Track Machines Research Articles

Manufacturing floor mapping and presence tracking with a physics-based game engine

The manufacturing shop floor exists in a dynamic environment with constantly changing components regarding position and features. Presence tracking on the manufacturing shop floor is essential to enhance effective operations and safety. Internet of Things technology solutions have been developed to track and monitor machine and operators’ movements and materials on the shop floor to enhance machine availability and worker safety and improve overall operational effectiveness. However, for SMMs with limited financial resources and infrastructure, there is a need for a financially friendly approach to shop floor presence tracking and monitoring. This work presents the use of Internet-of-things and physics-based engines to develop a scalable and customizable solution to track presence on a manufacturing floor. The paper aims to improve and promote the adoption of I-4.0 technologies and digital manufacturing by SMMs with the development of an affordable, repeatable, customizable, open-source solution. The article describes a methodology for mapping, modeling, monitoring, and reporting presence on a manufacturing floor using physics-based engines. The methodology describes mapping the manufacturing floor into zones, the design of the IoT solution, selecting and placing sensors, and presenting the data using dashboards and physics-based engines. The paper investigates the methodology by implementing a case study on the Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems (ICAMS) manufacturing floor using the Unity3D game engine, open-source software, and off-the-shelf motion sensors.

Testing scenario for comparison of real-time locating system in automotive manufacturing

Manufacturing plants are pursuing a more profound knowledge of movement within the plant, including processes, products, and people. Varied methods are used today to track machines, parts, and bins, including computer vision, Bluetooth, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), Wi-Fi, 5G, and Ultra-wideband. Prior studies have examined the capabilities of these systems in the laboratory, and limited studies have analyzed performance in the real world. This work describes the testing methodology to be used in the first study that examines the performance of multiple commercial Ultra-wideband systems within the same environment that closely simulates a real-world automotive production facility to understand the capabilities of modern system performance in a series of functional tests. This work details the tests developed and limited results in cooperation with a large automotive OEM to go beyond the specifications available from each commercial vendor. Future work will expand upon the resulting data output and compare additional types of motion-tracking systems, such as computer vision.

INCREASING THE DURABILITY OF HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS OF LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING MACHINES

Most lifting and transporting and loading and unloading machines have a hydraulic drive. One of the most common actuators that perform reciprocating and rotary movements are hydraulic cylinders, characterised by one-sided wear of the rod seals. Known rod assemblies are elastic sleeves mounted in the hydraulic cylinder housing, which covers the rod with a guaranteed gap. During the unit operation, a gap seal forms in the gap between the rod and the sleeve, which prevents the leakage of the working fluid from the high-pressure cavity and centres the rod in the sleeve. However, to ensure the reliable centring of the rod, the intensive flow of the working fluid through the gaps is required, which leads to significant leaks of the working fluid and a decline in the unit efficiency. The optimal gap does not ensure centring, leading to reduced unit durability due to uneven wear of the sleeve and rod. Therefore, the development of new designs of rod seals that ensure self-centring is an urgent task. The development trends of modern hydraulic drives of construction, track, and loading and unloading machines aim at increasing the pressure of the working fluid up to 32 MPa. It imposes specific requirements on the designs of seals of hydraulic cylinders – the core executive bodies. The analysis of the factors that reduce the durability of reciprocating pair seals shows that it is possible to divide them into several types: wear, aging, operational, and design factors. The article aims to develop and describe a fundamentally new design of a self-centring rod seal, which can increase the durability of hydraulic cylinders of lifting-transporting and loading-unloading machines without using additional devices. The analysis of trends in the development of constructions of rod units of hydro cylinders showed that fundamentally new types have emerged among the existing designs, which simultaneously perform two functions – rod guides and sealing. The most notable among them are combined active and passive rod seals. Passive combined seals of rod assemblies of hydro cylinders differ from traditional ones in that they allow rod movements in the radial direction and allow slight distortions of the rod, compensating for assembly and installation inaccuracies of the assembly. Active combined seals have the same advantages as passive combined seals but additionally compensate for the wear of the guide sleeve, which increases the durability of the entire rod assembly of the hydraulic cylinder. Keywords: hydraulic drive of lifting and transporting machines, hydraulic cylinder rod assembly, sealing, one-sided wear of the rod assembly, self-centring.

Improving the efficiency of track machine stations in BAM conditions

Improving the efficiency of track machine stations in BAM conditions

Study results in curvilinear motion of high-speed track machine with electromechanical transmission

Introduction. Transport and technological means based on tracked undercarriages have found their use in both military and civilian industries. Their widespread use is due to a number of advantages that contribute to the further development of mechanization of production, increasing the efficiency of transportation of minerals, and developing infrastructure during the development of new territories. Ensuring cross-country ability and mobility of vehicles with tracked undercarriages, including tracked conveyor-tractors, is possible through the use of hybrid electromechanical transmissions. One of the components of scientific research in this direction is carrying out simulation modeling of the movement of equipment. Modeling the motion process will make it possible to substantiate the energy characteristics of the electromechanical transmission of a tracked vehicle and confirm the adequacy of previously performed theoretical studies.Research methods. The main objective of the simulation was to confirm the effectiveness of the theoretical studies performed. The studies in the VISSIM programming environment using typical motion cycles that equivalently reflect the operating conditions and use of a tracked machine were carried out.Results. As a result of the research, quantitative estimates of the influence of the power of a diesel generator and the charge of an energy storage device on the dynamic performance of equipment were obtained. It has been established that in order to meet the requirements for promising samples, the power of the energy storage device should be at least 2.5 kWh when using a standard internal combustion engine.Discussion and conclusion. The research results can be used to create, based on the existing scientific and technical background, a promising robotic complex with an electromechanical transmission.

Improving the technological process of dismantling rail and sleeper grids through the use of a removable catcher

The maintenance and development of railway infrastructure requires a significant amount of repair and construction work. The most labour-intensive and time-consuming type of repair is a major track repair. The development strategy of the track complex sets tasks for planning and organizing track repair work, taking into account the fulfilment of the requirements for highly efficient use of track machines, ensuring their production at the level of passport characteristics. The article discusses the problem of dismantling a rail and sleeper grid using a laying crane, namely the process of lowering the first link of the package onto the crane platform. In a curved section of track, the problem arises that the inverted rail does not reach the platform rollers. Equipping the platforms with additional removable catchers will eliminate the process of rocking the inverted link by track fitters.

Using the Mats of Palm Fronds in Reinforcement Pavement Layers

Abstract Pavement distresses are among the major problems that affects to a decisive extent on the using (operational capacity) the roads and reducing their service life. Therefore, its require to limitation this distresses and knowing the reasons that lead to appearing this distresses and give the correction during the construction of roads. The major distresses is the rutting which increases at intersections and the check points when the vehicle is stopping. The reinforcement pavement layer became an important step of design and the reconstruction of pavement layers which is control of almost distress, reduce the maintenance cost, and provide long service life of roads. In this study will study using the mats of palm fronds in reinforcement pavement layers instead industrial materials due to existence the palms with large quantity in Iraq. The result display the using the mats of palms fronds reduce the rutting percent 96.7, 88.3, 83.3 at 40, 50, 60 ºC respectively at surface course according the test by wheel track machine.

Satellite constellation method for ground targeting optimized with K-means clustering and genetic algorithm

This study proposed a satellite constellation method to cluster targets using machine learning and achieve the desired revisit performance for each target in an area of interest. Because a typical satellite constellation, such as the Walker method, does not consider the geometrical dynamics between the satellite and Earth's surface target, the target-oriented revisit performance analysis and the application of optimization method are limited. To overcome these limitations, this study developed a satellite constellation method that is customized according to the target using a repeating ground track orbit and machine learning techniques. The proposed model groups aim to maximize satellite revisit performance via K-means clustering and determine the optimal number of satellites required to achieve the desired revisit performance for each target through a quick and accurate accessibility analysis of various target distributions. This study revealed that three to five target clusters are more effective in improving the satellite revisit performance than a typical single target cluster, while identifying that the density of the target distribution is a significant influencing factor. Finally, the proposed model achieved the desired revisit performance, guaranteeing a timely response for 30 major disaster locations in East Asia and validating the model's optimal performance.

Nonlinear characterization of enhanced and generalized Hjorth’s feature space for bearing condition monitoring

The degradation assessment of rolling bearings provides a reasonable maintenance plan for the safe operation of mechanical equipment. The general strategy for bearing condition monitoring is to construct a health indicator (HI) to characterize different degradation stages. A preferable HI that can sensitively detect initial faults and track machine degradation is crucial to developing timely maintenance strategies for mechanical equipment to avoid catastrophic accidents. However, many developed and reported HIs are still insensitive to early faults, resulting in delayed maintenance schedules. To identify the incipient defects as early as possible, a novel HI constructed by nonlinear characterization of enhanced and generalized Hjorth’s feature space based on extended probability entropy is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the time-frequency spectral amplitude modulation helps to enhance the characteristics of the original signal with the amplitude editing in the time-frequency domain. Then, three new features of generalized Hjorth’s parameter combinations are designed and combined with other similar feature combinations to construct a high-dimensional enhanced and generalized Hjorth’s feature space. On this basis, a set of low-dimensional sensitive features is obtained by nonlinearly characterizing high-dimensional features through extended probability entropy after these features are standardized. Finally, a novel HI is developed by calculating the distance between the minimum volume ellipse (MVE) center of the low-dimensional feature subspace based on nonlinear characterization and the low-dimensional feature vector of the real-time monitoring signal. The performance of the proposed approach is verified in three cases, whose experimental results indicate that the proposed HI is more sensitive and significant in detecting early faults compared to some current HIs.

Перспективные технологии усиления основной площадки земляного полотна подбалластным защитным слоем с применением высокопроизводительных комплексов российского производства

Purpose: To examine the necessity of conducting measures to strengthen the main trackbed of railway tracks in order to reduce the impact of track repairs on infrastructure, ensure and enhance the carrying capacity of railway lines. To demonstrate the need to increase the output of high-quality leading machines using closed-loop technology, as well as to propose additional measures aimed at optimizing the number of machines and personnel involved in the production process. Methods: A comparison is made between the currently employed technologies for strengthening the main trackbed with sub-ballast protective layers using automotive and tractor equipment and railway construction machinery, as well as track complexes of foreign production, with the proposed technology and the utilization of high-efficiency domestic track machinery. Analysis of productivity indicators and the selection of the optimal option. Results: The necessity of prioritizing domestic technologies and track machinery for conducting major track repairs is indicated as the most effective means of increasing the load-bearing capacity of the track superstructure. Current requirements for technological processes and track machinery to ensure the sustainable operation of railway tracks under growing freight traffic intensity are examined. Technical specifications of the new track machine for ballast excavation, compaction, and the creation of sub-ballast protective layers are presented. Details regarding the design features of the track machine are provided. Practical significance: The need for implementing high-tech equipment and innovative technologies with higher productivity compared to foreign counterparts is demonstrated, along with the potential economic benefits of adopting the proposed technologies. The suggested technology will increase the lifespan of railway tracks and reduce operating costs.

РЕЛАКСАЦИЯ ОСТАТОЧНЫХ НАПРЯЖЕНИЙ ПРИ ОХЛАЖДЕНИИ ЗАГОТОВКИ С ПОКРЫТИЕМ, НАНЕСЕННЫМ МЕТОДОМ ЦЕНТРОБЕЖНОЙ ИНДУКЦИОННОЙ НАПЛАВКИ

As a result of a theoretical analysis of the cooling process of parts with deposited coatings applied by the method of centrifugal induction surfacing, the patterns of formation of residual stresses are established, taking into account relaxation. It is shown that a decrease in the cooling rate after surfacing makes it possible to reduce the level of residual stresses due to the relaxation phenomenon. Calculation relations are derived that allow predicting the permissible value of residual stresses depending on the required adhesive strength. As the analysis of the ratios obtained shows, the reduction of residual stresses in the resulting coatings due to their relaxation can be achieved by reducing the cooling rate or, accordingly, increasing its time. In the technological process of induction surfacing, a two-stage cooling mode of the workpiece was used; at the first stage, cooling is carried out at the maximum possible rate. If the temperature stresses reach the maximum allowable value τmax, the pairing condition for the transition from the previous cooling stage to the next one is the equality τmax = τi, where τi is determined from the equations derived in the work. In this case, one should be guided by the observance of the condition τi < τc, where τc is the theoretical adhesive strength of coatings in the absence of residual stresses. An example of the practical use of the twostage cooling after the process of applying coatings by centrifugal induction surfacing on the bushings of tamping blocks of a STS track machine is given.

Model Optimization of the Road Construction Machinery Active Working Elements, Operating in Permafrost

When designing a railroad track it is necessary to take into account a range of different factors especially if the construction of the track is carried out in areas with adverse climatic conditions, which applies to the conditions of the Far North. During construction of a new roadbed in modern conditions track and road-building machines are widely used which have constantly increasing power and speed, and therefore factors of dynamic influence on active working bodies of machines change. The designs of road-building and track machines take into account various types of loads, including dynamic ones, necessary for modeling working bodies. In this case, the modeling process is considered one of the ways to predict and optimize the mechanical systems of track and construction machines, widely using full-fledged models used to obtain new data on the designed object.

Digital control by manipulator of railway track machine

Digital control of manipulator of railway track machine (RTM). It is shown, that exactness and performance of operation execution are the main characteristics, which determine quality of work RTM. Manipulator design with pyramidal structure, in which mechanism is actuated with linear drives, placed in parallel, is described. Mathematical model of exactness evaluation, when there is dry friction at actuators, is worked out. It is shown, that mechanics parallelism leads to cross-links between grasp coordinates control channels. Flowchart of manipulator under investigation, as the object under control, is given. The analytical descriptions of object under control and control algorithm, underlying Von Neumann type controller, are fulfilled with description of delays, linked with features of controller operation, namely operator-by-operator interpretation of algorithm, unfolding in physical time. For estimation of time delays at interface between controller and manipulator semi-Markov model of Von Neumann computer operation is worked out. The method of estimation lags in contours, based on transformation the ergodic semi-Markov model into non-ergodic one, and computation expectations and dispersions of time interval from-point-to-point wandering through semi-Markov process, is proposed.

Nearest neighbor convex hull for health indicator construction

Developing a suitable and monotonous health index (HI) that can be used to represent a whole degradation process is a key step for continuous machine health monitoring during its life cycle. It is expected that the potential HI is able to inform incipient fault moment and then track machine degradation trajectories effectively and monotonically. Previously, nearest neighbor convex hull classification (NNCHC) has been widely applied for fault classification. In this paper, a HI construction methodology for machine life cycle health monitoring based on NNCHC is proposed. Firstly, a normal convex hull is modeled based on normal vibration data to fully characterize machine health conditions. Afterward, two HIs are constructed based on ℓ 1 norm and ℓ 2 norm distances between the normal convex hull and test points. The superiority of the developed approach in this study lies in the flexible and efficient development of a HI for fault progress tracking. Moreover, the only usage of a normal dataset in the proposed methodology is closer to real application.

PLACEMENT OPTIMIZATION OF THE POINTS OF THE CONDITIONAL REPER NETWORK FOR RAILWAY CURVES

Railway facilities are responsible and complex structures related to the safety ofpassenger traffic and cargo transportation. To ensure the reliability of all systems, the railway trackneeds continual control of its geometric parameters. Railways require high accuracy of survey andmonitoring both at the construction stage and at the operation stage. Such control can be carried outusing control points of the geodetic benchmark network. These control points must be located nearthe railway track to provide it in the design position and in proper working condition. That is whythe development of "own" railways benchmark network is topical.The purpose of this article is to create a mathematical basis for calculating the locations ofown repers near the railway. These benchmarks will be control points that will be used by track-operation stations, track machine stations, engineering and geodetic departments, track-surveyingstations, services and departments, as well as project and construction organizations duringresearch, design, operation, repair, reconstruction, or new construction. This will keep the track ingood condition and be used for leveling the track during repair work. The paper considers thecalculation method for the placement of control points of the conditional benchmark network on thecurved section of the railway. The novelty is the usage of the mean-value theorem of integral calculusto calculate the coordinates of the curve independently of the national geodetic network. The creationof "own" conditional benchmark network allows railways to perform the pegging of lines and curvesregardless of the presence or remoteness of control points of the local or state geodetic network. Afterchoosing a conditional benchmark, the coordinates of the railway curve, which is divided into 5 parts,were calculated. It is shown that the number of points does not affect the accuracy of determining thecoordinates. Thus, fewer rappers can be dispensed, and the speed of the pegging will increase. Thepolar coordinates for the two polar distances from the conventional benchmark have been determined. It is established that the use of the mean-value theorem of the integral calculus to findthe coordinates of a point gives more accurate data, since this method does not involve replacing thearc with a chord. The described method of determining polar coordinates from any point of one'sown network of conditional benchmarks is of practical importance. After deviating the axis of thetrack from the movement of trains, maintenance workers can put it back without additionalcalculation.

Modal and Explicit Analysis of Formula 1 Halo

Abstract— Formula 1 cars are one of the finest track machines, they can travel at speeds up to 375 km/h, at such speed the car may lose traction or due to any other conditions there can be prospects of a crash. To protect the driver from such highspeed crashes, head protection Halo devices can be used to protect the upper portion of the driver which includes the head, neck, and thorax. In this study, a Halo device which is an official Formula 1 safety device is studied and numerous analyses are performed on it. Furthermore, a Halo design is structured and modeled in SolidWorks by taking the best material suitable for the Halo device. The analysis is performed on the ANSYS software where all the results are evaluated, by performing Explicit Dynamics analysis, Modal Analysis, and Static structural analysis after positive results are gained from the analysis, it was concluded that Titanium of Grade 5 was the best suitable material for the Halo device. Keywords— Explicit Dynamics, Halo, Formula 1, Crashworthiness, Modal, FEA

INQUIRY INTO THE EFFECT OF LIQUID CRYSTAL ADDITIVE ON TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF HYDRAULIC OILS USED IN TRACK AND CONSTRUCTION MACHINES

The top priority of the modern tribology is to reduce equipment wear. Mechanismsand units of construction and track machines have a lot of friction pairs and the easiest way to reducetheir wear and increase life is to use lubricants. Hydraulic equipment elements are no exception, ashydraulic oils are not only the working fluid of the system, they also lubricate the friction pairs ofhydraulic units. So it is very important that they have an effective lubricity. Pure hydraulic oils havequite low performance properties. To improve them, special substances – additives – are added tolubricants. A large number of relevant compounds have already been studied. A promising trend inthis area is the use of substances that are able to form liquid crystalline phases. It is the substances,which can form cholesterol boundary films on friction surfaces that draw our attention. Based on therelevant works, we selected a liquid crystalline substance with a phenanthrene skeleton of thecholesterol type and conducted a number of experimental studies. This additive was added toindustrial oil. Laboratory studies have confirmed its effectiveness.This research continues to study the effect of liquid crystalline substance with phenanthrene onthe tribological properties of oils used in construction and track machines. As the test oil we choseMobil Hydraulic 10W and John Deere Hy-Gard, working fluids widely used in hydraulic drives inconstruction machines, track machines and agricultural machinery. Both are mineral-based andalready contain additives. Like in our previous studies we used ultrasound to better dissolve theadditive in the oil. The additive dissolved completely. The substance was added to the oil in variousconcentrations. Laboratory studies of tribological properties of hydraulic fluids were performed ona four-ball friction machine in accordance with the standard method described in GOST 9490-75(USSR National standard). The main indicators of lubricity were determined – wear spot diameter,burr index, critical load and welding load. The results of the experiment showed the improvement ofanti-wear and anti-seize properties of the studied hydraulic oils. Within the specified concentrationrange, the greatest anti-wear effect can be observed, which indicates the value of the rationalconcentration of the liquid crystal additive in hydraulic oils. The effect of the additive in the area ofmaximum loads is not significant.

Research of the Range of Location of Bases Track Machine Stations

The paper investigates the issues of rational placement of the main structural divisions of the repair complex of the track facilities of JSC «Russian Railways» - the production bases of track machine stations. An analysis of the current situation and the required development of production capacities and technical support of bases for the implementation of the program of track repairs along the railway network is presented.

On the Issue of Technical Re-Equipment of Production Bases of Track Machine Stations of JSC “Russian Railways”

In the proposed work, based on the analysis of the existing technical equipment of the track machine stations production bases and the prospective volumes of laying and removing the rail-sleeper lattice during track repairs, to be offered ways to solve the required development of the production capacities of the link-assembly, link-disassembly, link-repair bases of the track machine stations.

Підвищення ресурсу гідроагрегатів будівельних та колійних машин шляхом застосування рідкокристалічних присадок

The article describes the influence of tribological characteristics of phenanthrene liquid crystalline substance (as an additive to hydraulic oils) on the service life of hydraulic units of technological machines (e. g. construction and track machines). It demonstrates that the additive creates cholesteric lubricating films on the friction surfaces. The films have a high bearing capacity and low friction in their layers, which significantly improves the lubricity of hydraulic oil. Preliminary tests on a four-ball friction machine demonstrated the effectiveness of this liquid crystal additive, and the improvement of anti-wear and anti-seizure characteristics of oils. The additive was studied in the environment of industrial oil И-30А GOST 20799, which does not contain factory functional additives, and in hydraulic oils Mobil Hydraulic 10w and John Deere Hy-Gard, which contain them. The article investigates the influence of liquid crystal additive on the wear rate and service life of some critical parts of hydraulic units of construction and track machines. The efficiency of these machines depends entirely on the reliability of their hydraulic drive, and axial-piston hydraulic units are its important part. Friction pairs wear out the fastest. Therefore, in the course of the research, we simulated the work of a “piston-casing” pair in the СМЦ-2 friction machine using a roller made of steel (38ХМЮА GOST 4543-71) and a bronze block (БрАЖ9-4 GOST 18175-78). To prevent influence of contaminants and temperature factors on the results of the experiment we used a circulating system with a thermostat. Initially, theoretical studies were conducted, which showed the possibility of increasing the life of the piston pair. In the experimental part of the research, the concentration effect on the wear indicators of the model friction pair was studied. For this purpose the liquid crystal additive was dissolved in industrial oil (И-30А GOST 20799) in different concentrations. The obtained liquid substance was used to lubricate the samples in the friction machine. Laboratory studies showed that normal concentration of the additive resulted in an almost twofold extension of service life of the parts. In the final part of the study, we compared theoretical and experimental data.