Bahn is one of the most comprehensive in the industry and serves as a reference. It is required in several countries to gain access to the rail control market. To obtain it, Control Measurement Systems and its partner had to carry out a series of tests with the organization since 2017, and pass one by one all the accreditation stages. This year, all the work done proved conclusive since the company is now able to work in a multitude of countries with an efficient and certified system.