After an intensive and highly probing test procedure, NextSense http://www.nextsense.at has received accreditation for wheel set maintenance at the Deutsche Bahn (DB) for their top-quality product, the Calipri Wheel.

DB’s accredited calibration laboratory in Chemnitz put the measuring system, which is based on laser technology, through the acid test. The accuracy of measurement of the handheld measuring device - unique worldwide and completely non-contact - as well as various factors of influence were systematically collected and evaluated. Among other things, a climate chamber was used to examine the temperature stability of the high-tech measuring device. The results were persuasive: An accuracy on the scale of a few 1/100 mm enables, for the first time, an extremely accurate measurement of the main wear parameters on railway wheel sets. Moreover, the measuring device’s intelligent software reduces to a minimum the influence of the user - an essential requirement for measuring safety-relevant components in railway technology.

Wheels and brake discs of rail vehicles are wear parts. Similar to automobile tyres, the constant loads between wheel and rail cause material abrasion and/or material deformation on the wheel. The effects are a bumpy run, more noise and an increase in the load on the components, leading to subsequent damage to the wheels and rails and, if worst comes to worst, to a derailment. For these reasons, all wheels have to be examined and measured on an ongoing basis.

Alongside the pilot customer ÖBB Technische Services, which utilizes the new measuring device nationwide in all their repair shops in Austria, NextSense GmbH was able to acquire as customers other pivotal global players in the railway industry, among them: Siemens AG, Vossloh, Stadler Rail, Angel-Trains (Alpha Trains), NedTrain. Yet small and privately-run railway companies have begun banking on the new technology by NextSense as well.

NextSense Mess- und Prüfsysteme GmbH
NextSense is a startup company providing innovative solutions for measuring and testing technology in the rapidly growing market of optical sensor technology. NextSense develops, produces and markets mobile, laser-based profile measuring devices for customers from various industries.

Various patented procedures enable for the first time a contactless and accurate hands-free measuring of well-nigh any profile. The company, which has been certified according to ISO-9001:2008 since December 2009, is a spin-off of Joanneum Research and employs 17 co-workers at its location in Graz at present. The Steirische Wirtschaftsförderung (Styrian Promotion of Economic Development) awarded the Fast Forward Award, its renowned innovation prize, to the company in the first year of its existence in 2007.