Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG has developed the Smart Collector, an intelligent current collector. The innovative product collects analysis data on the condition of the conductor rails and their components during operation.
This is unique on the market in this form. Based on the values determined, the plug-and-play solution makes it possible to detect signs of wear or emerging faults at an early stage and significantly reduce unplanned downtimes. The Smart Collector has a special sensor system that records the occupancy of the individual current collectors. In combination with a positioning system, movement parameters and any track anomalies are assigned with positional accuracy and can therefore be rectified in a targeted manner. In addition to the alignment to the rail and the contact pressure, the Smart Collector calculates a wear forecast for the individual collector brushes based on the lifting and deflection movements. The Smart Collector can be integrated into both new and existing systems.
The data is processed and analyzed by the control unit and transmitted to a data center. This also enables the use of a remote helpdesk. As a result, anomalies can be detected at an early stage, the optimum maintenance time can be determined and routine inspections can be avoided.
