Weighing is on track for goods wagons

Penko Engineering recently accepted the challenge of accurately weighing each individual wagon in a goods train - while it was still moving.

Penko Engineering recently accepted the challenge of accurately weighing each individual wagon in a goods train - while it was still moving.

Penko's Czechoslovakian client, weighing specialist Libra, was designing a custom weighing system for a goods train operator using its own weighing components and software.

Libra engineers needed a faster and more efficient means of ensuring each wagon was filled to capacity, and normal methods were too slow.

The technique which was chosen required in-motion weighing of connected wagons at speeds between 3 and 12km/h with measurements taken from the axles at a rate of 1000 measurements per second.

The system also had to accommodate the difference between loads which were pushed or pulled.

Working closely with Libra's engineers, Penko's technical department created a dual weighbridge system with load cells from each of the two weighing platforms - one for each axle of a wagon - feeding into Penko QMA indicators.

Linked by Profibus, the QMA indicators compile the data which not only record weight, but also are used to distinguish wagon type (number of axles) and speed of motion.

Touch-screen control makes the setting and weight measurement a simple task, and the data is uploaded to a PC, presented on screen, and printed in hard copy form.

The QMA display from Penko is a dedicated weighting display unit with eight inputs and a choice of digital or analogue outputs.

Using Penko's Assi software, the QMA can be set up and managed remotely by a PC.

The new in-motion weighing system is available as a customisable standard product called Dynalog.

Back to top