Responding to Customer Needs - The Development of Wheel Sensor RSR110 and Frauscher Track Vacancy System FTVS
Reliable and robust technology that satisfies the needs of its users is essential to railroads; however, the North American rail industry has historically been slow to adopt new technologies. When the Frauscher US office was established in 2015, axle counting was fundamentally an unknown technology in North America, although it has been the global gold standard in train detection for decades. Despite the wide array of benefits provided by axle counters, track circuits still represented the predominant means of train detection in North America, even though track circuit technology has remained essentially unchanged since the 1800s. Through the efforts of Frauscher US, knowledge and acceptance of axle counters and wheel sensors as viable alternatives to track circuits has grown considerably, with Frauscher Wheel Sensors currently installed at every Class 1 railroad.
The first instance of Frauscher US working to develop a product based on customer need was the Wheel Sensor RSR110. Early on it became apparent that although railroads were listening to our message and could appreciate the potential benefits of this solution (e.g., reliability in all weather conditions and temperatures, or where track and ballast conditions are poor) compared to their current train detection systems, they were still reticent to embrace this “new” technology for safety critical applications. In addition, the SIL safety rating system utilized in Europe, and thereby the safety rating assigned to our products, was initially unfamiliar to those in the North American rail industry. Subsequently, it became apparent to Frauscher US that concentrating on non-vital applications might provide the best way to create value for our customers, encouraging them to “try out” this technology. Acceptance of axle counters for vital train detection would follow.
The development of the SIL 0 Wheel Sensor RSR110 was a significant step in fulfilling the need for wheel detection in non-vital applications. Engineers from the US worked closely with Product Development at the Austrian location to create this wheel sensor, based on existing and proven products. Within a short period of time, the RSR110 and Wheel Signal Converter WSC system was being utilized at every Class 1 railroad for applications such as triggering AEI readers, Hot Box Detectors, lubricators, and vision monitoring systems. The RSR110 also became widely used for other non-vital applications, typically in yards, for purposes such as storage track monitoring, switch protection, door opening and more.
The acceptance of the RSR110 as a robust and reliable product eventually led to development of the Frauscher Track Vacancy System FTVS. The evolvement of the FTVS from idea to product offering represents an interesting and innovative R&D story. As mentioned earlier, over several years the RSR110 had become widely used for a variety of non-vital train detection applications. Operators had become accustomed to its reliability and overall performance, especially in areas where conditions or weather were suboptimal.
In keeping with our premise of consistent and open communication, Frauscher US listened to the request from North American operators for a “middle ground” train detection solution that would add basic axle counting functions to the RSR110 / WSC train detection system. Operators would employ this type of system for non-safety critical applications that did not require the advanced features available with Frauscher’s vital SIL 4 axle counter, the Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC. Due to the absence of certain advanced functionalities, the new system would also take up minimal space in the wayside equipment.
A system with these characteristics would be particularly useful in areas such as yards, industrial facilities, and ports where unsatisfactory conditions can negatively impact the performance of track circuits, or where trackside and wayside space constraints make their use difficult.
The concept made a lot of sense, and the implications for the many areas where such a product could be implemented generated excitement within the Frauscher US team. Once again, engineers from the US office collaborated with Product Development in Austria to determine the feasibility of such a product. The project progressed with open communication between the Frauscher engineers, Product Development, and the customers until the Frauscher Track Vacancy System FTVS came to fruition and was ready to test!
The first test location was in a Class 1 yard – one that was involved in the original request to develop this solution. After a successful test period, the operator was confident enough with the features and use of the FTVS, that the equipment was moved to another yard location for a second test that was also successful. Within a few months of the initial tests being completed, requests for FTVS installations increased rapidly, generating, interest among Class 1s that were not involved in the initial development process. Frauscher US is encouraged by this rapid acceptance and looks forward to many additional installations in the future, as operators learn more about the benefits of the FTVS. Interest in the FTVS is also expanding, to various rail operators across many different locations and countries.
