Standstill Time Research Articles

Effects of Resting Conditions on Tensile Properties of Acid Aggregate Hydraulic Asphalt Concrete.

This study addresses the issue of construction stagnation affecting the adhesion and tensile properties of hydraulic asphalt concrete with acid aggregate. It investigates the impact of rest periods on the tensile characteristics of such materials under standard construction conditions. The influence of varying rest durations and asphalt temperatures on the tensile behavior of the concrete is assessed through indoor experiments. The bonding between asphalt and aggregate is examined, along with the tensile property variations of the concrete. The study found that the standstill time significantly affects the adhesion of asphalt, with the adhesion decreasing progressively with increased temperature and rest time, irrespective of the addition of anti-stripping agents. However, the inclusion of these agents can mitigate the reduction in adhesion. Furthermore, the study identified that rest duration has a more substantial impact on adhesion than temperature. The splitting tests demonstrate that the tensile properties of asphalt concrete are considerably affected by the resting time. Over a period of 0, 10, 20, and 30 days of rest, an increase in splitting strength and a decrease in splitting displacement were observed. The findings offer valuable insights for predicting the tensile performance of asphalt concrete in practical engineering applications after a period of rest.

Laboratory Tests of Electrical Parameters of the Start-Up Process of Single-Cylinder Diesel Engines

Despite continuous work on new power systems for vehicles, machines, and devices, the combustion engine is still the dominant system. The operation of the combustion engine is initiated during the starting process using starting devices. The most common starting system used is the electric starter. The starting process of an internal combustion engine depends on the following factors: the technical condition of the starting system, technical condition of the engine, battery charge level, lubricating properties, engine standstill time, engine and ambient temperature, type of fuel, etc. This article presents the results of laboratory tests of the electrical parameters of the starting process of a single-cylinder compression–ignition engine with variable fuel injection parameters and ambient temperature conditions. It was confirmed that for the increased fuel dose FD2, higher values of the measured electrical parameters (Imax, Pmax, and Pmed) were obtained compared to the series of tests with the nominal fuel dose. Knowledge of the values of the electrical parameters of the starting process is important not only for the user (vehicle driver, agricultural machinery operator, etc.), but above all for designers of modern starting systems for combustion engines and service personnel. The obtained results of testing the electrical parameters of the combustion engine during start-up may be helpful in designing new drive systems supported by a compression–ignition combustion engine.

A new approach to evaluate the effect of over-boring and standstill time on thrust force of shielded TBMs based on penetration rate under squeezing conditions

A new approach to evaluate the effect of over-boring and standstill time on thrust force of shielded TBMs based on penetration rate under squeezing conditions

Using Standstill Time to Evaluate the Startup in Polymer Pair Systems.

The subject of polymer-polymer pair interaction is highly important, bearing in mind that such pairs are used in the construction of machines and equipment, among other uses. Considering that the characteristics of polymer-polymer sliding pairs (e.g., the load limit value and advantageous parameter, PV) differ from those of polymer-metal pairs, the subject is particularly interesting and has been little explored so far. Hence, the present study presents one of the areas of the effects of standstill time (intrinsically characteristic of polymeric materials) on the startup parameters in sliding pairs where the sample and the countersample were made of a polymeric material. Pairs of same-type polymers, POM-POM, PET-PET, and PA6-PA6, were subjected to tests. A test rig dedicated to static friction coefficient determination, whose principle of operation is based on the interdependences between the force characteristics of an inclined plane, was used for this purpose. The sliding pair was successively loaded with 25 N, 50 N, and 75 N, and the standstill time ranged from 0 to 10 min. The determined tribological characteristics were analysed with regard to the standstill time under load, unit pressure, and polymer pair material. An optical profilometer and a scanning electron microscope were used to qualitatively evaluate the effects of standstill time and unit pressure on the surfaces of the interacting elements. Complex interrelationships between the test results and the set experimental parameters were noted. SEM micrographs revealed post-friction changes in the sliding surfaces.

Training Simulator for Manual Lathe Operation Using Motion Capture – Addition of Teaching Function and Evaluation of Training Effectiveness –

Numerous training simulators have been developed using virtual reality (VR) owing to their various advantages. Systems for training machine operations with physical movements face differences in the operational feel between actual and virtual machines. Moreover, virtual training is problematic in safety education because trainees in safe virtual environments can exhibit unsafe behavior in reality. To solve these problems, a previous study developed a virtual reality (VR) system to train a lathe operation with mixed reality using a motion capture system. This study included a function to teach the procedure and safety precautions for straight turning operations using a lathe. To evaluate the training effectiveness of this system, an experiment was conducted to compare learning using a video. Testees were divided into a simulator group, who learned with the system, and a video group, who learned with the video material. Work on the actual lathe by each testee after learning, was evaluated. Consequently, the actual work by the testees who used this system had fewer errors and shorter standstill times in which they attempted to recollect the next phase task. Although the number of trainees was small, this relationship had a statistical advantage. In the actual work, all the testees in the video group entered the danger area; however, only half of the testees in the simulator group entered the danger area. Therefore, a trainee using a simulator can remember the work process more reliably and accurately and perform it safely. Moreover, trainees who have undergone training several times should be able to perform actual work without making operational errors or engaging in unsafe behaviors.

Einfluss der Stillstandszeit auf das Losreißmoment nasslaufender Lamellenkupplungen

Detailed knowledge of the influences on the frictional behavior is crucial for reliable operation of safety-relevant, wet-running multi-plate clutches. The breakaway torque is of particular interest for safety-critical applications such as safety brakes and clutches. While influences of the tribological system by variation of friction partners, lubricant and operating conditions are usually the focus of current investigations, the influence of the time of standstill between a preceding tribological load and a subsequent breakaway of the wet disk clutch is not considered. To determine this influence, experimental investigations are carried out on a component test rig. For this purpose, the time of standstill of the clutch is systematically varied after preceding load shifts and the clutch is then broken away. During these investigations, it is shown that the downtime of multi-plate clutches with sinter friction lining has considerable influence on the frictional behavior in the first switching operations after actuation. An influence can already be clearly seen at a standstill time of approximately 15 minutes. An increase in the maximum friction coefficient occurring at the start of the slip switching operation compared with subsequent slip switching operations was observed, which can be attributed to the downtime after a defined preload. Influences of the disk temperature are considered by measuring the outer disk temperature. The influence is attributed to the change of the boundary layer during the standstill. The results provide a contribution to the transferability of investigations of the friction behavior of component test rigs to real applications in which the friction system is exposed to relevant times of standstill and expand the existing knowledge base on test methods.

Reciprocating Kinematics of X-Smart Plus, VDW Silver and, iRoot Endodontic Motors: A Comparison Between Real and Set Values.

This study assessed 3 endodontic motors, X-Smart Plus (Dentsply Sirona, Ballaigues, Switzerland), VDW.Silver Reciproc (VDW GmbH, München, Germany) and, iRoot (Bassi Endodontics, Belo Horizonte, Brazil) in 2 different reciprocating settings. The movements evaluated were 170° in counter-clockwise (CCW) and 50° in clockwise (CW) at 350 RPM, and 150° CCW and 30° CW at 300 RPM. For the X-Smart Plus and VDW Silver the settings used were the ones in the motor library. For the iRoot, the motor was adjusted to the angles of the study. A customized optic target was attached to the contra-angle of the motor and the movements were recorded with a high-resolution camera (K2 DistaMaxTM Long-Distance Microscope System, Infinity Photo-Optical Company, Colorado, EUA) at 2,400 frames per second (FPS). The images were analyzed with the Vision Research software (Inc. Headquarters, Wayne, New Jersey, EUA). The following kinematic parameters were assessed: CCW angle, CW angle, speed (RPM) at both directions, and, standstill time at each change of directions. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Kruskal-Wallis (method of Dunn) were used at a significant level of 5%. There was no statistically significant difference among the motors at the 150°/30° setting (P > .05); the iRoot was the least reliable at the 170°/50° setting for CCW angle, speed, and net angle parameters (P < 0.05). The standstill time of all motors in both directions was identical. None of the motors were able to reproduce faithfully the set movements. The iRoot motor presented a higher discrepancy when compared to X-Smart and VDW Silver.

Impact of Connected Automated Buses in a Mixed Fleet Scenario With Connected Automated Cars

Considering the significant increase in transportation (R. Abe, 2019) demand in the last few decades and its consequences on society and the environment, the development of a sustainable transport system is vital. The relevance of public transport networks is expanding as present-day environmental, financial and resource pressures bear upon cities, providing the impetus for new sustainable and economical modes of mobility. Promoting public transport and introducing connectivity and automation are crucial for effectuating a sustainable transport system. Buses can improve the network performance, but curbside bus stops (CBS) elevate the side friction which cause substantial delays to other vehicles, urging imprudent forced lane changes and affecting safety. The introduction of connectivity and automation in buses may improve performance along with safety, and this study attempts to investigate the repercussions of connected automated buses (CABs) in a mixed fleet with connected automated vehicles (CAVs), through a microsimulation modelling exercise. Results indicate that CABs can reduce network-level travel time by 7.9%, 6.4%, 2.1%, 1.3%, 1.8%, 1.2% and 2.27% for 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90% and 100% CAV penetration, when compared to the network with Human-driven buses (HBs) with the same CAV penetration. Furthermore, CABs also improve the performance of link containing bus stops by reducing standstill times (timespan when buses have zero velocity on the bus stop link). Results exhibit that CABs can decrease standstill times by 12.5%, 13.3%, 12.6%, 15%, 12.9%, 16.7% and 19.9% for 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90% and 100% CAV penetration, when compared to the network with HBs with identical CAV penetration. Additionally, the number of lane changes in these links were reduced by 28.2% at 100% CAV penetration, indicating synchronous driving and reduced forced lane changes. The crash rate indicates that critical events involving automated vehicle entities and Manual Vehicles (MV) can increase as the MVs cannot adapt promptly to automated driving behaviour. This is supported by the non- parametric distribution of post-encroachment time (PET), time- to-collision (TTC) and relative speed (DeltaS), indicating that the conflict/collision typology’s severity can increase at intermediate CAV penetrations, but plunge significantly at 100% penetration when compared to the current scenario. Lastly, the limitation of tools in flagging conflicts involving CAVs is discussed, and future scrutiny is proposed.

Two-Level Surrogate-Assisted Transient Parameters Design Optimization of a Wound-Field Synchronous Machine

The rapid development of ultra-high voltage direct current transmission systems has placed greater demands on the design optimization of transient parameters for large wound-field synchronous machines (WFSMs) in power systems, such as large synchronous condenser for dynamic reactive power compensation. This paper proposes a novel two-level surrogate-assisted multi-objective optimization method for WFSMs that can optimize transient parameters including per-unit reactance and time constants rapidly and accurately. To facilitate the manufacture of a prototype for verification, the proposed method is applied to the optimization of a WFSM for scale-down generator application. This method is employed to deal with the excessive number of design parameters, issues of multi-objective evaluation and strong coupling between objectives that either result in inaccuracy or become time-consuming by using conventional methods. To generate the training set for the surrogate model efficiently by finite element analysis, an improved arbitrary rotor position standstill time response (SSTR) method is employed to identify all transient parameters simultaneously in a single test, while Latin hypercube design is used to capture data features. The optimal WFSM designed by using the proposed method is prototyped and measured. It confirms that the proposed method can achieve high validity and high optimization efficiency simultaneously.

Design and Evaluation of Remote Driving Architecture on 4G and 5G Mobile Networks

Despite the progress in the development of automated vehicles in the last decade, reaching the level of reliability required at large-scale deployment at an economical price and combined with safety requirements is still a long road ahead. In certain use cases, such as automated shuttles and taxis, where there is no longer even a steering wheel and pedals required, remote driving could be implemented to bridge this gap; a remote operator can take control of the vehicle in situations where it is too difficult for an automated system to determine the next actions. In logistics, it could even be implemented to solve already more pressing issues such as shortage of truck drivers, by providing more flexible working conditions and less standstill time of the truck. An important aspect of remote driving is the connection between the remote station and the vehicle. With the current roll-out of 5G mobile technology in many countries throughout the world, the implementation of remote driving comes closer to large-scale deployment. 5G could be a potential game-changer in the deployment of this technology. In this work, we examine the remote driving application and network-level performance of remote driving on a recently deployed sub-6-GHz commercial 5G stand-alone (SA) mobile network. It evaluates the influence of the 5G architecture, such as mobile edge computing (MEC) integration, local breakout, and latency on the application performance of remote driving. We describe the design, development (based on Hardware-in-the-Loop simulations), and performance evaluation of a remote driving solution, tested on both 5G and 4G mobile SA networks using two different vehicles and two different remote stations. Two test cases have been defined to evaluate the application and network performance and are evaluated based on position accuracy, relative reaction times, and distance perception. Results show the performance of the network to be sufficient for remote driving applications at relatively low speeds (&amp;lt;40 km/h). Network latencies compared with 4G have dropped to half. A strong correlation between latency and remote driving performance is not clearly seen and requires further evaluation taking into account the influence of the user interface.

Coupled solid-fluid response of deep tunnels excavated in saturated rock masses with a time-dependent plastic behaviour

This article provides a general numerical approach for modelling the response of deep tunnels excavated in saturated time-dependent plastic rock masses, considering a coupled solid-fluid interaction and time-dependent plastic behaviour. In order to do that, a Burgers-viscoplastic strain-softening model has been developed and implemented into the finite element method software CODE_BRIGHT, and a coupled solid-fluid model is used to simulate the interaction between solid deformations and fluid flow. Parametric analyses are then performed to analyse the influence on the tunnelling response of different time-dependent models, different standstill times and different excavation rates. It has been observed that the time-dependent model selection is crucial to simulate the response of underground excavations. Additionally, the coupled solid-fluid results are significantly different from the purely mechanical ones. The liquid pressure build-up in the vicinity of the tunnel face and the overpressure dissipation with time due consolidation can be accounted for. Moreover, the higher the excavation rate, the larger build-up of liquid pressures occurs.

Selection of Polymer Materials for Micro Slide Bearings With Respect to Minimization of Resistance to Motion

Values of static and kinetic friction coefficient in micro slide bearings, consisting of journals and bushings (with the diameter of 3.5 mm) made of pairs of 5 polymer materials (16 chosen combinations of PA11, ABS, PC, PS and PETP), were determined. A method of measuring static and kinetic friction coefficient, at various values of: load, rotational speed, and standstill time, as well as the structure of a dedicated test rig, were discussed. Chosen mechanical properties of polymers measured using indentation method, and conclusions from the conducted experiments, are shown. The presented results provide key information for a proper choice of polymer materials, which are to work as a friction node. The biggest observed difference in the moment of friction among the tested slide bearings reached almost 40% (with respect to the highest value).

Evaluation of required thrust force based on advance rates in shielded TBMs under squeezing conditions

Abstract Tunneling requires intensive studies to evaluate rheological parameters of the ground, especially under squeezing conditions. In the current study, the evaluation of the required thrust force of the shielded tunnel boring machines (TBMs) under squeezing conditions is made and Beheshtabad water conveyance tunnel is chosen as the case study. The parameters of the Burger's viscoplastic creep model (CVISC) model obtained from laboratory creep tests are verified using the finite difference method. The required thrust force is calculated using a new approach involving the extraction of the normal forces acting on a TBM shield based on different advance rates. The effect of the tunnel diameter is also investigated to evaluate the feasibility of excavating a twin tunnel of a smaller diameter. The effects of over-boring and the standstill time of a machine on thrust reduction are also investigated. The results show that standstill time in smaller over-borings affects the thrust increment more strongly than that in bigger over-borings. Increasing the over-boring from 3 to 10 cm makes thrust decrease by 9.46 and 35.12%, respectively, while advance rate (AR) increases from 1 to 4 m/h. According to the sensitivity analyses done on the effect of the tunnel diameter on thrust reduction, thrust forces reduce by 53.79% in the 5 m-diameter tunnel, while they decrease by 35.13 and 15.05% in the 7- and 9 m-diameter tunnels, respectively, when over-boring is 10 cm. In single-shield machine, an AR of 2 m/h is defined as the substitution AR since the values of thrust are 28.2, 33.01 and 35.1% lower than those in AR of 4 m/h in double-shield TBM with over-borings of 3, 6 and 10 cm, respectively.

Development of a dynamically scaled wind turbine

Experimental analyses of modal parameters on operating wind turbines are associated with great technical expense, standstill times and therefore with high costs. This makes experimental research on operating wind turbines, for example testing innovative measurement strategies, uneconomical. Thus it is desirable to conduct portions of experimental research on laboratory test structures. In this paper the development of a scaled laboratory test rig is presented. It is designed in such a manner that the lower natural frequencies of a reference wind turbine are approximately reproduced. To find feasible physical parameters for the test rig, preliminary analyses based on an analytical model of a vertical cantilever beam with a top body were combined with experiments based on Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) and multibody simulations.

Finite Element Analysis of the Efficacy of Shelf Acetabuloplasty for Acetabular Dysplasia

Objective: Shelf acetabuloplasty is a type of joint-preserving surgery. There are only a few cases of studying the mechanical evaluations of shelf acetabuloplasty. The objective of this study was to investigate the biomechanical effects of acetabular dysplasia on the acetabular margin and the efficacy of shelf acetabuloplasty using a threedimensional musculoskeletal model and finite element analysis. Methods: Subjects were five adult female patients with hip osteoarthritis and acetabular dysplasia who underwent the shelf procedure. Using the data of 4 healthy adult women, joint reaction force in the hip joint during static standing was estimated using Any Body Modeling System. From the CT images of each subject, finite element models of the pelvis and the right femur were constructed using Mimics and then converted to a three-dimensional finite element model using 3matic. Stress analysis was carried out using Marc Mentat 2011 1.0 finite element analysis software. In this study, all areas other than soft tissue were considered to be hard bone. In the boundary conditions, the iliac bone and pubic symphysis in the pelvis were fully constrained. Estimated hip joint reaction force was applied as a concentrated load from the distal end of the femur, and von Mises-equivalent stress in the acetabulum was analyzed. The stress distribution, the maximum stress value and the acetabular area applied to the acetabular surface of the acetabulum during resting stance were evaluated before and after the operation. Results: In the stress distribution of the acetabulum during static standing, the stress was dispersed after the operation, and the maximum stress was decreased. The area of acetabular area was significantly increased after the operation. The maximum stress value was significantly decreased after surgery. Conclusion: In all cases, the stress distribution of the acetabulum at the time of standstill standing after the operation of shelf acetabuloplasty was significantly dispersed and decreased as compared with the preoperative state.

Reliability of the Kinematic Steadiness Index during one-leg standing in subjects with recurrent low back pain.

To assess the reliability of standing time and the Kinematic Steadiness Index (KSI) in one-leg standing compared with the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test while considering anthropometric factors in subjects with recurrent low back pain (LBP). Sixty-six individuals participated in the study. The data were collected on two different days, 1week apart. The KSI of the core spine, using video motion-capture techniques, was based on the relative standing time and relative standstill time. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1) was compared for the reliability between measures. The covariates, such as age, Body Mass Index, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), were analyzed for any interactions based on these measures. The standing time (t=-1.01, p=0.32) and the KSI (t=-1.70, p=0.09) were not significantly different between measures. The TUG results were not different between measures (t=1.01, p=0.32). The Cronbach's alpha for the standing time was 0.84, for KSI was 0.89, and for TUG was 0.76. The standing time and KSI demonstrated an interaction with age, while the TUG demonstrated an interaction with the ODI score. The KSI during one-leg standing could help to develop a practical tool to justify quantity and quality of balance outcome measures, which identify balance deficits and core spine rehabilitation strategies in subjects with recurrent LBP.

Time-dependent jamming mechanism for Single-Shield TBM tunneling in squeezing rock

The entrapment risk of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) tunneling in squeezing rock associated with high overburden is a challenging and time-dependent consideration. However, there is limited advance knowledge of the shield jamming mechanism due to the difficulties in predicting the complex interactions among the ground, the TBM, its system components and the tunnel support. In this paper, time-dependent interactions between rock and shield, i.e., contact, squeezing and friction, for single-shield TBMs in squeezing ground are investigated. An extended Vlachopoulos-Diederichs approach, instead of the Hoek equation, is used to capture the longitudinal deformation profiles. The plastic behavior of squeezing rock is characterized by the Drucker-Prager criterion with the non-associated flow rule. Viscoelastic deformation is determined using the Burgers model. The contact behaviors are captured through the closure of the radial gap. Moreover, a linear relationship exists between the squeezing loads and the shield deformation. Ultimately, the required thrust force is determined by integrating the squeezing loads over a contact interval. Taking the Saint Martin La Porte access adit (Lyon-Turin Base Tunnel) as an example, the effects of standstill time, relaxation time and overcut on the size of the loaded area and the magnitude of squeezing loads after a standstill are investigated in detail. It is found from the obtained results that a longer standstill, smaller overcut or smaller relaxation time leads to a larger frictional contact area, as well as a larger squeezing load acting upon the TBM shield and a larger deformation of the shield. Moreover, the analytical results show that the TBM jamming is mainly caused by the increase of the squeezing loads and the loaded area.

Assessing maintenance strategies for cutting tool replacements in mechanized tunneling using process simulation

In mechanized tunneling, detailed planning with an accurate performance prediction of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) is needed for a successful tunnel project. Undersized logistical components, disturbances of the supply chain, as well as negligence of maintenance schedules reduce the TBM performance and frequently lead to avoidable times of standstill. This paper presents a performance forecast model for mechanized tunneling projects focusing on wear and maintenance processes of the cutting tools. The developed simulation model has been implemented in the simulation environment AnyLogic using the multi-method approach, including agent-based modeling as well as discrete-event and system dynamic simulation. The model can be used to evaluate different maintenance strategies for a tunneling project. Thus, an improved maintenance strategy for reducing the time of standstill can be found.

Analysis of relative kinematic index with normalized standing time between subjects with and without recurrent low back pain.

Although subjects with recurrent low back pain (LBP) demonstrate altered postural control, their postural steadiness during one leg standing is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate postural steadiness based on relative kinematic index of the lower limbs and trunk with normalized standing time in subjects with recurrent LBP during dominant and non-dominant leg standing. Sixty individuals participated in the study, including 29 subjects in the control group (18 male, 11 female) and 31 subjects with recurrent LBP (21 male, 10 female). The outcome measures included relative kinematic index of the body regions and normalized standing time during the one leg standing test. The relative kinematic index was the ratio between standstill time and successful standing time. The normalized standing time was defined as a ratio between the successful standing time and the requested standing time. The control group demonstrated significantly longer normalized standing time on the dominant (t=-2.57, p=0.013) and non-dominant (t=-2.78, p=0.007) legs than the LBP group. The relative kinematic index of the core spine model significantly decreased for the dominant (t=-3.01, p=0.004) and non-dominant (t=-3.06, p=0.003) legs in the LBP group. In addition, the kinematic index indicated pelvis and non-dominant shank during dominant leg standing (R 2=0.97) in the LBP group. In the control group, the pelvis was significantly correlated with the core spine model during standing on the dominant (R 2=0.95) and non-dominant (R 2=0.97) legs. The relative kinematic index of the pelvis was found to be most significant for longer standing durations in both groups. In the LBP group, the shank and foot were significantly higher in addition to the pelvis due to possible compensatory motion. The control group took advantage of pelvic control with the core spine to minimize lower limb movements. Clinicians need to consider the core spine for pelvic control to refine postural adaptations in subjects with recurrent LBP.

Smart Telematics Enabling Efficient Rail Transport – Development of the ViWaS Research and Development Project

Single wagonload (SWL) transport is a major component in European rail transport systems and in the logistics of different industrial sectors such as steel, chemical and automotive. However, changing framework conditions and increasingly demanding market requirements have led to dramatic losses of market share and even to complete shutdown of SWL business in some countries. As this business segment has been evaluated as an important component of the European co-modal transport system also in the future, significant improvements are needed. The ViWaS project develops and proposes solutions which contribute to a raised competitiveness of SWL in Europe.Unlike in road transport, load tracking and tracing is still not widely used in SWL. ViWaS seeks to accelerate the introduction of communication technology in rail freight. With on-board communication technology freight operators improve the dispatching of wagons and the rescheduling processes in case of disturbances. Based on reliable on-line telematics data, the dispatchers will be able to inform their customers about changes in the transport schedule earlier than today, increasing the reliability and satisfying the stakeholders.Cost-efficient and intelligent telematics-based information services enable real-time wagon tracking and automatically depict wagon mileage information. The telematics data service will generate the required information which is necessary for a reliable quality recording. With this additional information, the current life cycle of freight wagons of six years will be optimised. Since the accident of Viareggio, the railway authorities are requesting documentation of wagon mileage. A small electronic mile-counter with a-radio link to the telematics device RodoTAG® overtakes the RU's responsibility of wheel-set individual mileage counting. Based on long term experiences with NavMaster telematics, Eureka defined a list of requirements for the system design “small, lightweight and cost reducing”, resulting in a completely new system concept: The ViWaS telematics PCB is very small sized and equipped with a low power multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and SBAS) circuit. With the new GSM and GPS modules, a significant cost reduction could be achieved, interfaces for complementing sensors as e.g. shock detection, digital/analogue inputs/outputs, etc. are integrated. In addition, based on the analysis of user requirements the development of a reliable load sensing technology for freight cars has been launched. This request is a result of the fact that today most of the freight cars in railway operation do not use the full load capacity as there is no existing cost-effective possibility to measure the load especially during the filling-up process e.g. in the area of bulk freight. If the wagon would be overloaded and afterwards moved by a train, all wheel sets have to be exchanged for a costly inspection in a workshop. Thus, the freight car will not be filled to its maximum payload resulting in reduced capacity and higher costs. In order to optimise the dispatching processes wagons will transmit their load status, enabling the dispatchers to re-dispatch the wagon in short time after unloading leading to shorter standstill times and higher wagon efficiency.