Trakblaze MTW - Mobile Train Weigher

MTW (Mobile Train Weigher) - “A wireless innovation to spot check and weigh rail vehicles anywhere, anytime”

Trakblaze Pty Ltd has Internationally introduced, its first WI-FI Mobile Train Weighing 'MTW™' system that can statically weigh and spot check a rail car / wagon or train anywhere at anytime. The wireless MTW™ system literally takes the scale to the train.

Typically weighing of rail cars / wagons or locomotives is time consuming, costly and requires track downtime whilst accessing rail scales; until now.

The wireless MTW™ system is a modular portable weighing system that has a chassis arrangement with integrated loadcells. This design means weight is applied directly to the loadcell (via the wheel flange) and not through the rail, which offers one of the world’s most convenient, safe & accurate train weighing solutions, without any cables!

The MTW™ system is available in single or multiple base arrangements, enabling either single axle weighing (2 wheels) or up to six axles (12 wheels) at the same time. 

"We continue to lead the rail and mining industries in innovation by offering weighing solutions with unbeatable ease of installation and accuracies, the wireless MTW™ series is another example of our engineers commitment to further developing our products to benefit the rail industry in the field," said Robert Gysberts, Trakblaze General Manager. "Our customers will undoubtedly experience increased uptime and, as a result, increased profits by using the MTW™ wireless system."

The system was designed and developed by a team of engineers at Trakblaze led by Operations Manager, Dean Morfitt. "Our team spent countless hours working on the system to minimise track possession and downtime, when wanting to weigh or spot check a rail car / wagon or train. After a year of engineering, our wireless MTW™ is ready to serve and improve our customers' operations," said Dean Morfitt. 

The advantage of the wireless modular MTW™ system is its ability to quickly setup and weigh axle by axle - there is no restriction with regards to rail car or wagon type. The MTW™ is factory pre-calibrated, so that no transport of test weights, test trains or calibrated rail cars / wagons are required and because the system is wireless, there are no cables to connect.

Each MTW™ system, includes from one to six modular bases and incorporates a wireless transmitter for each wheel. This is connected wirelessly to an industrial receiver, that can then be plugged directly into the supplied laptop via a USB connection. With the Trakblaze MTW™ software already loaded, the laptop displays real-time onscreen measurements of individual wheel weights, axle weights and combined weights in a graphical display showing weight values and percentages. There is also the ability to enter other data fields such as operator details, manufacturer/ client details, identification numbers and load limits.  All the data accumulated is stored in a local database that can easily be accessed for reporting purposes. 

The wireless MTW™ system is so versatile is can be set up in almost any location, typically only  takes two men approximately 25 minutes, its that easy.

"We have now made it even easier to take the scale to the train. The operational savings that the MTW™ will provide, combined with the high accuracies that Trakblaze is renown for; attest that Trakblaze is the world leader in Train Weighing Systems," says Scott Mayman - Business Development Manager.

Read More

Weighwell Portable Train Weigher (PTW) For Rail Vehicles

At Weighwell our mission is to continue researching and developing new products to ensure that the global rail industry has an efficient, profitable and above all, a very safe future.

At the forefront of innovation Weighwell Engineering Ltd invented and developed the Portable Train Weigher (PTW). The patented rail scale provides highly accurate individual wheel weights (+/- 0.1%) and can be installed in any gauge of track and virtually any rail type in a matter of minutes without the need for expensive or permanent changes to the rail track. The robust train weighing system has been used on a variety of national and international projects with the PTW being available for short term hire (one day), long term hire or purchase.   

The principal value of Weighwell's train weighing systems are to stop overloading in the rail freight industry and to understand the balance of the rail vehicle within train maintenance depots. Weighwell’s Static Train Weighing Systems use wireless technology to communicate with the industry leading ptwX software. The cost effective wireless technology is a high speed interface that has an indoor range of 60m (outdoor range of 1200m). This industrially secure technology is suitable for Single Axle Weighing, Bogie Weighing, Full Car Weighing or Multi-Car Weighing (over 6 axles).  

The multilingual ptwX train weighing software provides customisable options suited to specific maintenance programs such as “live” tolerance information (to indicate several error conditions), the ability to select different weighing units and analyse previous weighing reports. The weighing results can provide rail engineers, fleet managers or rail consultants the information needed to implement potential corrective actions that can help improve ride quality or vehicle stability of rolling stock. The ptwX software allows those within the rail industry the ability to enhance what they are currently doing but with that added accuracy, efficiency and precision. The ptwX has been tailored to accommodate various weighing standards such as:

• IEC61133 (Railway applications - Rolling stock - Testing of rolling stock on completion of construction and before entry into service).
• DIN EN 15654-2 (Railway applications - Measurement of vertical forces on wheels and wheelsets - Part 2: Test in workshop for new, modified and maintained vehicles).
• DIN 27201-5 (State of railway vehicles - Basic principles and production technology).
• TSI 2008/232/EG - TSI RST Rolling Stock (HS) Rev:2008-02-21.

“Our train weighing system, the PTW has Millennium Product status by the Design Council, this initiative identified innovative and forward thinking products. This status covered products that are of genuine inventiveness, champion great design and provide that vital leap in imagination. Basically the PTW was a product nobody had ever seen before. With hundreds of systems in over 30 different countries we continue to lead the way with the unique PTW having a length of only 500mm, this provides a more convenient and flexible installation between rail fastenings (clips)” said Paul Horsfall (Inventor and Managing Director).  

Read More