Railway Wheel 3D Inspection

UniscanWHEEL

Automated Measurement System for Railway Wheels

The automated inspection station is designed for comprehensive, high-speed measurement of railway wheels in a wide range of standard sizes. The system provides fully automated inspection of wheel geometry, enabling reliable 100% inspection directly within the production process.

The station can be easily configured to accommodate all types and sizes of wheels manufactured at the customer’s facility, from small tram wheels to large locomotive wheels. The entire station is housed in a lockable enclosure with an internal roller shutter, ensuring reliable operation of the optical components by protecting them from ambient light and other external influences. With a throughput of one wheel per minute—including automatic result evaluation and statistical processing—the station delivers high inspection capacity and easily keeps pace with the customer’s production rate.

Measurement System

All geometric parameters, with the exception of the final machined hub bore, are measured using an optical laser triangulation system. This contactless measurement principle enables fast and comprehensive inspection of the wheel geometry while maintaining high measurement accuracy and repeatability.

The geometric parameters are measured using a measuring gantry integrated with an intelligent universal clamping device. The clamping device consists of three universal clamping sections that ensure precise clamping and controlled rotation of the wheel during inspection.

The system comprises an input/output table, an internal rotary manipulator, a measuring gantry equipped with nine cameras and laser sensors, and a tactile-trigger measuring system for precise measurement of the wheel hub bore.

The wheel geometry is scanned using cameras and laser sensors based on the principle of laser triangulation. The system evaluates the wheel profile and the geometry of surfaces, contours, and radii on the wheel hub and rim.

The wheel hub bore is precisely measured using a contact measurement system integrated into the station’s measuring gantry.

Seamless Data Integration and Automated Process Control

The inspection station provides seamless integration with the customer’s production and quality management systems. Measurement results can be automatically transferred to enterprise software, databases, and other downstream applications, where they can be used for further process control and decision-making. Based on the inspection results, the system can support subsequent operations such as automatic wheel sorting, routing wheels for rework or repair, or identifying wheels that must be rejected.

Each inspected wheel is accompanied by a complete measurement report containing all measured values and evaluation results. The report provides a detailed record of the inspection and can be stored, archived, or transferred to other systems for traceability and further processing.

Based on the inspection results, the system can automatically initiate predefined downstream operations, such as wheel sorting, routing for rework or repair, or rejection of non-conforming wheels.

Easy Measurement Program Creation from CAD Drawings

The system enables direct import of DWG/DXF drawings, making it easy to define measurement parameters directly in the graphical user interface (GUI). Required dimensions and tolerances can be selected from the drawing and assigned to the corresponding measurement characteristics.

This intuitive approach significantly simplifies the creation and modification of measurement programs and allows new wheel types to be introduced quickly without complex programming.

Measured Parameters

The system provides comprehensive measurement of the following wheel parameters:

Running profile
Wear groove
Axial and radial runout
Radii of curves on the web and rim
Heights of the rim, web, and hub
Flange parameters
Offset between the hub and rim
Wheel hub bore (high precision contact tactile equipment)

Wheel Parameters

Diameter: up to 1400 mm
Rim width: up to 260 mm
Weight: up to 1200 kg

Key Features

Fast inspection – wheel geometry measurement in max. 60 s
High-speed scanning – 10 scans/s
High-resolution measurement – 500 scans per wheel revolution
Seamless system integration – connection to databases, printers, SCADA, and other enterprise systems
Automatic data transfer – measurement results can be automatically transferred to connected systems
Complete measurement reports – a detailed inspection report is generated for every measured wheel
Automated process control – measurement results can trigger sorting, rework, repair, or rejection operations
Full traceability – measurement data can be stored and linked to individual wheels