FunctionSIM and RecurDyn at Wheel-Rail Interaction Seminar 2010
The Rail Industry is seeing a resurgence as the United States recommits itself to going green. A major challenge facing rail engineers is providing assurance that the current rail infrastructure is up to the task of transporting a rapidly increasing amount of freight and passengers safely and efficiently. Getting the right tools for the right job is important for the task at hand.
Gordon Bachinsky, President of Advanced Rail Management (ARM), Inc., has used a variety of packages over his career and is a proponent of the effectiveness of functional simulation of rail / wheel and rail vehicle systems.
"Computer analysis of the physics of vehicles on rails," says Gordon, "provides insights that should be seen as complementing physical testing. A virtual test, with software such as RecurDyn, can provide insights that help engineers to understand phenomena observed during testing, as well as providing guidance as to which test or tests should be performed."
Rail / wheel contact, suspension dynamics, the vibration of flexible
cars and wagons - these can all be modeled in the safe, desktop
laboratory of the RecurDyn environment. Measured data of track guage
and profiles, roadbed complience and wheel eccentricities can all be
input to realistically replicate real-world conditions.
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Says Gordon: "Safely is critical. As the amount of rail tonnage increases, we will need to upgrade our rail lines just as we do our roads. Rail simulation helps insure that the dollars spent on improving our rail system provide the best return on investment."
For more information...
ARM provides engineering services for mechanical applications, with specific expertise in rail engineering, measurement and simulation. ARM is the principal sponsor of Rail/Wheel Interaction 2010, where you can also see RecurDyn in action.
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