Greenwood Engineering A/S is the manufacturer of the world-recognised MiniProf full-contact profile measuring systems for monitoring the cross sectional profile of railway wheels, tracks, brakes and switches within infrastructure and rolling stock. The portable MiniProf measuring systems are fast and easy to use and generate outstanding measuring results. They provide an extremely accurate and reliable foundation for making critical and economic decisions within quality control, safety regulation, manufacturing, research, planning and evaluation of maintenance activities such as rail grinding, rail milling and wheel machining. Used by thousands of customers in more than 50 countries and distributed by a vast, global MiniProf agent network, the MiniProf systems are well established in the world market and are suitable for use on various types of railway wheels, brakes, tracks and switch profiles.
The MiniProf systems are based on the important full-contact measuring principle where a magnetic, knife-shaped measuring wheel provides constant and direct contact to the actual profile surface during the complete measuring process. Concerns about dirt and oil are minimised as the full contact measuring wheel cuts seamlessly through layers of dirt, grease, frost and leaves and collects the exact profile. This is in contrast to similar non-contact laser based equipment which takes a picture of the profile including any unremoved surface layers! A full contact measurement can be performed in all types of working environments as it is never challenged by reflecting light, humid weather, white frost etc. Combined with rotating high-resolution optical encoders, 30,000 individual collected points in one single measurement and an accuracy range from 9-11 µm, a full contact MiniProf measurement is 10 times more accurate than similar non-contact laser-based measuring systems on the market and reflects the true state of the measured profile.
Due to the unmatched high accuracy and reliable full-contact measurements, the MiniProf systems enables you to stay in full control of your assets and focus on increasing quality, safety, travelling comfort, punctuality and capacity as well as reducing costs.
Each MiniProf system is supplied with the user-friendly MiniProf Envision software package. It is highly flexible, customisable to individual customer requirements and can be used from basic to in-depth post measurement analysis. The software package includes measurement schemes, batch processing, evaluation, trending as well as a more than 50 calculations and a wide range of functionality for working with measurements. Also included is the Criterion app, which is designed for data collection on Android smart phones and tablets and provides an easy and intuitive measuring process. Instant results are shown upon completion of a measurement and can be viewed later on the device and easily transferred to MiniProf Envision for detailed analysis.
Combined, the MiniProf measuring systems and the Envision software and Criterion app present an unmatched tool for accurate and informative profile data measurements and analysis and opens up a world of possibilities.
MiniProf – Much more than a measurement.
MiniProf Wheel – Reliable full-contact wheel profile measurements
MiniProf BT Wheel is a full-contact measuring system for fast and high-accuracy cross-sectional wheel profile measurements. It is a lightweight hand held tool, which can be used for planned maintenance, wear prediction, trending, analyses and much more. The Sd, Sh and qR values are calculated instantly in real-time view and numerous additional calculations and alignments are available in the powerful Envision software. Residuals and areas are visualised and calculated automatically and all measurements can be compared in multiple ways and are easily exported to other formats.
Due to the unmatched high accuracy, the MiniProf Wheel system is also ideal to use before and after reprofiling of the wheels to determine when to reprofile and how much material to take off during the process. The leads to precise reprofiling and improved lifetime of the rolling stock. When measuring multiple profiles, the measuring scheme option is a very strong tool for clear identification of each profile in advance and for simplifying the measuring process even further.
Magnetically attached to the backside of the flange, a MiniProf Wheel system measures a wheel profile in less than five seconds and a complete railroad car in only a few minutes.
MiniProf Rail – Reliable full-contact rail profile measurements
The MiniProf BT Rail system is a full-contact measuring system for fast and high-accuracy cross-sectional rail profile measurements. It is a lightweight handheld tool, which can be used for planned maintenance, wear prediction, trending analyses and much more. The vertical, horizontal and angled wear are displayed instantly in real-time view and numerous additional calculations and alignments are available in the powerful Envision software.
Residuals and areas are visualised and calculated automatically and provide special functionalities which are often used for rail grinding analysis. All measurements can be compared in multiple ways and are easily exported to other formats. Super elevation and grade are measured automatically and stored with the measurement system for display at any time.
The GPS location and onsite photographs can be logged to each measurement and it is a very useful feature for identifying special points of interest along the railroad track. Magnetically attached to the top of the railhead using the opposite rail as reference, the rail profile and track gauge is measured in one single measurement in less than five seconds, reducing exposure on the track.
MiniProf Brake – Reliable full-contact brake profile measurements
MiniProf BT Brake is a high precision, lightweight and portable tool for performing fast and reliable cross-sectional brake profile measurements to monitor and analyse the wear of brakes. It is equipped with Bluetooth, has an option for cable connection and comes in a few different variations depending on the type of brake.
Magnetically attached to the wheel or axle, the brake profile is measured in less than 5 seconds. Wear parameters are provided instantly and additional calculations and data handling opportunities are included in the powerful Envision software for laptops and PC.
MiniProf TwinHead – Reliable full-contact TwinHead wheel or rail profile measurements
MiniProf BT TwinHead is a full-contact measuring system for fast and high-accuracy cross-sectional profile measurements of track and rolling stock.
A MiniProf BT TwinHead system measures both the left and right profiles together which makes it possible to obtain a highly accurate relationship between the two profiles. This is especially important in analysing running characteristics using for example equivalent conicity studies.
The MiniProf BT TwinHead systems are available for rail and wheel profile measurements. Full access to numerous additional calculations and data handling opportunities are included in the powerful Envision software for laptop and PC.
MiniProf Switch – Reliable full-contact switch profile measurements
The MiniProf Switch & Crossing system is a full-contact measuring system with Bluetooth connectivity. It provides fast and highly accurate cross-sectional profiles of switches and crossings.
The instrument extends to the opposite rail through a fixed rod, offering stability, gauge and track relative measurements. Precise information on the physical placement of the multiple rails is provided instantly and is stored by the accompanying Envision software for onsite and post-measurement analysis.
Area of use
The extremely reliable and accurate full-contact measurements combined with Bluetooth connection, a user-friendly interface and a powerful and flexible software package make the MiniProf measuring systems suitable for use in various sections in the railway industry and in virtually any working environment.
They enable the user to make critical decisions in purchase, maintenance, quality and safety departments all over the world and represents a great platform for research and development all over the world. For further areas of use, please refer to the below list.
Maintenance
- On-site field/workshop conformity, limit inspection & documentation.
- Rail grinding, profile check before/after
- Wheel re-profiling, profile check before/after milling
Safety regulation
- Inspection check if assets are within regulation
- Accident and derailment investigation
- Analysis and documentation of work
Product design & development
- Material and life cycle test
- Lubrication/friction effect
- Design of wheel, rail, brake disc boogie
Management
- Lift cycle wear monitoring
- Trend forecast, planning of on-time maintenance intervals
- Life expectancy/improvements/replacements
Manufacturing
- Production quality control
- Factory acceptance inspection before shipment
- Verification of production equipment
Procurement
- On-site field/workshop incoming inspection
- Lifetime/performance monitoring, forecast planning
- Compare quality from different suppliers
Research & universities
- WRI studies, verification of research and principles
- Reduce noise and wear-rates to extend asset lifetime
- Improve safety, speed, load and travel comfort
