Spoornet has such faith in Bryanston-based TLC Software's products that the company is currently using a 128-channel data acquisition system for commissioning five of its coaches in Sweden. The Speedwave measures the dynamic performance of rolling stock, locomotives, wagons and coaches.
Principal Engineer within Spoornet's engineering department Dr Robert Fröhling says the relative displacement of body accelerations and wheel/rail forces is measured by connecting transducers to various suspension components of the vehicle. Cables relay the data via an amplifier to the Speedwave where it is stored for analysis.
Fröhling says Spoornet used different products, including a pen recorder, before it purchased the Speedwave six years ago. "The other systems were not as accurate, reliable or as fast as TLC's data acquisition system. Because it is very user-friendly we never had any problem with the system, but requested TLC recently to upgrade it."
TLC's Chris Uys says the main reason for the Speedwave's popularity is that it is actually a number of instruments in one and therefore cost-effective. The user gets an instrument, which gives him the power of any traditional dedicated instrument but with the flexibility to be upgraded.
"Speedwave's software provides the operator with a great deal of flexibility to measure, analyse, store and report data. The software has been designed for both the most demanding user as well as the first time user doing computer analysis of data."
TLC has customised another three software programs for different divisions of Spoornet. The intellectual property rights of the Rail Defect Prediction Model was sold to the Union of International Railways to use on heavy duty lines, whilst the CMS W32 is used for fault-finding on electrical locomotives as well as for testing of modifications. The third innovative product is the WimWim system, comprising a wheel impact monitor, a weigh-in-motion system with skew bogie detection.
TLC Software specialises in developing and supplying computer-based engineering solutions to companies for resale, and to end-users.
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