InnoTrans

InnoTrans is the leading international trade fair for transport technology and takes place every two years in Berlin. Divided into the five trade fair segments Railway Technology, Railway Infrastructure, Public Transport, Interiors and Tunnel Construction, InnoTrans occupies all 42 halls of the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft will be represented again this year with a joint stand. Coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing IZFP  and the office of the Fraunhofer Transport Alliance, the following Fraunhofer institutions are participating:

• Karlsruhe Mobility High Performance Center KAMO / Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT
• Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM
• Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML
• Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology IPK
• Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM
• Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM
• Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing IZFP

Beyond other projects, the KAMO: Karlsruhe Mobility High Performance Center will be showing the KIT's virTRACK at InnoTrans, an integrated virtual testing and development bench for automated on-sight railway driving decision making systems. Starting from a customizable scenario design, virTRACK offers a new source of virtual training data mining for perception-based object detection. Real time sensor data emulation is demonstrated in a closed loop setup of a black box system under test controlling a co-simulated vehicle model within a virtual rail track for efficient end-of-line and subsystem testing.

As an association of Karlsruhe’s institutions for research, education and transfer in the field of mobility, KAMO stand for interdisciplinary development in their entire systemic broadness.

www.kamo.one

The Fraunhofer IFAM offers comprehensive expertise in adhesive bonding technology, from the design and optimization of bonded joints to practical implementation. It works closely with the transportation industry, particularly in rail transport. The Training Center for Adhesive Bonding Technology offers internationally recognized certification courses for European Adhesive Bonder (EAB), European Adhesive Specialist (EAS) and European Adhesive Engineer (EAE). The Training Center for Fiber Composites offers courses for FRP manufacturers, FRP repairers and FRP specialists as well as modular training courses for composite engineers.

Adhesive bonding technology is subject to high quality standards, described in standards such as DIN 2304/EN ISO 21368 and DIN 6701/EN 17460. The TBBCert certification body of the Fraunhofer IFAM is accredited by the DAkkS.

More information:

https://www.weiterbildung.ifam.fraunhofer.de/en.html

https://www.tbbcert.com/

Modern mass transportation vehicles are made of lightweight materials such as carbon fibre epoxy laminate or aluminium. Damage to the outer skin often occurs during operation, e. g. through loading and unloading. Today, standard repair methods include riveting and welding, which increase weight or impair visual appearance. An adhesive bond allows for easy and smooth repairs. Until now, unknown safety factors have limited the use of adhesive technology to small, non-critical areas. Current research shows that safety factors exceed aviation standards. This enables the safe use of adhesive technology far beyond current repair applications.

More information:

https://www.ifam.fraunhofer.de/en/technologies/materials-testing-laboratory.html

Current multi-step repair processes may be simplified by use of a benzoxazine-based adhesive film. The Fraunhofer IFAM vitrimer adhesive film behaves like a cured thermoset. A chemical exchange reaction mechanism is used to generate adhesion by heat and pressure. Advantages over conventional prepregs are:

• Lay-up, compaction, and cure within 30 minutes
• High level of safety due to reduction of hazardous substances
• application on complex geometries due to shape adaptation
• Non-reactive at room temperature - no need for cooled storage

This technology can be based on renewable and sustainable raw materials in the future. It enables various applications in automotive, aerospace, and maritime industries.

More information:

https://www.ifam.fraunhofer.de/en/technologies/repair-and-adhesive-bonding-on-fiber-composites.html

At InnoTrans 2024, Fraunhofer IML will be presenting innovative products and concepts for the digitalisation of sidings in the rail freight sector. Customer-specific solutions for SMEs will be presented as an alternative or addition to existing systems.

The focus will be on the Smart Waggon Inspector (SWIn) from the department of Transport Logistics. This open-source software simplifies incoming wagon inspections by automatically reading container and wagon numbers via smartphone or tablet using image recognition (OCR) and transferring them directly to customer systems if required. This eliminates the need for handwritten inspection documentation and manual transfer of results, which speeds up and modernizes the process. Visitors of InnoTrans can see the benefits of SWIn for themselves during a live demonstration.

Fraunhofer IPM will be presenting laser and camera-based measurement systems for railroad infrastructure monitoring together with dedicated automated data evaluation.

Contact Wire Inspection System (Low Speed) CIS-LS: The optical system measures the vertical and horizontal position and wear of up to eight contact wires simultaneously at a traveling speed of up to 60 km/h. CIS-LS features its own lighting unit which means it works independently of ambient lighting conditions. We will be showcasing the CIS-LS as a demonstrator system. (More about optical monitoring of railway infrastructure at Fraunhofer IPM)

3D-AI software for automated data analysis: The 3D-AI software framework combines feature-based object recognition with AI-based evaluation methods. The software combines the strengths of both methods to enable highly reliable recognition. 3D-AI allows camera and scanner data to be analyzed automatically, making data evaluation significantly more efficient. (More about AI-based data analysis at Fraunhofer IPM)

Rail vehicles are exposed to wind and weather and must be designed and built accordingly. Seals and bonded seams are of particular importance here, as they are damaged over time by water penetration and thus lose their function. This is particularly critical for windshield bonding, as in the worst-case scenario the windshields can come loose during operation and injure people.

With the Fraunhofer ITWM sensor, which is based on terahertz measurement technology, seals and bondings can be tested contactlessly and non-destructively and any damage can be detected at an early stage. The inspection can be carried out both manually and automatically.

The “PASAWIS“ inspection system (Phased Array Semi-Automated Wheelset Inspection System) is a joint development of Fraunhofer IZFP and Evident GmbH in collaboration with Railmaint GmbH, providing wheelset inspection of the next generation. In this context, it fulfills the requirements of VPI European Rail Service GmbH (VERS) according to VPI-EMG 09 for the maintenance of freight cars by means of non-destructive testing.

Using three hand-held scanners and pre-defined inspection programs, “PASAWIS“ enables a complete wheelset inspection including shaft, rim and tread. The mobile system can be deployed in production and operated by one person. It consists of an ultrasonic unit (phased array) with customized software.