Improve Reliability with Better Bogie Wheel and Rail Wear Tracking

Over the years, PDS has been approached by numerous customers seeking effective solutions for tracking wear on Bogie Wheels on a variety of equipment, including Stackers, Reclaimers and Shuttles, and even Trunnion Wheels on Car Dumpers. While each site may use different terminology, the overarching goal remains consistent: to monitor wear in order to predict when components will need to be changed. This is accomplished by configuring Alarm Points that help forecast optimal changeout dates, thus supporting maintenance strategies aimed at replacing parts at the end of their service life and before any potential failures occur.

Approaches to Wear Measurement

Across PDS’s broad customer base, a variety of approaches have been implemented within the PDS Wear module. Some customers prefer to measure the Overall Diameter of the wheels, while others focus on Tread Depth across the Flanges or monitor Tripper Wheel Rim Thickness. The industry has developed a wide range of unique tooling and gauges to capture these measurements. Despite the fact that Bogie Wheels are relatively standard components, there is significant diversity in the methods used for data capture. Nevertheless, PDS can adapt to any measurement type provided by the customer, as long as the measurement data and an appropriate alarm point are supplied.

Rail Wear Measurement

In addition to Bogie Wheels, many customers also track wear on the Rails themselves. This involves a broad range of measurements and terminology, including Rail Height, Height Difference between Rails, Rail Width, Head Thickness, and Web Thickness. Typically, in PDS, multi-point wear measurement techniques are employed, using a configured grid to capture data at multiple points across a defined rail area. This approach allows for precise forecasting, identifying which section will reach its alarm point first, and provides a detailed cross-sectional profile of the area measured.

Connect with PDS today and book a demo to see how our solutions transform maintenance planning.