Correct uplift forces are important to operators of rolling stock. A fleet view of the current uplift states is attractive to identify outliers, but has to be presented in a simple way. The maintenance of rolling stock is often complicated, and the maintenance manager needs tools that provide updated information. Below, PantoInspect presents measurements of uplift.

The figure 1 shows a fleet-view for a fleet of identical trains with identical pantographs. The data are real data values taken over a period of several months. For such trains a static uplift force could be specified to 70N or 90N or another value, but a deviation from the specified value is accepted within a given range.

A PantoScanner will be able to measure the uplift force corresponding to a calibrated uplift displacement for the location, where the scanner has been installed. The figure shows the acceptable uplift range by dotted red lines.

The advantage of having the uplift measured by a scanner on a specific location is, that the value is measured all days, 24/7, several times during one day on the same train and without any traffic interruption. The uplift values are all average displacement measurements.

The measurements clearly show that few outliers are present. The carbon wear of those pantographs will often be very high, and will limit the overall pantograph lifetime if a time based maintenance schedule is used. The information presented in this fleet-view will instead allow for condition based maintenance.

Significant savings are in genearal obtained by using PantoInspects maintenance tools and carbon measurements.

• Figure fleet view: uplift measurements of 79 different trains. The four trains show in red had uplift outside the acceptable uplift range. The acceptable range was specified be from -1mm to 7mm. Detailed view in purple shown below

• Detailed view (in purple box): Uplift measurements of 23 of 79 trains with the train ID shown. Train no 8320 and train no 8337 showed an uplift above 7mm. An uplift displacement value of 7mm corresponds to a static uplift force of a certain value depending on the installation site