accredited testing facility

New service jet from Stadler for ÖBB: Dynamic tests and instrumented wheelsets

ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG has procured a new fleet of rescue trains with 18 new service jets from Stadler. The low-emission and multifunctional vehicles will be in operation throughout Austria, travelling at speeds of up to 160 km/h. PJM was commissioned as an accredited test center in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 for the test runs. The dynamic tests are being carried out in co-operation with the ÖBB mechanical measurement group. PJM was also responsible for the production and development of the instrumented wheelsets. The vehicle tests for the areas of running behavior, brakes, acoustics and pantographs will take place throughout Austria and are expected to be completed in autumn 2024. For unrestricted track access in Austria, the test runs were carried out in test zone 5c, for vehicle authorization for radius curves down to 100 meters. "The instrumented wheelsets were specially developed and manufactured for these specifications in very tight curves. Our wheelsets have proven themselves in the dynamic tests," says Martin Joch, CEO of PJ Messtechnik GmbH.

The new generation of service jets required some innovations in the test runs. "Due to the new standards, these demanding tests were carried out on the ÖBB network for the first time. The results of the test runs are extremely precise and reliable and form a solid basis for evaluating the rail vehicle," says test manager Roman Schmid, ÖBB Produktion GmbH.

Video dynamic tests

Media release

Styrian governor Christopher Drexler visits PJM

A lot is happening at our location. This week, we were honored to welcome the Governor of Styria at PJM. IT was a pleasure to report Christopher Drexler on our technologies and discuss developments in the railway industry.

Styria as an industrial centre is home to internationally renowned companies and world market leaders. The railway industry also creates products, technologies and services that are known far beyond the borders of this green province. A few figures at a glance:

R&D ratio: 5.17% of GDP
R&D expenditure: EUR 2.67 billion
Universities & Universities of applied sciences: 9
Students: 63,000
Number of companies: 100,000+ (including sole proprietorships)

General / Waggon Tracker - 06/07/2024

Expanding headquarters: New hall for instrumented wheelsets

The instrumented wheelset expertise is made up of several elements that PJM combines with each other. PJM perfectly matches measurement technology, experience as an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited test centre, engineering expertise and 10 years of experience in the development and production of measuring wheelsets.

PJM has now also raised its infrastructure and technical equipment to a new level. The new part of the building has been equipped with a comprehensive range of equipment to ensure the highest levels of precision, stability and standard in metrological terms. In addition, the expanded infrastructure will enable even faster throughput times and project processing in future. The equipment includes, among other things

Mobile test rig for measuring wheelsets for all track gauges and calibration during test runs on site
Premises for the parallel production of 12 instrumented wheel sets
Indoor crane and two electric forklifts
ESD-protected working environment
Air-conditioned room (for consistently ideal conditions, for example when attaching strain gauges)
Dynamic test rig for end-of-line testing of instrumented wheel sets
Fine balancing in accordance with ISO13260 limits

‘The dovetailing of theory with practical testing experience is a great added value for our customers,’ says Martin Joch. He continues: ‘The instrumented wheelset infrastructure guarantees the highest measurement quality for every phase and every requirement. In combination with our specialised knowledge in engineering and our many years of experience in dynamic testing, we offer vehicle manufacturers a considerable portfolio of knowledge and services.’

This makes PJM a strong partner in the field of measuring wheelsets:

All processes and project steps relating to measuring wheelsets are handled by PJM in-house and from a single source
This also results in short throughput times
Calculation, design, production, calibration and balancing
Powerful telemetry system: Thanks to the extensive equipment, 12 measuring wheelsets can be operated simultaneously
PJM offers solutions for every application and every wheel geometry (not just standard solutions)

https://pjm.co.at/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/PI-PJM-Messradsatzhalle-5-2024-EN-Web.pdf

General / Presseberichte - 05/22/2024

News around the world: PJM in the international railway press

Fancy a read? We have quite a choice of articles! In recent weeks, PJM has been the subject of reports on a wide variety of topics. We have put together a small selection.

Rail freight: Automated brake test on Swiss freight trains

Railvolution: SBB Cargo receives type approval für automatic brake test

Railway Pro: Nevomo engage PJ Motion

Railfreight China: Nevomo and PJ Motion

Railway International: PJM expands its services with PJ Motion

Business Newspaper on wooden desk with glasses and coffee cup, D

General / Waggon Tracker - 01/24/2024

1 year in 1 minute: The PJM review 2023

Our teams worked on 90 projects, we grew and fully automated a process for the first time in the history of rail transport. A short video portrait of our numerous activities this year.

General / Waggon Tracker - 12/20/2023

Video: Aerodynamic tests for new nightjet generation of ÖBB

The first journey of the new generation of ÖBB Nightjets is coming soon: from 10 December, the new Generation Viaggio Next Level night coaches will be in service in Austria and Germany. Rail passengers look forward to a wide range of comfort categories and technical innovations.

PJM was commissioned with the overall approval in cooperation with ÖBB. As an accredited test laboratory according to ISO/IEC 17025, the Austrian system specialist was in charge of the design and production of the measuring wheelsets as well as for the approval tests in the areas of running behavior, fatigue strength, acoustics and aerodynamics.

The aerodynamic vehicle tests were performed at speeds of over 200 km/h. In the course of these measurements, compliance with the permissible aerodynamic stresses was checked on the train platform, on the open track and in tunnels. The required boundary conditions in Austria can currently only be realised on the Westbahn line, which is why the test runs took place between Vienna and Linz.

Eco-friendly travelling comfort "Made in Austria"

Austria's railway expertise is reflected in the modern night trains. With the new Nightjets, ÖBB is expanding its role as market leader in the European night train business: Siemens Mobility was responsible for the development, the carriages were manufactured in Vienna and the bogies and wheelsets come from Graz. PJM carried out the approval tests and the measuring wheelsets were designed and manufactured in the headquarters of Graz.

Video of high speed test runs

PJM media release

Media release of ÖBB (in German language)

General / Presseberichte - 11/16/2023

Testing the fatigue strength of a container freight wagon at MFL

The fatigue strength tests are used to check that the rail vehicle can withstand the operational loads. There are different test methods for determining the operational strength, such as static tests or impact tests. An important part of this is the pressure frame test, in which the vehicle frame is subjected to loads in an empty and loaded state. The mobile compression frame has proved particularly effective in this respect. With PJM's own development, it is possible to carry out the tests directly at the manufacturer's premises and to use the infrastructure on site or in the vicinity. This was recently the case at Maschinenfabrik Liezen, which offers a perfect infrastructure. For an Italian wagon manufacturer, fatigue tests according to EN 12663 were carried out with the mobile pressure frame.

Short video on the tests: https://youtu.be/qoLnUP4iJEk

General - 08/08/2023

Approval tests in Ireland for Geismar Italia S.p.A

Two types of track inspection vehicles will be in operation on the Irish rail network in the future. For the approval tests, the world-renowned manufacturer of track construction machines relied on PJM's expertise. The approval tests took place in Ireland - typical Irish weather included.

Get the full press release:

https://pjm.co.at/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/PI-PJM-Geismar-EN-07-2023.pdf

General / News - 07/06/2023

Lecture at International Railway Vehicle Conference in Dresden

A fixture among railway experts is the 1.5-yearly International Rail Vehicle Conference in Dresden (Internationale Schienenfahrzeug-Tagung). This year, PJM and voestalpine Track Solutions Germany GmbH also provided first-hand know-how. In the conference section wheel / rail, an insight into "rail maintenance based on smart measurements" was presented. The innovative approach of using mobile measuring technology to measure the rails and tracks of entire trams and underground trains in a short time was awarded the state prize.

The Rail Vehicle Conference was organised by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Dresden University of Applied Sciences, the Faculty of Transport Sciences "Friedrich List" at the Dresden University of Technology and DVV Media Group GmbH | Eurailpress Hamburg. Around 500 participants discussed innovations in the railway industry in a beautiful setting on the Elbe.

This year's programme (in German language): https://www.eurailpress.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Tagungsprogramm2023_v2.pdf

News - 03/14/2023

Dynamic tests, instrumented wheel-sets and simulation for Rhaetian Rail

Projects always take our measurement technology team to particularly beautiful places. This was also the case recently in Switzerland. The Rhaetian Railway makes railway hearts beat faster. The track is one of the most beautiful in the world, and the Bernina and Albula lines are even UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In addition to the picturesque landscape, the technical requirements are fascinating. Typical for the metre gauge track are curves up to 45 m radius and gradients up to 70 ‰. The Allegra multiple-unit train made by Stadler AG, which is used on this line in various vehicle configurations, is perfectly tailored to these high line requirements. In order to test the running characteristics of different train compositions under special operating conditions, PJM was commissioned with running tests.

The project was carried out in several parts by the experienced system specialist from Austria:

In the preliminary stage, the wheel-rail forces as well as occurring buffer forces were determined by simulations. In this way, critical conditions or constellations could be resolved computationally. Another advantage is that this keeps the metrological effort to a minimum.
Instrumented wheel sets, accelerators, transducers as well as measuring buffers were prepared in the usual way at the company's location in Graz and then installed on the test vehicle at the RhB main workshop in Landquart.
The measurement campaign was carried out on the track between Poschiavo and Alp Grüm. In real operation, the running behaviour was tested under increased operating forces. The test runs took place in November 2022. The data analysis and report were recently completed.

Further information in the media release: https://pjm.co.at/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/PI-PJM-Rhaetian-Rail-Web-02-2023-EN.pdf

General / News - 02/01/2023